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/ ------- 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 ------- |