United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-00-033 April 2000 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ <&EPA BrownfieldsSupplemental Assistance Miami-Dade County, FL Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105) 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 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 EPA awarded Miami-Dade County supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot. Dade County is alarge urbanized area situated between two national parks and above a sole source aquifer. It is also within the area targeted for redevelopment as part of the state's "Eastward Ho!" initiative. Miami-Dade County's urban expansion into "greenfields" has left older, potentially contaminated commercial and industrial sites in the urban core vacant. The ability of many small service and industrial businesses to pay for site cleanup is very limited. As in many cities, actual or perceived contamination of inner city sites has contributed to the economic decline of these areas. Miami-Dade County targeted the Poinciana Industrial Center (PIC), a 30-acre county-owned property (comprised of sixteen tracts) formerly used for various industrial and commercial purposes. Because PIC and its surrounding area hold tremendous potential for growth and contribution to the economic infrastructure of the local community, the county made a commitment to its regeneration. The site is located within a federal Community Development Block Grant target area and is adjacentto apublic housing development. Area PILOT SNAPSHOT Miami-Dade County, Florida Date of Announcement: March 2000 Amount: $65,000 Profile: The Pilot targets the Poinciana Industrial Center, a 30-acre, county- owned property formerly used for various industrial and commercial purposes. Contacts: Miami-Dade County (305)372-6766 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/ ------- residents are low-income minorities experiencing high levels of under-employment and unemployment. Previous community involvement in similar efforts indicate s a high probability of community support for the pilot. OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES Miami-Bade County's goal is to develop incentives and procedures to encourage private-sector redevelopment throughout the county, using the Poinciana Industrial Center (PIC) as an example upon which to build a comprehensive brownfields plan. The Pilot will use the supplemental assistance to continue addressing legal, financial, technical, and community involvement issues at PIC, and then to identify future brownfields sites to target for assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment. To accomplish these objectives, the Pilot plans to: • Perform assessment work and plan cleanup strategies on the remaining PIC sites; • Create a cleanup plan forthe groundwater pesticide plume; • Plan and implement an outreach program to involve and educate residents near the PIC; and • Investigate other potential brownfields for cleanup and redevelopment. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this factsheetare subject to change. Brownfields Supplemental Assistance Miami-Dade County, Florida April 2000 EPA 500-F-00-033 ------- |