&EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-98-183
July 1998
Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Puerto Rico Ports Authority
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. Since 1995, EPA has funded more than 200 Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of
brownfields solutions. 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 has selected the Puerto Rico Ports Authority
(PRPA) for a Brownfields Pilot. The PRPA is a
Puerto Rican government corporation responsible for
the management, operation, and development of
maritime and aviation facilities acrossthe island. The
PRPA owns these properties and leases the facilities
to businesses and government agencies. Historically,
limited environmental oversight was given to these
leased properties. As a result, thousands of acres of
abandoned properties have lain idle because the
PRPA lacks the resources to identify and assess the
contamination present. Uncertainty about the
contamination at these properties has raised liability
concerns and has prevented the PRPA from reusing
these properties. To address these concerns, the
PRPA formed the Environmental, Health and Safety
Comprehensive Management Program (EHS CMP).
The PRPA has identified more than 20 potential
brownfields sites at six separate geographic locations
within Puerto Rico. The PRPA plans to target two
potential sites to serve as models for the Pilot. More
than 62% of Puerto Rico's population is characterized
as economically disadvantaged, and 84% of all families
live below the poverty line. In addition, Puerto Rico' s
unemployment rate is 13.8%.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Atlantic Ocean
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico Ports Authority
Date of Announcement:
July 1998
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets
two properties owned by
the Puerto Rico Ports
Authority (PRPA).
Contacts:
Puerto Rico
Ports Authority
(787) 253-3527
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 2
(212)637-4314
Visit the EPA Region 2 Brownfields Website at:
http://www.epa.gov/r02earth/superfnd/brownfld/
bfmainpg.htm
Forfurtherinformation, 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/
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OBJECTIVES
The PRPA plans to clean up and redevelop its
brownfields to help create employment opportunities
within the affected communities and enhance transport
and shipping opportunities within the region. To aid in
this objective, the Pilot will develop a program to
promote the development of brownfields sites owned
by the PRPA within the existing framework of the
EHS CMP. Pilot funding will be used to identify and
characterize sites for redevelopment; tailor existing
EHS CMP infrastructure to support brownfields
redevelopment; and promote community involvement
and participation in brownfields revitalization efforts.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Developing a community outreach program to
educate affected communities about site conditions
and to update residents about Pilot site activities;
• Performing Phase I and II environmental
assessments on two sites—the Scorpio Metals, Inc.
and the Puerto Rico Fire Fighting Training Academy
properties;
• Completing a cleanup plan for the two sites, which
may include innovative technologies to improve
cleanup efforts; and
• Developing a strategy to sustain redeveloped
brownfields 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 Puerto Rico Ports Authority
July 1998 EPA500-F-98-183
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