United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA500-F-97-121 April 1997 National Brownfields Assessment Pilot Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company 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. OVERVIEW EPA has selected the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) as a Brownfields Pilot. PRIDCO was legislatively created in 1942 as a public corporation and government entity to stimulate the economy of Puerto Rico through job creation. PRIDCO, which owns approximately 50 percent of the industrially developed property in Puerto Rico, will administer the grant in cooperation with the Puerto Rico Economic Development Administration. One site, the former Hato Rey Electroplating Site, has been identified as a target for the pilot. This site is located in the economically depressed Cantera community within the municipality of San Juan. It is now a vacant facility that attracts crime and vagrancy. Interest in redeveloping the facility as a recycling center has arisen, but environmental concerns have prevented redevelopment commitments. Other sites to be targeted for the pilot will be selected based on community need and significant redevelopment and reuse potential. PILOT SNAPSHOT Atlantic Ocean Puerto Rico Date of Award: April 1997 Amount: $200,000 Site Profile: Three sites, including a former electroplating facility in the Cantera community and two additional areas to be identified, have been targeted for the pilot. Contacts: Andres Gomez Alayon Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (787) 767-3984 Ramon Torres U.S. EPA-Region 2 (787) 977-5840 Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- OBJECTIVES PRIDCO's goal is to develop a prototype for redevelopment ofbrownfields through public-private partnerships. These partnerships will be supported by incentives to overcome the typical rejection from developers of environmentally impacted properties and by community outreach and education. PRTDCO also plans to establish a revolving loan fund that will enable prospective developers or tenants to assess potentially impacted properties and determine their redevelopment potential. Puerto Rico believes the pilot will facilitate development of an island-wide brownfields program. ACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this pilot include: • Conducting site investigation and remedial planning at the former electroplating site; • Conducting site investigations and remedial planning at two additional sites to be identified; • Conducting community outreach programs and bi- lingual educational materials for Hato Rey residents and other community stakeholders; and • Developing plans for a revolving loan fund program intended to encourage site assessment. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. National Brownfields Assessment Pilot Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company April 1997 EPA 500-F-97-121 ------- |