United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105) EPA 500-F-01-319 April 2001 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ &EPA Brownfields Supplemental Assistance Burlington, VT 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 worktogether in atimelymannerto prevent, assess, and safely clean up brownfieldsto promote their sustainable reuse. Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real orperceivedenvironmentalcontamination.EPAisfunding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years, with additional funding provided for greenspace), to test assessment models and facilitate coordinated assessment and cleanup efforts at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels; and job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfieldsto facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and preparetraineesforfuture employment intheenvironmental field; and, a cleanup revolving loan fund program (each funded up to $1,000,000 over five years) to provide financial assistance 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 Burlington to receive supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot. Burlington (population 3 9,127) is one of the poorest cities in Vermont and has been designated a federal Enterprise Community (EC). Seventeen contaminated commercial and industrial sites comprising about 40 acres near downtown Burlington are creating a major obstacle to growth and land use withinthe city. Only one uncontaminated site is available for development. The largest brownfield is preventing highway construction needed by private developers to connect the city with the waterfront. Most of the brownfields are located in, or adjacentto, disadvantaged neighborhoods. The city takes acomprehensive approach to brownfields redevelopment—focusing on improving the quality of life for moderate- and low-income residents. The Pilot targets potentially contaminated commercial andindustrial sitesneardowntownBurlington. Eight siteswere assessed under the original Pilot. Supplemental funds are needed to complete redevelopment planning on sites already assessed and to initiate investigation, assessment, and redevelopment planning at additional potentially contaminated sites. PILOT SNAPSHOT E7I Date of Award: April2001 Amount: $100,000 Profile: The Pilot targets brownfields near downtown Burlington, which contains only one uncontaminated site that is available for development. Burlington, Vermont Contacts: City of Burlington, Community and Economic Development Office (802)865-7173 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA- Region 1 (617)918-1387 Visit the EPA Region 1 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region01browfields/ 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/ ------- OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES The city's objectives are to build on Burlington's progress to date in brownfields redevelopment, continue the high degree of citizen participation and support, and convertbrownfields to productive reuses. Supplemental assistance will be used to conduct two Phase I environmental site assessments, conduct four Phase II environmental site assessments, investigate three new sites, and conduct Phase I environmental site assessments at these three sites if needed. Supplemental assistance will be used to follow-up on six of the sites addressed in the original Pilot, including working with community leaders to involve residents in redevelopment and remedial planning. Supplemental assistance also will be used to work with community leaders to ensure community involvement in redevelopment decision making. The Pilot plans to: • Conduct Phase I environmental site assessments of two properties; • Conduct Phase II environmental site assessments of four properties; • Investigate three potential properties and, if appropriate, conducting Phase I assessments; • Perform follow-up work on six of the sites addressed during the original Pilot; and • Continue to work with community leaders to ensure community involvement in redevelopment decision making. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Brownfields Supplemental Assistance April2001 Burlington, Vermont EPA 500-F-01-319 ------- |