United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)
EPA 500-F-01-333
July 2001
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
&EPA Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Phoenix, AZ
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 selected the City of Phoenix for a Brownfields
Pilot. In 1990, the city's population was 983,403, with
an 18 percent minority rate. The city selected as the
Pilot's focus areathe Rio Salado community, including
the federally designated Enterprise Community (EC),
several city-designated redevelopment areas, and
neighborhoods adjacent to the Rio Salado Habitat
Restoration Project Area. The SaltRiver(Rio Salado)
channel bisects the 20-square-mile targeted area.
The Rio Salado community encompasses several
neighborhoods that the city has targeted for
revitalization, including Rio Vista and South Phoenix
Village. A mixture of deteriorating homes, small
industrial properties, abandoned structures, and large
expanses of vacant land characterizes the Rio Salado
area. This area has a population of approximately
28,000, most of whom (88 percent) are minorities.
Nearly half of the households exist at or below the
federal poverty level, and the unemployment rate is
three times the citywide average.
OBJECTIVES
The Pilot plans to establish aprogram to assist private
property owners and developers in overcoming
brownfields obstacles. The city will seekto coordinate
brownfields activities among several city programs
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Phoenix, Arizona
DateofAward: SeptembeM997
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets the 20-
square-mile Rio Salado community,
including the federally designated
Enterprise Community, several
redevelopment areas, and
neighborhoodsadjacenttotheRio
Salado Habitat Restoration Project
Area.
Contacts:
City of Phoenix, Office of
Environmental Programs
(602)256-5669
U.S. EPA-Region 9
(415)744-1207
Visit the EPA Region 9 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/index.html
Forfurtherinformation, including specific Pilot contacts,
additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and
publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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and streamline internal processes. One objective of
the Pilot is to encourage owners and developers to
request city assistance for their brownfields sites.
The Pilot plans to select several high-priority sites
that are good candidates for environmental restoration
and redevelopment activities. The initial community
involvement process will educate community and
neighborhoodgroupsaboutthebrownfieldsprogram.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot has:
• Identified 18 priority brownfields sites, including
one high-profile Pilot site (East Washington Fluff
site) to highlightthe existence and effectiveness of
the Phoenix Brownfields Land Recycling Program;
• Completed environmental assessments at 10
targeted sites;
• Created an expedited city development review
process that has been used successfully in four
redevelopment projects;
• Incorporated brownfields information into the city's
General Plan;
• Developed numerous resources to provide
information on the Pilot, including tailored resource
packages, a general information brochure, a
quarterly newsletter called "Brownfields Bulletin,"
several articles to promote the brownfields program,
and a brownfields web site;
• Developed an application form and eligibility criteria
that are available to potential customers of the
Phoenix Brownfields Land Recycling Program;
• In conjunction with the Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality, conducted an annual, one-
day Phoenix Brownfields Conference for the
general public; and
• Completed activities toward compilation of an
inventory of potential sites within the targeted
area.
The Pilot is:
• Continuing discussions and cooperation among
stakeholders such as realtors, developers, lenders,
regulatory agencies, utility companies, and
community groups to promote solutions to
brownfields problems; and
• Completing community involvement activities in
targeted areas to solicit community concerns about
brownfields and to identify preferred end uses for
those properties.
LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES
Experience with the Phoenix Pilot has been a catalyst
for related activities, including the following:
• An environmental assessment was completed at the
East Washington Fluff site with funds leveraged by
the Pilot.
• The Pilot leveraged the completion of cleanup
activities andthe initiation of redevelopment activities
at the Peoria Avenue, West Plaza, Desert ABCO
Market, Metro North Corporate Park, 4211 E.
Baseline, and 4616 S. Central sites.
• The Pilot leveraged atotal of $ 19 million for cleanup
and redevelopment activities.
• The Pilot has established a relationship with several
lending institutions to provide information on sources
of capital to site developers, including institutions
that fund community investments for maj or financial
institutions and provide loans to small and medium-
sized businesses.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot
July 2001
Phoenix, Arizona
EPA 500-F-01-333
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