United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-97-152
July 1997
xvEPA
Regional Brownfields
Assessment Pilot
Elizabeth, NJ
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. Between 1995 and 1996, EPAfunded 76 National and Regional Brownfields
Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields
solutions. EPAisfunding more than 27 Pilots in 1997. The Pilots 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 Region 2 has selected the City of Elizabeth for
a Regional Brownfields Pilot. Established in 1665,
Elizabeth is an urban industrial city located south of
Newark and has been a business center since the
industrial revolution. Elizabeth has had a variety of
large and small manufacturing and tool and die
companies, but with a declining manufacturing base,
the City has been left with a host of abandoned
industrial buildings and lots. Although the City has
had several redevelopment successes within the last
four years, it continues to face barriers in identifying,
assessing, and remediating brownfields.
Overthe past four years, Elizabeth has taken advantage
of various Federal and State redevelopment incentive
programs (e.g., Enterprise Community, State Urban
Enterprise Zone, Labor Surplus Area) to establish
itself as a trade center with projects such as the
ongoing Metro Mall project. Due to these efforts,
Elizabeth is attracting more business inquiries, some
of which are being discouraged by possible
environmental liability associated with brownfields.
The City has developed an initial list of seven potential
brownfields comprising a total of approximately 45
acres. About 45% of the City's population lives near
these sites.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Date of Award:
June 1997
Amount: $200,000
Site Profile: The Pilot
targets five sites for
further assessment and
redevelopment.
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Contacts:
Marie Krupinski
City of Elizabeth
(908)820-4019
Larry D'Andrea
U.S. EPA -Region 2
(212)637-4314
dandrea.larry®
epamail.epa.gov
Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
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OBJECTIVES
The Pilot plans to identify and assess five marketable
brownfields and develop remediation, financing, and
redevelopment strategies. To accomplish its Pilot
objectives, the City plans to involve stakeholders
such as the Elizabeth Development Company, Eliza-
beth General Medical Center, the Regional Plan
Association, and selected community members who
are directly affected by brownfield sites. These
stakeholders will assist in identifying brownfields
and formulating redevelopment plans. As part of its
outreach efforts, the City will continue to use existing
mechanisms including local cable news, City Coun-
cilmeetings,newspaperarticles,Neighborhood Coun-
cil meetings, and the City's Info Line.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot will:
• Identify potential brownfield sites, and prioritize the
sites by assessing factors such as marketability,
transportation accessibility, and size;
• Conduct environmental assessments of at least five
priority sites;
• Develop remediation, financing, and redevelopment
strategies for the targeted sites; and
• Conduct outreach and education to community
members near the targeted sites.
The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been
negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact
sheet are subject to change.
Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilot Elizabeth, New Jersey
July 1997 EPA 500-F-97-152
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