&EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-98-165
May 1998
Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Northampton County, PA
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 150 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 Northampton County for a
Brownfields Pilot. The county is located in the east-
central area of Pennsylvania in a region known as
Lehigh Valley. The valley has a long history of
industry, including mining, rail construction, iron
production, milling, cement production, and steel
production. A decline in heavy industry has left
properties abandoned or underutilized; businesses
are reluctant to use these sites due to unknown
environmental issues.
The region has established a Lehigh Valley
Brownfields Strategy Task Force and several
committeesto address redevelopment concerns. The
Task Force estimates that there are approximately
1,067 acres of underused and abandoned industrial
sites, many of them in urban areas. It has identified
72 potential brownfields sites in the region; the Pilot
will focus on assisting the Task Force with educational
outreach, and examining the assessment, cleanup
and redevelopment opportunities at these sites.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of the Pilot is to assist the Lehigh
Valley Brownfields Strategy Task Force in
maintaining a continuously evolving inventory of
brownfields sites with redevelopment potential. The
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Northampton County,
Pennsylvania
Date of Announcement:
May 1998
Amount: $200,000
Profile: Lehigh Valley
contains over 1,000 acres
of identified brownfields;
the Pilot will target 2-3
sites for site investigations
and cleanup plans.
Contacts:
Northampton County
Development
Corporation
(610)253-4213
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 3
(215)566-3129
Visit the EPA Region 3 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/brownfld/
hmpage1.htm
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/
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Pilot will assist the county in its plans to prepare an
inventory of sites suitable for cleanup and
redevelopment, and gather stakeholder input on
redevelopment priorities. The county intends for
these efforts to result in the establishment of a
permanent and sustainable regional organization.
EPA funds will be used to perform environmental
assessments, and to educate owners, developers,
potential investors, community leaders and other
stakeholders. The county expects that the increased
attractiveness of brownfields redevelopment will
curb sprawl and slow the rapid development of
greenfield properties.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Conducting Phase I and Phase II environmental
assessments of priority sites, and follow-up
assessment and characterization to determine the
extent of environmental liability;
• Preparing an inventory of county brownfields;
• Educating stakeholders, including potential
developers, potential investors, community leaders,
and the public, to dispel the myths regarding old
industrial sites as well as to inform them about
resources available for investigation and cleanup of
brownfields;
• Creating workshops, a clearinghouse of information
and resources, and site investigation and cleanup
plans; and
• Cooperating with groups such as the Lehigh Valley
Economic Development Corporation, the
Northampton County Development Corporation,
and other economic development corporations in
the valley to ensure input from a variety of
stakeholders, including businessmen, engineers,
planners, county and city officials, economic
development specialists, utility representatives,
consultants, and college interns.
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 Northampton County, Pennsylvania
May 1998 EPA500-F-98-165
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