United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105) EPA 500-F-01-256 April 2001 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ &EPA EPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Anniston, AL 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, and safely clean up brownfields to promote their sustainable reuse. Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years, with additional funding provided for greenspace) to test assessment models and facilitate coordinated assessment and cleanup efforts at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels; and 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 program (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 EPA has selected the City of Anniston for a Brownfields Assessment Pilot. Located in central Alabama, Anniston (population 26,623) was founded inl872asacompanytownfortheWoodstockIron Company. Due to its close proximity to rail distribution lines and rich iron deposits, Anniston attracted other iron foundries. By 1929,thecity washometo 117 foundries, mostlocatedin West Anniston. Many of these foundries have closed and been abandoned. The Pilot targets three city-owned abandoned sites in West Anniston that are key to re vitalization of the area—the Chalkline Apparel Mill, the Abandoned Foundry Site, and the Anchor Metals Site. These and other properties in the area will be addressed in accordance with priorities determined by the community and redevelopment potential. While some foundries still operate in the area, the closure and abandonment of foundries and other industries over the years have had a negative impact on West Anniston. Once thriving areas have declined and become distressed as workers moved elsewhere to find j obs. More than a third of the largely minority population thatremains in WestAnnistonlivesbelow PILOT SNAPSHOT Date of Announcement: April 2001 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot initially targets three brownfields sites in West Anniston for assessmentand establishes a Brownfields Task Force Committee to build consensus within the community regarding appropriate reuse of the sites. Anniston, Alabama Contacts: City of Anniston (256)231-7754 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA - Region 4 (404)562-8661 Visit the E PA Region 4 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region4/wastepgs/brownfpgs/bf.htm Forfurtherinformation,includingspecific 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/ ------- the poverty level and fewer than half have a high school education. Previous revitalization efforts in the area have been unsuccessful largely because of perceived contamination at many of the former industrial sites and the lack of a workable redevelopment strategy. The targeted sites were chosen because they are in highly visible locations close to downtown Anniston and are near areas of high minority and low income populations. OBJECTIVES The Pilot will support the transfer of the targeted brownfields properties to public or private entities capable of returning them to economically or socially productive use compatible with the community. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • EstablishingaBrownfieldsTaskForceCommittee to conduct outreach activities within the community regarding appropriate reuse of the sites; • Conducting assessments of targeted properties and developing cost analyses and remediation plans for cleanup; and • Developing a Geographic Information System (GIS) with information about the targeted sites. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Anniston, Alabama April 2001 EPA500-F-01-256 ------- |