Brownfields 2000  Assessment  Pilot Fact Sheet
               Fort Collins, CO
EPA Brownfields Initiative

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states.
communities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into
law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA
provides financial assistance to eligible applicants
through four competitive grant programs: assessment
grants, revolving loan fund grants,  cleanup grants, and
job training grants. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through a
separate mechanism.

Background

EPA has selected the City of Fort Collins for a
Brownfields Pilot. Fort Collins was also selected to
receive additional funding for assessments at
Brownfields properties to be used for greenspace
purposes. The City of Fort Collins  is situated at the
eastern base of the "Front Range" of the Rocky
Mountains. The  Cache la Poudre River flows through the
city, providing agricultural and recreational benefits to
residents throughout the region. Fort Collins was
founded as a military fort in 1864.  This original fort site
in the Downtown River Corridor and the adjacent
historic district known as "Old Town" comprise a
nationally designated historic district. The city's
downtown area and the Old Town area are prosperous
with revitalized retail stores and restaurants. The
Downtown River Corridor, however, is experiencing a
decline in environmental conditions, economic health,
and the conditions of building facades and structures.
Further, known environmental problems and the specter
of unknown conditions create a stigma that discourages
reinvestment and integration with the nearby downtown
core. The Poudre River itself has been degraded by the
dumping of debris along the banks  and in the river bed.
Environmental barriers to redevelopment in the Corridor,
including those posed by contamination, must be
addressed before redevelopment can occur and generate
                   Pilot Snapshot

                   Date of Announcement: 05/01/2000
                   Amount: $200,000
                             $50,000 for Greenspace
                   Profile: The Fort Collins Pilot will target
                   brownfields sites in the Downtown River Corridor.
                   Additional greenspace funding will be used to assess
                   and address environmental conditions along the
                   riverbanks and riparian environments along the
                   Cache la Poudre River.

                   Contacts

                   For further information, including specific grant
                   contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
                   news and events, and publications and links, visit the
                   EPA Brownfields Web site
                   (http ://www .epa.gov/brownfields).

                   EPA Region 8 Brownfields Team
                   (303)312-7074
                   EPA Region 8 Brownfields Web site
                   (http://www.epa.gov/region8/brownfields)

                   Grant Recipient: Fort Collins, CO
                   (970)221-6505
                 Objectives

                 The city plans to use the Pilot to help recover and
                 preserve the Downtown River Corridor as a community
                 asset. The Pilot will facilitate the environmental cleanup
                 and redevelopment of the area that is needed to
                 stimulate the economy of the Corridor. Redevelopment
                 of the Corridor will protect and restore the quality of the
                 natural environment, improve the quality of life for the
                 community, and preserve the history and culture of the
                 area for future generations. For example, the city will
                 reuse historical buildings wherever possible to preserve
                 cultural elements and conserve the use of building
                 materials.

                 The Pilot will use the greenspace funding to assess and
                 address environmental conditions along the riverbanks
                 and riparian environments of the Poudre River. The
  United States
  Environmental
  Protection Agency
  Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 500-F-00-091
        May 00

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the necessary tax base to support further community       mnam§ wm De usea lo conaucl assessment activities
revitalization                                          necessary to restore riverbank habitats, preserve riparian
                                                      land and greenways along the riverbanks, and to
                                                      reestablish the riverside trail through downtown as a
                                                      positive, natural experience for the community.

                                                      Activities

                                                      Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:

                                                          • Conducting a Corridor-wide Phase I
                                                            environmental assessment;
                                                          • Conducting Phase II assessments at sites targeted
                                                            through the Phase I process;
                                                          • Developing cleanup and redevelopment plans for
                                                            targeted brownfields in the Corridor;
                                                          • Developing and implementing a community
                                                            outreach program by holding meetings, sending
                                                            out newsletters, and implementing other
                                                            techniques to involve the residents;
                                                          • Using greenspace funding to conduct Phase I site
                                                            assessments; and
                                                          • Using greenspace funding to conduct targeted
                                                            Phase II site assessments at sites targeted through
                                                            the Phase I site assessments.

                                                      The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet
                                                      been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this
                                                      fact sheet are subject to change.

                                                      The information presented in this fact sheet comes from
                                                      the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of
                                                      this information. The cooperative agreement for the
                                                      grant has not yet been negotiated. Therefore, activities
                                                      described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
  United States                        Q  ., . ,A/__t,.
  Environmental                        andldEmSency                                          EPA **
  Protection Agency                     ResDonse(51oVn                                                May 00
  Washington, DC 20450                 Kesponse (bl Ob I)

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