United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-00-041
April 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
v>EPA Brownfields Supplemental
Assistance
Philadelphia, PA
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 awarded the City of Philadelphia supplemental
assistance for its Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot and additional funding for
assessments at brownfields properties to be used for
greenspace purposes. A decline in Philadelphia's
manufacturing industry has led to a tremendous loss
of industrial jobs and the abandonment of many
former manufacturing plants. Redevelopment of
these properties is difficult because potential buyers
are hesitant to purchase them for fear of unknown
contamination and associated liabilities. Because
there are only a few tracts of undeveloped land
remaining for development in Philadelphia, the city
would prefer to redevelop the many brownfields
throughout the city.
The Pilot will use the supplemental assistance to
complete assessments on a number of properties that
are being considered for commercial use. The
Philadelphia Brownfields Program is designed to be
fluid and spontaneous so that as potential properties
are identified, the city can assess them quickly. The
supplemental assistance will allow the city to "jump-
start" the process on more properties so that the city
can make informed decisions regarding
redevelopment.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date of Announcement:
March 2000
Amount: $100,000
Greenspace: $50,000
Profile: ThePilotwilltargetfor
assessment a number of small
industrialsites within the densely
populated neighborhoods of
Philadelphia.
Contacts:
City of Philadelphia
Departmentof Commerce
(215)683-2028
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 3
(215)814-3129
Visit the EPA Region 3 Brownfields Web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/brownfld/hmpage1.htm
Forfutther information, including specific Pilotcontacts,
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 AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES
The city's objective is to revitalize the urban core
through brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. The
city is using its brownfields program to mitigate
population andj ob losses to the suburbs and to address
environmental justice concerns by cleaning up
brownfields, altering land use patterns, creating
greenspace, and encouraging lower pollution-
producing businesses to reuse brownfields sites. The
supplemental assistance will support assessments at
many of the city's smaller brownfields, many of
which are located near densely populated
neighborhoods.
The Pilot will use the greenspace funding to perform
assessments on more than 10 sites in the densely
populated, highly urbanized neighborhoods of
Philadelphia. The city's goal for the greenspace
assistance is to reduce blight and enhance the quality
of life in these neighborhoods by converting a number
of brownfields into greenspaces.
To accomplish these objectives, the Pilot plans to:
• Incorporate a Geographic Information System (GIS)
in decision making, which will enable the city to
identify sites more easily;
• Complete Phase I assessments on 15 priority sites;
• ConductPhase II assessments and develop remedial
action plans for at least 8 of the priority sites;
• Facilitate greenspace creation through approximately
10 Phase I assessments and 1 to 2 Phase II
assessments; and
• Ensure community involvement regarding these
activities.
The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
Brownfields Supplemental Assistance Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
April 2000 EPA 500-F-00-041
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