United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-00-155
May 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
<>EPA Brownfields Cleanup
Revolving Loan Fund Pilot
Northampton County, PA
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
Northampton County is part of the Lehigh Valley region
of Pennsylvania. Since the mid-1700s, the Lehigh Valley
region has engaged in a wide range of economic
activities. Agriculture, rail construction, mining, iron
production, steel making, textile production, and the
slate and cement industry activities have contributed to
the local economy. Economic cycles and industry
downturns over the years have led to massive lay-offs
and site abandonment. The regional poverty rate is 7
percent, with the poverty in certain boroughs reaching
almost 15 percent. Approximately 26 percent of the
population has not graduated from high school. Over 75
potential redevelopment sites, totaling 1,100 acres, in 3 0
municipalities, have been identified and targeted for
brownfields redevelopment. Northampton County is a
Brownfields Assessment Pilot.
BCRLF OBJECTIVES
Northampton's BCRLF goals include:
Revitalization of underutilized properties while
protecting the environment;
Revitalization of the tax base;
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Date of Announcement:
May 2000
Amount: $500,000
BCRLF Target Area: Northampton
County
Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Contacts:
Northampton County
Department of Community
and Economic Development
(610)559-3200
Region 3 BCRLF
Coordinator
(215)814-3246
Visit the EPA Region 3 Brownfields web site at:
www.epa.gov/region03/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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• Provision of a business-friendly environment
and resident input into community
development; and
Creation of viable development that
discourages sprawl.
Many of the identified sites are located in Keystone
Opportunity Zones and/or Enterprise Zones.
FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS
Northampton County will act as lead agency. A site
manager and fund manager will be designated. The
County expects to provide loans in amounts ranging
from $100,000 to $200,000 and with loan terms of
between two and seven years.
LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES
Since many of the identified brownfields sites in
Northampton County are located in Keystone
Opportunity Zones and the Enterprise Zone, the
Northampton BCRLF will be used in conjunction with
these special designations to allow a variety of tax
abatement applications. The Pilot also will consider
supplemental loan and grant funding from the
Northampton County Industrial Development
Authority, the Northampton County and Loan
Development Fund, the Northampton Industrial
Development Corporation, and the Pennsylvania
Industrial Sites Reuse Program. Additionally, the
BCRLF award will be leveraged through the provision
of services provided by the County.
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 Northampton County, Pennsylvania
May 2000 EPA 500-F-00-155
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