United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-00-124
May 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
\>EPA Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Troy, NY
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, 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
up to $200,000 over two 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 brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental
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 City of Troy for a Brownfields
Pilot. Troy was also selected to receive additional
funding for assessments at Brownfields properties to
be used for greenspace purposes. Troy, population
54,296, is typical of many northeastern cities with an
industrial-iron and textile legacy. The Pilotwill focus
on South Troy, the city's industrial core, that is
designated as a federal Enterprise Community and a
state Economic Development Zone. The targeted
area is an ethnically diverse area of the city that
includes an industrial waterfront and an adjacent
residential neighborhood that is home to approximately
8,000 people. More than two-thirds of South Troy
residents are in the low-to moderate-income bracket
and nearly half are considered very low income,
earning less than half of the median for the
metropolitan area. Vacant or abandoned properties
comprise more than half of the land in the Pilot area.
Several properties in the Pilot area are known to be
contaminated, and the threat of environmental
contamination throughoutthe industrial areahas limited
the redevelopment potential for all of South Troy.
South Troy is bordered by the Hudson River, recently
designated as an American Heritage River. The
targeted industrial area includes more than two miles
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Troy, NY
Date of Announcement:
May 2000
Amount: $200,000
Greenspace: $50,000
Profile: The Pilottargetsvacant
or abandoned properties in South
Troy, a federally designated
Enterprise Community with more
than two miles ofwaterfrontalong
the Hudson River.
Contacts:
City of Troy
Deputy Commissioner
(518)270-4604
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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of waterfront along the Hudson and other nearby
waterways, which are part of the city's planned
greenway and recreational park.
OBJECTIVES
ThePilotispartofTroy'scomprehensiverevitalization
program, called the South Troy Working Waterfront
Revitalization Plan, designed to return South Troy
industrial properties to productive use. The goal of
the program is to develop South Troy in amanner that
improvesthe quality of life for its low-income residents
and contributes to the economic viability of the city
and the region. The Pilot provides the resources to
perform site assessments, develop cleanup plans,
conduct an extensive public involvement effort, and
develop tools to facilitate the cleanup and
redevelopment of properties.
The Pilot will use the greenspace funding to
facilitate completion of the design and cleanup
plan for a waterfront trail that will connect to a
larger regional trail system. The Pilot will focus
on brownfields hindering development on the
southern portion of the pedestrian and bicycle
trail. The trail will be constructed along the South
Troy industrial Hudson River waterfront, crossing
the targeted brownfields area.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Performing Phase II environmental assessments on
six to eight properties;
• Preparing cleanup plans for one or two of the
highest-priority sites, based on Phase II assessment
results, land use goals, and community priorities;
• Developing strategies to expedite brownfields
cleanup and redevelopment;
• Developing an extensive geographic information
system (GIS) database of all information known
about the sites in the targeted area;
• Enhancing and continuing current community
education and outreach efforts around the targeted
brownfields area, including forming a brownfields
task force; and
• Assessing brownfields and preparing cleanup plans
for properties designated forpedestrian and bicycle
trail construction.
The cooperative agreementforthis Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subjectto change.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot
May2000
Troy, NY
EPA 500-F-00-124
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