February 28, 2007

The Department of Environmental Quality has been honored with an Economic Excellence Award for Outstanding Site Redevelopment for its participation in the redevelopment of a contaminated site in the city of Saginaw. The award was presented at Saginaw Future Inc.'s annual business meeting held on February 23.

The DEQ worked with the community to award a $1 million Brownfield Redevelopment Grant to the Saginaw County Economic Development Corporation to address environmental concerns at a former industrial site in Saginaw and facilitate its re-use. The project will remove 26,000 cubic yards of waste contaminated with PCBs and metals at the former Ferro-Met Scrap Yard and prepare the site for the relocation of the Rifkin Scrap Iron and Metal Company.

"It is a great honor for the DEQ to receive this award," said DEQ Director Steven E. Chester. "I look forward to continuing our partnership efforts within Saginaw County to provide them with tools needed to bring new opportunities to the community, and encourage others to work, live, and raise their families there."

Rifkin Metal is currently located on a site along the Saginaw River; however, the Ferro-Met site offers access to rail transport and is close to a major expressway. Additional tax incentives are also offered as part of the Renaissance Zone designation. The project is anticipated to retain 35 jobs, create an additional 5 permanent jobs, and leverage over $8 million in private investment.

Saginaw Future Inc. is a nonprofit economic development organization that works with the county of Saginaw to create and retain jobs. Their annual business meeting recognized 32 award recipients that collectively invested over $51 million in Saginaw County in 2006.

Editor's note: DEQ news releases are available on the department's Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

"Protecting Michigan's Environment, Ensuring Michigan's Future"

Revised February 27, 2007 by Pat Watson