United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response(5101) EPA500-F-99-131 June 1999 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ SEPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Covington, KY 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 is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models;job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfieldstofacilitatecleanupofbrownfieldssites and preparetrainees for future employmentintheenvironmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs 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 Covington for a Brownfields Pilot. Covington (population approximately 43,000) is a landlocked community located between the Ohio and Licking Rivers. The city is also bisected by anorth-south interstate highway and two railroads. Due to its riverfront location and access to major transportation routes, it was once a bustling city of industry. The area targeted by the Pilot is the city's Enterprise Zone (population 30,954), a 9.5-square-mile area comprising downtown Covington. Unemployment in the area is 9.5 percent, and approximately 15 percent of the population lives in poverty. Once the developable land in Covington was consumed, industries and factories had no opportunities to expand their operations. Companies were forced to merge with larger firms or relocate to the suburbs. Additionally, to protect residents, the city adopted a zoning code in 1930 that required industrial properties to "down-size" near residential neighborhoods. The combination of these two situations created a flight to the suburbs by both industry and the residents who could afford to relocate. Covington was left with deteriorating, vacant and potentially contaminated properties, and the remaining, mostly minority PILOTSNAPSHOT Covington, Kentucky Contacts: Department of Economic Development (606)292-2163 Dateof Announcement: June 1999 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets five sites in Covington's Enterprise Zone, located on the Ohio and Licking Rivers. Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA - Region 4 (404) 562-8661 Visit the EPA Region 4 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region4/wastepgs/brownfpgs/bf.htm For further 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/ ------- population experienced increasing unemployment and poverty. OBJECTIVES For several years, Covington has been working with neighborhood associations and citizen groups to identify specific brownfields sites of concern and potential actions to address these sites' environmental issues as part of a city-wide revitalization effort. This led to the creation of the city's Brownfields Technical Committee, which comprises community stakeholders, business owners, lending institutions, real estate brokers, developers, lawyers, educators, and government officials. This committee identified five priority sites for the Pilot to target because they are blighted properties in need of attention; they are almost all city owned; and they can serve as models for brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. The city's obj ective is to clean up and redevelop these sites to create jobs, increase the tax base, and decrease neighborhood blight and potential health hazards. The city will rely on the Pilot, local incentive programs, and private investment to assess, clean up and redevelop these sites. ACCOMPLISHMENTS ANDACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Continuing the community involvement program already in place by holding public meetings, preparing a summary report, and engaging stakeholders in the process; • Inventorying brownfields sites in the target area and using geographical information system (GIS) mapping; • Conducting Phase I and, where necessary, Phase II assessments at the targeted sites; and • Developing site cleanup and redevelopment plans for the targeted sites. 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 Covington, Kentucky June 1999 EPA500-F-99-131 ------- |