United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-99-059
May 1999
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
>>EPA Brownfields Cleanup
Revolving Loan Fund Pilot
City of Clearwater, FL
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
up to $200,000 over two 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 brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds
to make loans forthe 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 Clearwater has suffered from private
sector disinvestment combined with environmental
decline. The past decade, in particular, has been
characterized by both business and job losses. These
economic changes have hit central Clearwater's North
and South Greenwood neighborhoods hardest. As part
of Clearwater's Brownfields Area (CBA), which
covers 1,842 acres, BCRLF will target cleanup and
revitalization of North and South Greenwood
communities and portions of the downtown business
district. In this area, nearly 26 percent of the residents
live below the poverty level and almost 10 percent are
unemployed. There are approximately 200 potentially
contaminated sites in the CBA, and the areais a State-
designated Enterprise Zone, a Neighborhood
Revitalization Strategy Area, aBrownfields Assessment
Pilot, a State-designated Brownfields Area, andaU.S.
Department of Justice Weed and Seed site.
BCRLF OBJECTIVES
The goal of Clearwater's BCRLF will be to assist in
countering urban sprawl and inner city economic
disinvestment. BCRLF loans will be used to stimulate
cleanup and redevelopment in the Clearwater
Brownfields Area. BCRLF award will be used to
PILOT SNAPSHOT
City of Clearwater, Florida
Date of Announcement:
May 25,1999
Amount: $500,000
BCRLF Target Area:
Clearwater's North and
South Greenwood neigh-
borhoods covering 1,842
acres, and containing
approximately 200 potentially
contaminated sites
Region 4 Brownfields
Coordinator
(404) 562-8661
Contacts:
Economic Development Programs
Manager/Brownfields Coordinator,
City of Clearwater
(727) 562-4023
Visit the EPA Region 4 Brownfields web site at:
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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establish and implement a brownfields cleanup loan
process; plans for marketing the loan program;
community relations and public involvement activities;
and environmental justice benefits for communities.
The BCRLF will add to the "tool box" for economic
redevelopment in the City.
FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS
The City of Clearwaterwill serve as lead agency. Fund
managerresponsibilities will be split between the City's
Financial Services Group and the City's Economic
Development Team. The Economic Development
Team also will serve as site manager. Clearwater
anticipates amaximum loan size of $ 100,000, with four
loans to be made in the initial phase.
LEVERAGING
The City will contribute over $70,000 of in-kind
services to the Fund. The BCRLF program will be
complemented by a recent $225,000 State appropriation
for assessment, tank closure, and remedial activities
for selected orphaned and abandoned sites within the
CBA. The State of Florida Brownfield Areas Loan
Guarantee Program providing loan guarantees or loan
loss reserves for the redevelopment of brownfields
sites will be used in collaboration with the Clearwater
BCRLF.
Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with
CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding
also apply to BCRLF funds.
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot City of Clearwater, Florida
May 1999 EPA 500-F-99-059
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