&EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-98-188
July 1998
Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Washington, DC
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 the City of Washington, District of
Columbia, for a Brownfields Pilot. Approximately
71% of the City's (District's) population (543,213)is
minority and the unemployment rate averages 8.2%.
Over the past 10 years, the District has experienced
significant declines in retail/wholesale trade and the
manufacturing, finance, and real estate industries. In
addition, approximately 157,000 residents left the
District between 1970 and 1990. The District's
economy is confined by its small geographic area (63
miles), increased competition from neighboring
jurisdictions, and a restricted tax base (the Federal
government owns 41% of the land). The District
believes that reuse of vacant and available land is
essential to revitalizing the area's economy.
Although a comprehensive inventory has not been
completed, the District believes that it owns
approximately 10.8 million square feet of underused
industrial and commercial space. The Pilot plans to
target several properties in its Northeast and Southeast
quadrants for cleanup and redevelopment, including
a former coal storage and transfer facility located in
Northeast and a privately owned landfill located in
Southeast. Because the Northeast site is located
within a Federally sponsored Enterprise Zone, the
former coal storage and transfer facility project has
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Washington,
District of Columbia
Date of Announcement:
July 1998
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The District plans
to target two sites in its
Northeast and Southeast
quadrants for assessment,
cleanup, and
redevelopment.
Contacts:
Department of Health
District of Columbia
(202) 645-5677
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 3
(215)566-3129
Visit the EPA Region 3 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/brownfld/hmpage1.htm
Forfurther 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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access to additional Federal and District funding
opportunities. These funds can be leveraged to assist
in cleanup and redevelopment. The privately owned
landfill is located in the Anacostia community in the
Southeast area, which has an unemployment rate of
15.9%the highest in the District.
OBJECTIVES
Because of the complexities and high interest within
the District government, the Health Department is the
lead agency for the project and will coordinate with
the many local government, public, and private
stakeholders in the District on cleanup and
redevelopment.
The District's main obj ective is to create a long-term,
self-sustaining, efficient redevelopmentprogram that
will serve to stimulate the local economy. To aid in
this initiative, the DC Department of Health formed a
Multi-Agency District Task Force to address
brownfields issues. The Pilot will lead the project
and has identified a range of activities it will pursue,
including establishing a brownfields database,
conducting site assessments, and administering
community outreach programs and activities.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
Establishing a brownfields database to identify sites
and any use restrictions, and to track cleanup
activities, program accomplishments, and other
pertinent information;
Conducting at least two site assessments, including
site identification and characterization, to form a
comprehensive site assessment plan; and
Administering a broad-based community outreach
effort, including public meetings, forums, and
notices.
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 Washington, District of Columbia
July 1998 EPA 500-F-98-188
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