United States
                      Environmental
                      Protection Agency
                      Washington, D.C.  20460
  Solid Waste
  and Emergency
  Response (5105)
EPA 500-F-00-204
July 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
 &EPA      Brownfields  Cleanup
                       Revolving  Loan   Fund   Pilot
                                                                      Clairton, PA
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)
                       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 brownfields to facilitate cleanup
of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental 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

The steel industry was the primary base of the City of
Clairton, Pennsylvania's economy for much of the
20th century. Similar to many other communities
located in the Monongahela River Valley of
Allegheny County, Clairton suffered the results of
changes in the economy, and in the steel-making
industry in particular.  Broad economic changes,
including increased international competition in the
steel industry, have led to substantial job losses and
business closures. As  a result, many formerly active
industrial sites have been left underused, idle, or
vacant. Many jobs were lost and numerous
businesses were forced to close their doors. The
population of the city  also has declined significantly.
Approximately 27 percent of Clairton's population is
minority.  Over 20 percent of the population lives
below the poverty line. Redeveloping Clairton's
brownfields offers the potential to provide jobs that
are accessible to low and middle-income residents.
Clairton received a Brownfields Assessment pilot
along with Duquesne  and McKeesport in 1999.

BCRLF OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the City's brownfields program
include eliminating blight, creating jobs, increasing
PILOT SNAPSHOT
                     Date of Announcement:
                     July 2000

                     Amount: $500,000

                     BCRLF Target Area:
                     City of Clairton
Clairton, PA
Contacts:

City Manager

(412)233-8113
 Region 3 BCRLF
 Coordinator
 (215)814-3246
      Visit the EPA Region 3 Brownfields web site at:
     www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/brownfld/hmpage1.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

-------
the tax base, and curtailing the exploitation of farmland
and the proliferation of urban sprawl.

FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

The  City  of Clairton  Community  Reinvestment
Corporation (CCRC) will be the lead agency and serve
as  fund manager.  The site manager has not been
designated.

The loan fund will be capitalized at $425,000. The City
of Clairton and  its  partners will contribute  in-kind
services to maximize loan value.

Clairton will contribute in-kind services to maximize
loan value.  The  City expects to make two or three
loans of $100,000  to  $250,000 to  prospective
landowners or developers in the three-year pilot period.
The  term of each loan will range  between two and
seven years. The interest rate will be determined on a
loan-specific basis. Origination fees for the loans will
range from zero  to two percent. Ten percent of a
project's loan value  will be retained by the City until
the project has been satisfactorily completed. BCRLF
loan recipients will  be required to participate in the
Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program.

LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES

Many of the  brownfields targeted  by  the Duquesne
BCRLF are in state-designated Keystone Opportunity
Zones and/or Enterprise Zones.  Available tools for
brownfields redevelopment in these areas include, tax
abatements on real estate, income tax, sales and use
taxes, and  corporate  income taxes. Other possible
sources  of funds  are the existing EPA Brownfields
Assessment Demonstration Pilot grant fund, Allegheny
County and Pennsylvania Department of Community
and Economic Development's loan and grant programs,
and local banking and lending institutions.
Use of 'BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with
CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding
also apply to BCRLF funds.
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot                                                   Clairton, Pennsylvania
July 2000	EPA 500-F-00-204

-------