United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA500-F-99-070 May 1999 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ >>EPA Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot City ofEvanston, WY 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 Evanston, the county seat of Uinta County, relies on mineral extraction/processing industries, tourism, and agriculture. Uinta County experienced dramatic growth and industrial activity during the oil/gas boom of the late 1970sandearly 1980s. The lack of growth in Evanston and Uinta County over the last 15 years, however, has resulted in the accumulation of many vacant, abandoned and underutilized properties. Uinta County had an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent in 1998 (compared to a national rate of 4.5 percent) and its per capita income is only 73 percent of the national average. Evanston is a Brownfields Assessment Pilot recipient. The City of Kemmerer, Wyoming also is a BCRLF pilot and both communities will use the same fund manager and cooperate informally. BCRLF OBJECTIVES Through the BCRLF, Evanston aims to encourage environmental cleanup and economic redevelopment, increase the tax base, increasejobopportunitiesthrough the attraction of business/industry to brownfield properties, and act as a clearinghouse for brownfields redevelopment information. The primary focus of the BCRLF program will be in the Evanston community and the secondary focus more broadly within Uinta PILOT SNAPSHOT City of Evanston, Wyoming Date of Announcement: May 25,1999 Amount: $500,000 BCRLF Target Area: Brownfields sites throughout the Evanston community and Uinta County Contacts: Director, Evanston Urban Renewal Agency (307) 783-6300 Region 8 Brownfields Coordinator (303) 312-6982 Visit the EPA Region 8 Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/region08/cross/brown/brownf.html 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/ ------- County. The City plans to target two to three sites during the first round of lending. FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS The City of Evanston will serve as lead agency and the City Engineer as site manager. Evanston will enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Lincoln- Uinta Revolving Loan Fund (LURLF), which administers an EDA revolving loan fund and a local revolving loan fund, to serve as fund manager. LURLF has experience in structuring a variety ofloan agreements to meet borrowers' needs. Evanston and Kemmerer will share the services of the fund manager and engage in informal cooperative efforts to benefit both BCRLF pilots. Loans are anticipated to be below market interest rates. LURLF will work with the City, the Lincoln-Uinta Association of Governments (LUAG), the Wyoming Business Council, banks, and the Small Business Administration to develop a viable funding scenario for cleanup, site redevelopment, and business operation. LEVERAGING For site redevelopment activities, the BCRLF will leverage local, state, and Federal funds. The City will provide the BCRLF site manager, proj ect director, and all grantmanagement services as an in-kind contribution. LUAG will assist the lead agency and LURLF with loan packaging. LUAG also will provide promotional materials at no charge to the program. 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 Evanston, Wyoming May 1999 EPA 500-F-99-070 ------- |