United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-97-032
May 1997
National Brownfields
Assessment Pilot
Rochester, NY
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. Between 1995 and 1996, EPA funded 76 National and Regional Brownfields
Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields
solutions. EPAis funding morethan 27 Pilots in 1997. 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 selected the City of Rochester for a
Brownfields Pilot. Over the past 15 years,
Rochester has suffered a significant decline in its
manufacturing sector, precipitated by the relocation
of several large, integral companies. Many of
these companies have abandoned large, multi-
storied facilities in favor of smaller, more efficient
facilities. The potential threat of contamination
and liability atthe abandoned facilities has inhibited
assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment. As a
result, the City' s tax base has decreased, the physical
structures have deteriorated, criminal activity has
increased, and the morale of the community has
suffered.
OBJECTIVES
The primary objective of Rochester's brownfields
effort is to eliminate the current bias against urban
brownfields by correcting misconceptions about
potential liability and informing the public about
the positive opportunities for redevelopment and
growth. Other objectives include identifying
incentives for attracting developers, arranging
feasible property transfers, and creatively using
New York State' s ne w voluntary cleanup program.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Rochester, New York
Date of Award:
September 1995
Amount: $200,000
Site Profile: The Pilot
targets site character-
ization and cleanup plans
for brownfields throughout
the City, including a 15.5-
acre portion of the City's
Erie Canal Industrial Park
(ECIP).
Contacts:
Mark D. Gregor
City of Rochester
(716)428-5978
Larry D'Andrea
U.S. EPA-Region 2
(212)637-4314
dandrea.larry@epamail.epa.gov
Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
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By focusing the Pilot's resources and efforts on
specific, marketable, private and public sites,
Rochester expects to encourage substantial
assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment. In addition,
this Pilotwill emphasize and strengthen the Rochester
Brownfields Working Group's role as an effective
advisory and problem-solving body on brownfields
issues.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot has:
• Established a "no risk" revolving loan/grant incentive
fund that owners and developers of brownfields can
use for site assessments, feasibility analyses, and
concept plans;
• Completed an inventory of large brownfields in
1995. The Pilot will evaluate and add new sites to
the inventory as interest in the Rochester brownfields
redevelopment grows;
• Identified and prioritized the most promising sites
for redevelopment in the City's brownfields
inventory by having Rochester's Brownfields
Working Group (RBWG) tour Rochester's large
brownfields with City staff; and
• Conducted initial site assessments at the ECIP.
The Pilot is:
• Evaluating current zoning policies and regulations,
identifying issues related to management and
redevelopment of older industrial complexes, and
generally coordinating assessment, cleanup, and
redevelopment concept plans for developers
interested in City-owned brownfields;
• Evaluating and adding new sites to the inventory as
interest in the Rochester brownfields redevelopment
grows; and
• Developing and implementing a local program per-
formance evaluation system.
LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES
Experience with the Rochester Pilot has been a catalyst
for related activities including the following.
• Made available an initial list of sites for which
Brownfields Revolving Funds (BRF) are available
to prospective developers and businesses. Ex-
panded funding program to include all sites meeting
BRF criteria. Initially established the Rochester
Brownfields Revolving Fund using EPA coopera-
tive agreement money to make available "no risk"
funding to businesses and developers interested in
investigating brownfields for potential redevelop-
ment. Revolving fund program requirements in-
clude a specification that award recipients enter into
a voluntary investigation agreement with the New
York State Department of Environmental Conser-
vation. Repayment of the revolving fund awards
will be required only if redevelopment proceeds.
Applications for several sites are under review.
• Under the New York State Department of Environ-
mental Conservation's voluntary cleanup program,
Rochester negotiated a work plan for additional
investigation, risk assessment, and cleanup and
redevelopment planning for the ECIP. Field work
was initiated in the fall of 1996. Cleanup funding
was acquired by the City and a viable redevelop-
mentproposal for aportion of the park was received.
• Using the "Neighborhood Team Process," a citizen
empowerment program, to bring residential
communities into the reuse decision-making process.
National Brownfields Assessment Pilot
May 1997
Rochester, New York
EPA 500-F-97-032
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