United States
                  Environmental
                  Protection Agency
                  Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response(5101)
EPA 500-F-99-037
May 1999
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
 &EPA   Brownfields  Cleanup
                  Revolving   Loan  Fund  Pilot
                                                         Birmingham, AL
 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. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded
upto $200,000 overtwo years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models;job training
pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected
by brownfieldstofacilitatecleanupofbrownfieldssites and preparetrainees for future employmentintheenvironmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds
to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields.  These pilot programs 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

The City of Birmingham has more than 2,500 acres of
old industrial sites.  Many of these sites require
environmental cleanup before they can be returned to
productive use. North Birmingham is the home of the
city's iron foundry business, and a 900-acre site has
been  targeted for the BCRLF pilot.  More than 40
percent of the land is abandoned and environmental
contamination has deterred  reinvestment and
redevelopment.   The population  in the area is
predominately African American and extremely poor.
While  major  manufacturing  and transportation
companies continue to operate in the area, the district
has lost more than 40 percent of its population since
1970.

BCRLFOBJECTIVES

The goal of the Birmingham BCRLF Pilot is to fund
cleanup of brownfields sites. The BCRLF will be
used  to leverage other needed funding sources
including owner's  equity and conventional financial
mechanisms. The city will use the BCRLF Pilot as a
partner in environmental cleanup and redevelopment
projects, particularly in North Birmingham and other
industrial areas.
 PILOTSNAPSHOT
                       Date of Award:
                       September 1997

                       Amount: $350,000

                       BCRLF Target Area : A
                       900-acre site in  North
                       Birmingham.
   Birmingham, Alabama
  Contacts:

  Mayor's Office,
  Community Enterprise Division
  (205) 254-2870
 Regional Brownfields Team
 U.S. EPA - Region 4
 (404) 562-8661
      Visit the EPA Region 4 Brownfields web site at:
  http://www.epa.gov/region4/wastepgs/brownfpgs/bf.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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FUNDSTRUCTUREANDOPERATIONS

The Mayor's Office, Community Enterprises Division
(CED) will act as the Lead Agency.  The Director of
CED will serve as the Site Manager.  The city plans
to designate an organization that currently manages
similar  loan  programs  as  Fund  Manager. The
Birmingham Environmental Clearinghouse and North
Birmingham community organizations will organize
and ensure continued interaction with the affected
communities.

LEVERAGINGOTHERRESOURCES

Birmingham will provide in-kind contributions that will
enable full capitalization of the loan pool. The city will
also continue  its partnership with the Birmingham
Environmental Clearinghouse, an organization that
helps  communities understand environmental risk
factors.  The BCRLF will be used to complement
other city-assisted loan programs and the Community
Development Block Grant program.
Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with
CERCLA, andallCERCLA restrictions on use of funding
also apply to BCRLF funds.
 Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot                                         Birmingham, Alabama
 May 1999                                                                      EPA500-F-99-037

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