United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-00-142
May 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
<>EPA Brownfields Cleanup
Revolving Loan Fund Pilot
Gretna, LA
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
The City of Gretna is a small, 160-year old city,
combining historic neighborhoods with an industrial
riverfront corridor. The City has targeted this riverfront
corridor for revitalization. Within Gretna, 30 percent of
all residents live below the poverty level. Minority
residents, many of whom live along the riverfront
corridor, comprise almost 40 percent of the population.
The shortage of available land in Gretna, a city three-
square miles in size, makes the re-use of brownfields
imperative. Gretna is an EPA Brownfields Assessment
Pilot and has developed an inventory of potential
brownfield sites.
BCRLF OBJECTIVES
Gretna's BCRLF objectives include the creation of new
jobs, an increase in tax revenues, the reduction of
pollution levels, and the involvement of multiple
stakeholders in land use decisions. Several potential
borrowers and sites have been identified along the
riverfront near minority communities. The City also
will market the BCRLF program to business owners
who may own or wish to redevelop small brownfield
sites.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Contacts:
Mayor of Gretna
(504)363-1505
Date of Announcement:
May 2000
Amount: $500,000
BCRLF Target Area:
Riverfront Corridor
Gretna, Louisiana
Region 6 BCRLF
Coordinator
(214) 665-6688
Visit the EPA Region 6 Brownfields web site at:
www.epa.gov/region06/waste/brown/index.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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FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS
The City of Gretna will serve as lead agency and the
Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission
will act as fund manager. The City of Gretna will serve
as site manager and will work closely with the
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to
fulfill these responsibilities.
LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES
The US Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans Office
and the City are working to develop a cost sharing
arrangement that would provide up to 50 percent of
cleanup costs at priority sites. State capital outlay
grants are another likely source of cleanup funds. To
further leverage the BCRLF, Gretna may consider the
use of US Department of Transportation funds and US
Department of Housing and Urban Development's
Community Development Block Grant funds,
Brownfields Economic Development Initiative funds,
Economic Development Initiative funds, and Section
108 funds. In addition, the City will examine
redevelopment assistance from the US Department of
Agriculture Rural Development program. The State of
Louisiana has indicated its willingness to provide funds
to Gretna from the Clean Water State Revolving Loan
Fund. The City also is actively examining other
possible funding sources. Developers of targeted
brownfield sites also are eligible for two state tax
incentive programs. The Gretna BCRLF will market the
Federal brownfield tax incentive program as another
tool for prospective borrowers to utilize.
Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with
CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding
also apply to BCRLF funds.
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot Gretna, Louisiana
May 2000 EPA500-F-00-142
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