United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response(5101)
EPA500-F-99-114
June 1999
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Albany, NY
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
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
bybrownfieldstofacilitatecleanupofbrownfieldssitesandpreparetraineesforfutureemploymentintheenvironmental
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
EPAhas selected the City of Albany for aBrownfields
Pilot. Albany (population 101,082) is the state capital
and is located in upstate New York along the Hudson
River. Albany has a limited supply of uncontaminated,
developable land and 300 to 500 brownfields, and is an
ideal location for commercial and industrial businesses,
with interstate, rail, river, and port access nearby.
The Pilot targets some of the city's old industrial
neighborhoods such as North Albany, Arbor Hill,
WestHill,SheridanHollowandthe South End, including
the Port of Albany, where brownfields contribute to
the economic blight that plagues the area: 9 percent
of the residents are unemployed, and 33 percent live
in poverty. These neighborhoods also comprise a
state Economic Development Zone (EDZ) and a
U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD) Enterprise Community (EC). The target area
covers more than 4.8 square miles along the Hudson
River, which has been designated as an American
Heritage River.
PILOTSNAPSHOT
Albany, New York
Contacts:
City of Albany
Department of
Development and Planning
(518)434-9846
Dateof Announcement:
June 1999
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets
brownfields in the communities
of North Albany, Arbor Hill,
West Hill, Sheridan Hollowand
the South End, including the
Port of Albany, that comprise
the city's most economically
distressed areas.
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 2
(212)637-4314
Visit the EPA Region 2 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/r02earth/superfnd/brownfld/bfmainpg.htm
For further information, 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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OBJECTIVES
The Pilot's objective is to spur economic development
and job creation within the city's EC and EDZ areas
by establishing a sustainable, community-based
brownfields redevelopment program that creates a
comprehensive inventory of contaminated sites and
performs environmental assessments. The city
anticipates that these activities will facilitate private
sector cleanup and redevelopment of Pilot-targeted
and other brownfields. Additionally, Pilot activities
will help to mitigate potential health and environmental
threats as sites are assessed and cleaned up.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS ANDACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Compiling a geographic information system (GIS)
database of inventoried brownfields within the EC
and EDZ communities;
• Performing Phase I and Phase II environmental
assessments of priority brownfields within the target
area; and
• Conducting community outreach to help guide Pilot
activities and educate local residents about site
assessments, cleanup, and redevelopment.
The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Albany, New York
June 1999 EPA500-F-99-114
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