U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY /ClZ>\ LAND REVITALIZATION 7 restoring land for America's communities "EPA's cleanup programs have set a national goal for returning formerly contaminated sites to long-term, sustainable, and productive uses." 2003-2008 EPA Strategic Plan — Direction for the Future ------- encoumaina cfeanuft ancfrecfevefoftmenfof America's abandonedanctcontaminated waste sites... we are tafanq hroUem properties and •*-/ I I transforming them taacfonto community assets. ^-/ N-/ "We are empowering fteoftfe to work, to aether to revitalize and rehabilitate their communities.9 Steve Johnson, EPA Administrator August 14, 2006 Land Revitalization Initiative As part of its mission to protect human health and the environment, EPA is undertaking an Agency-wide initiative to revitalize land. To restore contaminated properties to economic and environmental vitality, EPAs land cleanup programs have set a national goal for returning formerly contaminated sites to long-term, sustainable, and productive uses. Working closely Why Land Revitalization? As a nation, we value land as a natural, cultural, and economic resource. Over time, hundreds of thousands of properties and millions of acres across the country have been damaged by minor to moderate to extreme pollution and distressed, dilapidated conditions. For more than a decade, a movement has grown across the country to restore and reclaim these properties for community, economic, and ecologic uses. In many places, government, private, and non-profit organizations are working with each other to assess, restore and return these unproductive properties to sustainable and beneficial uses that are protective of health and the environment. Neighborhood parks, residential and commercial developments, manufacturing facilities, and restored natural environments exist around the country because of revitalization partnerships. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties also takes development pressures off of undeveloped, open land. The days of erecting chain link fences around a property and posting "Keep Out" signs around valuable land resources wane, and we believe the momentum around cleanup and sustainable land reuse will continue to grow. with States, Tribes, and local governments, we are building partnerships with communities, private, and non-government stakeholders to promote voluntary cleanups and revitalization, including urban river restoration that revitalizes land and water resources and "Good Samaritan" voluntary cleanups of abandoned mines and other sites. At cleanup sites that require the involvement of multiple government programs, we apply One Cleanup Program approaches to improve consistency, management, and cost-effectiveness. Working with others, our goal is to restore our nation's contaminated land resources and enable communities to safely return these properties to beneficial and sustainable economic, ecological, and societal uses. UNDERGROUND GE TANKS FEDERAL FACILITIES SUPERFUND -vs.. inn Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. The Brownfields Program provides technical and financial assistance, including grants for environmental assessment, cleanup, and job training. Federal Facilities The Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Program works with other Federal and state agencies to facilitate the cleanup and reuse of the nation's Superfund Federal facilities, including Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites. Underground Storage Tanks The Underground Storage Tanks Program supports States, territories, and other partners in the cleanup and reuse of properties contaminated by petroleum releases from underground storage tanks and works to better integrate eligible petroleum brownfields into ongoing restoration/revitalization activities. IR1IM ' .. . - - RCRA Corrective Action The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program requires the investigation and cleanup of hazardous releases at operating facilities. RCRA Corrective Action differs from Superfund in that Corrective Action facilities generally have viable operators and on-going operations. Superfund The Superfund Program manages cleanups of the nation's uncontrolled hazardous waste sites that pose a current or future threat to human health or the environment. EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Program encourages communities at every cleanup site to consider anticipated future reuses early so that cleanups can accommodate those uses, while maintaining standards that protect human health and the environment. www. epa.gov/brownfields/ www.epa.gov/fedfac/ www.epa.gov/swerust1/ www.epa.gov/swerosps/rcrabf/ www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/ ------- EPAAs Land Revitalization Staff The Land Revitalization Staff works with EPA programs, other government agencies, and non-government partners to promote and develop land revitalization measures, tools, and information. The land revitalization vision is to restore the nation's contaminated land resources and enable communities to safely return these properties to beneficial economic, ecological, and societal uses. One Cleanup Program Approaches The One Cleanup Program is EPAs vision for how different cleanup programs at all levels of government can work together to ensure that resources, activities, and results are effectively coordinated, implemented, and communicated to the public. EPA cleanup programs coordinate with one another to remove unintended barriers, develop common measures, and improve the quality and availability of information so that contaminated land can be revitalized and returned to protective and beneficial uses. Measures and Benefits The Land Revitalization Outcomes and Benefits Workgroup is developing measures to enable EPA to better understand and communicate land revitalization accomplishments and inform future decision-making, priorities, and roles. Training and Information The Land Revitalization Staff offers training to EPA, State, Tribal and local governments on reuse of contaminated properties in private real estate markets and in natural ecological systems. Coordination Facilitating the exchange of information and coordination of action across cleanup programs can lead to faster, more efficient cleanups that are protective of future uses of previously contaminated sites. The Land Revitalization Staff, Coordinators, and partners are working together to better integrate program implementation. Unintended Barriers EPA is addressing unintended barriers to the appropriate reuse of land. The Long Term Stewardship Task Force has developed recommendations to ensure that site cleanups remain protective over time and the Agency is working to improve program activities related to groundwater protection and site assessment. Sustainable Reuse Sustainable land reuse and prevention of future recontamination is central to the land revitalization vision. EPA land revitalization staff are advancing best practices to manage stormwater on sites, protect watersheds, restore native ecological systems, erect greener buildings, and support healthy, vibrant communities. Partnerships To be effective, land revitalization requires collaboration among many stakeholders. The Land Revitalization Staff is working with all levels of government, community and watershed groups, and the private sector to clean up and appropriately reuse land. HQ — www.epa.gov/landrevitalization/ Region 1 (CT, ME, MA, NH, Rl, VT) — www.epa.gov/region1/ Region 2 (NJ, NY, PR, VI) — www.epa.gov/region2/ Region 3 (DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV) — www.epa.gov/region03/revitalization/ Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC.TN) — www.epa.gov/region04/waste/ Region 5 (IL, IN, Ml, MN, OH.WI) — www.epa.gov/region5/ Region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK,TX) — www.epa.gov/region6/ Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, NE) — www.epa.gov/region7/ Region 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT.WY) — www.epa.gov/Region8/lancLwaste/revitalization/ Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV) — www.epa.gov/region9/ Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA) — www.epa.gov/region10/ Land Revitalization Staff Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response Mail Code 5101T EPA-500-F-06-003 October 2006 ------- |