United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response(5105) EPA500-F-01-294 April 2001 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ vvEPA Brownfields Supplemental Assistance Portland, ME Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105) Quick Reference Fact Sheet EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative isdesignedtoempowerstates, communities, and otherstakeholders ineconomicredevelopmenttoworktogetherinatimelymannertoprevent.assess.andsafelycleanupbrownfieldstopromote theirsustainable reuse. Brownfieldsareabandoned, idled,orunder-usedindustrialandcommercialfacilitieswhereexpansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. EPAisfunding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years, with additional funding provided for greenspace), to test assessment models and facilitate coordinated assessment and cleanup efforts at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels; and job training pilot programs (each funded upto$200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affectedbybrownfieldstofacilitatecleanupofbrownfieldssitesandpreparetraineesforfutureemploymentintheenvironmental field; and, acleanup revolving loanfund program (eachfundedupto$1,000,000 overfiveyears)toprovidefinancial assistance forthe environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies astheycontinuetoseek new methodsto promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment. BACKGROUND EPA has selected the City of Portland to receive supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot. The target area has been expanded to include the Bayside area, including parcels within the original project area (Marginal Way) that did not receive a site assessment and new parcels contiguous to the original project area. The Bayside area is the most visible gateway to the city. Once an important engine of the city's economic vitality, the Bayside areais now plagued with underutilized industrial sites with historical contamination. The area encompasses a former scrap metal yard, rail yard repair facility, foundry, and automotive repair site and is surrounded by Portland's three most densely populated and poorest neighborhoods. Uncertainty surrounding environmental liability has redirected prospective users, lenders, and developers away from these sites toward rural areas with no industrial history, and, therefore, no perceived environmental risks. The decline of the Bayside area has increased unemployment and caused the loss of local property tax revenues. PILOT SNAPSHOT Date of Award: April 2001 Amount: $135,000 Profile: The Pilot targets the Bayside area, plagued by underused and contaminated industrial sites, for assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment. Portland, Maine Contacts: City of Portland, Planning and Urban Development (207) 874-8725 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA-Region 1 (617)918-1338 Visit the EPA Region 1 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region01/remed/brnfld/ 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/ ------- OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES The Pilot will use EPA's supplemental assistance grant to expand the successes of the Assessment Pilot by conducting site assessment and cleanup and reuse planning activities for the additional sites in the Bayside area of Portland. Adopted as city policy and funded by the Assessment Pilot, the comprehensive cleanup and redevelopment strategy entitled" ANew Vision for Bayside" will be used as a blueprint for Pilot revitalization activities. The Pilot plans to: • Conduct site assessments at targeted properties within the Bayside area; • Review appropriate land uses and redevelopment strategies; • Develop cleanup strategies that address contamination issues in conjunction with anticipated uses and redevelopment strategies; and • Conduct community outreach regarding the targeted area. 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 Portland, Maine April 2001 EPA500-F-01-294 ------- |