ONOTONAGON – The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has grant funds available for brownfield projects, a topic which was discussed at a recent Ontonagon Village planning commission meeting.

Village Manager Joseph Erickson is reviewing and updating the site list from 2004, to review it with the brownfield commission. The brownfield commission is also the planning commission.

“I was on the phone with the DEQ,” Erickson said, “and they were just bringing us up to date on funds available for site cleanups.”

According to the definition, a brownfield is any former industrial or commercial site where future use is affected by real or perceived environmental contamination.

“We haven’t identified any brownfiled sites,” Erickson said. “The issue here is that the property in question has to have an interested party before the site can be examined.