United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105) EPA 500-F-01-312 April 2001 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ v>EPA Brownfields Supplemental Assistance Columbus, OH 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 worktogether in atimelymannerto prevent, assess, and safely clean up brownfieldsto promote their sustainable reuse. Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real orperceivedenvironmentalcontamination.EPAisfunding: 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 brownfieldsto facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and preparetraineesforfuture employment intheenvironmental field; and, a 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 Columbus to receive supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot. Although Columbus has grown significantly over the past two decades, development has moved away from the urban core, leaving many potentially contaminated former industrial sites. Factory closures have contributed to high unemployment and crime rates and a lack of new economic opportunities on land perceived to be contaminated. These problems contributed to the decision to designate portions of the city as a federal Enterprise Community (EC). The city's original Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot focused on Phase I and II environmental assessments of four large industrial sites in the urban core where industries, such as steel, auto parts, smelting, and aviation, once employed thousands of people. The Pilot also helped leverage state, local, and private investment in brownfields sites and expand neighborhood-wide reinvestment projects in the state-designated Enterprise Zone (EZ). With the experience gained from the original Pilot, Columbus is ready to expand its brownfields activities. PILOT SNAPSHOT Columbus, Ohio Date of Award: April 2001 Amount: $150,000 Profile: The Pilot targets eight high-priority brownfields located within thecity's urban core, portions of which have been designated a state Enterprise Zoneandafederal Enterprise Community. Contacts: Columbus Department of Trade and Development (614)280-0899 Regional Brownfields Team U.S. EPA - Region 5 (734)692-7681 Visit the EPA Region 5 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/ 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/ ------- OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES Supplemental assistance will be usedto assess eight additional brownfields sites using a framework that expands on the original Pilot and includes more community outreach and involvement. Three of the eight target sites are within the state EZ, and one is within the federal EC. The supplemental assistance also will be usedto expand community involvement and create partnerships to spur neighborhood-wide reinvestment. The Pilot plans to: • Perform Phase I environmental site assessments at eight sites, four of which are located in the state EZ or federal EC; • Perform at least two Phase II environmental assessments; • Expand community involvement and outreach activities; and • Work closely with partners, including those involved with the EZ and EC initiatives, to leverage neighborhood investment. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this tact sheet are subject to change. Brownfields Supplemental Assistance Columbus, Ohio April 2001 EPA 500-F-01-312 ------- |