United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)
EPA 500-F-01-254
April 2001
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
vvEPA
Brownfields Cleanup
Revolving Loan Fund Pilot
West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection
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 $250,000 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, brownfields cleanup revolving
loan fund (BCRLF) programs (each funded up to $1,000,000 over five years) to provide financial assistance 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
Since the late nineteenth century, West Virginia's
economy has centered around the chemical products,
mining, primary metals, and glass products
manufacturing industries. As the economic importance
of these industries waned in the U.S., many businesses
closed, jobs were lost, and many properties were left
abandoned.
Today, West Virginia is one of the most economically
distressed states in the country. In 1996, West Virginia
had the lowest household and personal income levels in
the U.S. The state's poverty rate of 20% was the
highest of any state in the nation. As an indication of
the economic hardship within specific counties, the
Appalachian Regional Commission has designated
nearly half of the State's counties as "distressed." This
designation indicates that income levels are less than
one-third the U.S. average and that poverty and
unemployment levels are 150% of the U.S. average.
The counties with the lowest per capita incomes are
concentrated in the central and southwestern regions of
the State. These areas are largely rural and have
mining-based economies. West Virginia has four
designated Federal Enterprise Communities (EC) and
one designated Empowerment Zone (EZ).
PILOT SNAPSHOT
State of West Virginia
Contacts:
West Virginia Division of
Environmental Protection
(304)759-0515
Date of Announcement:
April 2001
Amount: $1.0 million
BCRLF Target Area:
Sites located throughout the
State
Region 3 Brownfields
Coordinator
(215)814-3211
Visit the EPA Region 3 Brownfields web site at:
www.epa.gov/reg3hwmd/brownfld/hmpage1.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:
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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BCRLF OBJECTIVES
LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES
The West Virginia BCRLF will provide a needed
source of cleanup funds in the State. The BCRLF will
be used to capitalize the West Virginia Brownfields
Revolving Fund (BRF), which was established in the
West Virginia Voluntary Remediation and
Redevelopment Act of 1997.
The State's overall brownfields objectives are to
provide an incentive to clean up and redevelop
contaminated sites, direct new development away from
pristine "greenfields" sites, and generate public benefits
for West Virginia's communities. The State has shown
ongoing commitment to brownfields remediation and
redevelopment, but cites the lack of affordable
financing as a consistent complaint of the business
community.
The BCRLF will be available for redevelopment
projects throughout the State. City and County
economic development authorities are expected to be
the most likely borrowers. The West Virginia
Development Office (DO) has identified 162 local
public and private organizations directly involved in
economic development in West Virginia as potential
loan recipients.
FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS
The West Virginia Division of Environmental
Protection (DEP) will serve as the lead agency, and the
Division's Voluntary Remediation Program will serve
as the BCRLF site manager. The West Virginia DO
will serve as the fund manager.
The DEP anticipates that the first round of loan
recipients will be undertaking small cleanup projects
that can be completed in a relatively short period of
time.
The State plans to complement BCRLF funds with
local Empowerment Zone and Enterprise
Community resources. The U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development's Community
Development Block Grant Program will be
leveraged to the maximum extent possible. In
addition, the West Virginia DO has an array of
assistance and incentive programs designed to help
local businesses relocate, expand, and modernize.
Local authorities may make other funds available to
BCRLF recipients whose sites have potential for
business/industrial reuse.
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
April 2001
West Virginia
EPA 500-F-01-254
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