United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response(5101)
EPA500-F-99-115
June 1999
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
SEPA Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Hackensack Meadowlands
District, 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. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded
upto $200,000 overtwo 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 brownfieldstofacilitatecleanupofbrownfieldssites and preparetrainees for future employmentintheenvironmental
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 has selected the Hackensack Meadowlands
District for a Brownfields Pilot. The Hackensack
Meadowlands Development Commission (HMDC)
covers 32 square miles, is 15 miles from New York
City, and encompasses portions of 14 municipalities in
Bergen and Hudson Counties. While industrial land
uses dominate the 3,600-acre area, wetlands and
other ecologically sensitive land also make up a large
part of the district, and these properties face
development pressure due to scarcity of land. To
relieve these pressures and curb urban sprawl, the
HMDC recently began a redevelopment program to
rehabilitate brownfields resulting from landfills, illegal
dumping, poor development patterns, and deteriorating
properties.
The Pilot focuses on the Paterson Plank Road area,
where redevelopment interest and numerous
brownfields have already spurred initial environmental
investigation and public outreach efforts. The area is
located in the Boroughs of Carlstadt and East
Rutherford (combined population approximately
13,400) in Bergen County and consists of 148
properties totaling 210 acres. The area is bisected by
Berry's Creek, which feeds the Hackensack River
and is currently occupied by vehicle and truck repair,
PILOTSNAPSHOT
Date of Announcement:
June 1999
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets
brownfields within the 210-acre
Paterson Plank Road industrial
corridor.
Hackensack Meadowlands
District, New Jersey
Contacts:
Hackensack Meadowlands District
Hackensack Meadowlands
Development Commission
(201) 460-4655
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/
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manufacturing, and industrial businesses and radio
station facilities.
OBJECTIVES
The HMDC's objective is to promote economic
development that will result in increased tax revenues,
infrastructure and roadway improvements, new jobs,
and preservation of the environment within the
Hackensack Meadowlands District. By working
with regulatory agencies to develop a comprehensive
redevelopment plan, identifying and assessing
brownfields sites, and identifying funding sources, the
Pilot will facilitate the cleanup and redevelopment of
brownfields in the area, improving public health and
the quality of life for area residents.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS ANDACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Creating an inventory of brownfields in the Paterson
Plank Road area;
• Conducting environmental assessments on priority
sites;
• Identifying cleanup activities required for assessed
sites and preparing a cleanup strategy for the entire
area;
• Developing a comprehensive land use plan for the
target area;
• Identifying cleanup and redevelopment funding
sources and addressing liability issues; and
• Educating the community regarding Pilot activities
to facilitate their participation in the cleanup and
redevelopment process.
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
June 1999
Hackensack Meadowlands District, New Jersey
EPA500-F-99-115
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