United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)
EPA 500-F-01-321
April 2001
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
&EPA
Supplemental
Assistance
Galveston, TX
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, and safely clean up
brownfields to promote their sustainable reuse. Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and
commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental
contamination. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years,
with additional funding provided for greenspace) to test assessment models and facilitate coordinated assessment
and cleanup efforts at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels; and 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 program (each funded up to $1,000,000 over five years) to provide financial assistance 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 Galveston to receive
supplemental assistance for its Brownfields
Assessment Demonstration Pilot and additional
fundingforassessmentsatbrownfieldspropertiesto
be used for greenspace purposes. The city is located
on a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico with limited
space for development. Galveston has a population
of approximately 60,000. The city needs affordable
low- and middle-income housing for people who live
off the island and work in the city. Targeted areas are
economically depressed due to a downturn in
commercial and industrial sectors of the city's
economy. The project is linked to the city's state-
designated Enterprise Zone economic development
initiative.
The Pilot targets two areas: the Old Central/Carver
Park area and the East End Flats area. The Old
Central/Carver Park area is in a low-income
neighborhood with alargely minority population and
high unemployment and poverty rates. Previous
studies identified 31 potential brownfields properties
in the area, and assessment activities are underway
at some of the properties. The East End Flats area is
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Date of Announcement:
April 2001
Amount: $150,000
Greenspace: $50,000
Profile: The Pilot targets the Old
Central/Carver Park and East End
Flats areas that are contaminated
from years of industrial use and
dredged material disposal.
Galveston, Texas
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 6
(214)665-6736
Contacts:
Off ice of the City
Brownfields
Director
(409)797-3524
Visit the E PA Region 6 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/earth1r6/6sf/bfpages/sfbfhome.htm
Forfurtherinformation,includingspecific 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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a former government installation that formed part of
the coastal defense network from the turn of the
century until the end of World War II. The 600-acre
San Jacinto dredged material disposal site in the East
End Flats area has been identified as having high
potential for commercial and residential
redevelopment.
OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES
The city's goals include elimination of environmental
barriers to redevelopment in the Old Central/Carver
Park and East End Flats areas, development of
affordable low- and middle-income single-family
housing in both targeted areas, and revitalization of
the depressed neighborhoods surrounding the
targeted areas. Site assessment activities conducted
under the original Pilot established the assessment
program and identified a baseline of sites with
redevelopmentpotential. Supplemental assistance
will be used to conduct 10 to 15 Phase I assessments,
conduct three Phase II assessments, plan for the
cleanup and redevelopment of sites in the target
areas, involve the community in redevelopment
decision making, and update the city' s Geographical
Information System.
The greenspace component of the Pilot targets the
Old Central/Carver Park area. Greenspace funding
will be used to involve the community in planning for
a proposed youth sports park, as well as assessing
and planning for the cleanup and redevelopment of
the targeted parcel.
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Updating the city's Geographical Information
System as new potential brownfields are discovered
and existing brownfields are cleaned up;
• Conducting periodic community meetings with
residents and cooperative partners to involve them
in redevelopment decision-making;
• Conducting 10 to 15 Phase I assessments, three
Phase II assessments, and cleanup and
redevelopmentplanningforsitesinthetargetareas;
and
• Conducting Phase I and Phase II assessments at a
site in the Old Central/Carver Park area for use as
a youth sports park.
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 Galveston, Texas
April 2001 EPA500-F-01-321
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