&EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-98-182
July 1998
Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Ulster County, NY
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
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. Since 1995, EPA has funded more than 200 Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of
brownfields solutions. The Pilots 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 has selected Ulster County for a Brownfields
Pilot. The Pilot targets the Mid-Hudson Valley,
which lies directly north of the New York metropolitan
area. The Valley encompasses Ulster, Orange, and
Dutchess Counties, and includes the Cities of Beacon,
Newburgh, Middletown, Kingston, Port Jervis, and
Poughkeepsie. This region has suffered from the loss
of industry, aging infrastructure, deteriorated
downtown areas, and eroding financial bases. These
trends have been exacerbated by the reduction of
13,000 workers by a single employer. Although the
region has adapted by creating jobs in the goods-
producing sectors, many properties with
redevelopment potential, especially in the cities,
remain underused or abandoned due to potential
contamination and unknown financial liabilities.
There has been an increase in the number of companies
looking to expand in the region, especially from the
New York City area, and demand for industrial sites
currently exceeds the supply.
OBJECTIVES
The Pilot's objective is to facilitate brownfields
redevelopment through the formation of a regional
public/private partnership, the Mid-Hudson Valley
Brownfield Partnership (MHVBP). The MHVBP
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Date of Announcement:
July 1998
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets
the Mid-Hudson Valley,
which lies north of the
New York metropolitan
area.
Ulster County, New York
Contacts:
Mid-Hudson Pattern
for Progress
(914)565-4900
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 2
(212)637-4314
Visit the EPA Region 2 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/i02earth/superfnd/brownfld/
bfmainpg.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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will be a centralized forum through which owners
and developers can obtain technical information and
assistance. In addition, the MHVBP plans to
streamline review and approval processes and provide
training and skills for community members. Pilot
funding will be used to develop a brownfields
inventory, conduct site assessments, and develop a
regional model for brownfields redevelopment.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Establishing a regional clearinghouse to provide
technical assistance and additional resources for
potential developers and property owners;
• Developing ageographic information system-based
inventory of brownfields sites and a Project
Redevelopment Site Survey which prioritizes
properties based on redevelopment potential;
• Conducting model Phase I and II environmental
assessments on, and developing cleanup plans for,
one or two strategic sites;
• Conducting four to six public meetings and
workshops to inform affected brownfields
communities about project activities and to solicit
input; and
• Identifying other incentives or sources of funding
available for site assessments or cleanup.
The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been
negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet
are subject to change.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Ulster County, New York
July 1998 EPA 500-F-98-182
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