United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)
EPA 500-F-01-040
June 2001
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
<>EPA Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Tri-County Metropolitan
Transportation District, OR
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 selected the Tri-County Metropolitan
Transportation District (Tri-Met) of Oregon for a
Brownfields Pilot. The Portland tri-county
metropolitan area contains approximately 1,100
knownbrownfields sites, aresult in part ofbusinesses
forsaking properties with suspected contamination
in favor of less problematic greenfields. Tri-Met
evaluated 200 potential sites and completed initial
assessments of 16 candidate sites in the Interstate
MAX light-rail construction corridor. Tri-Met then
worked with the Portland Brownfields Showcase
Community program's community advisory
committee to select five of the 16 candidate sites
for Phase II environmental site assessments that
will support community-based redevelopment
proposals.
OBJECTIVES
Tri-Met's overall obj ective is to create opportunities
for redevelopment associated with the Interstate
MAX Light-Rail Proj ect by promoting the reuse of
brownfields sites along the corridor proposed for
the project. The Pilot assessed 16 sites and will
assess and plan for the cleanup and redevelopment
of the five priority brownfield sites in the
economically disadvantaged neighborhoods within
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Tri-County Metropolitan
Transportation District,
Oregon
Date of Award: September1998
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilottargetsfivesites
within three disadvantaged
neighborhoods in Portland for
cleanup, assessment, and
redevelopmentactivities related to
the planned Interstate MAX light-
rail line.
Contacts:
Tri-County Metropolitan
Transportation District
(503)962-2110
U.S. EPA-Region 10
Mike Slater
(503)326-5872
Visit the EPA Region 10 Brownfields web site at:
http://epainotes1.rtpnc.epa.gov:7777/r10/cleanup.nsf/webpage/
Brownfields
For further information, including specific Pilot contacts,
additional Pilot information, brown fields news and events, and
publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
-------
or adjacent to the transit corridor segments. By
leveraging redevelopment and reuse of brownfields
sites in these neighborhoods, Tri-Met will enhance the
connection between transit and related and dependent
industries.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot has:
• Conducted Phase I environmental assessments at
16 brownfields sites; and
• Identified five priority sites for Phase II assessments
based on Phase I assessment results and community
input.
The Pilot is:
• Planning for cleanup and redevelopment at priority
brownfields sites; and
• Conducting outreach activities to inform stakeholders
about project progress and cleanup and
redevelopment options.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District, Oregon
June 2001 EPA500-F-01-040
------- |