Brownfields Area-Wide Plannini i Pilot Project Fact Sheet EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communi- ties, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brown- fields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfields sites. Un- der this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants to assess and clean up brownfield sites. Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Pilot Program EPA is piloting an area-wide planning approach to com- munity brownfield challenges, which recognizes that revitalization of the area surrounding the brownfield site(s) is just as critical to the successful reuse of the property as assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of an individual site. The pilot program will help further community-based partnership efforts within underserved or economically disadvantaged neighborhoods by confronting local envi- ronmental and public health challenges related to brown- fields, while creating a planning framework to advance economic development and job creation. Pilot Project Description EPA has selected the City of Tulsa as a Brownfields Area- Wide Planning Pilot Program recipient. The city will target the Evans/Fintube property and surrounding communities, which have 248,586 residents. The project area encom- passes an area of northern Tulsa where many abandoned structures, vacant lots, and active industrial facilities are adjacent to residential and recreational areas. There are approximately 69 brownfields in the area. These communi- ties are challenged by the number of additional potential brownfields and high poverty levels. They are home to a higher concentration of minority residents than surrounding Tulsa, OK EPA is awarding approximately $4 million in total across 23 recipients. Recipients will each receive up to approximately $175,000 in EPA cooperative agreement and/or direct technical assis- tance. Assistance will help recipients initiate develop- ment of an area-wide plan and identify next steps and resources needed to implement the plan. Contacts For additional information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.aov/brownfieldsy EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (202) 566-0633 Assistance Recipient: City of Tulsa, OK (918)584-7880 The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the project proposal; EPA cannot attest to the ac- curacy of this information. The cooperative agreement and/or direct technical assistance have not yet been negotiated. Activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. areas. Development of an area-wide plan will help the city implement its Downtown Area Master Plan, which was created through public input and recently presented to the citizens of Tulsa. The area-wide planning process will facilitate community involvement in identifying potential reuses for brownfield sites, and help the city to prioritize brownfields cleanup and redevelopment as part of its larger planning initiative. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-10-003Q October 2010 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |