&EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-98-177
July 1998
Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Hudson County, 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. Since 1995, EPA has funded more than 200 Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of
brownfields solutions. 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 has selected Hudson County for a Brownfields
Pilot. The County (pop. 550,789) is located in
northeast New Jersey across the Hudson River from
New York City. Hudson County is a densely populated
area with sensitive wetlands in its northern and western
portions. As the national economy has shifted away
from manufacturing, the relocation and downsizing
of many manufacturing companies has resulted in a
47% decrease in jobs. This trend also has resulted in
a proliferation of abandoned buildings that are obsolete
for current manufacturing, warehousing, or office
operations. There are almost 650 sites with known
contamination in the County, an average of 14 sites
per square mile.
Due to space constraints and high population density,
the only economic expansion and revitalization option
available to the County is the redevelopment of
brownfields. Many of the smaller municipalities in
the County do not have the expertise or resources to
support brownfields redevelopment. Through the
Brownfields Pilot, Hudson County will assist the
municipalities of Harrison, Hoboken, Kearny and
North Bergen to establish brownfields redevelopment
programs. These municipalities contain approximately
one-third of the County's contaminated sites. The
County will work with these municipalities to identify
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Hudson County, New Jersey
Date of Announcement:
July 1998
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot, in
conjunction with Hudson
County, will assist the
municipalities of Harrison,
Hoboken, Kearney, and
North Bergen in their
brownfields
redevelopment programs.
Contacts:
Division of Housing and
Community Development
Hudson County
(201)795-6186
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/
-------
brownfields with high redevelopment potential,
conduct site assessments at priority sites, and improve
outreach to the public.
OBJECTIVES
Hudson County plans to assist smaller municipalities
in identifying, obtaining, leveraging, and coordinating
resources and funds for site cleanup and
redevelopment. The County will establish a Project
Working Group consisting of local government,
business, and neighborhood representatives to guide
Pilot activities. Pilot funds will be used to identify
and prioritize brownfields, conduct site assessments,
and enhance public outreach. These activities will
culminate in the development of Revitalization
Conceptual Plans by each of the four partnering
municipalities. The Pilot will be coordinated with
the County's Overall Economic Development Plan,
which enables the County to receive redevelopment
planning funds from the U.S. Economic Development
Administration.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Identifying brownfields with high redevelopment
potential;
• Conducting assessments at selected high priority
sites;
• Creating cleanup and redevelopment plans; and
• Conducting community involvement activities.
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 Hudson County, New Jersey
July 1998 EPA500-F-98-177
------- |