United States
                       Environmental
                       Protection Agency
                       Washington, D.C. 20460
  Solid Waste
  and Emergency
  Response (5101)
 EPA 500-F-97-063
 May 1997
                       Regional   Brownfields
                       Assessment  Pilot
                                                   Philadelphia,   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. 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 Region 3 selected the Philadelphia City
  Planning Commission (PCPC) for  a Regional
  Brownfields Pilot.  A decline in Philadelphia's
  manufacturing industry has led to a tremendous
  loss of industrial jobs and the abandonment of
  many former manufacturing plants.  Redevelop-
  ment of these properties is difficultbecause potential
  buyers are hesitant to purchase them for fear of
  unknown contamination and associated liabilities.
  Because there are only a few tracts of undeveloped
  land remaining for development in Philadelphia,
  the  City would prefer to recycle the many
  brownfields throughout the City.

  OBJECTIVES

  The goal of the PCPC Pilot is to assist in the
  conversion of brownfields into productive land
  parcels by developing a  timely and  flexible
  procedure for assessing abandoned sites in areas
  targeted for redevelopment.  The Pilot  has
  undertaken a site investigation and environmental
  assessment program of abandoned industrial and
  commercial sites in the City. The City  seeks to
  improve community involvement and outreach in
  these site assessment activities.
  PILOT SNAPSHOT
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
   Date of Award:
   April 1995

   Amount: $200,000

   Site Profile:  The Pilot
   targets at least five priority
   sites throughout the City for
   assessment and redev-
   elopment. The firstfive sites
   cover approximately 45
   acres including  a former
   water purification plant.
Contacts:

Marty Soffer
City of Philadelphia
(215)686-2945
Tom Stolle
U.S. EPA-Region 3
Philadelphia, PA
(215)566-3129
stolle.tom@epamail.epa.gov
        Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at:
        http://www.epa.gov/brownfields

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

The Pilot has:

• Developed  site selection  criteria  for targeted
 assessment based on an analysis of former site uses,
 the potential for existing contamination, and the
 redevelopment potential of the site;

• Created an inventory of proposed sites, which the
 City shared with the community throughout the site
 selection process;

• Prioritized and selectedfive sites for assessmentand
 potential redevelopment. The City will target another
 five sites in the near future; and

• Initiated environmental assessments of the five
 selected sites. Phase I assessments  are currently
 underway. Phase II assessments will be conducted
 if Phase I results warrant further sampling.

The Pilot is:

• Establishing a revolving loan fund to conduct Phase
 I and II environmental assessments;

• Preparing a report (a complete Phase I environmental
 assessment) of each targeted site for submission to
 EPA; and

• Preparing a  formal report  by the Planning
 Commission that will use the results from one of the
 first five sites and will include a description of the
 obstacles  and problems encountered  during the
 various stages of the assessment and development
 process.

LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES

Experience with the Philadelphia Pilot  has been a
catalyst for related activities including the following.

• Developed reuse proposals for each of the five
 priority sites including: a commercial shopping
 center complete with a 24,000 square foot building
 and 65 space parking lot; 130 single family homes;
 a 70,000  square foot industrial warehouse and a
 38,000 square foot industrial warehouse; 24 single
 family dwelling units for low income families.
 Regional Bmwnfields Assessment Pilot                                           Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
 May 1997                                                                      EPA 500-F-97-063

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