c/EPA Region 2 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Quarterly Community Report VOLUME 2 NUMBER 1 Glen Cove Showcase Program: Off to an Explosive Start On Earth Day 1998, EPA demolished the 250 ft. smokestack at the Li Tungsten Super- fund site marking the explosive beginnina of Glen Cove's waterfront revitalization. mmm,. W . - ¦ In April, just one week after EPA de- molished the smokestack at the local Li Tungsten Superfund site, the City of Glen Cove, NY bunched its Brownfields Showcase Community program. In March, Vice President Al Gore designated 16 Brown- fields Showcase Communities to receive focused funding and technical assistance in brownfields redevelopment from 15 federal agencies. The Showcase Communities will serve as national models, demonstrating the value of public and private cooperation in restoring brownfields properties. The City of Glen Cove's Brownfields Showcase Community Workshop not only opened the Showcase Community Initiative in Glen Cove, but also invited other waterfront communi- ties on Long Island to address revitalization issues. Mayor Thomas Suozzi opened the workshop with a brief history of Glen Cove's waterfront revitalization project and discussion of what the city plans to accomplish. The USEPA Regional Administrator Jeanne Fox said, "These brownfields, here and across the country, are usually a blight to the local community. Bui where some see only blighi, others, like Glen Cove, see opportunity. It is opportunity that Mayor Suozzi saw when he began this effort to turn a liability into a clean, job-producing asset for the community. That vision also led to EPA's designation of Glen Cove as a Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot project last year. The same vision has brought all of you here this morning. And it is what led Vice President Gore to announce last month that Glen Cove had been chosen as one of the nation's 16 Brownfields Showcase Communities." In the spirit of partnership that is a major goal of the showcase program, interested parties from the public and private sectors exchanged information and concerns on Day One of the workshop. Stakeholders learned what Glen Cove envisions along its waterfront and what resources are available from state and federal government to help make that vision happen. Representatives of other Long Island waterfront towns spoke about revitalization projects in their communities, providing lessons learned for Glen Cove and the attending agencies. The second day focused specifically on the progress of the Glen Cove project to date, identified roadblocks, challenges and action items, and set specific commitments among the stakeholders. For more information on the Glen Cove pilot or showcase, contact Robert Benrubi, Brownfields Project Manager at Glen Cove at 516-676-1625 or Edward Als, USEPA at 212-637-4272. ~ INSIDE: EPA and Environmental Justice 2 EPA Pilot Workshops Build on Local Knowledge 3 Elmira, New York Launches New Pilot 4 Focused Pilot Project Underway in Elizabeth 5 Removal Actions Can Be a Key Step in the Brownfields Process.... 6 EPA Community Grant Programs 6 Technology Innovation Office Offers Guides to Investigation and Cleanup Technologies 7 Facts from the Field 7 SUMMER 1998 12 New Brownfield Pilots Selected in USEPA Region 2 In two rounds of nationwide awards, EPA has announced 12 new Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots for commu- nities in Region 2, bringing the total number of such projects in the Region to 26. There are now 228 pilot projects underway throughout the country. On May 7, EPA announced pilot projects would be awarded to: • Ogdensburg, NY • Yonkers, NY • Niagara County, NY On July 15, the Agency announced nine more pilots would go to: Hudson County, NJ Middlesex County, NJ Morris County, NJ Atlantic City, NJ Long Branch, NJ Paterson, NJ Ulster County, NY Utica, NY Puerto Rico Ports Authority The Brownfields pilot grants of $200,000 are intended to be used as seed money to help assess contamination, involve community residents in all aspects of the redevelopment process, leverage public and private funds, resolve liability issues, spur cleanup and serve as models for other communities seeking effective redevelopment approaches. Following is a brief description of each of the new pilots. In New York: Niagara County will target three sites for detailed investigation and assessment. Yonkers will focus on its Alexander Street waterfront area along the Hudson River. (continued on page 3) H BQCR Vol. 2 No. 1 Summer 1998 1 ------- EPA and Environmental Justice "For too long, low-income communities and minority communities hove borne a disproportionate burden of modern industrial life..." —Statement issued by EPA Administrator Carol Browner, February 11,1994. EPA defines environmental justice (EJ) as the "fair treatment for people of all races, cultures, and incomes regarding the development of environmental lows, regulations, and policies." Over the last decade, attention to the impact of environmental pollution on particular segments of our society has been steadily growing. Concern that minority populations and/or low-income popula- tions bear a disproportionate amount of adverse health and environmental effects led President Clinton to issue Executive Order 12898 in 1994, focusing federal agency ottenlicn to environmental justice. The order required federal agencies lo conduct programs, policies and activities in a nondiscriminatory manner. 11 also required EPA to develop an ogency-wide strategy for incorporat- ing environmental justice within its mission and initiate development of Environmental Justice Action Plans within its program and regional offices. Even prior to the 1994 Executive Order, EPA had been working to promote environmental justice. Formal agency response lo conditions of environmental inequity began in 1992 when EPA Headquarters established the Environ- mental Equity Workgroup and the Off ice of Environmental Equity, later renamed the Office of Environmental Justice (OEJ). The OEJ serves as a focal point for ensuring that communities comprised predominantly of people of color or low income receive equal protection under B environmental laws. The office is charged with providing oversight on these concerns to oil parts of the agency This involves reviewing how the EPA conducts its business and recommending where changes ore needed. Eoch of the EPA's ten regional offices has also established an Environmental Justice Office and designated on Environmental Justice Coordinator. The Environmental Justice Coordinator for Region 2 (Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, New York and New Jersey) b Melva J. Hayden, Esq. Ms. Hayden works out of the Regional Administrator's office and reports directly to Regional Administrator Jeanne M. Fox. She chairs the Region 2 Environmental Justice Workgroup which is comprised of representatives from the Region 2 program offices. Led by Dano ?, Williams, Esq., the Education Subgroup of this regional work group developed and implemented a mandatory EJ training course for EPA employees. Environmental Justice and Brownfields Environmental justice is an important factor in efforts to promote brownfields redevel- opment. While it makes sense to use existing industrial land and avoid further development of green space, redeveloping brownfields also works to equalize quality of life by providing jobs, training, and productive and safe neighborhoods. Of particular relevance to brownfields stakeholders is the work of the National Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) and the Environmental Justice Initiative within the EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER). NEJAC is the advisory committee established by federal charter on September 30, 1993 lo provide independent advice, consulta-j tion, and recommendations to the Efi^ administrator regarding environmental justice issues. NEJAC also works with EPA's regional offices. NEJAC is comprised of representatives from a broad arena of stakeholders including ocademia, government, industry, community based organizations, tribal nations and indigenous peoples. In addition to art Executive Council, NEJAC subcommittees meet independently to address issues surrounding enforcement, health and research, indigenous peoples, international concerns, public participa- tion, and waste and facility siting. The entire NEJAC meets twice annually in the spring and winter. To date, NEJAC hcs held 11 rational meetings end five public dialogue sessions. The most recent meeting was held May 31-June 3,1998 in Oakland, CA. Information on NEJAC projects and copies of its reports and transcripts con be obtained through the NEJAC website: http://www.prcemi.com/nejac/ In 1995, OSWER established an Envirord mental Justice Action Agenda outlining the division's strategy for incorporating environmental justice concerns into its programs. OSWER continuously monitors and modifies the action items of this Agendo and publishes an annual EJ Accomplishments Report. For informa- tion on the Action Agenda or the Accomplishments Report link to the Environmental Justice homepage via the ERA Brownfields website: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields For more information on EPA and Environmental Justice contact: Region 2 Environmental Justice Office Coordinator: Melva J. Hayden, Esq. 212-637-5027 hayden.melva@epamail.epo.gov Headquarters Office of Environmental Justice: Mary Settle HJ00-962-6215 Callers will be directed to the appropriate Environmental Justice contact within EPA's program offices. ~ BQCR Vol. 2 No. 1 Summer 1996 NEW BROWNFIELDS WEB PAGE 18 UP AND RUNNING! EPA Region 2's new Brownfietds Web Page is on-line, carrying The Brownfields Quarterly Community Report in full. The brownfields Web Page ts accessible through: Region 2 Web Page hf tpi//www.epa.gov/region02/iuperfnd/brownfld/bfmainpg.htm EPA's National Web Page ! hrtpi//www.epa.gov/brownfield* ------- 12 New Brownfield Pilots Selected in USEPA Region 2 [continued from page ll Ogdensburg will revitalize its Oswegatchie and St. Lawrence Rivers waterfronts. Ulster County will establish a public/ private partnership to provide technical assistance to site owner and developers. Utica will prepare the Foster Paper Company site and three additional sites for cleanup and redevelopment. In New Jersey: Hudson County will help small communities manage resources toword the redevelopment of brownfields sites. Middlesex County will help develop commercial, light industrial and mixed residential/recreational areas. Morris County will help restore the environment and revitalize the econo- mies of 13 municipalities along the Rockaway River. Atlantic City will form a task force to restore distressed properties. Long Branch will revitalize a 136-acre oceanfront Redevelopment Zone. Paterson will target six sites for environmental assessment and involve stakeholders in decision making. Puerto Rico Ports Authority will identify sites for redevelopment to enhance transport and shipping oppor- tunities. To obtain the complete list of most recently awarded pilot grants, visit EPA's Internet Home Page at www.epa.brownfields, the Region 2 Home Page at www.epa.gov/region02 or call the Region 2 Hotline at 800-225- 7044. ~ EPA Pilot Workshops Build on Local Knowledge To successfully launch Brownfields Assess- ment Demonstration Pilot projects in cities throughout EPA's Region 2, EPA hosts pilot workshops designed to draw on stakeholder knowledge and solicit their participation in the redevelopment process. EPA's Northeast Hazardous Substances Research Center (NHSRC) assists the Region 2 EPA office in conducting the kick-off workshops for each pilot project. The workshops educate local stakeholders about the project and encourage their participation and support. According to Jerry McKenna, Director of Technology Transfer and Training at NHSRC, the workshops approach this task from "the outside in"; that is, from the general to the specific. In the first part of the workshop, speakers explain the general context of brownfields redevelopment, setting the stage for a discussion of the local brownfields situation and workplan. Workshop speakers include Dr. Alfred Price of the State University of New York at Buffalo who provides an urban planning perspective of the brownfields issue and discusses the benefits and advantages of redeveloping such sites. Charles Bartsch of the Northeast Midwest Institute then shares practical lessons learned by other communities as they have redeveloped their brown- fields. The examples presented often demonstrate effective partnerships that have developed between stakeholders as they work to overcome legal or financial barriers to redevelopment. Finally, an EPA representative explains the Agency's brownfields pilot project program and details the grant require- ments and procedures. The agenda then moves closer to home. State representatives present state programs and financial incentives to help support the pilot project, and local officials outline plans specific to the pilot project. The purpose of this part of the workshop is to illustrate that the three levels of government (local, state and federal) work together to implement brownfields redevelopment. With this platform of understanding, the floor is then open for stakeholders to discuss the project: the barriers to its completion, the key steps to its success, its effect on other local redevelopment efforts, and how to be effective participants. Broad representation of all the stakeholders involved in the project and their active participation are the most important elements of the kick-off workshop, said McKenna. Across the region, some consistent questions arise among brownfields stakeholders. The following are often cited concerns: * Public education and public participa- tion in the project; * Comprehensive brownfields redevelop- ment plan; * Site selection; * Local job creation; * Identification of agencies' roles in cleanup decisions; * Fears of municipal mismanagement; * Involvement of financial institutions; * Liability concerns,- and * Future safety concerns at remediated sites. The goal of stakeholder discussion is to start a flow of information about local brownfields issues. As EPA administers existing and new pilot grants, the Agency makes this knowledge available through the kick-off workshops in an effort to keep each community as fully informed and prepared as possible. According to William Librizzi, Director of Technology Applications and Community Assistance at NHSRC, stakeholder discussions at the workshops have confirmed that two-way communication is the key to project success. ~ B EPA REGION 2 BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM INFORMATION HOTLINE The hotline, staffed by TRC Environmental Corporation, operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Within Region 2 (New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), dial 800-225-7044 Outside Region 2, dial 212-619-7703 PILOT SITE FACT SHEETS fat#*#* BQCR Vol. 2 No. 1 Summer 1998 ------- " By working creatively with regulators and developers to trim environmental costs and arrive at innovative payment-in-lieu- Elmira, N©W York of-tax agreements, Elmira has already successfully turned two Launches New Pilot former contaminated brownfields into regional supermarkets. " The City of Elmira, New York's site assessment pilot project aims to speak to developers in a language they can understand. In two years the city wants to be able to offer investors developable sites complete with investment incentives, financing tools, and no environmental surprises. Having successfully partnered with private developers in the past, and eager to make maximum use of its New York State Economic Development Zone designation (EDZ), city officials are well prepared to achieve this goal. Elmira, a residential com- munity of 32,000 people lo- cated in the Finger Lakes re- gion of New York State, has experienced many of the same problems other larger cities have faced with the exodus of industrial jobs in the 1970s and '80s, loss of tax revenues, deteriorating housing, increased absentee property ownership, and vi- sual blight. Its seven brown- fields pilot sites include former foundries, rail yards, junkyards, and other com- mercial and industrial op- erations. By working creatively with regulators and devel- opers to trim environmen- tal costs and arrive at innovative payment-in-lieu-of-tox agree- ments, Elmira has already successfully turned two former con- taminated brownfields into regional supermarket facilities which today are assessed at $10.5 million and employ 500 workers. The city has also invested $700,000 in the cleanup and redevelopment of a former foundry site into the new Trinity Industrial Park. Zoned heavy industrial, the park mea- sures 19 acres, and features more than $3 million of below market rate financing and discounted utility rates. Trinity Park is ready for its first tenants. The redevelopment effort to date has cost the city nearly $1 million and it cannot similarly subsidize the redevelopment of its remaining brownfields. The $200,000 EPA grant will clarify the contamination status of several more sites to demonstrate the 11 1 inUrMt in th§ir "The successful redevelopment of Trinity is a key component of our economic development strategy; its success will lay the foundation for other sites", said City Manager Samuel Iraci. Elmira will focus its pilot project grant on the 50 brownfields acres now owned by the city. It will conduct preliminary Phase I site assessments at four to six selected sites located within the Economic Development Zone and more detailed Phase II site assessments at two to four of those sites. Working under New York's Voluntary Cleanup Program, Elmira will also develop remediation and redevelopment plans for up to four of the selected sites. While preparing specific sites for cleanup and redevelopment, Elmira will also be working to create a supportive environment for investment. The city wants to use its state EDZ designation to devise tax and non-tax incentives (4 development or expansS of businesses on brown- fields. Ideas already being explored include creative financing tools, a stop-loss insurance program to control remediation cost overruns, and creation of a revolving loan fund for brownfields cleanup. The brownfields pilot is part of Elmira's overall Strategic Eco- nomic Redevelopment Plan, a plan which saw Elmira's job mar- ket grow 4.6 percent in 1996 and recently ranked the Elmira region as the nation's 7th fastest growing area in export sales. To bring its brownfields into this turnaround, the city wants to serve as a catalyst and facilitator for redevelopment. By prepar- ing sites for cleanup, being open to creative tax agreements, and offering EDZ incentives, Elmira can allow developers to make use of these properties when they once could not. The city's new Brownfields Task Force will coordinate the site in- vestigation work and actively engage and report to the commu- nity regarding brownfields redevelopment. As developers are already responding to this lead, Iraci said he sees a "new, hopeful spirit in the community." For more information on Elmira's brown- " -1 I <"-1 !-J — -i contamination status of several more sites to aemonsrrum f. potential of local brownfields and spur private interest in their fields pilot, please call Cheryl Schneider, City of Elmira at redevelopment. 737-5691 or Dennis Munhall, USEPA at'212-637-4343. Q BQCR Vol. 2 No. 1 Summer 1998 ------- Built m Cm tar Focused Pilot Project Underway in Elizabeth Just over the first year of its EPA brownfields pi- lot grant, Elizabeth, New Jersey is working to prepare five brownfields properties for redevel- opment. Private developers have already hod several rede- velopment successes in Elizabeth imecent years. The Elizabeth Center, a former brownfields properly, now includes IKEAfc best performing North Ameri- can store and the largest Toys R Us/Kids World Superstore anywhere. This redevelopment created hundreds of new jobs, more than $1 million in city tax revenues, and $2 million in New Jersey Urban Enterprise lone revenues. Across the street from Elizabeth Center, developers are transforming 166 acres of a former landfill into the $320 million MetroMall. The City of Elizabeth led a task force that coordinated the regulatory planning for this conplex project. Elizabeth is now building on the lessons learned with Eliza- beth Center and the MetroMall and using the pilot grant to direct significant attention to brownfields redevelopment throughout the city. From a list of 64 potential brownfields properties, the city will select five marketable sites and de- velop remediation, financing, and/or redevelopment strate- gies for them. This process involves conducting environmen- tal assessments at the five sites, educating the affected public and listening to their priorities. The city will also work with investors who have expressed interest in local redevelopment and will coordinate with existing community development groups. To address these issues, the city has hired a part-time Brownfields Coordinator with pilot funding. "We want to bring everybody in and identify a business with each property," said Mayor Christian Boll wage, who co-chairs the national brownfields task force for the U.S. Conference of Mayors, "The business community has expressed a great deal of interest in the redevelopment of these sites.' Since the announcement of Elizabeth's EPA pilot project award, the city has been inundated with calls from develop- ers who wish to fearn about the city's plans and to express their interest in brownfields redevelopment in Elizabeth. In November 1997, the city started meeting with developers, looking for parties whose goals match those of the city. Said Bollwage, "We want to bring jobs to Elizabeth. We want to ""T-.. ¦ -r i_ a former brownfielrfc, the IKIA store at the Elizabeth is an example of tuccattful redevelopment. see businesses come in from outside Elizabeth or to help ex- isting businesses to expond here." The City of Elizabeth already has an excellent working relationship with the Elizabeth Development Company and other community development groups, and will work with them in selecting sites and planning remediation. The Regional Plan Association, working with Union County officials, has compiled a local inventory of what they term "recyclable lands." From this list the city and the identified stakeholders are selecting the final five demonstration sites based on factors such as marketability, access to transportation, and size. The city will continue to use existing methods of community outreach including local cable news, City Council meetings, newspaper articles, neighborhood council meetings, and the city's Information Line to inform the public of decisions and progress. When sites are at the point of remediation, Elizabeth expects to be well situated to steer developers to available funding. Financial in- centive sources include: the New Jersey Urban Enterprise Zone funds, federal Enterprise Community funds, the state's Economic Develop- ment Authority program, as well as the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's hazardous waste site remediation funds. The funding far redevelopment and the incentives contained in these programs have already proven beneficial to cily busi- nesses, said Bollwage. Elizabeth's expertise in drawing upon these programs' resources will be the driving force in creat- ing new jobs in Elizabeth and reclaiming vacant industrial land for productive use. For more information on the Crty of Elizabeth's EFA brownfields pilot project, contact Diana Nieto, Brownfields Coordinator at 908-820-4007 or Nick Magriples, USEPA at 732-906-6930. ~ BQCR Vol. 2 No. I Summer 1998 B ------- Removal Actions Can Be a Key Step in the Brownfields Process Many urban sites that are now prime candi- dates for brownfields redevelopment have benefitted from an EPA emergency re- sponse action. Under the Comprehensive Environmental Re- sponse, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) commonly known as Superfund, EPA is authorized to perform two types of response actions commonly referred to as remedial and removal actions. A remedial action is the classic Superfund cleanup of highly contaminated sites included on the National Priorities List (NPL). Remedial ac- tions require a thorough process which is often costly and may take many years to complete. CERCLA does not impose time or cost limitations on remedial actions. A removal action is performed at a site where an immediate threat to human health or the environment has been identified — such as the discovery of haphazardly stored chemicals or the illegal disposal of hazard- ous material. Removal actions may be as lim- ited as securing a site or removing drums to prevent contamination of the surrounding envi- ronment, or as far reaching as soil excavations or relocation of residents. Because these ac- tions are understood to be limited, CERCLA caps spending at $2 million and specifies a time frame of twelve months or less. EPA may apply for an exemption to these requirements if nec- essary. By their nature, removal actions often occur at closed or abandoned manufacturing or indus- trial facilities. While NPL remedial sites are not eligible for funding under EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative, sites which have had removal actions can be candidates for a local brownfields pilot project. When EPA undertakes a removal action to pro- tect human health and the environment, the action may move that site closer to eventual reuse. Since 1983, EPA Region 2 has per formed removal actions at 71 potential redevel- opment sites in V of the pilot cities. These sites include former chemical processing and drum recycling facilities, junk yards, and warehouses. For information on removal actions in your area (within Region 2) write to Wanda Vasquez, Freedom of Information Officer at the Environ- mental Protection Agency, 290 Broadway, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10007. EPA Offers Community Grants EPA offers a variety of grants for environmental education and/or specific technical projects. Sustainable Development Deadline: November 24, 1998 EPA's Sustainable Development Challenge Grant Program supports community-based projects aimed at improving ecosystem integrity, economic security and commu- nity quality of life. The program encourages long-term investments in innovative sustainability efforts at the community level. Local and state governments, tribes, educational institutions and non-profit organizations are eligible to apply. Appli- cants may compete for funding in two categories: $50,000 or less; and between $50,001 and $200,000. A 20% non-federal match is required. A notice soliciting proposals was published August 24, 1998 in the Federal Register (Vol. 63, No. 163). Applications are due to regional offices by November 24, 1998. Selections will be announced in the spring. For more information contact: Marcia Seidner at 212-637-3590 or visit http://www.epa.gov/ecocommunity for general information on the program and past award recipients. Environmental Education Environmental Education (EE) grants provide financial support (up to $25,000 regionally and $250,000 from EPA headquarters) for projects which design, demonstrate or disseminate environmental education practices, methods or techniques. Eligible applicants include local, tribal or state education agencies, colleges, nonprofit organizations, state environmental agencies and non-commer- cial educational broadcasting agencies. A 25% non-federal government match- ing share is required. For more information contact: Teresa Ippolito 212-637-3671 or visit environmental education and youth programs websites at: http://www.epa.gov/region02/ee/envi-ed.htm#grantinfo http://www.epa.gov/reg5oopa/enved/html/grants.htm Superfund Technical Assistance Superfund Technical Assistance Grants (TAGs) of up to $50,000 are provided to enable a group of individuals who are affected by a Superfund site to obtain technical assistance in interpreting information regarding the site. To be eligible, the applicants must be organized as nonprofit organizations. Applications may be submitted anytime after the site is proposed for listing on the National Priori- ties List. For more information contact: Carol Hemington 212-637-3420 or visit EPA's TAG website at: http://www.epa.gov/oerrpage/superfnd/web/oerr/tag/tag.htm Environmental Justice EPA provides two grants for Environmental Justice (EJ) projects. One EJ grant provides assistance to eligible community groups and federally recognized tribal governments that are working on or plan to carry out projects to address EJ issues. Any nonprofit organization, university or tribal government is eligible to apply for the grants which range up to $200,000. For more information contact: Natalie Loney 212-637-3639 (continued on page 8) BQCR Vol. 2 No. 1 Summer 1998 ------- Technology Innovation Office Offers Guides to Investigation and Cleanup Technologies Finding faster, better and cheaper options for cleanup of brownfields sites is one of the chief aims of EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative. To achieve this goal, the US EPA Technology Innovation Office (TIO) offers assistance to stakeholders in cleaning up and redeveloping contaminated sites using innovative, cost-effective technology. TIO recently announced the availability of two guides which introduce public and private stakeholders to the latest technol- ogy options and information sources. By linking available technologies to each step involved in characterizing and clean- ing up brownfields sites, the guides help decision makers identify the full range of technology options for assessing and address- ing contamination at a site. The Road Map to Understanding Innovative Technology Options for Brownfields Investigation and Cleanup This guide identifies potential technology options available at each phase of the characterization and cleanup of the site.- Site Assessment, Site Investigation, Cleanup Options, and Cleanup Design and Implementation. Each section describes the steps involved in the characterization and cleanup of brownfields sites and connects those steps with available technology options and information resources. Appendices include a list of common contaminants found at typical brownfields sites, a detailed guide to common environmental terms and acronyms, and a list of state and EPA points of contact. The Tool Kit of Information Resources for Brownfields Investigation and Cleanup This guide provides brief summaries and information on where to find and how to use a variety of resources including electronic databases and bulletin boards, newsletters, regulatory and policy guidance and technical reports. The Tool Kit describes the resources identified in the Road Map, explains how to obtain the publications, and includes a "starter kit" of important information resources to help stakeholders understand their technology options. The guides may be downloaded free of charge from the Clean- up Information Web Site (http://clu-in.com). Government parties may obtain a free hard copy from the National Center for Environmental Publications and Information, USEPA, P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, OH, 45242,513-489-8190. Please refer to these numbers: Road Map, EPA 542-B-97-002 and Tool Kit, EPA 542-B-97-001. Private sector parties may purchase a hard copy of the guides from the National Technical Information Servic®, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161,703-487-4650. Please refer to these publication numbers: Road Map, PB97- 14444810 ($25) and Tool Kit, PB97-144828 ($35). Facts from the Field Pilot Projects at a Glance Summary statistics drawn from the database of Region 2 Pilot Fact Sheets. The regional information is updated on a quarterly basis by Pilot Project Coordinators. To date, EPA has awarded a total of 228 Brownfields pilot grants, for over $42 million, to states, cities, towns, counties and tribes. These grants have leveraged nearly $1 billion for redevelopment and created more than 2,000 jobs. Congress appropriated $86.4 million to EPA for the brownfields program in fiscal year 1998. In addition to the $20 million for 100 new site assessment pilots, $3 million was targeted for additional site assessment work, $15 million for states to support volun- tary cleanup programs, and $5 million for job training and work force development. As of May 1998, EPA Region 2 [New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands] has 26 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots: In New York: Buffalo, Elmira, Glen Cove, New York City, Niagara County, Niagara Falls, Ogdensburg, Rochester, Rome, Yonkers, Ulster County and Utica In New Jersey: Camden, Elizabeth, Jersey City, Newark, Perth Amboy, Trenton, Hudson County, Middlesex County, Morris County, Atlantic City, Long Branch and Paterson In Puerto Rico: The Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) and Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRFA) The programs are taking inventory of hundreds of potential sites and, in eight pilot communities, a total of 33 pilot sites have been selected for initial assessment. Seventy-six percent of these selected sites have been located within designated federal, state or local "Enterprise Zones". (Enterprise Zones are communities targeted for technical and other resources at the federal, state or city level to encourage private sector development, job growth and entrepreneurship.) While most sites are city-owned, six pilot projects have selected at least one privately-owned pilot site and have been collaborating with the property owners to assess environmental concerns. Phase I environmental investigations have been reported as underway or complete at 26 pilot sites. Information on funding was provided for 19 of these sites: 41 percent of the prelimi- nary investigations were paid for fully or partly through the pilot grant; 36 percent were funded through state programs and 23 percent through city initiatives. Phase II environmental investigations are underway or have been completed on 18 pilot sites. ~ The BrownfimUs Quarterly Community Report welcomes news about local brownfields efforts by community groups and others. If you have a story about what's happening where you are, please contact Suzanne Becker at (212) 349-4616, TRC Environmental Corporation, 200 Church Street, New York, NY 10013. Editorial staff retain the right to review and revise all text as necessary for publication. BQCR Vol. 2 No. 1 Summer 1998 ------- 00£$ esn eiDA!Jd J0J sseuisng ppjfto Z000L AN'lJ°A "«N JOOU H+BL '^oMpDOjg q6Z Z uoiBea XsueBy uoipa+oj^ piueuiuojiALig ¦$ p EPA Offers Community Grants (continued from page 6) Environmental Justice/ Pollution Prevention EPA also provides an Environmental Justice through Pollution Prevention (EJP2) grant intended to empower low-income minority communities through environmental education and pollution prevention measures. Any nonprofit organization, tribal government, state or local government organization is eligible to apply for up to $100,000 for regional projects. Additional funding is available to support state agencies in establishing pollution prevention project* though the Pollution Prevention Incentives for States (PPIS) grant. States are encouraged to form partnerships with non-profit organization and/or local governments. There is no limit on the amount of the grant, and a 50% non-federal matching share is required. For more information contact: Janet Sapadin 212-637-3584 or visit the community grants program web page at: http://www.epa.gov/r02earth/pollprev/grants.htm For mere information on those and other EPA grants, including tips for completing a grant application package, visit EPA% grant web pages at; httpi//www.epa.gov/epahome/grant*.htm http://www.epa.gov/ogd/grants.htm Brownfields^OQ The Basics & Beyond w November 16-18,1998 Los Angeles Convention Center Los Angeles, California Showcasing Successful Partnerships ~ For future updates on Browofields '98 please visit as at http://www.epa.gov/biowiifield8/ ^ Call the Srownfieids D8 toll free hotline: 1-877-838-7220. Printed on Recycled Paper ------- |