United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-97-096
April 1997
Brownfields Pilots
National Workshop
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. EPA's Brownfields Initiative strategies include
funding pilot programs and other research efforts, clarifying liability issues, entering into partnerships, conducting
outreach activities, developing job training programs, and addressing environmental justice concerns.
The first Brownfields Pilots National Workshop,
sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), was held February 13 and 14, 1996,
in Washington, D.C. The workshop provided a
forum for key stakeholders to discuss issues and ideas
concerning effective implementation of the
Brownfields Initiative.
PARTICIPANTS
More than 300 representatives from Brownfields
Pilot States and cities, the Association of State and
Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials
(ASTSWMO), other Federal agencies, the National
Environmental Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC),
and key stakeholders, as well as EPA brownfields
coordinators and program staff, participated in the
workshop.
PURPOSE OF THE WORKSHOP
The National Workshop was an important milestone
in EPA' s Brownfields Initiative. The workshop built
upon the success ofthe Brownfields Economic Rede-
velopment Initiative.
ACTIVITIES AT THE WORKSHOP
The following is a summary ofthe workshop.
HIGHLIGHTS
9 More than 300 stakeholders attended the first
Brownfields Pilots National Workshop.
9 Participants raised key issues and developed
recommendations for the national
Brownfields Initiative.
9 Representatives of EPA's National and
Regional brownfields pilots shared critical
information on brownfields issues.
9 Participants pursued opportunities to make
maximum use of Federal, state, and
community resources to address solutions to
brownfields issues.
February 13, 1996
Plenary Session: Presentations
The plenary session began with remarks by Mr.
Elliott P. Laws, Assistant Administrator for Solid
Waste and Emergency Response, EPA; Mr. Steven
Herman, Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and
Compliance Assurance, EPA; Mr. Chester Straub,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Op-
erations, Economic Development Administration,
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC); and Mr.
Charles Lee, Chairman ofthe Waste and Facility
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Siting Subcommittee. NEJAC. Following the open-
ing remarks, representatives of four Brownfields
Pilot projects presented case studies that highlighted
the four themes of the workshop: community in-
volvement, workforce development, sustainable re-
development, and health-risk issues.
Concurrent Breakout Sessions
In the afternoon, EPA conducted four breakout
sessions, one for each of the four workshop themes.
to provide participants an opportunity to discuss
issues related to the pilot projects. Brownfields Pilot
project representatives exchanged information on
approaches taken and experience gained.
February 14, 1996
Plenary Session: Findings and Recommendations
The second plenary session summarized the findings
and recommendations from each of the breakout
sessions. These presentations were followed by a
question-and-answer period moderated by Mr.
Timothy Fields, Jr., Deputy Assistant Administrator
for Solid Waste and Emergency Response, EPA. Mr.
Fields and Mr. Donald Ellisburg, a member of the
NEJAC Waste and Facility Siting Subcommittee,
gave closing remarks. The workshop concluded with
a keynote address by EPA Administrator Carol
Browner.
THE WORKSHOP
Each breakout session developed and presented their
findings and recommendations during the Plenary
Session. Recommendations are those of both panelists
and session participants and cover each of the four
sessions. Many common concerns were identified in
these breakout sessions.
Session on Sustainable Redevelopment Issues
* Promote educational outreach through
dissemination of information to small businesses.
lenders, prospective purchasers, and other
stakeholders including other Federal and State
agencies.
* Develop an Executive Order on the Brownfields
Initiative that will ensure that Federal agencies
work in a consistent, coordinated manner toward
economic redevelopmentand revitalization of urban
areas.
« Create a resource catalogue of Federal programs
addressing financial and redevelopment issues
related to brownficlds assessment, cleanup, and
redevelopment.
« Examine legislative and regulatory programs to
ensure consistency with the objectives of the
Brownfields Initiative.
« Ensure, at minimum, a continuation of Federal
resource commitments to support the Brownfields
Initiative.
Session on Community Involvement Issues
* Develop "measures of success" for brownficlds
projects.
« Create a resource catalogue of Federal programs
addressing financial and redevelopment issues
related to brownfields assessment, cleanup, and
redevelopment.
* Identify available and new funding sources for
Community Groups.
« Encourage better leveraging of scarce dollars and
resources for cleanup activities.
« Promote the exchange of information and experience
between EPA - both Headquarters and Regions,
and States and local entities. Staff and other
resource exchanges should be fostered.
Session on Workforce Development Issues
* Create opportunities for the creation of long-term.
sustainable jobs for communities.
* Provide incentives to business and industry for the
training and employment of community residents.
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April 1997
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• Ensure that job training and education programs
match the needs of businesses and the goals of the
community.
• Facilitate coordination and communication among
the brownfields parties both public and private and
work to create and encourage effective partnerships.
* Provide incentives for business to redevelop and
relocate on brownfields sites.
Session on Health Risk Issues
* Promote State voluntary cleanup programs
protective of human health and the environment.
Public participation in State voluntary cleanup
programs is a key to a successful program.
« Develop simple, flexible, risk assessment
procedures for brownfields sites.
• Build community understanding of risk
management decision-making through practical and
effective risk communication and partnerships with
communities.
EPA ACTIVITIES
Since February, the following steps have been taken:
« Additional Brownfields 'Pilots Announced:
In June, Vice President Gore joined Mayors, Con-
gressional representatives, and EPA Administra-
tor Carol Browneratthe White House to announce
20 new Brownfields Assessment Demonstration
Pilots. Since then, the total number of pilots has
increased to 78.
* Interagency Working Group:
In July 1996, EPA hosted a Federal Interagency
Brownfields meeting with Federal departments
and agencies to discuss opportunities for better
coordination and leveraging of brownfields efforts
at the Federal level. A brownfields national part-
nership strategy will be developed by an inter-
agency working group. In addition, modeled on
the 1995 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with the Department of Commerce's Economic
Development Administration, MOUs have been
signed with the Departments of Labor and Interior.
The MOU with the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) was signed at the
Brownfields '96 Conference in Pittsburgh, Penn-
sylvania in September. A fifth MOU was signed
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration in March 1997. These partnerships
will provide assistance with such crucial
brownfields issues as community involvement,
workforce development, sustainable redevelop-
ment, and health-risks.
Community College Environmental Workforce
Development Programs:
EPA is working with the Hazardous Materials
Training and Research Institute (HMTRI) to expand
training and curriculum developmentin community
colleges at brownfields pilot sites. HMTRI, the
City of St. Louis, and St. Louis Community College
hosted a workshop for 14 community colleges
representing brownfields pilot sites on July 25-26,
1996 in St. Louis, Missouri. The workshop focused
on brownfields issues and implementation of
environmental workforce development programs.
Sustainable Development:
EPA, in July 1996, announced and solicited
applications for the Sustainable Development
Challenge Grant program, anew competitive grant
program. The program is intended to encourage
community, business, and government to work
cooperatively to develop flexible, locally-oriented
approaches that link place-based environmental
management with sustainable development and
revitalization.
Brownfields '96:
EPA; the International City/Council Management
Association;the American Bar Association, Section
of National Resources. Energy, and Environmental
Law; the National Religious Partnership for the
Environment; and the Mortgage Bankers
Association of Americaco-sponsored Brownfields
'96, September 19-20, 1996, in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania. Over 40 panels were held on
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financing, business reuse, community involvement,
assessment and cleanup technologies, and public/
private partnerships. In addition, the latest
brownfields services and technologies were on
display. The 1997 Brownfields Conference is
scheduled for September 3-5. in Kansas City,
Missouri.
Brownfields Tax Incentive:
As a follow-up on President Clinton's brownfields
tax incentive announcement in his 1996 State of
the Union address, legislation on the brownfields
tax incentive was introduced in the 104th Congress;
no action was taken. Similar bills have been
introduced in the 105th Congress (S. 235 atidH.R.
505). The proposal would provide a tax incentive
for prospective purchasers, allowing environmental
cleanup costs at brownfields pilot sites to be fully
deducted in the year in which they are incurred,
rather than capitalized over the useful life of the
property.
Presidential Initiative:
In August 1996, the President called for renewed
support for State and local brownfields efforts to
revitalize brownfields, including expansion of
grants to communities for site assessments and
redevelopment planning, and support for revolving
loans to finance brownfields cleanup efforts at the
local level. The President also proposed additional
support for State voluntary cleanup programs and
workforce de velopmenttraining. Such new support
would involve approximately 300 cities over the
next four years. This proposal would require
Federal legislation.
• The Brownfields Budget:
The EPA Brownfields budget for FY 1997 is $36.7
million. Some of the funds in the budget will be
used to capitalize revolving loan funds for the first
29 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot
recipients. This funding of up to an additional
$350,000 per site will be available through a
competitive process to those 29 pilots meeting
established criteria. Five million will be provided
for an additional 25 Brownfields Assessment Dem-
onstration Pilots (up to $200,000 each). Ten
million has been provided to fund development of
State voluntary cleanup program infrastructure.
Three million will be used for an expanded site
assessment initiative. Remaining funds will be
used for technical assistance to pilots. The addi-
tional revolving loan fund grants will serve to
bring the knowledge base of local governments,
States, and Federally-recognized Tribes to the
next logical step of brownfields redevelopment—
site cleanup.
FOR INFORMATION
For more information about the Brownfields Initiative,
please call the Supcrfund Hotline at (800) 424-9346'.
If you have Internet World Wide Web access, visit
the EPA Brownfields Homepage at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
Brownfields Fact Sheet
April 1997
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EPA 500-F-97-096
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