United States
                   Environmental
                   Protection Agency
                   Washington, D.C.  20460
 Solid Waste
 and Emergency
 Response (5101)
  EPA 500-F-00-116
  May 2000
  www.epa.gov/brownfields/
  <&EPA  Brownfields Assessment
                   Demonstration  Pilot
                                                               Providence,  Rl
 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 City of Providence (population
160,728) for a Brownfields Pilot.  Providence was
also  selected  to  receive  additional funding  for
assessments at brownfields properties to be used for
greenspace  purposes.  The Pilot's efforts will be
integrated with the city'sNew Cities Initiative, which
targets abandoned industrial sites for redevelopment.

The Pilot will focus on a  280-acre area of the  old
industrial  waterfront of Providence known as
Narragansett Landing. Narragansett Landing is
located adjacent to downtown Providence, bordered
to the west by predominantly low-income residential
neighborhoods  in the  city/state/federal Enterprise
Community. The landing had been home to industrial
port activities for nearly 100 years, including coal
gasification plants, fuel storage areas, and metals
recycling facilities. Most of the industry has departed
or is being dismantled.

The current assessed value for land in this corridor is
$3.71 per square foot compared to an estimated $70
per square foot following cleanup and redevelopment.
Currently,  more than  50 percent of the land in
Providence is tax exempt.  In addition to providing
employment opportunities for residents in adjacent
PILOT SNAPSHOT
  Providence, Rl
Date of Announcement:
May 2000

Amount: $200,000
Greenspace: $50,000

Profile: The City of Providence
will assess the  degree of
environmental contamination
existing at  the 280-acre
Narragansett Landing target area
in order to commence plans for
waterfront redevelopment.
 Contacts:
 Department of Planning
 and Development
 Providence, Rhode Island
 (401)351-4300
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 1
(617)918-1424
       Visit the EPA Region 1 Brownfields web site at:
       http://www.epa.gov/region01/remed/brnfld/

     Forfurtherinformation, including specific Pilot contacts,
   additional Pilotinformation.brownfieldsnewsandevente.and
   publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
          http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

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neighborhoods, the revitalization of this area will
supply  the tax revenue needed for  continued
infrastructure, service,  and quality  of life
improvements.

OBJECTIVES

The Pilot will perform environmental site assessments
in order to determine if any significant releases have
occurred.  Where applicable, the Pilot will conduct
remediation feasibility studies to plan appropriate
future actions. The Pilot will also conduct outreach
activities for stakeholders  about the brownfields
redevelopment process.

The  Pilot plans to use  its  greenspace funding to
conduct Phase I  and  Phase  II  environmental
assessments in the  Narragansett Landing area. The
city is preparing a vision plan and redevelopment plan
for the  area that include creating an urban forest,
public park, and a2.2-mile riverwalk along the Upper
Narragansett Bay.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as a part of this Pilot include:

• Conducting Phase II environmental site assessments
  to evaluate actual subsurface conditions;

• Conducting Phase III environmental site assessments
  to determine nature and extent of contamination, if
  necessary;

• Conducting outreach activities to stakeholders about
  the brownfields  redevelopment process through
  community interviews, multilingual fact sheets,
  charrettes, and meetings; and

• The Pilot plans to use its greenspace funding to
  conduct Phase I and  Phase  II environmental
  assessments in the Narragansett Landing area.

The cooperative agreement for thisPilothas notyet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot                                                   Providence, Rl
 May2000                                                                          EPA 500-F-OO-116

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