Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The City of Mount Vernon, Illinois received a $500,000 Cooperative Agreement award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 under the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Cooperative Agreements program (CFDA 66.818), effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2029. The agreement funds comprehensive brownfields assessment and remediation activities for real properties where expansion, development, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants. No subawards are included in this assistance agreement.

Under this cooperative agreement, Mount Vernon will conduct eligible assessment-related activities authorized by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Section 104(k)(2), including property inventory and characterization, environmental site assessments, cleanup planning and alternatives analysis, and community involvement activities. Specifically, the city anticipates completing 16 Phase I and 8 Phase II environmental site assessments, developing 4 site-specific cleanup plans, hosting community meetings, and submitting 16 quarterly progress reports through EPA's Assessment, Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES). The recipient will competitively procure and direct qualified environmental professionals to conduct necessary environmental site activities, with deliverables benefiting residents, business owners, and stakeholders in and near Mount Vernon, Illinois.