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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