United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-00-102 May 2000 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ \>EPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Kitsap County, WA Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105) Quick Reference Fact Sheet EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment. BACKGROUND EPA has selected the County of Kitsap for a Brownfields Pilot. Kitsap County was also selected to receive additional funding for assessments at Brownfields properties to be used for greenspace purposes. Kitsap County (population 232,623) is the second most populous county in the State of Washington and is located on the Kitsap Peninsula, west of Seattle. Traditionally, the federal government, and specifically the Department of Defense, has been the largest employer in Kitsap County. However, past military cutbacks and indications of future downsizing have impeded the county in realizing its economic potential. In spite of these past and potential future economic difficulties, Kitsap County experienced rapid population growth over the last 25 years. The high population density and the desire to maintain the county's rural atmosphere places a premium on utilizing existing urban areas for future economic growth. The redevelopment of brownfields sites within these areas will spur economic revitalization while protecting environmental quality by reducing air and water pollution associated with urban sprawl. PILOT SNAPSHOT Kitsap County, WA Date of Announcement: May 2000 Amount: $200,000 Greenspace: $50,000 Profile: The Pilot targets urban brownfields in Kitsap County to promote economic diversification in an area subject to military downsizing and commuting to neighboring communities. Contacts: Kitsap County Department of Community Development (360)337-7155 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA-Region 10 (206)553-6523 Visit the EPA Region 10 Brownfields web site at: http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/cleanup.nsf/webpage/ Brownfields?0pen Document Forfurtherinformation, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields newsandevente.and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ ------- OBJECTIVES Through community-based economic growth, the Pilot intends to use brownfields redevelopment as the focus for economic diversification throughout the county. By collaboratively addressing brownfields with local residents, the county will reduce reliance on neighboring counties and urban areas for employment, alleviate overburdened transportation routes, and increase economic opportunities outside the federal government. In addition, Kitsap County will use greenspace funding for the development of atrail along ferry dock sites detailing the history of a fleet of steamboats commonly known as the Mosquito Fleet. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Increasing community awareness and public participation in brownfields redevelopment; • Developing an inventory of brownfield sites within the county; • Identifying high-priority sites within urban areas; • Conducting environmental assessments at high- priority sites; • Incorporating site assessment information into the existing geographic information system (GIS); and • Developing an integrated cleanup and redevelopment plan for one site. The cooperative agreementforthis Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Kitsap County, WA May2000 EPA 500-F-00-102 ------- |