United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-00-026 April 2000 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ &EPA BrownfieldsSupplemental Assistance Kansas City, KS/MO 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 awarded Kansas City supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot and additional funding for assessments at brownfields properties to be used for greenspace purposes. The bi-state area is experiencing growing demand from developers, businesses, and community organizations for more environmental assessments on additional brownfields sites in the area. Through the Kansas City Brownfields Program, administered by the Kansas City Brownfields Initiative (KCBI), the Pilot will respond to this demand and continue its work to reclaim andtransformrelics ofKansas City' s industrial past into models of economic and sustainable growth. OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES The Pilot will use the supplemental assistance to conduct additional environmental assessments and investigations andplan cleanup and redevelopment at brownfields sites throughout the city. The effort is part of KCBI's overall strategy for cleaning up and redeveloping brownfields in the area and encouraging brownfields redevelopment through examples of PILOT SNAPSHOT Kansas City, Kansas/Missouri Date of Announcement: March 2000 Amount: $150,000 Greenspace: $50,000 Profile: The Pilot will target seven sitesforenvironmental assessments and possible cleanup planning. Contacts: Kansas City Department of Housing and Community Development (816)513-3002 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA-Region 7 (913)551-7786 Visit the EPA Region 7 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region07/specinit/brown/brownfields.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/ ------- successful model projects and by establishing the foundations of a permanent and comprehensive local brownfields program. The Pilot will use the greenspace funding to conduct assessments of future greenspace sites along the Heritage Riverfront Trail. The trail is located near and adjacent to several brownfields properties and will provide recreational and transportation amenities, enhancing the redevelopment potential of these properties. The Pilot will also use the greenspace funding to explore using engineered wetlands to manage flooding from a nearby creek and stormwater impacts on brownfields developments. This project involves a partnership of local government agencies; KCBI; the Water Services and Public Works departments; and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. To accomplish these objectives, the Pilot plans to: • Conduct environmental assessments and investigations at seven brownfields sites; • Develop a cleanup plan for one additional property; • Facilitate involvement of new stakeholders into the brownfields redevelopment process; and • Conduct assessments at the Riverfront Heritage Trail and explore the use of engineered wetlands in the Central Industrial District, the original Pilot target area. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Brownfields Supplemental Assistance Kansas City, Kansas/Missouri April 2000 EPA 500-F:-00-026 ------- |