&EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-98-163
May 1998
Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Everett, WA
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 the City of Everett for a Brownfields
Pilot. EverettisborderedontheeastbytheSnohomish
River. Economic disruption has persisted in parts of
Everett since the 1970s. At that time, local base
industries began shifting away from forest products
and other natural resource industries to technology
and aerospace. As this shift occurred, lower-skilled
jobs became increasingly scarce, and pulp mills remain
idle today. Currently, 21.4% of Everett's population
lives below the poverty level.
Two contiguous properties owned by the city and
totaling approximately 220 acres along the river will
be the target of the Pilot. Together, these properties
representthe largest undeveloped site north of Seattle.
The first property (approximately 80 acres) was used
as a burn dump, scrap metal burial site, and municipal
landfill. The second property (approximately 140
acres) was used as a pulp mill, log storage site, and
railway car washing site. These sites lay next to
sensitive wetlands and a river estuary. Earlier site
investigations have revealed the presence of
contaminants which may be affecting the river and
groundwater.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Everett, Washington
Date of Announcement:
May 1998
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets
two city-owned brownfields
properties comprising
approximately 2,200 acres
of waterfront along the
Snohomish River.
Contacts:
Department of Planning
and Community
Development
City of Everett
(425) 257-8731
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 10
(206) 553-6523
Visit the EPA Region 10 Brownfields web site at:
http://epainotes1.rtpnc.epa.gov:7777/r10/
cleanup.nsf/webpage/Brownfields
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 city's Pilot objective is part of a larger plan to
revitalize the riverfront and restore it to productive
economic use consistent with surrounding land uses
and long-term development. The Pilot will focus
specifically on completing environmental assessments
at the two sites. The city will work to educate
residents and prospective developers about site
characteristics, cleanup measures, and development
expectations. One method to achieve this is the
formation of a Community Advisory Committee,
comprised of local neighborhood representatives as
well as representatives from the chamber of commerce
and the economic development council. In addition,
the city will develop a user-friendly site review
procedure that will provide financial, legal,
environmental, andtechnical information toprospective
purchasers.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Completing environmental assessments at the sites
in order to formulate cleanup and redevelopment
plans;
• Facilitating community and business involvement in
cleanup and redevelopment planning; and
• Developing a geographic information system (GIS)
mapping program consistent with the riverfront
redevelopmentplanto provide information regarding
site characteristics.
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 Everett, Washington
May 1998 EPA 500-F-98-163
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