United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-97-026
May 1997
National Brownfields
Assessment Pilot
New York, NY
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.
BACKGROUND
EPA selected the City of New York for a Brownfields
Pilot. New York City (NYC) contains at least 4,000
acres of vacant industrial properties. These industrial
areas tend to be on NYC's waterfront and in the most
disadvantaged sections in the City, where a high
percentage of households are below the Federal
poverty threshold. Many other properties are
contaminated from illegal dumping and unregulated
commercial activities. Brownfields are affecting
public health and the environment, discouraging
investment due to fears of liability, delaying
development, tying up NYC resources that could be
spent on other services, and impacting potential low-
income-housing funds.
OBJECTIVES
The obj ective of this Pilot is to create a framework for
the identification of measures that will accelerate the
pace and enlarge the scale of cleanup and redevelop-
mentofthe City's brownfields sites. A pub lie/private
Task Force will conduct data gathering and analysis
of past cleanups, current brownfields site-assessment
procedures and redevelopment practices, and ob-
stacles to brownfields reuse. Over 140 lenders, attor-
neys, community representatives, environmental con-
sultants, government agency representatives, and other
professionals have committed their time and resources
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Date of Award:
March 1996
Amount: $200,000
Site Profile: The Pilot
targets five demonstration
sites to be chosen from
over 4,000 acres of vacant
industrial property in New
York City.
New York, New York
Contacts:
Annette Barbaccia
Mayor's Office of
Environmental Coordination
New York, NY
(212)788-2937
Larry D'Andrea
U.S. EPA-Region 2
(212)637-4314
dandrea.larry@
epamail.epa.gov
Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
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to the NYC brownfields effort. Five demonstration
sites will be chosen by the Task Force during this
Pilot program, upon which innovative approaches
will be tested.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
The Pilot has:
• Approved the non-profit New York City Partnership
as the City's Cooperative Partnerforthe Brownfields
Pilot to assist NYC in carrying out the initiative;
• Formed a Steering Committee that has held several
meetings to coordinate Pilot activities. The Steering
Committee is comprised of representatives from
City agencies, including the Mayor's Office of
Environmental Coordination, the Law Department,
the Department of Environmental Protection, the
Economic Development Corporation, the Depart-
ment of Health, the Department of Housing Preser-
vation and Development, the City Planning Depart-
ment, the Department of Design and Construction,
and the non-profit New York City Partnership; and
• Analyzed existing brownfields testing, sampling,
and rededication of hazardous materials standards
in support of the selection of the five demonstration
sites.
The Pilot is:
• Preparing several case studies and analyses, includ-
ing: case studies of recent projects; an overview of
guidelines applied to typical NYC sites; an analysis
of the most prevalent contaminants in NYC; re-
search on innovative guidelines nationwide; and an
analysis of issues surrounding risk-based standards;
• Refining a preliminary format for gathering data on
several past City cleanups;
• Campaigning to involve abroad range of stakehold-
ers in the brownfields initiative. Three hundred
twenty-five potential stakeholders were contacted
to ascertain their level of interest, expertise, and
resources available to contribute to Task Force
activities;
• Conducting interviews with developers, lenders,
and insurers to help characterize thresholds for
investment; and
• Conducting a series of meetings with local elected
officials that will continue throughout all phases of
the Pilot. These meetings have identified issues and
concerns of the stakeholders, and also keep them
apprised of project efforts.
LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES
Experience with the New York City Pilot has been a
catalyst for related activities including the following.
• Undertaking an analysis of Brownfields sites that
might be potential candidates for funding under the
1996 New York State Bond Act. Under this Act,
$200 million is available State-wide to help pay for
testing and rededication of sites that meet the Act's
requirements for brownfields.
• Developing a primer and outline of key laws,
regulations, and brownfields issues to ensure proper
procedures are followed and to take advantage of
resource leveraging options.
• Preparing an outline of provisions that are part of the
typical State voluntary cleanup program.
National Brownfields Assessment Pilot
May 1997
New York, New York
EPA 500-F-97-026
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