United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)
EPA 500-F-01-334
July 2001
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
&EPA Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Tucson, AZ
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
EPAhas selected the City of Tucson for a Brownfields
Pilot. Industrial activity in downtown Tucson that
began in the 1880s with the advent of the railroad
began to decrease in the 1950s. At that time, rail
yards were relocated, a major military base was
constructed, and pristine and inexpensive land
surrounding the city began drawing development
away from downtown. A patchwork of vacant,
deteriorating, and underused properties remains.
Contamination from various industrial pollutants
released over the years threatens the reliability of
Tucson's groundwater, the city's principal source of
drinking water.
The Pilot targets five designated brownfields areas
located within the city center. The targeted areas are
known as the Warehouse Arts District, Barrio Anita
Railroad Spur, Rio Nuevo South, Downtown
Commerce Park, and Armory Park. The areas suffer
from potential groundwater and soil contamination
resulting from milling operations, landfills, the railroad,
and other industrial activities. Tucson's areas of
highest economical and social stress are located
adjacent to these properties. In 1997, more than 40
percent of city center residents lived in poverty, 11
percent were unemployed, and more than 50 percent
of its population were Hispanic.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Date of Award: April 1997
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot will focus on
brownfields site assessment,
cleanup.and redevelopment at five
targeted sites.
Tucson, Arizona
Contacts:
City of Tucson, Office of
Environmental Management
(520)791-5414
U.S. EPA- Region 9
(415)744-1207
Visit the EPA Region 9 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/index.html
Forfurtherinformation, 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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OBJECTIVES
LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES
Tucson's goal is to stimulate sustainable redevelopment
of targeted sites. The objectives of the Pilot are to
complete site assessments, identify funds for cleanup
and redevelopment, and begin the redevelopment
planning process for brownfields sites within the five
target areas.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot has:
• Completed a regulatory database search, conducted
a search of the county assessor's records of all
properties in the Pilot area, collected available
historic records, and completed the database for the
initial Pilotproject areas;
• Conducted community outreach efforts, including
creation of a Pilot brochure, preparation of a
newsletter, and gathering stakeholder views on
redevelopment of the Warehouse Arts District and
Rio Nuevo South sites; and
•As of January 11, 2001, completed 11 Phase I
assessments, with two in process, and completed
one Phase II assessment, with another in process.
The Pilot is:
• Continuing a collaborative, community-based
process to involve stakeholders such as the Tucson
Arts District Partnership, Inc., Weed and Seed,
Tucson Unified School District, Westside Coalition,
Menlo Park and Barrio Anita neighborhood
associations, Business Development Finance
Corporation, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality;
• Continuing a process for identifying potential
redevelopment projects within the Pilot areas,
prioritizing the sites, and conducting site assessments;
• Identifying methods to ensure sustainable
redevelopment of brownfields in the downtown
area; and
• Providing outreach and education regarding the
Pilot to minority residents of the city center.
Experience with the Tucson Pilot has been a catalyst
for related activities, including the following:
• A sustainable development advisory team ("The
Green Team") has been created to establish and
ensure sustainable developmentpracticesthroughout
the city.
• Redevelopment activities are underway at three
sites (Rio Nuevo South, Downtown Commerce
Park, and Barrio Anita Railroad Spur).
• The City of Tucson received a $100,000 U.S. EPA
Environmental Justice through Pollution Prevention
(EJP2) grant in the fall of 1998.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided
$ 125,000 in matching funds for Phase I assessments
in the Warehouse Arts District area.
• Tucson was awarded an additional $200,000 in
supplemental funding as one of EPA's Brownfields
Showcase Communities finalists.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot
July 2001
Tucson, Arizona
EPA 500-F-01-334
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