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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                 Brownfields Pilots National Workshop
                              EPA 500-F-97-096

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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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 April 1997
               Brownfields Pilots National Workshop
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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
                 Brownfields Pilots National Workshop
                               EPA 500-F-97-096

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