United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-98-253 November 1998 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ &EPA Brownfields Showcase Community Baltimore, MD Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101) Quick Reference Fact Sheet Brownfields are abandoned, idled or underused industrial and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived contamination. In May 1997, Vice President Gore announced a Brownfields National Partnership to bring together the resources of more than 15 federal agencies to address local cleanup and reuse issues in a more coordinated manner. This multi-agency partnership has pledged support to 16 "Brownfields Showcase Communities"models demonstrating the benefits of collaborative activity on brownfields. The designated Brownfields Showcase Communities are distributed across the country and vary by size, resources, and community type. A wide range of support will be leveraged, depending on the particular needs of each Showcase Community. BACKGROUND The Brownfields National Partnership has selected the City of Baltimore as a Brownfields Showcase Community. The city has identified 1,000 acres of vacant and underutilized former industrial sites located throughout Baltimore as potential brownfields. More than 400 of these acres reside in the city's federal Empowerment Zone (EZ). Baltimore's Brownfields Initiative targets properties in the Fairfield and Canton areas, as well as sites in East Baltimore and the southeast and southwest sections of the city, for cleanupand redevelopment. Fairfield and Canton fell within the federal EZ. Residents in these low-income,minority communities have been affected by disinvestment and the loss ofjob opportunities, population decline, a rise in violentcrime and high school dropout rates, and harmful environmental conditions which affect public health. of its Brownfields Initiative. Community outreach is also a key element of the initiative. CURRENT ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS Since the inception ofBaltimore's Brownfields Initiative, more than 30 sites have been assessed. Four sites are currently participating in Maryland's voluntary cleanup program (VCP), and one site has received its liability assurance letter. High- lights ofBaltimore's brownfields redevelopment program include: Developing a comprehensive geographic information system (GIS) inventory of more than 300 vacant and underutilizedcommercial andindustrial sites; Community Profile Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore has attempted to tackle these issues by engaging stakeholders and developing cooperative partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies as part Since the Baltimore Brownfields Initiative began, more than 30 sites have been assessed through federal, state, local, and private partnerships. These partners have committed significant resources to brownfields redevelopment, including an $11.5 million private investment to convert a brownfield into an industrial center. Establishing the $3 million Empower Baltimore Brownfields Loan and Grant Programfortherevitalization of brownfields in the city's EZ; Cleaning up and redeveloping the 3 3-acre former ASARCO site in Canton, which has attracted $11.5 million in private investment, andhas resulted inthe creation of ISOnewfull- time permanentjobs. The site is now an industrial center; ------- Working with Baltimore County on regional interests in brownfieldsredevelopmentandcommunityrevitalization. Baltimore has formed partnerships with federal, state and local entities to comprehensively address brownfields issues. Partnerships include: U.S. EPA, which awarded Baltimore a Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot and a Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which designatedafederalEmpowermentZone inBaltimore; State agencies, including the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DEED); Local entities, including the Baltimore Development Corporation, theDepartmentofPublicWorks,1heHeal1h Department,1heDepartmentofHousingandCommunity Development, andlheEmpowerBaltimore Management Corporation. The Department of Planning oversees Baltimore' s Brownfields Initiative; and Community groups such as the Southeast Community Organization, the Baltimore Urban League, and Jubilee Baltimore, as well as academic institutions such as Morgan State University. SHOWCASE COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES Baltimore plans to use the Showcase Communities project to further accesstechnical and financial resources that would help bring many of its ongoing brownfields redevelopment projects to completion. The city's short-term goals are to: increase employment opportunities in locations accessible to lower-income populations; cleanup long-standing potential threats to public health and the environment; protect the environment, especially the Chesapeake Bay watershed; better accommodate employment-generating growth in already developed areas, thereby taking advantage of previously built infrastructure; develop more efficient land use patterns, thus promoting non-"sprawl" development patterns; and increase revenue for the city by rebuilding its tax base. Baltimore is committed to demonstrating that through inter- governmental and inter-agency cooperation, community-driven brownfields cleanup and redevelopment, leading to neighborhood and urban revitalization, is possible. Contacts Department of Planning City of Baltimore (410)396-8356 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA-Region 3 (215)814-3129 For more information on the Brownfields Showcase Communities, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/showcase.htm Brownfields Showcase Community November 1998 Baltimore, Maryland EPA 500-F-98-253 ------- |