United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA500-F-00-150 May 2000 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ vvEPA Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot Hamilton, OH 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 Hamilton's economy is linked to industrial development. Due to a loss of industrial jobs, the City is facing economic adversity. Hamilton has been designated a Distressed City by the State of Ohio. Hamilton's BCRLF will target the City's Enterprise Zone (EZ), which has a poverty rate of 26 percent and an unemployment rate of 12 percent. The EZ was created to encourage industrial and commercial investment in the most distressed sections of the community. The City was awarded a Brownfields Assessment Pilot in 1998. To date, the City has assessed and aided in the redevelopment of approximately one million square feet of space in the Enterprise Zone. BCRLF OBJECTIVES Hamilton's BCRLF intends to provide business owners with technical assistance, link potential borrowers to additional sources of funding, encourage community involvement, and facilitate public-private partnerships. Redeveloping sites in the target area is expected to mitigate health risks, create jobs, increase private investment, and help retain existing businesses. In addition, job training partnerships are anticipated among the cooperating partners and new businesses. PILOT SNAPSHOT Date of Announcement: May 2000 Amount: $500,000 BCRLF Target Area: City of Hamilton Enterprise Zone Hamilton, Ohio Contacts: City of Hamilton Department of Economic Development (513)868-5855 Region 5 BCRLF Coordinator (312)886-7576 Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/reglon05/waste/brown/lndex.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 ------- FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS The City of Hamilton Department of Economic Development will serve as lead agency and fund manager. The Environmental Laboratory and Safety Division of the Department of Operations will assume the duties of site manager. LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES The City of Hamilton will leverage other Federal, State and local resources through the successful completion of site selection and remediation planning activities. Hamilton plans to use US Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant funds for remediation and redevelopment activities, make loans from its Commercial Revolving Loan Fund, assist in developing creative public-private partnerships through the Community Improvement Corporation, and increase participation in cleanup activities and aid in identifying other funding sources through the City's Voluntary Action Program. The City also will provide services valued at approximately $50,000 to the BCRLF program. In addition, supplementary loans may be available through Ohio's Water Pollution Control Loan Fund and Urban Redevelopment Loan Program. 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 Hamilton, Ohio May 2000 EPA500-F-00-150 ------- |