&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/ ------- 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 ------- |