United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
BROWNFIELDS FEDERAL
PROGRAMS GUIDE
2013 Edition
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Cover illustration of Charles Town/Ranson, WV,
redevelopment project by John Zanetta.
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Contents
CONTENTS ii
INTRODUCTION iii
OVERVIEW OF BROWNFIELDS FEDERAL PROGRAMS vi
FEDERAL PROGRAMS viii
Appalachian Regional Commission 2
Department of Agriculture
Rural Development Mission Area 4
United States Forest Service 8
Department of Commerce
Economic Development Administration 10
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 13
Department of Defense
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 15
Office of Economic Adjustment 18
Department of Energy 20
Department of Health and Human Sciences
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 24
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 26
Office of Community Services 30
Department of Housing and Urban Development 32
Department of the Interior
National Park Service 37
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 39
Department of Labor 41
Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration 42
Federal Transit Administration 44
Office of the Secretary 47
Environmental Protection Agency 49
Federal Housing Finance Agency 58
General Services Administration 61
Small Business Administration 63
FEDERAL TAX INCENTIVES AND CREDITS 66
New Markets Tax Credit 68
Low Income Housing Tax Credits 71
Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits 74
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 77
Brownfields Expensing Tax Incentive 82
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Introduction
Much has changed since the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA) Brownfields Program began
in 1995. Years ago, brownfields were seen primarily
as undesirable contaminated properties that often sat
idle and contributed to blight. Today, many communi-
ties recognize that while brownfields are contaminated
properties, they also can be important community
assets that present a tremendous opportunity for
community revitalization. Most major brownfields
are well-located in centers of economic activity, and
many brownfields properties have excellent existing
infrastructure and access to services. Cleaning up and
reinvesting in brownfields increases local tax bases,
facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure,
and takes development pressures off of undevel-
oped greenfields while improving and protecting
the environment. The challenge is finding ways to
leverage these assets to rebuild downtowns, revitalize
smaller communities, and promote economic revital-
ization.
The Brownfields Program does more than simply
address environmental contamination—it recognizes
that a community's quality of life goes hand-in-hand
with economic development and sustainability, and
encourages communities to develop and implement
their own vision for community revitalization. An
example is Lansing, Michigan, where the community
leaders' revitalization vision for the city's downtown
centered on cleanup and redevelopment of the
abandoned 1920s-era Ottawa Street Power Plant.
The huge, decrepit structure was an eyesore that
dominated the waterfront along the Grand River and
contributed to blight. Despite many calls to demolish
the structure, Lansing wanted to preserve it. The
city assembled a package of grants and financial
incentives that included EPA brownfields assessment
and cleanup grants, a Michigan Renaissance Zone
designation, and state grants, along with brownfield
tax credits, brownfield tax increment financing, federal
and state Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits, and New
Market Tax Credits. Each was needed to rehabilitate
the property. Today, the power plant is a "signature
building" that is a centerpiece for Lansing's downtown
renaissance. It is home to the Accident Fund Insurance
Company, one of the companies that make Lansing
the insurance hub of the Midwest.
EPA's brownfields grants often are critical to attracting
additional investments from other sources that are
necessary for revitalization projects. Each dollar
of federal brownfields funding leverages $18 in
additional investment. Since 1995, EPA's brownfields
investments have leveraged more than $19.2 billion
in cleanup and redevelopment funding from a variety
of public and private sources, and have resulted in the
creation of approximately 86,200 jobs. These national-
level statistics reflect what happens on the local level:
successful local brownfields and land revitalization
projects often are built by assembling packages of
resources and support from many sources.
In Bridgeport, Connecticut, the Department of
Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD), and EPA are working
together through the Partnership for Sustainable
Communities to help the city meet sustainability goals.
Bridgeport received $11 million in 2010 through
DOT's Transportation Investment Generating Economic
Recovery (TIGER) program to upgrade roads around
the East Side's Steel Point Peninsula in preparation for
redevelopment. These funds build on an EPA Environ-
mental Justice Showcase Community grant, which led
to many improvements in Bridgeport's distressed East
End and East Side neighborhoods, including a new
fishing pier and renewed access for residents who had
been unable to get to the waterfront. The partnership
also helped residents and neighborhoods in Bridgeport
better connect to one another and the broader
regional economy. Bridgeport is a partner in the New
York-Connecticut Sustainable Communities Consortium
that received a 2010 HUD Regional Planning grant. As
part of this grant, the consortium is studying whether
Barnum Station, a proposed rail station in Bridgeport's
East End, can anchor the redevelopment of the city's
East Side, thereby leading to new business investment,
mixed-use development, and affordable housing.
The Brownfields Program and its federal partners offer
guidance and incentives to empower communities to
address brownfields and revitalize their communities.
The availability of technical and financial assistance
from a variety of sources often is a key to success.
The 2073 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide is a
compendium of technical and financial assistance that
is available from federal agencies for brownfields and
land revitalization projects. It also includes informa-
tion about assistance that is available through federal
tax incentives and encourages communities to explore
loans, loan guarantees, and other incentives.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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THE 2013 EDITION OF THE BROWNFIELDS
FEDERAL PROGRAMS GUIDE
The 2073 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide updates
the 2011 edition. Several new programs and initiatives
were added and a few were eliminated. The names of
some grant programs changed and several agencies
consolidated programs or revised the descriptions
of existing programs. Some of the highlights are
summarized below.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• EPA's new Area-Wide Planning Grants Program
was piloted in FY 2011. EPA is awarding a second
round of area-wide planning grants in FY 2013.
These grants encourage communities to put
together a redevelopment plan and implementa-
tion strategy to address an area or neighborhood
with several brownfields by engaging members of
the community, assessing infrastructure, conducting
market studies, and creating a plan for phased
development of the entire area.
• In FY 2012, EPA piloted new multi-purpose grants
for assessment and cleanup of a site at the same
time. The pilot program was created to shorten the
time delay between assessment and cleanup that
results from having to apply for cleanup grants only
after an environmental site assessment is complete.
• EPA's Brownfields Job Training Program became the
Environmental Workforce Development and Job
Training (EWDJT) Grants Program. The name change
reflects the expansion of the program to include
training in other environmental media, in addition
to the core traditional brownfields hazardous waste
and petroleum training.
• EPA's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
is a new addition to the 2013 guide. The DWSRF
provides loans to publicly and privately owned public
water systems through state-run programs that
provide low- or no-interest loans to communities,
public utilities, and private companies for drinking
water projects that meet the program's criteria.
U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)
• The DOC's Economic Development Administra-
tion (EDA) made several changes to its suite of
grants programs that can be used for brownfields-
related purposes. EDA's Public Works and Economic
Development Assistance Program is now called
the Public Works and Economic Adjustment
Assistance Program, and EDA's Economic Develop-
ment Planning Assistance Program is now called
the Economic Development Planning and Local
Technical Assistance Program.
• EDA's new Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and
Innovation Accelerator Challenge grants support
the advancement of high-growth, regional industry
clusters. The program is part of the federal govern-
ment's Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge,
a partnership between EDA and the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S.
Department of Energy, the U.S. Department of
Labor's Employment and Training Administra-
tion, the Small Business Administration, and
the National Science Foundation. This initiative
assists the development and implementation of
regionally driven economic development strategies
that support advanced manufacturing and cluster
development. In addition to the six partnering
agencies, the initiative leverages technical assistance
from up to eight other federal agencies.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• USDA also is involved in the federal govern-
ment's Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge.
USDA's new Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator
Challenge promotes opportunities for accelerated
job creation and community and economic develop-
ment in rural regions through regional collabora-
tion in high-potential industry clusters, including
renewable energy, food production, rural tourism,
natural resources, and advanced manufacturing.
The Rural Jobs Accelerator provides resources to
support the development of clusters and to assist
distressed rural communities in accelerating job
creation by leveraging local assets, building stronger
economies, and creating regional linkages.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development
• HUD no longer offers grants through its Brownfields
Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) program.
Instead, rules for HUD's Community Develop-
ment Block Grant program were changed to allow
for brownfields cleanups, making a separate BEDI
program unnecessary.
• HUD's Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which
was created in response to the housing crisis, no
longer is funded.
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
• DOJ closed its Community Capacity Development
Office (CCDO). CCDO's Weed and Seed program is
no longer funded. Currently, DOJ does not support
any specific brownfields initiatives.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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U.S. Department of Transportation
• There are several changes to DOT programs.
The competitive TIGER Grants program originally
authorized under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will continue. Localities
may apply to DOT for TIGER grants for major capital
projects that will enhance economic competitiveness
and livability.
• DOT's Federal Transit Administration added two
new programs: Bus and Bus Facilities (Section 5339)
and State of Good Repair Formula Grants (Section
5337). The State Planning and Research Program
Grants program was eliminated.
• There are several changes to DOT's Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA)'s programs due
to passage of the Moving Ahead for Progress in
the 21 st Century Act of 2012 (MAP-21). MAP-21
provides a flexible funding source to state and
local governments for transportation projects
and programs to help meet the requirements
of the Clean Air Act. FHWA's Transportation,
Community, and System Preservation Pilot Program
and Transportation Enhancements Activities were
eliminated. MAP-21 authorized a new Transporta-
tion Alternatives Program that combines FHWA's
Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to
School, and Recreational Trails programs that
previously were authorized under the Safe,
Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation
Equity Act: A Legacy for Users.
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
• SBA doubled the size standard for defining a small
business from $7.5 million to $15 million in annual
revenues and other related revisions to its loan
programs.
USING THIS GUIDE
The entry for each federal agency or organiza-
tion summarizes its mission and its connection to
brownfields and lists the programs that provide
technical or financial assistance relevant to
brownfields. A description of eligibility require-
ments, availability, uses and applications, as well
as any restrictions on use or eligibility are included
where applicable. "Snapshots" of brownfield projects
that have successfully leveraged funding from these
programs are included to illustrate how federal
programs have stimulated brownfields cleanup and
redevelopment around the country. The section on
"Federal Tax Incentives and Credits" describes options
for using federal tax incentives for brownfields cleanup
and revitalization.
In addition to the federal resources discussed in this
guide, communities are encouraged to build state
and local partnerships and explore opportunities to
work with local, regional, and national philanthropic
organizations on brownfields-related projects. Tapping
into these additional sources of funding and expertise
often can provide the additional resources that a
brownfield project needs to succeed.
EPA encourages stakeholders to think broadly about
a brownfield project and to consider and take
advantage of the numerous options available for
technical and financial assistance. The quick-reference
table that follows gives an overview of brownfields
federal programs to help narrow your search for
federal programs that might apply to your project.
For additional information and assistance, contact
your EPA Regional Brownfields Coordinator (http://
epa.gov/brownfields/contacts.htm) or your EPA
Regional Land Revitalization Coordinator (http://www.
epa.gov/landrevitalization/contactus.htm).
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Overview of Brownfields Federal Programs
FEDER
AL ASSI
Appalachian Regional
Commission
Grants through state programs
for economic development and
brownfields redevelopment.
Technical assistance to address
brownfields, including mine-scarred
lands, in the 13 Appalachian states.
Department of Agriculture,
Rural Development
Loan guarantees for rural businesses.
Loans for small businesses.
Rural business development grants.
Grants to accelerate job creation in
rural communities.
Grants and loans to develop
community facilities.
Grants and loans to develop water
and waste disposal systems in rural
areas.
Renewable energy grants.
Technical assistance and training for
rural businesses.
Department of Agriculture,
U.S. Forest Service
Financial assistance to plant and
maintain trees for beautification or
remediation of brownfields.
Technical assistance for planting trees on
mine-scarred lands and for phytoreme-
diation.
Technical assistance for planting trees for
open space, parks, and land conserva-
tion projects.
Department of Commerce,
Economic Development
Administration
Grants for infrastructure and
building reuse in distressed areas.
Grants for regional economic
development planning.
Grants to develop economic develop-
ment strategies for larger cities.
Grants to support advanced
manufacturing and cluster develop-
ment.
Economic adjustment grants.
Assistance for development of
renewable energy, energy efficiency
and "green" reuse and restoration.
Assistance with economic development
planning.
Promote innovative approaches to
economic development.
Strengthen linkage between economic
development and environmental quality.
Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Assistance with the restoration of
contaminated coastal sites.
Special projects relating to coastal
resource management.
Department of Defense,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Congressionally mandated water
resource civic works.
Reimbursable water- and land-related
engineering technical assistance.
Watershed and ecosystem planning
support for states.
Centers of expertise.
Department of Defense,
Office of Economic Adjustment
Grants for planning for the redevel-
opment of closed military facilities.
Assistance with planning for the redevel-
opment of closed military facilities.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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FEDERAL AGEN
NANCIAL ASSISTA
CHNICAL ASSISTANC
Department of Energy
Grants and tax incentives for energy
efficiency combined heating and
cooling, and renewable energy.
Loans for the development of
advanced technology, energy-
efficient vehicles.
Research to reduce building energy use.
Facilitating the beneficial reuse of
former brownfields into energy parks
and facilities that design and produce
renewable energy technologies.
Feasibility studies for renewable energy
projects.
Department of Health and
Human Services, Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry
Grants to assess health issues
associated with redevelopment plans.
Limited health pilot awards for
brownfield and reuse sites.
Technical assistance to public health
agencies.
Assistance to review and assess environ-
mental sampling data and other site data.
Health-related information sharing in
reviewing environmental assessment data.
Department of Health and
Human Services, National
Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences
Grants to develop innovative health
and safety training programs.
Research grants to seek solutions to
health and environmental issues.
Training workers for hazardous materials
handling and disaster preparedness.
Advanced technology training program.
Training for minority workers in environ-
mental restoration.
Department of Health and
Human Services, Office
of Community Programs
Services
Job training program grants.
Grants to small communities for
training and technical assistance for
rural water facilities.
Assistance to community develop-
ment corporations.
Technical assistance for rural water
facilities.
Department of Housing and
Urban Development
Nationwide block grants for
community development.
Loan guarantees for community
development.
Affordable housing block grants.
Lead-based paint abatement grants.
Grants to integrate housing and
transportation components into
environmentally friendly develop-
ments.
Department of the Interior,
National Park Service
Transfer of surplus federal land to
state and local governments for
park creation.
Technical assistance for conservation and
recreation projects.
Department of the Interior,
Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement
Grants to reclaim streams affected
by acid mine drainage.
Grants to states and tribes to
reclaim abandoned mine lands.
Technical assistance and capacity-
building for watershed development.
Watershed remediation internships.
Department of Labor
Job training grants.
Technical assistance to states, localities
and community organizations on
workforce development.
Technical assistance to states on readiness
for brownfields redevelopment job needs.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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FEDERAL AGEN
NANCIAL ASSISTA
CHNICAL ASSISTANC
Department of Transportation,
Federal Highway
Administration
Grants for transportation projects
and planning.
Grants for air quality improvement
and congestion mitigation.
Grants for transportation enhance-
ments and alternatives, such as
bicycle and pedestrian paths.
Technical assistance for long-range
transportation planning.
Department of
Transportation, Federal
Transit Administration
Grants for public transportation
capital projects in both urban and
rural areas.
Grants for new and expanded rail,
bus, and ferry systems and facilities.
Grants to replace, rehabilitate, and
purchase buses and related facilities.
Grants for repairing and upgrading
the nation's rail transit systems and
high-intensity motor bus systems.
Technical assistance to transit agencies
working with other state and local
governmental agencies on transit
projects involving brownfields.
Department of Transportation,
Office of the Secretary
Grants for major transportation
projects that will enhance economic
competitiveness and livability.
Environmental Protection
Agency
Grants for brownfields assessment
and cleanup, and for capitalizing
revolving loan funds for brownfields
cleanup.
Grants for area-wide planning.
Multi-purpose grants for assessing
and cleaning up brownfields.
Loans for water quality improve-
ment projects, including drinking
water.
Grants to states and tribes to
enhance response and brownfields
programs.
Grants for environmental workforce
development and job training.
Targeted brownfields assessments.
Brownfields and Land Revitalization
Technology Support Center.
Information dissemination on use of
innovative technologies.
Technical assistance to brownfields
communities.
Federal Housing Finance
Agency
Loans for housing and economic
development that benefit low- and
moderate-income families.
Loans and grants for affordable
housing.
General Services
Administration
Assistance to match underused federal
properties and surplus federally owned
brownfields with local revitalization objectives.
Small Business Administration
Loans to small businesses to
invest in major fixed assets, such
as land and buildings.
Loans to small businesses for
general business purposes.
Technical assistance for small business
development.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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This section outlines the key programs and incentives
offered by the federal government that can be used
to support brownfield projects. Organized by agency,
each entry provides a general description of the
agency's overall mission and identifies the resources
(financial assistance and technical assistance) that are
available. Contact information is provided for each.
When considering potential sources of assistance
for brownfield efforts, keep in mind that many
federal programs may not specifically use the term
"brownfields." Nevertheless, they still may offer
resources applicable for brownfields cleanup and
redevelopment.
Brownfield-related resources are outlined for the
following federal agencies:
Appalachian Regional Commission
Department of Agriculture—Rural Development Mission Area
Department of Agriculture—United States Forest Service
Department of Commerce—Economic Development Administration
Department of Commerce—National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of Defense—U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Department of Defense—Office of Economic Adjustment
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services—Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Department of Health and Human Services—National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Community Services
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of the Interior—National Park Service
Department of the Interior—Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
Department of Labor
Department of Transportation—Federal Highway Administration
Department of Transportation—Federal Transit Administration
Department of Transportation—Office of the Secretary
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Housing Finance Agency
General Services Administration
Small Business Administration
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Appalachian Regional Commission
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC) mission
is to be an advocate for and partner with the people of
Appalachia to create opportunities for self-sustaining
economic development and improved quality of life.
ARC membership comprises the governors of the 13
Appalachian states and a federal co-chair appointed
by the president. Each year, the governors elect one
of their members to serve as state co-chair. Local
participation is provided through multi-county local
development districts with boards composed of elected
officials, business people, and other local leaders.
Congress appropriates funds annually, which ARC
allocates among its member states.
Brownfields Connections
ARC's strategic plan seeks to raise awareness of and
leverage support for the reclamation and reuse of
brownfields. Brownfields are a key element of ARC's
Asset-Based Development initiative. ARC has made
numerous grants for brownfields-related projects since
1965, including a 2008 project co-funded with an
EPA Brownfields grant. ARC also participated in the
Brownfields Federal Partnership and Mine-Scarred
Lands Working Group. In addition, ARC supports
the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative,
which since 2004 has encouraged the restoration of
high-quality forests on reclaimed surface coal mines in
Appalachia.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Area Development Program
The Area Development Program promotes a diversi-
fied regional economy through strategies that help
communities create and retain businesses and jobs;
helps communities develop an educated, skilled
workforce and create access to affordable, quality
health care; and supports the development and
improvement of infrastructure, including water and
sewer services, and the development and use of
Internet access.
Grants are awarded to projects that further the four
goals in ARC's strategic plan:
• Increase job opportunities and per capita income in
Appalachia to reach parity with the nation.
• Strengthen the capacity of the people of Appalachia
to compete in the global economy.
• Develop and improve Appalachia's infrastructure to
make the region economically competitive.
• Build the Appalachian Development Highway System
to reduce Appalachia's isolation.
Most ARC grants originate at the state level. Potential
applicants should contact their state ARC program
manager to request a pre-application package. The
local development district serving the county in which
the project is located also may provide guidance on
a project's eligibility for funding and assistance in
preparing a grant application.
Eligibility Requirements: Typically, ARC grants are
awarded to state and local agencies and governmen-
tal entities (e.g., economic development authorities),
local governing boards (e.g., county councils), and
nonprofit organizations (e.g., schools and organiza-
tions that build low-cost housing).
Limitations: ARC funding is limited to projects in 420
designated counties in the 13 Appalachian states.
ARC focuses resources on distressed counties and
designated distressed areas. Because individual states
may limit ARC funding to specific areas, applicants
should consult ARC program managers for informa-
tion on their state's ARC funding priorities. ARC
expects grantees to contribute matching resources
to projects to the extent they are able to do so, and
to seek additional non-ARC funding assistance in a
diligent manner. ARC has specific requirements for
matching funds; individual states may have additional
requirements. State ARC program managers or local
development districts can provide information about
state matching requirements.
Availability: All applicants considering brownfields
redevelopment activities should contact their state
ARC program manager to request pre-application
information.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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SNAPSHOT - VALLEY, ALABAMA
Langdale and Riverdale Mills are two former textile mills that operated in Valley, Alabama, from 1860 to
the late 1990s. Together, the two mills cover 38 acres of riverfront property along the Chattahoochee River.
The city bought the mills in 2004 and 2005 with the objective of redeveloping them. After receiving
close to one million dollars in grants from EPAs Brownfields Program and the Appalachian Regional
Commission, and using USDA-funded feasibility studies, work began on Phase One of the Langdale Mill
Redevelopment Project. Valley also used these funds to create a master plan for redevelopment, and
for environmental assessment and cleanup activities at both mill sites.
In January 2012, the city began deconstructing five nonhistoric warehouses on the north side of the
Langdale Mill property, using a $100,000 grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission. Future
plans are to redevelop these and adjacent warehouses for mixed use, such as restaurants, retail shops,
incubator businesses, an art co-op and gallery, and a community room. Removal of the warehouses
also will provide access to a covered area that could be the future site of the Historic Langdale Mill
Farmers Market and to another area that can be used as an incubator business facility.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Planning and technical assistance to address
brownfields problems.
• Infrastructure needed to convert brownfields to new
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
economic uses.
• Conversion of obsolete industrial sites to public
purposes.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Mine-Scarred Lands Working Group
ARC participated in the Mine-Scarred Lands (MSL)
Working Group, which was established in 2003 as a
component of the Brownfields Federal Partnership. To
learn about mine-scarred lands challenges and how
federal, state, and local entities can work together,
the MSL Working Group identified six demonstra-
tion projects, including three in Appalachian coal
communities: Hazleton, Pennsylvania, Lee County,
Virginia, and Kanawha County, West Virginia. Details
on these pilot projects are provided in Mine-Scarred
Lands Revitalization: Models through Partnerships
(Publication Number: EPA-560-R-05-003 September/
October 2005).
Molly Theobald
Director, Program Operations
Appalachian Regional Commission
1666 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20009-1068
202-884-7767
mtheobald(a>arc. gov
Main Site
http://www.arc.gov
ARC State Program Managers
r)ttp://www.arc.gov/index.do?node/d= 13
Local Development District Contacts
r)ttp://www.arc.gov/index.do?node/d=20
ARC-Designated Distressed Counties
http://www.arc.gov/program_areas/ARCDesignated-
DistressedCountiesF;'sca/Year2013. asp
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Department of Agriculture—
Rural Development Mission Area
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is in a
key position to support activities critical to community
brownfields revitalization efforts. USDA's Rural
Development Office operates a variety of programs
that rural communities can find useful when undertak-
ing redevelopment projects. Nearly all of these
programs may contribute to brownfields projects: (1)
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Improve-
ments Program; (2) Housing Programs; (3) Community
Facilities Programs; (4) Business Programs; (5) Cooper-
ative Programs; (6) Electric Programs; (7) Telecom-
munication Programs; (8) Water and Environment
Programs; (9) Community Development Programs;
and (10) Utilities Programs.
The USDA Rural Development Program is adminis-
tered on a state-by-state basis and through districts
within each state. Identifying a State Director's Office
and local contact will facilitate access and help in
applying for grants and loans from the various Rural
Development programs. (See http://www.rurdev.usda.
gov/StateOfficeAddresses.html to find individual State
Director's Office websites and contact information.)
Brownfields Connections
• Grants, loans, and loan guarantee assistance for
a variety of business, commercial, and industrial
projects in small towns and rural areas.
• Support for the installation and improvement of
critical infrastructure needed to support economic
development.
• Financing for the construction of key public facilities.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program
The Business and Industry (B&l) Guaranteed Loan
Program provides financial backing for rural
businesses. The program guarantees up to 80 percent
of a loan made by commercial lenders to businesses
located in rural areas. The program is administered
at the state level by USDA Rural Development state
offices.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
cooperatives, corporations, partnerships, trusts or
other profit or non-profit entities; Indian tribes; and
municipalities, counties, or other local governments.
Availability: The maximum loan for a rural coopera-
tive organization is $40 million. The total amount of
agency-backed loans to one borrower may not exceed
$25 million. Repayment schedules for real estate loans
are not to exceed 30 years. Equipment loans are not
to exceed 15 years.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Buildings and real estate development.
• Machinery and equipment.
• Debt refinancing.
http: //www. rurdev. usda.gov/BCPjgar. html
Intermediary Relending Program
The purpose of the Intermediary Relending Program
(IRP) is to alleviate poverty and increase economic
activity and employment in rural communities. The
IRP capitalizes locally managed revolving loan funds
for small businesses unable to secure adequate bank
financing on their own. Similar to the B&l program,
resources from the IRP can be used for real estate and
equipment purposes.
Eligibility Requirements: Intermediaries may be
private non-profit corporations, public agencies,
Indian tribes, or cooperatives with at least 51 percent
rural membership.
Availability: An intermediary may receive up to $2
million under its first financing and up to $1 million at
a time thereafter. However, based on recent congres-
sional appropriations, intermediaries can expect initial
loans of up to $400,000, as well as subsequent loans
of up to $400,000, in FY 2013. Loans to intermediar-
* Note:Although EPA has made an effort to ensure that the information contained in this section is as accurate as possible, USDA's Rural
Development Mission Area did not review this section. Please check with your local USDA office for the most up-to-date information
about these programs.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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ies are scheduled for repayment over a period of 30
years. The interest rate on loans for intermediaries is
one percent per year.
Uses/Applications (all apply to loans from
intermediaries to ultimate recipients):
• Establish new businesses or expand existing
business.
• Create employment opportunities or save existing
jobs.
• Support community development projects.
http://www. rurdev. usda.gov/BCPJrp.html
The Rural Business Opportunity Grant Program
The Rural Business Opportunity Grant (RBOG)
program promotes sustainable economic develop-
ment in rural communities with exceptional needs.
Grants can be made for the identification and analysis
of business opportunities; the establishment of
support centers to assist with the creation of new rural
businesses; regional, community, and local economic
development planning; and other related training,
planning, and coordination efforts.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
public entities, non-profit corporations, Indian tribes,
and rural cooperatives that have expertise in the
activities proposed. Eligible entities must demonstrate
that the funding will result in economic development
and must have performance measures.
Availability: Priority points for funding are awarded
to projects that are sustainable and explain the quality
of expected economic activity; leverage other funds;
demonstrate a need to improve economic conditions
in the service area; and provide a useful new best
practice. The maximum grant for a project servicing a
single state is $50,000.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Provide economic planning for rural communities.
• Provide technical assistance for rural businesses.
• Provide training for rural entrepreneurs or economic
development officials.
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP_RBOG.html
The Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program
The Rural Business Enterprise Grant (RBEG) program
provides grants to public entities and private
non-profit corporations for projects designed to
finance and facilitate the development of small
and emerging private for-profit or non-profit small
businesses. An RBEG grant may include funding for
infrastructure items such as access to streets and
roads, utility extensions, water supply, and waste
disposal facilities. In addition, RBEG grants may be
utilized for the acquisition of land, buildings, plants,
equipment, parking areas, and technical assistance
regarding transportation services.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
rural public entities (towns, communities, state
agencies, and authorities), Indian tribes, and
private non-profit corporations. Small and emerging
businesses requiring assistance must have fewer than
50 employees and less than $1 million in revenues.
Availability: There is no maximum level of grant
funding; however, smaller projects are given higher
priority. Generally grants range from $10,000 up to
$500,000.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Provide needed infrastructure.
• Fund technical assistance needs.
• Establish or fund revolving loan fund programs.
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP rbeg.html
Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge
Jointly administered by the Department of
Commerce's Economic Development Administration
(EDA) and USDA's Rural Community Development
Initiative, the Rural Jobs and Innovation Accelerator
Challenge (Rural Jobs Accelerator) is an interagency
initiative designed to support bottom-up, regional
economic development strategies by providing rural
regions with resources to plan and implement coordi-
nated, flexible, regionally customized activities to
support job creation. The Rural Jobs Accelerator
focuses on regional collaboration and job creation in
numerous high-potential industry clusters, including
renewable energy, food production, rural tourism,
natural resources, and advanced manufacturing.
USDA investments through the Rural Jobs Accelera-
tor will support projects that help identify and build
regional assets through regional collaboration. USDA
activities will include providing technical assistance
to develop rural communities' capacity and ability
to undertake projects related to housing, community
facilities, or economic and community development.
Eligibility Requirements: Private, non-profit
(including faith-based and community organizations),
and public (including tribal) intermediary organiza-
tions may apply for funds that will provide financial
and technical assistance to recipients to develop their
capacity and ability to undertake projects related
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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to housing, community facilities, or community and
economic development. Projects must benefit rural
communities, but applicants need not be physically
located in a rural community.
Availability: Total proposed funding for FY 2012
Rural Jobs Accelerator projects was approximately
$15 million. USDA made approximately $4.3 million
available, including $2.49 million of FY 2011 funding
and approximately $1.81 million of FY 2012 funding,
for competitive grant funds for the Rural Community
Development Initiative (RCDI) Program through the
Rural Housing Service (RHS), an agency within the
USDA Rural Development mission. USDA expects to
make about 20 awards in FY 2013, with individual
grant awards up to $215,000 per cluster or region.
Limitations: Applicants are required to provide
matching funds, and apply for funding from both of
the Primary Funding Agencies (EDA and USDA). The
project period for USDA funds will not exceed three
years (36 months).
Used/Applications:
Allowable activities may include a wide range of
non-construction assistance, including technical
assistance, feasibility studies, planning activities,
technology or process development, cluster
networking, market expansion, and other activities
critical for accelerated cluster development leading to
job creation, economic growth, and global competi-
tiveness. Funds can be used to:
• Accelerate the creation of high-wage jobs.
• Accelerate the formation of new businesses and
growth of existing businesses.
• Identify and build assets that are crucial to
supporting regional economic ecosystems in rural
communities.
• Link rural communities to markets, networks,
industry clusters, and other regional opportunities.
• Facilitate the repatriation of jobs back to the United
States.
• Support the deployment of innovative processes,
technologies, and products.
• Enhance the capacity of small businesses in regional
innovation clusters, including small and disadvan-
taged businesses.
• Increase U.S. exports and business interaction with
international buyers and suppliers.
• Develop the skills and expertise of local workforces,
entrepreneurs, and institutional partners to support
growing clusters.
• Ensure rural economies are supported by efficiently
planned housing and community development.
http: //www. rurdev. usda.gov/Rura/JobsAcce/erator-
About.htm/
The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant
Program
The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant
(REDLG) program provides funding to rural projects
through local utility organizations. Under the loan
program, intermediaries that have or have had a
borrowing relationship with the Rural Utility Service
can receive zero-interest loans that are passed
through to rural small businesses to assist business
and create new jobs or retain existing jobs. The grant
program provides grant funds to intermediaries to
establish revolving loan funds for use in making loans
to rural small businesses for the creation and retention
of viable jobs in rural areas.
Eligibility Requirements: To receive funding under
the REDLG program (which is forwarded to selected
eligible projects) an entity must:
• Have borrowed and repaid or pre-paid an insured,
direct, or guaranteed loan received under the Rural
Electrification Act.
• Be a not-for-profit utility that is eligible to receive
assistance from the Rural Development Electric or
Telecommunication Program.
• Be a current Rural Development Electric or Telecom-
munication Program borrower.
Availability: The maximum funding for a loan is
$1,000,000. The maximum funding for a grant to
establish a revolving loan fund is $300,000. During
FY 2012, approximately $ 10 million was available for
grants and $33 million was available for loans. USDA
anticipates similar funding amounts will be available
in FY2013.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Industrial development parks.
• Business incubators.
• Revolving loan funds.
htto://www.rurdev.usda.aov/BCP red/a.html
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SNAPSHOT - POTOSI, WISCONSIN
The century-old former Potosi Brewery had been abandoned for more than 30 years and was con-
taminated with asbestos, lead paint, and other environmental hazards. With assistance from the USDA's
Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program, the community restored and reopened the property
in June 2008 as a state-of-the-art brewery and museum complex. USDA's backing of the original $2.6
million loan extended by Mound City Bank was key to launching the project. A second guaranteed loan
of $660,000 provided additional capital to cover increased development costs. Most of the remaining
funding for the $7.5 million project came from state grants. The new Potosi Brewery complex has
become the new Main Street anchor for this town of 700 residents
Community Facilities Program: Guaranteed Loans,
Direct Loans, and Grants
USDA provides grants and loan guarantees for
commercial lending that will develop essential
community facilities, including public safety and
hospital facilities, for communities with populations of
up to 20,000 people. The direct loan program does
the same thing, except that USDA functions as the
lender. In either case, the loans can run for up to 40
years or for the useful life of the facility (if less than
that). In the case of distressed rural communities that
cannot qualify for a private or USDA loan for essential
community facilities, USDA Rural Development can
make grants.
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/HCF_CF.html
Water and Waste Disposal Loans, Loan Guarantees,
and Grants
USDA Rural Development offers several programs
aimed at developing and repairing water, sewer, storm
drainage, and solid waste systems in rural areas with
populations of 10,000 or less. These programs can
be used to support industrial activities. The loans can
run up to 40 years with interest dependent upon the
median household income of the borrower.
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWP-dispdirectloans-
arants.htm
Rural Energy for America Program
The Rural Energy for America Program has competitive
grant funds available to purchase renewable energy
systems and make energy efficiency improvements
for agricultural producers and rural small businesses
to reduce energy costs and consumption. It includes
grants of up to $500,000 for renewable energy
systems and grants of up to $250,000 for energy
efficiency improvements. Loans for renewable energy
systems have a maximum of $25 million. Repayment
terms for the loans for real estate must not exceed 30
years, and loans for machinery and equipment must
not exceed 20 years.
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/BCP Reap.html
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Blake Velde
USDA Brownfields Coordinator
DA/OPPM/EMD
1400 Independence Ave., SWMS-9100
Washington, DC 20250
202-205-0906
blake.velde(a>dm. usda.gov
Main Site
http://www. rurdev. usda.gov
State Contacts
htto://www.rurdev.usda.aov/StateOfficeAddresses.html
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Department of Agriculture-
United States Forest Service
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
RESOURCES
Mission
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain
the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's
forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present
and future generations. The Forest Service manages
multiple resources and land uses, including fish,
wildlife habitat, wilderness areas, timber, and
recreation on 193 million acres of national forests
and grasslands. The Forest Service also supports the
sustainable stewardship of the 423 million acres of
private forest, 68 million acres of state forests, and 18
million acres of forestlands on Indian reservations in
the U.S.
Within the State and Private Forestry deputy area,
the Cooperative Forestry Programs provide technical,
financial, educational, and related assistance to help
states, private landowners, and communities develop
best management practices of natural resources for
the ecosystem services they provide, and promote
community resilience and economic development.
Brownfields Connections
• Technical assistance for brownfields projects in
selected areas (targeted at EPA grantee local
governments and federal Empowerment Communi-
ties and Enterprise Zones).
• Technical and financial assistance for sustainable
redevelopment and brownfield reuse projects in 50
states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and
affiliated Pacific Island Nations through the state
forestry agencies.
• Technical assistance to EPA and other federal
agencies that are redeveloping brownfields located
in rural communities or near mine-scarred lands.
• Technical, financial, and educational assistance
for communities that want to convert existing
brownfields into natural open space, parks, or
tree-covered parks, or to conduct other land conser-
vation projects to increase access to nature.
• Assistance to rural and urban brownfield communi-
ties in applying for USDA grants and loans.
Financial and Technical Assistance
Urban and Community Forestry Program
The Urban and Community Forestry Program responds
to the needs of urban areas by maintaining, restoring,
and improving urban forest ecosystems on more than
100 million acres. Through these efforts, the program
encourages and promotes the creation of healthier,
more livable urban environments across the nation.
Urban forests are dynamic ecosystems that provide
environmental services such as clean air and water.
Trees cool cities and save energy, improve air quality,
reduce stormwater runoff, strengthen local economies,
improve social connections that create restorative
commons to improve health and well-being, and
complement smart growth principles. The Urban
and Community Forestry Program provides financial
and technical assistance to plan, protect, establish,
and manage and utilize trees, forests, and related
resources.
Eligibility Requirements: Local governments,
non-profit organizations, community groups,
educational institutions, and tribal governments are
eligible for assistance. The program is delivered
through the state forestry agencies in states, the
District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and affiliated
Pacific Island Nations.
Availability: Funding depends upon annual congres-
sional appropriations.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Revitalizing city centers, older suburbs, and exurban
areas through green infrastructure planning.
• Planting, caring for, and using trees as part of
brownfields reuse.
• Restoring degraded rivers.
• Planting trees for phytoremediation at brownfield
sites.
• Providing service learning for youth working in the
environment through the Neighborwoods Program.
http://www.fs.fed. us/ucf/
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SNAPSHOT - FLINT, MICHIGAN
The "Chevy in the Hole" complex on the Flint River in Flint, Michigan, once employed around 8,000
workers and has a place in history as one of the plants involved in the 1936-1937 United Auto Workers'
Sit Down Strike. Now the 120-acre site is one of the community's largest vacant properties and has sig-
nificant environmental contamination that complicates its reuse. The city is using funding from the U.S.
EPA Brownfields Program to assess and clean up the property, and funding from the U.S. Forest Service's
Urban and Community Forestry Program to plant trees that will facilitate the site's cleanup.
Planting trees to clean up contaminated soil is an innovative environmental approach called phytore-
mediation that will enable the Chevy in the Hole site to begin its transition into a green space while
environmental cleanup work is ongoing. By utilizing such techniques, communities can turn eyesores
into community assets, even in cases where full site reuse might be years down the road.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Blake Velde
USDA Brownfields Coordinator
DA/OPPM/EMD
1400 Independence Ave. SWMS-9100
Washington, DC 20250
202-205-0906
blake.velde(a>dm. usda.gov
Main Site
http://www.fs.fed. us/
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Department of Commerce—
Economic Development Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Economic Development Administration (EDA)
provides grant-based investments to units of state
and local government and non-profits in communities
and regions suffering from economic distress. EDA
assistance is available to rural and urban areas experi-
encing chronic high unemployment or underemploy-
ment, low per capita income, or a severe disruption to
the economic base of the community or region. EDA's
investments are intended to be catalytic, spurring
private capital investment and long-term job creation
by building vibrant economic ecosystems that support
bottom-up, regionally driven economic development
priorities. Traditionally, over half of all EDA resources
go to small towns and rural areas.
EDA encourages brownfields redevelopment through
its existing, place-based investment programs— often
focused on the "back-end" or redevelopment aspects
of brownfield projects. EDA's projects range from
up-front economic development planning efforts
to multimillion-dollar infrastructure improvements.
Key brownfield activities include physical infrastruc-
ture upgrades/demolition; reuse of publicly owned
buildings; redevelopment plans; site-specific market
feasibility studies; and the capitalization of revolving
loan funds (RLFs).
Between FY 2001 and FY 2011, EDA invested approxi-
mately $285 million in over 260 brownfield redevel-
opment projects (with an average investment of
roughly $1.1 million).
Brownfields Connections
• Funding for public works and infrastructure
enhancements.
• Funding for economic development planning
to economically distressed states, regions, and
communities.
• Funding for local technical assistance to help public
and nonprofit leaders with their economic develop-
ment decision-making.
• Funding to capitalize revolving loan funds for state
and local implementation of strategies to attract
private sector investment.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Public Works Program
EDA's Public Works (PW) funding enables communi-
ties to construct or rehabilitate public infrastructure
and facilities that are essential to job creation and
economic development. Grants can be provided to
support business incubators, industrial parks, and
utility infrastructure needed for a private development,
among other uses. Grants generally require a 50
percent local cost share.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants in
communities experiencing economic decline and
distress include Indian tribes or a consortium of tribes;
states, cities, or other political subdivisions of a state;
non-profit organizations acting in cooperation with
a political subdivision; and institutions of higher
education.
Limitations: Individuals orfor-profit private entities
are not eligible.
Availability: EDA allocated approximately $112
million for the Public Works and Economic Develop-
ment Facilities program in FY 2012. EDA has quarterly
rounds of funding for PW. For specific requirements,
visit the EDA website.
http://www.eda.gov/ffo.htm
Uses/Applications Include:
• Support for the construction or rehabilitation of
essential public infrastructure and facilities necessary
to generate or retain private sector jobs and invest-
ments.
Economic Adjustment Assistance Program
EDA's Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) funding
flexibly supports the design and/or implementation of
strategies (e.g., strategy development, infrastructure
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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construction, RLF capitalization/recapitalization) to
assist communities or regions that have experienced
or are under the threat of serious damage to their
underlying economic base. Grants generally require a
50 percent local cost share.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants in
communities experiencing economic decline and
distress include Indian tribes or a consortium of tribes;
states, cities, or other political subdivisions of a state;
non-profit organizations acting in cooperation with
a political subdivision; and institutions of higher
education.
Limitations: Individuals orfor-profit private entities
are not eligible.
Availability: EDA allocated approximately $50 million
for the Economic Adjustment Assistance program in
FY2012. EDA has quarterly rounds of funding for
EAA. See the EDA website for specific requirements at
http://www.eda.gov/ffo.htm.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Provides construction and nonconstruction assistance
(including public works, technical assistance,
economic recovery strategies, and RLF projects) in
regions experiencing severe economic dislocations
that occur suddenly or over time.
Planning Program
Grants help regional organizations (Economic
Development Districts, Indian tribes, and other eligible
areas) develop, implement, revise, or replace compre-
hensive economic development strategies (CEDS). A
CEDS is a strategy-driven plan for regional economic
development, a result of a "regionally owned"
planning process designed to guide the economic
prosperity and resiliency of an area or region. An
EDA-approved CEDS is a prerequisite for requesting
an EDA-funded PW or EAA investment (see above).
EDA also provides limited planning-grant assistance
for short-term planning activities. Grants generally
require a 50 percent local cost share.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants in
communities experiencing economic decline and
distress include Indian tribes or a consortium of tribes;
states, cities, or other political subdivisions of a state;
non-profit organizations acting in cooperation with
a political subdivision; and institutions of higher
education.
Limitations: Individuals orfor-profit private entities
are not eligible.
Availability: EDA allocated approximately $29 million
for the Economic Development Planning program in
FY 2012. EDA accepts applications on a rolling basis
for short-term planning. For other planning activities,
please contact the appropriate EDA regional office.
See the EDA website for specific requirements at
http://www.eda.gov/ffo.htm.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Develop, maintain, and implement CEDS and
related short-term planning activities.
• Integrate brownfields redevelopment into a CEDS.
Local Technical Assistance Program
The program is designed to provide focused assistance
to public and nonprofit leaders to help in economic
development decision-making (e.g., impact analyses,
feasibility studies). Grants generally require a 50
percent local cost share.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants in
communities experiencing economic decline and
distress include Indian tribes or a consortium of tribes;
states, cities, or other political subdivisions of a state;
non-profit organizations acting in cooperation with
a political subdivision; and institutions of higher
education.
Limitations: Individuals orfor-profit private entities
are not eligible.
Availability: EDA allocated approximately $4 million
to the Local Technical Assistance Program in FY 2012.
EDA accepts applications on a rolling basis for local
technical assistance. See the EDA website for specific
requirements at http://www.eda.gov/ffo.htm.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Help communities inform their economic develop-
ment decision-making - including the feasibility/
impact of brownfield-related projects.
Other
EDA regularly uses a portion of its funding to
support multi-agency funding opportunities (e.g.,
i6 Challenge, Jobs and Innovation Accelera-
tor Challenge). These interagency challenges
provide strategic, catalytic funding for competitive,
high-potential regional partnerships that accelerate
cluster-based innovation and strengthen capacity in
a variety of areas (e.g., manufacturing, commercial-
ization). These initiatives leverage existing financial
and technical resources from EDA and other federal
agencies, allowing applicants to seek multiple sources
of federal funding from a single, combined federal
funding opportunity. See http://www.eda.gov/ffo.htm
for more information.
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SNAPSHOT - FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY
In 2012, EDA awarded $1.45 million in grant funds to Franklin Township, New Jersey, to help redevelop
a former 30-acre brownfield site into a food business park. This investment in the Route 40 Food Center
project is expected to create more than 200 jobs and generate approximately $46 million in private
investment over the next five years.
The EDA investment is part of a project undertaken by Franklin Township to build a 30-acre business park
in the southern portion of Gloucester County, N.J., on the remediated site of a former Meredith Farms
poultry processing plant. The new business park will allow for the construction of new, modern facilities
that will enhance two industry clusters in the region—agriculture and food processing.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Kenneth M. Kukovich
National Brownfields Coordinator
Room 71004 HCHB
1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20230
202-482-0806
kenneth.m. kukovich@eda.gov
David R. Ives, AICP
Sustainability Coordinator
Room 71030 HCHB
1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20230
202-482-0529
david.raymond.ives(a)eda.oov
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Department of Commerce—
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) works to balance
environmental and economic needs at waterfront
locations.
NOAA coordinated the interagency "Portfields"
initiative that focused on the redevelopment and
reuse of idled or abandoned lands in and around
ports, harbors, and marine transportation hubs.
Focused assistance was provided to four Portfields
pilots in New Bedford, Massachusetts; Tampa, Florida;
Bellingham, Washington; and the southern Louisiana
region. The practices and lessons learned through the
pilot projects are being actively transferred to other
port communities. As the lead trustee for the public's
coastal natural resources, NOAA works to prevent and
mitigate harm to coastal resources.
Brownfields Connections
• Technical assistance to coastal state, territorial, and
local governments for coastal resource protection
and management.
• Expertise to improve cleanup and redevelopment
and expedite decision-making.
• Programs that benefit local economies and improve
quality of life in coastal communities by applying
sustainable economic development programs.
• Local workshops sponsored by NOAA that focus on
brownfields revitalization efforts to help communities
gather input from all parties involved in the revital-
ization process, creating strong partnerships for
more efficient action.
• Strong partnerships with state coastal zone
management programs that help rebuild community
waterfronts and redevelop brownfields.
• Use of advanced marine transportation tools and
services to revitalize port areas.
• Partnerships with local communities and other
agencies to improve quality of life, the environment,
and regional economies.
• Training, guidance, and decision-making tools for
specific watersheds, ports, and harbors to assist
coastal communities with the assessment, cleanup,
and restoration of contaminated coastal sites
(including brownfields).
RESOURCES
Outreach/Technical Assistance
National Ocean Service's Office of Response and
Restoration
NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) provides
science-based solutions through collaborative partner-
ships to address evolving economic, environmental,
and social pressures on our oceans and coasts. NOS
delivers the tools and services needed to understand
and respond to challenges along 95,000 miles of
shoreline and 3.5 million square miles of U.S. coastal,
Great Lakes, and deep-ocean waters. Thousands
of brownfields that once were thriving industrial
facilities are located along coastal waterfronts. With a
coastal focus and experience in solving environmental
challenges, several NOS programs provide resources
and technical assistance to coastal communities
that assist with brownfields cleanup and reuse. The
Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) provides
scientific support to the U.S. Coast Guard for spills
and coordinates with other agencies for hazardous
material releases to ensure protection and restora-
tion of its trust resources. OR&R also coordinates with
federal, state, and tribal natural resource trustees to
assess and restore degraded coastal resources and
the services they provide. Among its specialized skill
areas, OR&R forecasts the movement and behavior of
spilled oil and chemicals, evaluates risk to resources,
and recommends protective cleanup actions.
Eligibility Requirements: OR&R coordinates with
federal and state trustee agencies.
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SNAPSHOT - PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
NOS provided $2 million for site preparation, design, and construction of a boathouse, dock, and inter-
pretive trails to help transform Field's Point, a former city dump on Narragansett Bay, into a community
education center that opened in 2005. Save the Bay, a major environmental advocacy organization
in Rhode Island, spearheaded the effort, which included construction of a complex that comprises a
15,000 square-foot green building with classroom and education space, featuring a living roof and
other environmentally friendly elements. Initial cleanup funding was secured from the Rhode Island
Economic Development Corporation, which lent $700,000 from its own EPA-capitalized brownfields
revolving loan fund. Nearly 60 other public, private, philanthropic, and non-profit entities also funded
the project.
Availability: Limited to sites that impact trust
resources.
Limitations: Projects are selected based on OR&R's
strategic priorities and available funds.
Uses/Applications Include: Assistance is limited
based on agency priorities.
http://www.response.restoration.noaa.gov
Coastal Services Center
The Coastal Services Center (CSC) partners with state
and local organizations to address coastal resource
management issues, particularly the issues of hazards
and coastal development. Each year, NOAA's CSC
selects projects that support its overall mission to
foster and sustain the environmental, social, and
economic well-being of the nation's coast. Some
projects focus on needs identified by state and local
partners, some projects help other NOAA offices
service the coastal management community, and
some projects explore new issues and technologies
expected to become important over the long term. The
CSC is a partner in over 100 ongoing projects geared
to resolving site-specific coastal issues, including
brownfields redevelopment. The CSC also works
on projects designed to benefit the nation's coastal
management community as a whole. These efforts
include a training program that offers numerous
classes to meet the technical and management needs
of coastal managers.
Eligibility Requirements: Assistance is provided to
state and local coastal resource managers and federal,
nongovernmental, and nonprofit organizations.
Limitations: Projects are selected based on CSC's
strategic priority-setting process.
Availability: Assistance is limited based on agency
priorities.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Smart Growth initiatives.
• Brownfields information outreach.
http://www. esc, noaa. gov
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Michel Gielazyn, Ph.D.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Office of Response & Restoration/Assessment and
Restoration Division
263 13th Ave. South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
miche/.gie/azyn(a)noaa.gov
Main Site
http: //www. response. restoration. noaa. oov
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Department of Defense-
Li.S. Army Corps of Engineers
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) provides
assistance for the development and management of
the nation's water resources in an environmentally
sustainable, economic, and technically sound manner.
The USAGE provides comprehensive planning,
design, construction, engineering management, and
technical support to the Army and to the nation.
Unlike most other agencies comprising the federal
brownfields partnership, USAGE supports communi-
ties by way of specific, congressionally authorized
projects or through water resource-related, reimburs-
able ("Support for Others") engineering activities.
In addition, USAGE responds to engineering-related
brownfields questions and project inquiries from any
community within the U.S. and its territories for major
water resource-related endeavors. USAGE will guide
communities to appropriate congressional contacts for
authorization and appropriation support for individual
projects.
Brownfields Connections
• Reimbursable technical services are provided to
other federal agencies engaged in brownfields
activities targeted to local governments. Such
services align water resources development and
management efforts with community brownfields
objectives.
• Implementation of civil works water resource
projects emphases integrated and sustainable
systems-based solutions for ecosystem restoration,
inland and coastal navigation, and flood and storm
damage reduction—targeted to state and local
governments.
RESOURCES
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Reimbursable Support
USAGE may perform technical oversight and
management of engineering, environmental, and
construction contracts, including technical assistance
for brownfields-related activities, non-Department of
Defense federal agencies, and states on a reimburs-
able basis. The work is fully funded by the customer
(e.g., local government).
Uses/Applications Include:
• Technical and project management capabilities for
most water- and land-related natural resources
activities.
• Engineering, facility design, construction
management, and other technical services.
• Environmental restoration.
Planning Assistance to States (Section 22)
USAGE provides technical assistance to states to
support preparation of comprehensive water and
related land resources development plans, including
watershed and ecosystem planning. USAGE assists
in conducting individual studies supporting the state
plan.
Assistance is given on the basis of state requests and
availability of USAGE expertise rather than through
congressional authorization procedures.
Section 22 cannot be used to supplement other
ongoing or pending USAGE efforts, or to offset
required state contributions to federal grant programs.
Eligibility Requirements: There is general authority
for USAGE to cooperate with states, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, and federally recognized Indian
tribes. Reimbursable support from USAGE is not
available to private entities.
Limitations: The non-federal sponsor contributes
50 percent of the costs, which may be 100 percent
in-kind service for Section 22 agreements executed
after November 7, 2007. Nationwide, annual funds
may not exceed $10 million, with a maximum of
$500,000 in any one year per state or Indian tribe, or
a maximum of $2 million per state or tribe per year
for Section 22 agreements executed after November
7, 2007.
Availability: The availability of planning assistance
depends on annual congressional appropriations to
the program.
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Centers of Expertise
USAGE Centers of Expertise whose specialized capabil-
ities can be helpful in solving specific brownfields
challenges include the Curation and Management of
Archaeological Collection Center, the Environmen-
tal and Munitions Center of Expertise (EXCM) the
Photogrammetric Mapping Center, the Preservation
of Historic Buildings and Structures Center, the Rapid
Response Corps of Engineers Center of Expertise, and
the Sustainable Design and Development Center.
Assistance from these centers is generally available on
a reimbursable basis.
Eligibility Requirements: There is general authority
for USAGE to cooperate with states, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, and federally recognized Indian
tribes. Reimbursable support from USAGE is not
available to private entities.
Availability: Priority is given to requests for support
that have national significance.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Preserving historic buildings and structures.
• Rapid response to hazardous, toxic, and radioactive
waste incidents.
• Coordinating acid mine drainage cleanup with other
infrastructure issues (e.g., wastewater systems).
Curation and Management of Archaeological
Collections Center of Expertise
Provides technical assistance in the preservation,
storage, and management of archaeological and
historical materials and associated documentation.
http://www.mvs.usace.army.mil/engr/curation/Home.html
Photogrammetric Mapping Center
Provides rapid-response, full-service photogrammetric
mapping support and maintains technical capability
and proficiency in all aspects of photogrammetry.
r)ffp://mvs-wc.mvs.usace.army.mi//fcx.r)fm/
Center of Expertise for the Preservation of Historic
Buildings and Structures
Applies academic and practical skills in the fields of
history and architectural history, architecture, and
maintenance and rehabilitation treatments through
an information clearinghouse. The Center can provide
technical direction to those seeking the best means of
preserving and maintaining historic properties.
hffp://www.nws.usace.army.m;'//6us;'nessW;'thUs/
HistoricPreservation.aspx
Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise
Provides remediation services for properties contami-
nated with hazardous waste, radioactive materials,
and/or ordnance in compliance with federal, state,
and local laws and regulation. The Center's projects
strive for sustainability while meeting current and
future land and water use needs, safeguarding human
health and safety, improving quality of life, and
enhancing the natural environment. USAGE supports
military and civil agencies nationwide in environmen-
tal and munitions responses.
hffp://www.environmenta/.usace.army.mi//
Rapid Response Center of Expertise
Provides quick-response environmental services.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Paul Lancer
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Attn: CEMP-CEP
441 G St., NW
Washington, DC 20314
202-761-5517
pau/.m./ancer@usace.army.mi/
Main Site
htto://www. usace.army.mil
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SNAPSHOT - SELMA TO MONTGOMERY NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL, ALABAMA
The federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities is helping communities along Alabama's 54-mile
Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail grow and develop while celebrating their history and creating
new opportunities for residents. Designated in 1996 by Congress, the trail commemorates the 1965 Voting
Rights March along U.S. Highway 80, beginning in the small town of Selma and ending in the historic
Peacock neighborhood in Montgomery. To build on this unique federal, state, and local collaboration,
partners used the upcoming commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the march to catalyze the process.
Revitalization began with 18 brownfield site assessments conducted by the state and EPA to determine
the best sites for redevelopment in the rural and underserved communities along the trail. Nine
community visioning sessions supported by EPA, USACE, and the National Park Service helped draft
plans to connect historic points of interest. Funding and assistance from USACE and other federal
agencies was used for community visioning, stormwater infrastructure, construction of a greenway and a
community park, streetscape improvements, affordable homes for police and teachers, and repairs to
the historic Mount Zion Church, where the march concluded.
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Department of Defense—
Office of Economic Adjustment
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) is the
Department of Defense's (DoD) primary source for
assisting communities that are adversely impacted by
defense program changes, including base closures
and realignments. OEA provides economic adjustment
planning assistance to eligible communities affected
by the closure or realignment of a military installation.
Within OEA, the primary resource for DoD's economic
adjustment projects is the Defense Economic
Adjustment program for Base Realignment and
Closure (BRAC). Since 1961, OEA has worked with
communities impacted by downsizing and base
closures to address issues such as unemployment,
economic development, and land use planning. Since
1988, five independent BRAC commissions have
recommended closing 451 installations. Although
no future rounds of closures have been approved by
Congress, the 2005 Commission recommended that
Congress authorize another BRAC round in 2015.
Brownfields Connection
• Assistance and information on planning for the
redevelopment of closed or realigned military
facilities.
RESOURCES
Technical and Financial Assistance
Community Economic Adjustment Planning
Assistance
OEA helps communities and states plan and carry out
local economic adjustment programs, including but
not limited to base redevelopment plans, business
and operational plans, infrastructure assessments,
feasibility studies, staff and operational assistance,
and other activities necessary to respond to these
defense actions. OEA encourages and helps communi-
ties to understand existing environmental conditions
and integrate cleanup measures with redevelop-
ment plans. When responding to base realignment
and closure actions, affected communities focus on
economic development goals, and when appropri-
ate, adapt the concepts and techniques of brownfield
redevelopment within their program.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
states, cities, counties, other political subdivisions
of a state, special purpose units of state or local
government, and tribal nations affected by a base
closure or realignment that will impose a direct and
significant adverse consequence. Applicants interested
in this assistance should contact OEA to determine
eligibility for assistance under this program.
Availability: Requests for OEA assistance can be
made by states, counties, municipalities, other political
subdivisions of a state, special purpose units of a
state or local government, and tribal nations. Annual
noncompetitive grant awards range from $50,000 to
$2 million.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Prepare redevelopment plans and related studies/
assistance to support the reuse of surplus military
installation property.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Bryant Monroe, Program Lead (BRAC)
Office of Economic Adjustment
2231 Crystal Dr., Suite 520
Arlington, VA 22202-3711
703-697-2105
bryant.monroe@wso.whs.mil
Main Site
http://www.oea.gov
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SNAPSHOT - NEWPORT CHEMICAL DEPOT, INDIANA
The Newport Chemical Depot (NECD) is a 7,130-acre former Army Material Command facility located
approximately 35 miles north of Terre Haute in west-central Indiana. It was established in 1941 as an
explosive and chemical production plant and later operated as a chemical agent destruction facility
for the munitions that had been stockpiled at the site. DoD recommended the closure of the NECD
under 2005 BRAC actions. At the time, the depot was the largest employer in Vermillion County. By June
2010, all activities required for closure of the NECD were completed. In addition, the county established
the Newport Chemical Depot Reuse Authority (NeCDRA) to guide its efforts to respond to the closure of
the facility.
NeCDRA recently completed a reuse master plan for the site that includes a variety of future uses,
including parks and restored prairie habitat, as well as business, technology, and manufacturing centers.
In collaboration with local utilities, U.S. EPA, and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable
Energy Laboratory, NeCDRA is investigating the feasibility of installing a utility-scale wind energy project
on a 2,000-acre portion of the site. The results of this feasibility study, which is being conducted under
EPAs RE-Powering America's Land initiative, will be incorporated into the overall master redevelopment
plan for the site. Changes in national energy usage and production, technology, industry, transporta-
tion, and logistics, as well as a focus on sustainability of the natural and built environments, will shape
the depot's redevelopment over the course of the next few decades. The Phase 1 parcel (6,652 acres)
was transferred to NeCDRA in September 2011, and the Phase 2 parcel (483 acres) was transferred in
September 2012.
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Department of Energy
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
RESOURCES
Mission
The overarching mission of the Department of Energy
(DOE) is to advance the national, economic, and
energy security of the United States; to promote
scientific and technological innovation in support of
that mission; and to ensure the environmental cleanup
of the national nuclear weapons complex.
DOE continues to be caretaker and manager of the
facilities that manufactured nuclear weapons and
the property on which the weapons are located. DOE
supports brownfields reuse by providing technical
assistance in the fields of energy use and environ-
mental remediation and in the Los Alamos National
Laboratory Sustainable Design Guide.
Brownfields Connections
• Technical assistance in the field of environmental
cleanup and stabilization.
• Financial assistance to transfer property for a public
purpose.
• Green Energy Parks at DOE facilities.
• Evaluations of brownfields as sites for renewable
energy technologies.
DOE's Office of Legacy Management (LM) continues
to take significant steps to ensure that DOE's environ-
mental and human legacy responsibilities are properly
managed for current and future generations. LM
accomplishes this mission by:
• Protecting human health and the environment
through effective and efficient long-term surveillance
and maintenance.
• Preserving and protecting legacy records and
information, and effectively communicating with the
public.
• Sustaining the continuity of workers' pension and
medical benefits.
• Managing legacy land and assets and emphasizing
safety, reuse, and disposition.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
(EERE) works with business, industry, universities,
national laboratories, and others to increase the use
of renewable energy and energy efficiency technolo-
gies. One way EERE encourages the growth of these
technologies is by offering financial assistance
opportunities for their research and development.
EERE evaluates projects that may include brownfields
as proposed sites for renewable energy technologies.
Eligibility Requirements: Financial assistance is
available for businesses, industries, universities, and
others.
Limitations: Competitive grants are the most
common type of financial assistance awarded by EERE.
Cooperative agreements also are competitive.
Availability: Like most federal government funding,
funding for EERE financial assistance awards is
authorized by an appropriation approved by the U.S.
Congress. Congress determines the overall budget for
DOE activities, and this amount determines how much
money will be available for EERE financial assistance
awards.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Renewable energy and energy efficiency research
and development.
• Transfer of money, property, or services.
http://www.eere.energy.gov
Nafional Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is
EERE's principal research laboratory and the nation's
primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy
efficiency research and development. Its mission and
strategy are focused on advancing DOE's and the
nation's energy goals. NREL's research and develop-
ment capabilities advance national energy goals by
developing innovations to change the way we power
homes and businesses and fuel cars.
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As part of EPA's RE-Powering America's Land Initiative,
EPA and NREL are collaborating on a project to
evaluate the feasibility of siting renewable energy
production on potentially contaminated sites. This
effort pairs EPA's expertise on contaminated sites with
NREL's expertise in renewable energy. The feasibil-
ity studies provide site owners and communities with
a realistic and achievable plan for putting renewable
energy on a given site. In FY 2011, 26 potentially
contaminated sites with the possibility for wind, solar,
biopower, or geothermal production were selected for
this program.
http://www.nrel. gov/'overview
RE-Powering America's Lands website:
http://www. epa.gov/oswercpa/index.htm
Office of Environmenfal Management
The mission of the Office of Environmental
Management (EM) is to complete the safe cleanup
of the environmental legacy brought about from
five decades of nuclear weapons development and
government-sponsored nuclear energy research. The
Cold War left a legacy of 1.5 million cubic meters of
solid waste, 88 million gallons of highly radioactive
liquid waste, 2,400 metric tons of used nuclear fuel,
special nuclear material, more than 100 square miles
of contaminated soil and groundwater, and thousands
of excess nuclear facilities. The EM program has made
significant progress in treating and disposing of the
waste, stabilizing the nuclear fuel and materials,
and remediating the soil, groundwater, and facilities.
EM is continuing this cleanup mission with a focus
on constructing and operating complex treatment
facilities to solidify the liquid waste into a safer form
for ultimate disposal. EM's work has taken place in 35
states and on properties that cover two million acres.
In partnership with community reuse organizations
and others interested in establishing energy parks,
EM has been transferring properties for commercial
reindustrialization, notably in Oak Ridge, Tennessee,
for a number of years. These reuse efforts have
been included in the broader Asset Revitalization
Initiative to leverage assets and create opportunities
to enable local development and economic diversifica-
tion. Projects are dependent on what the community
wants, what suits the land and climate, and what
can be offered by DOE. DOE supports the partner-
ship through technology and technical assistance for
remediation and property reuse efforts.
Limitations: EM program activities are focused
on contaminated nuclear weapons production and
nuclear energy research testing sites across the
United States.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Reducing risk and environmental liability at nuclear
production and nuclear energy research sites.
• Constructing and operating facilities to treat radioac-
tive liquid tank waste.
• Securing and storing nuclear materials in a stable,
safe configuration in secure locations.
• Transporting and disposing of transuranic and
low-level wastes in a safe and cost-effective manner.
• Cleaning up soil and groundwater at EM sites.
• Facilitating Revitalization projects at DOE facilities.
http://www.em.doe.gov/pages/emhome.aspx
DOE's Asset Revitalization Initiative
The Asset Revitalization Initiative (ARI) is a DOE-wide
effort to advance the beneficial reuse of its unique
and diverse mix of assets, including land, facilities,
infrastructure, equipment, technologies, natural
resources, and a highly skilled workforce. By 2020,
DOE plans to conduct the following activities at each
of the field sites in the DOE Complex:
• Seek to conduct operations sustainably, incorporat-
ing clean energy technologies wherever possible.
• Develop modern, adaptable, and efficient site
infrastructures and closely coordinate multi-agency
efforts at the sites.
• Promote public-private partnerships and commercial
opportunities.
• Engage local communities and stakeholders in the
development and asset revitalization process.
Although the initiative was launched in 2011, several
sites in the DOE Complex had already been working
toward achieving some of the initiative's goals. For
example, over the last ten years, DOE's Oak Ridge
National Laboratory in Tennessee, which has over
1,300 acres of clean land that is ready for beneficial
reuse, has executed over 90 leases with private
businesses, transferred 19 properties, and leased 330
acres of DOE-owned property. By transferring respon-
sibility for facility demolition and maintenance to
private businesses, Oak Ridge has realized millions of
dollars in savings, thereby demonstrating the benefits
of ARI.
Office of Legacy Management
The mission of the Office of Legacy Management (LM)
is to fulfill the Department's post-closure responsibili-
ties and ensure the future protection of human health
and the environment. LM has control and custody for
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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legacy land, structures, and facilities and is respon-
sible for maintaining them at levels consistent with
DOE's long-term plans.
The goals of LM are to:
• Protect human health and the environment.
• Preserve, protect, and share legacy records and
information.
• Meet commitments to the contractor workforce.
• Optimize the use of land assets.
• Sustain management excellence.
With more than 100 sites, DOE activities and those of
its predecessor agencies have left a legacy of environ-
mental contamination that can impact human health
and the environment. LM was formally established
in 2003 to manage long-term surveillance and
maintenance (LTS&M) activities and ensure the future
protection of human health and the environment.
LM currently conducts routine LTS&M activities at 89
sites and will continue to receive sites as they are
cleaned up and closed. LM is expected to be respon-
sible for 128 sites by 2020. As LM conducts LTS&M
activities for these sites, there is a focus on beneficial
reuse of the land.
LM currently has 11 sites that are being reused,
totaling over 4,000 acres. This represents nearly
one-third of the federally owned sites under LM
custody and control. Site reuse includes agriculture
(e.g., hay production, livestock grazing); habitat
preservation; community use (e.g., visitor or interpre-
tive centers); and leasing to local utility companies.
Los Alamos National Laboratory
The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is
a premier national security research institution,
delivering scientific and engineering solutions for the
nation's most crucial and complex problems. Its work
also advances earth and environmental sciences. LANL
produced the LANL Sustainable Design Guide, which
recommends selecting properties with opportunities for
minimal environmental impacts, including brownfields,
for development.
http://www.lanl.gov/orgs/eng/engstandards/esm/
architectural/Sustainable.pdf
Support for Environmental Justice Communities
DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration, LM,
and EM's Dr. Samuel R Massie Chairs of Excellence
Program provide technical and grant writing assistance
to environmental justice communities located near
DOE sites. These organizations provide assistance
in developing brownfields strategies, drafting
initial concepts, writing portions of proposals, and
conducting research to support project needs. (NOTE:
The Massie Chairs support is conducted as part of the
DOE Environmental Justice Program).
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Loan Programs Office
DOE's Loan Programs Office provides direct loans to
vehicle manufacturers and component manufacturers
to support the development of advanced technology
vehicles (ATVs). Advanced Technology Vehicles
Manufacturing (ATVM) loans support the develop-
SNAPSHOT - DEMING, NEW MEXICO
Through a partnership with EPA's RE-Powering America's Land Initiative, DOE's National Renewable Energy
Laboratory is providing technical assistance to the City of Deming to analyze the potential for wind or
solar energy production at the 1,420-acre Peru Mill Industrial Park site. The site once housed a mill that
processed zinc sulfide ore. At some point, the containment for the liquid mine tailings failed, causing a
spill that eliminated the vegetation cap on top of the tailings pile and spread tailings over a large area.
When the remediation of the site was completed, the City of Deming annexed the property into the city
limits and zoned it for industrial use. The city hopes to redevelop the site into an industrial park.
Given the abundant solar resource in southwest New Mexico, the proposed industrial park includes
solar electricity production. The city hopes to use this renewable energy to offset energy needs for
future warehousing, manufacturing, or logistics facilities. Reuse of this land will leverage existing rail
and highway infrastructure that once served the mining operations, repurposing these assets for
future growth.
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ment of ATVs and associated components in the
United States. Applications for this loan financing from
qualified businesses are accepted on a rolling basis
until funding is expended.
Eligibility Requirements: In order to be technically
eligible for an ATVM loan, an applicant must be either
(1) an automotive manufacturer satisfying specified
fuel economy requirements; or (2) a manufacturer of
qualifying components. In addition, an applicant must
be financially viable without the receipt of additional
federal funding for the proposed project.
Limitations: All passenger automobiles or light-duty
trucks that meet 125 percent of the 2005 Corporate
Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards qualify as
ATVs, as do ultra-efficient vehicles.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Re-equipping, expanding, or establishing manufac-
turing facilities in the United States to produce ATVs
or qualifying components.
• Engineering integration of ATVs or qualifying
components performed in the United States.
http://lpo.energy.gov/?page_id=43
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Melinda Downing
Environmental Justice Program Manager
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Legacy Management
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Room 6G-041
Washington, DC 20585
202-586-7703
fne/inda.downing(a)hq.doe.gov
Main Site
httD://www.enerav.aov
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Department of Health and Human
Services—Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) is a federal public health agency that seeks to
prevent disease and harmful exposures to hazardous
substances in the environment. ATSDR conducts
site-related public health assessments or health consul-
tations, health studies, and health education mainly
through cooperative agreements with other federal
agencies and state and local public health departments.
ATSDR provides technical assistance and may oversee
evaluations and related public health activities
performed by state or local staff at environmentally
contaminated sites in states that have cooperative
agreements. The extent of ATSDR's involvement at an
individual site depends on the health issues, the ability
of ATSDR's state and local health department partners
to adequately address those issues, and ATSDR's
resource capabilities.
The 2002 Brownfields Amendments to the Compre-
hensive Environmental Response Compensation and
Liability Act (CERCLA) provide a public health focus on
the impacts of brownfields, particularly in disadvan-
taged communities and among sensitive popula-
tions. One facet of this public health focus urges local
governments to monitor the health of populations
exposed to hazardous substances from brownfields
and to enforce institutional controls that prevent
human exposure to those substances.
Brownfields Connections
• Partnerships to assess and build the capacity of
public health agencies to participate in brownfields
redevelopment while enhancing their understanding
of the need for health care access in communities
affected by brownfields.
• Technical assistance on risk and health assessments,
health consultations, and other support for brownfields
provided to communities and other partners.
• National leadership to health agencies working on
brownfields.
• Training on environmental health impacts on
minority communities.
• Independent reviews and assessments of environ-
mental sampling data and health and community
information to determine if past, current, or future
exposure to hazardous substances might have public
health consequences.
RESOURCES
ATSDR provides financial and technical assistance to
identify and evaluate environmental health issues
associated with brownfields land reuse sites. These
resources enable state and local health departments
to further investigate environmental health concerns
and educate communities. ATSDR creates tools and
provides best practice guidance for communities to
integrate health in redevelopment plans.
Financial Assistance
Community Health Projects Related to Brownfield/
Land Reuse
ATSDR's support through its Brownfield/Land Reuse
Initiative promotes health, community involvement,
partnerships, communication, and education. ATSDR
works to include health considerations in brownfields
redevelopment and land reuse. Projects could include,
but are not limited to, the evaluation of environmen-
tal contaminant exposures, identification of health
indicators of sustainability (pre- and post-redevel-
opment), conducting risk communication and health
education, or geospatial analysis. The program
intends to stimulate collaboration among stakehold-
ers to ensure that public health is considered in the
earliest phases of remediation and redevelopment of
brownfield properties.
Eligibility: ATSDR can fund only health departments or
their bona fide agents of states, the District of Columbia,
U.S. territories, and recognized tribal governments.
Limitations: Funds may not be used for research or
clinical care. ATSDR occasionally provides funds to
health departments, universities, non-profit groups,
or vendors to conduct activities, sponsor meetings, or
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provide needed services that support ATSDR's mission,
but not under this assistance program.
Availability: ATSDR allocated $300,000 for this
program in FY2012.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Review and Assess Environmental Sampling Data
Through ATSDR's cooperative partnerships, the agency
can review and assess environmental sampling data
and other site-related information.
Health-Related Information Sharing
ATSDR can provide health-related information on
specific hazardous substances, coordinate a response
to a real or perceived elevated incidence of disease
near a site, and help individual workers or community
members find experienced, private medical attention
for significant hazardous substance exposure.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Brownfields Program Coordination:
Laurel Berman, National Brownfields Coordinator
EPA Region 5
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Room 413, M/S4J
Chicago, IL 60604
312-226-7476
berman./aure/@epa.gov
K. Leann Bing, Regional Representative
EPA Region 4, Waste Division
61 Forsyth St., SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-562-1784
binq./eann@epa.qov
Gary D. Perlman
ATSDR-Region 1
5 Post Office Square, Suite 1010
Mailcode: ATSDR 10-1
Boston, MA 02109-3921
gap6(a)cdc.gov
ATSDR Liaison Office to EPA Headquarters
Division of Community Health Investigations
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Ariel Rios Building - MC 5202P
Washington, DC 20460
Steven L. Jones, Office Director
703-603-8729
/'ones.steve@epa.gov
Deborah E. Burgin
703-603-8813
burgin.deborah(a>epa.gov
Tina Forrester, Division Director
ATSDR Division of Community Health Investigations
Mailstop F58
4770 Buford Hwy, NE
Atlanta, GA 30341
770-488-3788
fforrester@cdc. gov
Main Site
http: //www. atsdr. cdc. gov
ATSDR Brownfield/Land Reuse Initiative
http: //www. atsdr. cdc. oov/sites/brownfie/ds/index. html
SNAPSHOT - BARABOO, WISCONSIN
ATSDR has created tools and resources to assist communities interested in revitalizing brownfields or
other land reuse sites. One such tool is a model to incorporate sustainable community revitalization
into brownfield redevelopment. The ATSDR Brownfields/Land Revitalization Action Model was adopted
by the Baraboo Development Community (BDC) in their efforts to reclaim the once pristine Baraboo
waterfront, which was tarnished by more than a century of uncontrolled heavy industrial and commer-
cial activity. BDC used the Action Model framework for community health assessment and to address
the city's objective to monitor the health of the community living in or adjacent to the targeted re-
development area. Using ATSDR's Action Model, community members identified 15 different public
health challenges. They then considered redevelopment options and evaluated their potential
economic, social, and health impacts on the community. Finally, after a series of meetings, BDC was
able to create 33 ways to measure or gather indicators of the public health impact and success of
the actions they were about to take.
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Department of Health and Human
Services—National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The mission of the National Institute of Environmen-
tal Health Sciences (NIEHS) is to reduce the burden
of human illness and disability by understanding how
the environment influences the development and
progression of human disease. The NIEHS contrib-
utes to scientific knowledge of human health and
the environment and to the health and well-being of
people everywhere.
The NIEHS's Worker Education and Training Program
(WETP) supports the training and education of workers
engaged in activities related to hazardous materials
and waste generation, removal, containment,
transportation, and emergency response. The NIEHS
Minority Worker Training Program (MWTP) positively
changes lives and communities by reaching out to
deliver comprehensive training to disadvantaged
adults to prepare them for employment in the fields of
environmental restoration and hazardous materials.
Brownfields Connections
• Conducts the MWTP to assist communities by
addressing the need for a more comprehensive
training program to foster economic and environ-
mental restoration of brownfields.
• Conducts the MWTP to increase the recruitment
and training of under-represented minorities in the
fields of hazardous waste remediation, emergency
response, construction, and green jobs. Individuals
living near hazardous waste sites or in a community
at risk of exposure to contaminated properties are
targeted, with the specific focus of training them
to be safe while working in the environmental and
construction fields to clean up their communities.
• Conducts a hazardous waste worker training
program for training and educating workers
engaged in activities related to hazardous waste
removal, containment, and emergency response.
• Provides grants to small business concerns under
the Advanced Training Technology (ATT) program
to develop products for the health and safety
training of hazardous materials workers, emergency
responders, and skilled support personnel. This
program is also called the Small Business Innovative
Research (SBIR) E-Learning Program.
• In coordination with EPA, conducts the Superfund
Research Program (SRP)—a network of university
grants that are designed to seek solutions to
complex health and environmental issues associated
with the nation's hazardous waste sites.
RESOURCES
Outreach/Technical Assistance
NIEHS Worker Education and Training Program
The NIEHS WETP supports the training and education
of workers engaged in activities related to hazardous
materials and waste generation, removal, contain-
ment, transportation, and emergency response.
Its mission is to fund non-profit organizations with
a demonstrated track record of providing occupa-
tional safety and health education in developing and
delivering high-quality training to workers in handling
hazardous waste or in responding to emergency
releases of hazardous materials. Among the program
areas are the Hazardous Waste Worker Training,
Minority Worker Training, Hazmat Disaster Prepared-
ness Training, DOE Nuclear Worker Training, and
ATT programs. News releases and fact sheets on
2010-2011 WETP funding can be found at:
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/releases/20 7 0/safefy-
training.cfm
http: //www. niehs. nih .gov/careers/assets/docs/fact_
sheet on niehs wetp 20 7 0_awards.pdf
http: //www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/index. cfm
Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program
Hazardous materials and waste workers include
workers engaged in active and inactive waste
treatment, storage and disposal, hazardous waste
generation, cleanup and remedial action, and
emergency response, as well as workers engaged
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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in hazardous materials transportation, including the
safe loading, unloading, handling, and storage of
hazardous materials.
In 25 years of the WETP, the Hazardous Waste Worker
Training Program (HWWTP) supported 20 primary
awardees. They represent more than 100 different
institutions that trained more than 2.2 million workers
across the country. They presented over 124,812
classroom and hands-on training courses, which
account for more than 27 million contact hours of
actual training. More information about the awardees
and descriptions of all NIEHS WETP programs can be
found at: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/
Eligibility Requirements: The following organiza-
tions and institutions are eligible to apply: public/
state-controlled institutions of higher education;
private institutions of higher education; Hispanic-
serving institutions; historically black colleges and
universities; tribally controlled colleges and univer-
sities; Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving
institutions; and non-profits with 501 (c)(3) IRS Status
(other than institutions of higher education).
Limitations: A request for applications is released
every five years for a five-year funding period. The
current grant cycle is 2010-2014. The next grant cycle
will be 2015-2019.
Availability: For the period of 2012-2013, approxi-
mately $20.6 million was allocated to this program.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Train and educate workers engaged in activities
related to hazardous waste removal, containment,
and emergency response.
• Conduct special training for workers who may be
exposed to unique or special hazards.
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/programs/
hwwt/index. dm
Minority Worker Training Program
The MWTP was established in 1995 to provide a
series of national pilot programs to test a range of
strategies for recruiting, training, and employing
persons wanting to work in the environmental field.
These individuals may live near hazardous waste sites
or in communities at risk of exposure from contami-
nated properties. The program focuses on delivering
comprehensive training to increase the number
of disadvantaged and under-represented minority
workers in the fields of environmental restoration and
hazardous materials. The program represents a broad
geographic distribution and reaches several urban
populations in high-risk contaminated areas.
The MWTP promotes long-lasting, effective partner-
ships in minority communities, which helps reinforce
occupational health and worker education. The program
provides pre-employment job training, including literacy,
life skills, and environmental preparation, as well as
green jobs, construction skills training, and environ-
mental worker training (e.g., hazardous waste, asbestos
abatement, lead abatement, and health and safety
training). Some training also includes enrollment in
apprenticeship programs for construction and environ-
mental remediation occupations. Emphasis is placed on
mentoring programs. The MWTP promotes partnerships
or sub-agreements with academic and other institutions,
with a particular focus on historically black colleges and
universities, as well as public schools and community-
based organizations located in or near the impacted
area. These institutions provide pre-math, science, and
other related educational courses to program partici-
pants prior to, or concurrent with, entry into the training
program. The MWTP trains workers near brownfield sites.
Overall, MWTP programs achieve great success
moving young workers into long-term employment,
most recently in the area of energy retrofitting and
solar panel installation. Since 1995, these programs
trained approximately 10,000 students and found
employment for approximately 69 percent of those
students in jobs directly related to their training.
Eligibility Requirements: The following organizations
and institutions are eligible to apply: public/state-
controlled institutions of higher education; private
institutions of higher education; Hispanic-serving
institutions; historically black colleges and universities;
tribally controlled colleges and universities; Alaska
Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions; and
non-profits with 501 (c)(3) IRS status (other than institu-
tions of higher education).
Limitations: A request for applications is released
every five years for a five-year funding period. The
current grant cycle is 2010-2014. The next grant cycle
will be 2015-2019.
Availability: For the period of 2012-2013, approxi-
mately $3.5 million was allocated to this program.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Targets recruitment of under-represented minority
residents who live in urban areas near hazardous
waste sites or in communities at risk of exposure to
contaminated properties for work in the environmen-
tal field.
• Provides pre-employment job training, including literacy,
life skills, environmental preparation, green jobs, and
other related courses for construction skills training.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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• Provides safety and health training in areas such as
hazardous waste remediation and asbestos and lead
abatement.
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/programs/
mwt/index.cim
Hazmat Disaster Preparedness Training Program
NIEHS developed a Hazmat Disaster Prepared-
ness Training Program (HDPTP) initiative in response
to the experiences and lessons learned in recent
national disasters, including terrorist attacks. This
program enhances the training of current hazardous
materials workers and chemical responders, trains
skilled response personnel, creates training materials,
delivers training to workers responding to a disaster,
and augments prevention and preparedness efforts
in a wide variety of high-risk settings. This initiative is
intended to foster the development of disaster-specific
training programs as an extension to the HWWTP
for the purpose of preparing a group of experi-
enced workers for prevention and response to future
terrorist incidents in a wide variety of facilities and
high-risk operations. The purpose of the HDPTP is to
complement the Department of Homeland Security's
preparedness training programs by enhancing the
safety and health training capacity of hazmat workers
and emergency responders to prevent, deter, or
respond to terrorist incidents involving weapons of
mass destruction. Since the program started in 2005,
awardees responded to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
the 2007 California wildfires, and the Deepwater
Horizon Oil Spill. Approximately 3,964 courses were
offered to 57,496 workers.
Training developed under this program should
reference the National Incident Management System
standardized incident management processes,
protocols, and procedures that all federal, state,
tribal, and local responders will use to coordinate and
conduct response actions.
Eligibility Requirements: The following organiza-
tions and institutions are eligible to apply: public/
state-controlled institutions of higher education;
private institutions of higher education; Hispanic-
serving institutions; historically black colleges and
universities; tribally controlled colleges and univer-
sities; Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving
institutions; and non-profits with 501 (c)(3) IRS Status
(other than institutions of higher education).
Limitations: A request for applications is released
every five years for a five-year funding period. The
current grant cycle is 2010-2014. The next grant cycle
will be 2015-2019.
Availability: For the period of 2012-2013, approxi-
mately $2.2 million was allocated to this program.
Uses/Applications and Areas of Program
Response Include:
• Enhanced training for current hazardous material
workers and chemical responders who protect the
nation's infrastructure from potential terrorist attacks
on chemical-intensive operations is a continuing
high-priority national need.
• Training for skilled response personnel to ensure
appropriate response and remediation actions to
bio-terrorist attacks using weaponized microbials is
a high-priority area for training program response.
The OSHA designation of anthrax response coverage
by 1910.120 regulations (http://www.osha.gov/dep/
anthrax/hasp/index.html) identifies a clear target
training population.
• Training initiatives support the development of a
nationwide cadre of well-trained environmental
response workers and emergency responders to
ensure that the nation is prepared to respond to
future disasters of national significance. This training
is patterned after the successful Hazardous Waste
Worker Training Program, which provides worker
certification.
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/programs/
hdpt/index.cfm
Advanced Technology Training Program
The ATT program solicits SBIR grant applications
from small business concerns that propose to further
the development of advanced technology training
products for the health and safety training of hazard-
ous-materials workers, emergency responders, and
skilled support personnel. These products complement
the goals and objectives of the WETP, which is to
prevent work-related harm by assisting in training
workers to protect themselves and their communities
from exposure to hazardous materials. ATT addresses
the need to ensure that learning and training technol-
ogies are further developed, field-tested, and applied
to real-world situations. The financial support for this
initiative comes directly from NIEHS Worker Education
and Training Branch SBIR funds.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities are U.S.
small business concerns.
Availability: Funding is available every year. For this
funding opportunity, budgets up to $100,000 total
costs per year and time periods of up to one year for
Phase I may be requested. Budgets up to $200,000
total costs per year and time periods of up to two
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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years may be requested for Phase II. Future-year
amounts will depend on annual appropriations.
Uses/Applications Include:
• SBIR grants support the development of emerging
technologies to improve worker preparedness
through training and education enhancements and
methodologies (such as e-collaboration, e-teaching,
and e-learning) in safety and health training for
workers engaged in hazardous materials response.
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/programs/
att/index.cfm
Superfund Research Program
The Superfund Research Program (SRP) is a network of
university grants that are designed to seek solutions
to the complex health and environmental issues
associated with the nation's hazardous waste sites.
One goal of the program is to improve public health
by supporting integrated research that is multidisci-
plinary and is capable of identifying, assessing, and
evaluating the potential health effects of exposure
to hazardous substances. Another goal is to develop
innovative chemical, physical, and biological technolo-
gies for reducing potential exposure to hazardous
substances. The research conducted is coordinated
with EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
accredited domestic institutions of higher education.
Availability: Funding is available almost every year.
In FY 2012, three awards were made to recompet-
ing multiproject grants for a total of approximately $8
million.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Support research to identify, assess, and evaluate
the potential health effects of exposure to hazardous
substances and to develop innovative chemical,
physical, and biological technologies for reducing
potential exposure to hazardous substances.
• Develop methods and technologies to detect
hazardous substances in the environment.
• Develop advanced techniques for detecting,
assessing, and evaluating the effect on human
health of hazardous substances.
• Develop methods to assess the risks to human health
presented by hazardous substances.
• Develop basic biological, chemical, and physical
methods to reduce the amount and toxicity of
hazardous substances.
http://www.niehs.nih. gov/research/supported/srp/
index, cfm
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Sharon D. Beard
Industrial Hygienist
Worker Education and Training Program
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
NIH, DHHS
RO. Box 12233, MDK3-14
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2233
919-541-1863
beard 7@niehs.nih.gov
Joseph (Chip) Hughes, Director
Worker Education and Training Program
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
NIH, DHHS
RO. Box 12233, MDK3-14
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2233
919-541-0217
hughes3@niehs.nih.gov
Main Sites
http: //www. niehs. nih. gov/
http://www.niehs.nih. aov/careers/hazmat/index. cfm
SNAPSHOT - NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
The New Jersey-New York Hazardous Materials Worker Training Center recently developed a new collab-
oration with the Hope Community Outreach Center of Camden, New Jersey to provide public health-
related training to residents of the Whitman Park section of Camden. All 25 of the participants who
successfully completed this 15-week program were employed following the completion of the training
program in a variety of industries, including green jobs, and have an average hourly rate of pay of
$21.00. As a result of its successful Minority Worker Training Program, in 2012 the center developed
another program with NIEHS funding to train returning war veterans, called the NJ Jobs4Vets training.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Department of Health and Human
Services—Office of Community Services
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Office of Community Services (OCS) works in
partnership with states, communities, and other
agencies to address the economic and social services
needs of the urban and rural poor at the local level
by providing grant monies and technical assistance
to these organizations. The goal of the programs
administered by OCS is to increase the capacity of
individuals and families to become self-sufficient and
to revitalize communities.
Brownfields Connection
• Grants to community development corporations and
community action agencies for brownfields redevel-
opment and job creation projects.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Community Economic Development Program
The Community Economic Development Program
provides funds to create employment and business
development opportunities for low-income residents.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants include
private, non-profit organizations that are community
development corporations, including faith-based,
charitable, tribal, and Alaskan-native organizations.
Availability: About $27.4 million was available in FY
2012 for 38 grants.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Startup or expansion of businesses.
• Capital expenditures, such as the purchase of
equipment or real property.
• Operating expenses.
• Equity investments.
• Access to healthy food in low-income communities
located in food deserts.
htto://www. acf.hhs. qov/proqrams/ocs/ced/index. html
Community Services Block Grant Program
The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) provides
funds to alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty
in communities. These grants are available to:
• States.
• The District of Columbia.
• The Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• U.S. Territories.
• Federally and state-recognized Indian tribes and
tribal organizations.
• Community Action Agencies.
• Migrant and seasonal farm workers.
• Other organizations specifically designated by the
states.
Eligibility Requirements: Grants are sub-awarded to
local community-based organizations generally called
Community Action Agencies.
Availability: Grants are determined by a statutory
formula. Approximately $677 million in CSBG funds
were available in FY 2012.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Employment services.
• Education and training.
• Income management assistance.
• Emergency services.
• Housing assistance.
• Nutrition services.
http://www. acf.hhs. gov/programs/ocs/programs/csbg
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Rural Community Development
Rural Community Development (RCD) is a federal
grant program that works with regional and tribal
organizations to manage safe water systems in rural
communities. RCD funds projects designed to:
• Provide low-income individuals access to safe and
affordable drinking water in their homes.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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• Strengthen economic conditions and opportuni-
ties in these communities through water supply
and wastewater disposal training and technical
assistance.
• Construct, improve, and preserve water supply and
disposal systems in a cost-effective manner.
Eligibility Requirements: Multistate, regional,
private, non-profit (501(c)(3)) tax-exempt organiza-
tions.
Availability: Approximately $5 million in RCD funds
was available in FY 2012.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Providing safety and security training and technical
assistance.
• Improving coordination among Federal, state, and
local agencies in water waste management.
• Improving the capacity of small and very small water
systems to better prepare for emergencies.
• Developing emergency preparedness plans for small
water systems.
http://www. acf.hhs. govI'programs/PCS/'programs /red
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Yolanda J. Butler, Ph.D., Deputy Director
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Community Services
370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201
202-401-9333
yo/anda.but/er(a)acf. hhs.gov
Main Site
hff p: //www. acf.hhs. aov/oroarams/ocs/
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Department of Housing and Urban
Development*
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM
Mission
The overall mission of the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) is to create strong,
sustainable, inclusive communities and quality
affordable homes for all. HUD has several brownfield-
applicable programs:
• Community Development Block Grant Program
(includes the Entitlement Communities Program and
several non-entitlement communities programs).
• Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program.
• HOME Investment Partnerships Program.
• Sustainable Communities Initiative.
• Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program.
Brownfields Connections
• Block grants and competitive awards to state and
local governments for revitalizing communities.
• Federally guaranteed loans to state and local
governments for large economic development and
revitalization projects in communities.
• Grants to communities for integrating brownfields
redevelopment planning with transportation and
housing planning.
• Block grants to state and local governments for
meeting safe and affordable housing needs in
developed areas.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Community Development Block Grant Program
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
program in the Office of Community Planning and
Development (CPD) is a flexible program that provides
communities with resources to address a wide range
of unique community development needs. The CDBG
program began in 1974 and is one of the longest
continuously run programs at HUD. The CDBG
program provides annual grants on a formula basis to
over 1,200 general units of local government and to
states and U.S. territories.
The CDBG Program allocates annual grants to entitle-
ment communities and states with the principal
statutory objective of developing viable communities
by providing decent housing and a suitable living
environment and by expanding economic opportu-
nities, principally for persons with low or moderate
incomes. Eligible entitlement community grantees are
principal cities of metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs),
other metropolitan cities with populations of at least
50,000, and qualified urban counties with popula-
tions of at least 200,000 (excluding the population
of entitled cities). The states allocate and administer
funds for non-entitlement communities.
HUD allocates CDBG funds to entitlement communi-
ties on a statutory dual-formula basis that uses
several objective measures of community needs,
including the extent of poverty, population, housing
overcrowding, age of housing, and population-
growth lag in relationship to other metropolitan
areas. HUD allocates CDBG funds to the states
based on a statutory formula that takes into account
population, poverty, incidence of overcrowded
housing, and age of housing. Neither HUD nor states
distribute funds directly to citizens or private organi-
zations. The states distribute all funds (other than
administration and the technical assistance set-aside
funds) to units of general local government. The state
must ensure that at least 70 percent of its CDBG
grant funds are used for activities that benefit low-
and moderate-income persons over a one-, two-,
or three-year time period selected by the state. This
general objective is achieved by granting "maximum
feasible priority" to activities that benefit low- and
moderate-income families or aid in the prevention or
elimination of slums or blight.
Grantees have broad discretion in selecting activities
to pursue with CDBG funds. For example, the states of
Texas, Arizona, California, and New Mexico allocate
up to ten percent of their CDBG funds to assist
* Note:Although EPA has made an effort to ensure that the information contained in this section is as accurate as possible, HUD did
not review this section in its entirety. Please check with your local HUD office for the most up-to-date information about these
programs.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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communities on the U.S.-Mexican border (colonias)
in maintaining sanitary housing, water, and sewage
systems. Additionally, CDBG plays a vital role in many
local brownfields reuse strategies.
Brownfields contribute to eroding economic conditions,
creation of blight, and reduction of economic opportu-
nities for low- and moderate-income persons. CDBG
funds may be used in smaller neighborhood-based
projects as well as larger projects to aid in demolition,
site cleanup, and remediation of environmental issues
such as lead-based paint and asbestos. Therefore,
the use of CBDG funds to revitalize brownfields
often meets the program's mission to help low-
and moderate-income people by driving economic
development or eliminating blight.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entitlement
communities are cities with populations of at least
50,000 and qualified urban counties with popula-
tions of at least 200,000. HUD awards funding on
a formula basis. Eligible non-entitlement communi-
ties are cities with populations less than 50,000
and qualified urban counties with populations less
than 200,000. States award funding based on state
priorities and selection criteria.
Limitations: Expenses for general government
operations or the acquisition, construction, or
reconstruction of buildings for government operations
are not eligible. CDBG-funded activities must meet
one of the program's three national objectives:
(1) principally benefit low- and moderate-income
persons; (2) prevent or eliminate slums or blight;
or (3) meet other urgent community development
needs. Entitlement communities must submit to
HUD a Consolidated Plan, which is a jurisdiction's
comprehensive planning document and applica-
tion for funding under the following CPD formula
grant programs: CDBG, HOME Investment Partner-
ships, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
(HOPWA), and Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG).
Availability: Congress appropriated about $3
billion for the CDBG program in FY 2012, including
set-asides. HUD distributes 70 percent of the CDBG
formula appropriations to entitlement communities,
and the remaining 30 percent of the formula funds go
to the states for distribution to non-entitlement small
cities and counties.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Prepare plans for redevelopment or revitalization of
brownfields.
• Acquire real property.
• Conduct environmental site assessments.
• Clean up contamination.
• Clear sites and demolish and remove buildings.
• Rehabilitate public and private buildings.
• Construct public works, including water and sewer
facilities, streets, neighborhood centers, and the
conversion of school buildings for eligible purposes.
• Conduct activities relating to energy conservation
and renewable energy resources.
• Provide assistance to prof it-motivated businesses to
carry out economic development and job creation/
retention activities.
hftp://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_
offices/comm_p/anning/communitydeve/opment/
programs
Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program
Section 108 provides communities with a source
of financing for economic development, housing
rehabilitation, public facilities, and large-scale
physical development projects. Section 108 is the
loan guarantee provision of the CDBG program.
Local governments borrowing funds guaranteed by
Section 108 must pledge their current and future
CDBG allocations to cover the loan amount as security
for the loan. Section 108 allows communities to
capitalize large revitalization projects that can renew
entire neighborhoods. Such public investment often
is needed to encourage private economic investment
in distressed areas. Several cities have made the
108 program a focal point of their local brownfields
strategies.
Eligible applicants include the following public
entities:
• Metropolitan cities and urban counties that are
CDBG entitlement recipients.
• Non-entitlement communities that are assisted in
the submission of applications by states administer-
ing the CDBG program.
• Non-entitlement communities eligible to receive
CDBG funds under the HUD-administered Small
Cities CDBG program (Hawaii and Insular Areas).
The public entity may be the borrower or it may
designate a public agency as the borrower.
Section 108 obligations are financed through
underwritten public offerings. Financing between
public offerings is provided through an interim lending
facility established by HUD. To date, there has been
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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no default under Section 108 resulting in a repayment
by HUD. In the event of default requiring a payment,
HUD would continue to make payments on the loan in
accordance with its terms.
Eligibility Requirements: To determine eligible uses
of funds, CDBG rules and requirements apply. As with
the CDBG program, all projects and activities must
either principally benefit low- and moderate-income
persons, aid in the elimination or prevention of slums
and blight, or meet urgent needs of the community.
Limitations: CDBG entitlement community recipients
and states may borrow an amount equal to five times
the recipients' latest CDBG entitlement grant. The
maximum repayment period for a Section 108 loan is
20 years.
Availability: HUD had $240 million in guarantee
authority available for FY 2012.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Economic development activities and housing
rehabilitation eligible under CDBG.
• Acquisition of real property (including brownfields).
• Rehabilitation of publicly owned real property
(including brownfields).
• Construction, reconstruction, or installation of public
facilities (including street, sidewalk, and other site
improvements).
• Related relocation, clearance, and site improvements.
• Payment of interest on the guaranteed loan and
issuance costs of public offerings.
• Debt service reserves.
• Public works and site improvements in colonias.
• Housing construction in limited circumstances.
hftp://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_
offices/commjilanning/communitydevelopment/
programs/7 08
HOME Investment Partnerships Program
HOME is the largest federal block grant program
designed exclusively to produce affordable housing
for low-income households. CPD directly distrib-
utes HOME funds to hundreds of state and local
participating jurisdictions. States receive 40 percent
of total HOME funding and localities receive 60
percent based on a formula determining need. The
program's flexibility enables communities to design
and implement affordable housing strategies tailored
to meet their needs and priorities.
Eligibility Requirements: Annual grants are awarded
as formula grants to participating jurisdictions, which
include states, qualifying counties and metropolitan
areas, and approved regional consortia consisting of
counties and metropolitan areas. Insular areas also
receive a portion of the available funds.
Limitations: Participating jurisdictions are required to
provide a 25 percent match of HOME funding.
Availability: HUD allocated $1.0 billion in HOME
funds to participating jurisdictions in FY 2012.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Provide home purchase or rehabilitation financing
assistance to homeowners and homebuyers.
• Build or rehabilitate housing for rent or ownership.
• Acquire, improve, or demolish dilapidated housing.
• Provide rental assistance to low-income renters.
http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/affordablehousing/
programs/home/
Sustainable Communities Initiative
The Office of Sustainable Housing and Communi-
ties (OSHC) administers the Sustainable Communities
Initiative to stimulate more integrated and sophisti-
cated regional planning to guide state, metropolitan,
and local investments in land use, transportation, and
housing, as well as to challenge localities to undertake
zoning and land-use reforms. This initiative has four
main tasks:
• Partner with the Department of Transportation
(DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency
in the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to
catalyze a new generation of integrated metropoli-
tan transportation, housing, land-use, and energy
planning, using state of the art data, analytic tools,
and geographic information systems.
• Fund Sustainable Communities Regional Planning
Grants and Community Challenge Grants to enable
local and regional planning to establish policies,
codes, tools, and critical capital investments needed
to achieve sustainable and inclusive development.
• Support capacity-building and a clearinghouse
designed to support grant recipients and other
communities interested in implementing sustainable
community strategies.
• Provide funding for a joint HUD-DOT-ERA research
effort designed to advance transportation and
housing linkages on a number of levels.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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OSHC is the lead office within HUD for the Partnership
for Sustainable Communities, which was launched in
2009 as an interagency partnership involving HUD,
DOT, and EPA. United around six livability principles,
the agencies are working together to align federal
policies, improve access to affordable housing,
enhance economic competitiveness, increase the
number of available transportation options, and lower
transportation costs while protecting the environment
in communities nationwide. This interagency collabo-
ration is reflected in the grant-making processes
of the participating agencies. HUD, DOT, and EPA
officials work together to draft grant solicitations,
review grant applications, and coordinate investments.
HUD streamlined sustainability across many of its
grant programs by awarding "Preferred Sustainability
Status" to a number of communities and regions that
receive bonus points on competitive grant applications
for projects that complement their sustainability goals.
Eligibility Requirements: Applicants eligible for
Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants
are consortia of units of government, regional
planning agencies, and non-profit organizations. If
a Metropolitan Planning Organization exists within a
region, it must be a part of the consortium. Applicants
eligible for Community Challenge Planning Grants are
state, local, and tribal governments.
Limitations: Applicants for a Sustainable Communi-
ties Regional Planning Grant or a Community
Challenge Planning Grant must provide a match equal
to 20 percent of the requested funding amount in
the form of cash, verified in-kind contributions, or a
combination of these sources.
Availability: Although not funded since 2011,
funding for this program could be restored in future
years.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Provide more transportation choices.
• Promote equitable, affordable housing.
• Enhance economic competitiveness.
• Support existing communities and neighborhoods.
• Coordinate and leverage federal policies and
investment.
Partnership for Sustainable Communities: http://www.
sustainablecommunities.gov
OSHC: http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/
program offices/sustainable housing communities
Lead-Based Paint Grant Programs
The Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
(OHHLHC) was established to eliminate lead-based
paint hazards in privately owned and low-income
housing, and to lead the nation in addressing
other housing-related health hazards that threaten
vulnerable residents. HUD's lead-based paint program
was established in 1993 to reduce young children's
exposure to lead paint hazards in homes.
Several grant programs provide funding to identify and
control lead-based paint hazards:
• Lead-based Paint Hazard Control (LHC) grant program.
• Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration (LHRD) grant
program.
• Lead Elimination Action Program grants.
Two additional grant programs provide funding for
outreach and technical assistance. These grants assist
states, tribes, cities, counties/parishes, and other units
of local government in undertaking comprehensive
programs to identify and control lead-based paint
hazards in eligible privately owned rental or owner-
occupied housing. Funds made available under this
program are awarded competitively on an annual
basis through a selection process conducted by HUD.
Eligibility Requirements: LHRD grants must be used
to address housing privately owned and occupied
by, or rented to, low-income families. LHRD grant
recipients must provide a 25 percent match. LHC grant
recipients must provide a 10 percent match.
Availability: OHHLHC had $86 million in FY2012 for
its LHC program.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments.
• Community awareness or education programs on
lead hazard control and lead poisoning prevention.
• Blood testing of children prior to lead hazard control
work.
• Lead hazard control work (this includes cleaning,
interim controls, and hazard abatement).
• Temporary relocation of families during hazard
control activities.
• Training for workers and supervisors.
• Training on lead-safe maintenance practices for
residents and others working in low-income housing.
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_
offices/healthy homes
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SNAPSHOT - FLINT, MICHIGAN
Flint, Michigan, is working on a plan for sustainability with the assistance of a HUD Community Challenge
Planning grant from the Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The city is developing its first compre-
hensive master plan since 1960. The plan will build on the emerging best practices for addressing
population decline, vacant properties, and economic diversification. The process ignited interest in the
community—from corporate CEOs to neighborhood block captains—because of the need for an integrated
and coordinated investment strategy that ensures assets are leveraged and outcomes are equitable for the
diverse city and region.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Stan Gimont, Director
Office of Block Grant Assistance
Office of Community Planning and Development
451 7th St., SW, Room 7286
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-3587x4559
stan/ey.g;'mont@hud.gov
Steve Johnson, Director
Entitlement Communities Division
Office of Block Grant Assistance
451 7th St. SW, Room 7282
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-1577x4548
steve./'ohnson@hud.gov
[CDBG Entitlement Communities]
Stephen Rhodeside, Director
State and Small Cities Division
Office of Block Grant Assistance
451 7th St. SW, Room 7184
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-1322x7375
Stephen.m.rhodeside(5)hud.gov
[CDBG Non-entitlement Communities]
Paul Webster, Director
Financial Management Division
Office of Block Grant Assistance
451 7th St. SW, Room 7178 x 4563
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-1871
paul. webster@h ud. gov
[Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program]
Cliff Taffet, Director
Office of Affordable Housing Programs
451 7th St., SW, Room 7100
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-2690x4589
Clifford. taffet(5)h ud.gov
[HOME Investment Partnerships Program]
Shelley R. Poticha, Director
Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities
451 7th St., SW
Washington, DC 20410
202-402-6045
she//ey.r.poticha@hud.gov
[Sustainable Communities Initiative]
John Gant, Director
Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
451 7th St., SW, Room 8236
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-0310x7025
/'on./.gant@hud.gov
[Lead Based Paint Grant Programs]
Main Site
http://www.hud.gov
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Department of the Interior-
National Park Service
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The National Park Service (NFS) preserves natural and
cultural resources and manages the national park
system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration
of this and future generations. The NFS cooperates
with partners to extend the benefits of natural and
cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation
throughout this country and the world.
Brownfields Connections
• Assistance provided to state and local governments,
as well as community-based organizations, to assist
community-led natural resource conservation and
outdoor recreation initiatives, including those in
urban areas.
• Assistance to states and local governments in the
acquisition of surplus federal lands.
• Assistance for community revitalization.
RESOURCES
Outreach Assistance
Federal Lands to Parks Program
The National Park Service's Federal Lands to Parks
Program helps communities create new parks and
recreation areas by transferring surplus federal land to
state and local governments. This program helps ensure
public access to park lands and promotes good steward-
ship of natural, cultural, and recreational resources.
Eligibility Requirements: States, counties, municipali-
ties, and similar government entities may acquire surplus
federal land for parks and recreational areas. Private
and nonprofit organizations, religious institutions, and
individuals are not eligible to acquire surplus federal
land for recreation through the program. However,
these entities may act as advocates for the acquisition
of federal lands by state and local governments.
Limitations: Land or buildings obtained through
this program must be used for public parks and
recreational activities in perpetuity. The Federal Lands
to Parks Program periodically monitors property use and
development to make sure that parks obtained under
the program are managed according to the terms and
conditions of the deed and approved use plan.
Availability: Over 1,500 properties, representing
approximately 169,000 acres, were transferred to
state and local governments for parks and recreation
areas since the program's inception in 1949. When
federal land becomes available for reuse, the General
Services Administration (or the military agency in
cases of base closures, or at times another federal
"disposing" agency) will notify other federal and state
agencies. Federal Lands to Parks Program staff review
notices of available property for park and recreation
opportunities and notify relevant state, regional, and
local park agencies. Notices often are posted on
military or General Services Administration websites.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Creating or expanding public parks and recreation
areas.
• Providing or expanding park and recreational
amenities to camp, hike, play sports, improve
quality of life, help revitalization efforts, and attract
businesses.
• Protecting open spaces, extending hiking trails, and
opening boating and fishing access.
• Preserving historical and natural resources, such as
forts, lighthouses, shorelines, and wildlife habitat.
• Converting abandoned military bases into widely
used, productive recreational assets.
• Renewing a sense of community through community
gardens, senior and cultural centers, and other
gathering places.
http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/flp
Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program
The Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance
(RTCA) program provides assistance to communities
so they can conserve rivers, preserve open space,
and develop trails and greenways. RTCA staff help
build partnerships to achieve community-defined
goals by assessing resources, developing concept
plans, engaging public participation, and identify-
ing potential sources of funding for conservation and
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SNAPSHOT - HUDSON RIVER, NEW YORK
In 2012, NPS's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program provided assistance to local communi-
ties, state agencies, and community groups in New York to designate the Hudson River Greenway Water
Trail as a National Water Trail. The 256-mile water trail, which extends from the Adirondack Park and Lake
Champlain in northern New York to New York City, provides at least one access point every 10 miles or
less along both shores of the river, and includes 96 designated public access sites. The Water Trail is part
of the Hudson River Valley Greenway Program. The trail will be administered by the National Park Service
and become part of a new National Water Trails System, which was established to protect and restore
America's rivers, shorelines, and waterways; conserve natural areas along waterways; and increase
access to outdoor recreation on shorelines and waterways.
outdoor recreation projects. Some of the assistance
is targeted to urban areas. As such, the program can
complement brownfields redevelopment efforts.
Four RTCA project areas support conservation efforts:
urban area projects, trails and greenway projects,
rails-trails projects, and river projects. A redevelopment
project may use any or all of these project areas at the
same time. The Groundwork USA Initiative is a pilot
program of RTCA in cooperation with ERA's Brownfields
Program, through which NFS provides technical
assistance to successful pilot community applicants. EPA
provides NFS with the funds for this program under an
interagency agreement. NFS awards financial assistance
to successful applicants and administers the assistance
agreements. The Groundwork USA Initiative builds
the capacity of communities impacted by brownfields
and abandoned lands. The Groundwork USA Initiative
improves a community's environment for conservation,
recreation, and economic development by supporting
the establishment of locally organized and controlled
Groundwork Trusts. Each of the trusts is an independent,
not-for-profit environmental business. The trusts partner
with government agencies and the private sector to
engage residents in the remediation of brownfields to
build consensus on reusing these sites for community
benefit and facilitating their transformation.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible project partners
include nonprofit organizations, community groups,
tribes or tribal governments, and local, state, or
federal government agencies. Federal agencies
may be the lead partner only in collaboration with a
nonfederal partner. Projects are locally requested and
led and should include significant public involvement.
Projects should also include the commitment, coopera-
tion, and cost-sharing of all partners.
Limitations: The RTCA involvement in these partner-
ships does not exceed two years.
Availability: Assistance is provided for one year and
may be renewed for a second year, if warranted.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Assisting in the development of conservation
partnerships.
• Providing resource assessment and identifying
potential sources of funding.
• Engaging public participation.
• Helping communities achieve on-the-ground conser-
vation successes for their projects.
• Offering assistance in greenway efforts ranging
from urban promenades, to trails along abandoned
railroad rights-of-way, to wildlife corridors.
• Promoting river conservation through downtown
riverfronts, regional water trails, and stream restoration.
http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/
Groundwork USA: http://www.groundworkusa.org/
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Wendy Ormont, Leader
National Park Service
Federal Lands to Parks Program
1201 Eye St., NW, Floor 9
Washington, DC 20005
202-354-6915
wendy_ormont(a>nps.gov
Charlie Stockman, Leader
National Park Service
Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program
1201 Eye St., NW, Floor 9
Washington, DC 20005
202-354-6907
charlie stockman@nps.gov
Main Site
http://www.nps.gov
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Department of the Interior—
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The mission of the Department of the Interior's Office
of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
(OSM) is to carry out the requirements of the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act in cooperation
with states and tribes. The primary objectives are to
ensure that coal mines are operated in a manner that
protects citizens and the environment during mining
and assures that the land is restored to beneficial
use following mining, and to mitigate the effects of
past mining by aggressively pursuing reclamation of
abandoned coal mines.
Brownfields Connections
• Provides information on preregulatory mine site
issues and development opportunities to local
governments, states, tribes, quasi-public develop-
ment organizations, nonprofits, and other entities
eligible to apply for EPA brownfields assessment and
cleanup grants.
• Offers grant-writing training and assistance through
its OSM/VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America)
Program—targeted to watershed groups and other
entities eligible to apply for grants to support
brownfields redevelopment.
• Supports local governments in the assessment,
reclamation, and redevelopment of abandoned
mine lands as brownfields.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program
The Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program
makes funds available for reclamation projects to
clean streams affected by acid mine drainage.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
nonprofit organizations, especially small local
watershed organizations.
Availability: Applicants normally receive up to
$100,000 for each reclamation project, primarily
for project construction. Watershed Cooperative
Agreements have a two-year performance period.
Between 1999 and 2006, OSM awarded 161
Watershed Cooperative Agreements and amendments
to existing agreements totaling more than $14 million.
Limitations: Matching funds are required.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Project construction.
• Administrative costs.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Abandoned Mine Land Program
The Abandoned Mine Land (AMI) Program addresses
threats to public health, safety, and general welfare
through the reclamation of environmental hazards
caused by past mining practices. In 2006, the program
was extended to 2021.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
watershed groups working on properties mined prior
to August 3, 1977, and limited sites mined after that
date.
Limitations: Each state must have an approved
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
regulatory (Title V) program and a reclamation (Title
IV) program before it is eligible to receive reclama-
tion grant funding. Tribes are allowed access to AML
funds derived from reclamation fees if they have an
approved reclamation program.
http://www.osmre.gOv/am//am/.shtm
OSM/VISTA Teams
OSM and the AmeriCorps VISTA program assist
watershed groups in capacity-building to improve
communities. The OSM/VISTA initiative can provide
a watershed group or other community improve-
ment group with a full-time, college graduate VISTA
volunteer to support brownfields development,
implementation, and outreach.
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SNAPSHOT - KINGWOOD, WEST VIRGINIA
The Cheat River watershed is nestled in the high mountains of eastern West Virginia in the heart of the
Appalachian coal fields. The Friends of Cheat (FoC) formed in response to a significant acid mine
draining blowout from an underground coal mine. With assistance from OSM/VISTA, FoC acquired a
parcel of land that was once used for coal preparation. An OSM/VISTA volunteer helped write a Brown-
fields FOCUS grant application for funding from the state of West Virginia to conduct an environmental
assessment of the area.
In early 2012, FoC was awarded a $5,000 grant through the 2012 FOCUS West Virginia Brownfields Program
to redevelop the former WV Northern/Kern Valley Railroad Maintenance Facility located within the Kingwood
town limits. In addition to obtaining the former Kern Valley Railroad property an individual landowner
donated 2.5 acres of land to FoC. Since the brownfields grant was awarded, FoC, with community support
and input, developed a reuse plan for the entire property. The plans include a trailhead and associated
amenities for the future rail-trail, a dog park, community garden, and an open air farmers' market. FoC's
first action will be to work with Preservation Alliance of West Virginia to stabilize and restore the century-old
historic water tower located on the property. In August 2012, the Appalachian Coal Country Team began a
three-year OSM/VISTA project to coordinate the development of the reuse plans.
Eligibility Requirements: The sponsoring watershed
organization must demonstrate its capacity for
effective supervision and support of the OSM/VISTA
assistance, adherence to the core goals for OSM/
VISTA, and community support.
Limitations: There is a small cost-share requirement
for all OSM/VISTA projects.
Availability: Complete an application that documents the
poverty of the watershed, the support of local agencies,
and a work plan. The position is for three years.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Building capacity in the sponsoring organization.
• Organizing the water-quality monitoring critical to
future funding.
• Reaching out to youth and adults in the community
to create awareness about watershed issues.
• Engaging in economic revitalization efforts.
• Finding funding for the revitalization efforts.
http://www.coalcountryteam.org and http://www.
hardrockteam.org
Summer Watershed Intern Program
The Summer Watershed Intern Program provides
assistance to private and public not-for-profit institu-
tions and organizations to provide stipends for
Summer Program Members (SPMs) to work on specific
watershed projects.
Eligibility Requirements: Sponsoring watershed
groups must complete a Hosting Site Application with
the Summer Programs Coordinator. When posted,
applications can be found at http://www.coalcoun-
tryteam.org or http://www.hardrockteam.org. The
selected Summer Program member MUST be 18 years
of age and at least a sophomore in college. Each
proposed project must clearly enhance the sustain-
ability of the organization by focusing on at least one
of the five Team Core Goals: (1) capacity building; (2)
community revitalization/economic redevelopment;
(3) environmental monitoring; (4) education and
outreach; and (5) professional development.
Availability: Announcements for accepting applica-
tions (for both hosting sites and SPMs) usually are
made in March.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
T. Allan Comp, Ph.D.
Coordinator: OSM/VISTA Teams
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
Department of the Interior- Room 121
Washington, DC 20240
202-208-2836
tcomp@osmre.gov
Appalachian Coal Country Team
http://www.coa/countryteam.org
Western Hardrock Watershed Team
http: //www.hardrockteam.org
Main Site
htto://www. osmre.gov
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Department of Labor
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) fosters, promotes,
and develops the welfare of wage earners, job seekers,
and retirees of the United States; improves working
conditions; advances opportunities for profitable
employment; and assures work-related benefits and
rights. In carrying out this mission, DOL administers
a variety of federal labor laws, including those that
guarantee workers' rights to safe and healthful working
conditions, a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay,
and freedom from employment discrimination.
DOL's Employment and Training Administration
(ETA) works in partnership with states, localities, and
community organizations to assist adults and youth
in transitioning to good jobs. EDA accomplishes this
mission by administering effective, value-added
programs that expand opportunities for employment,
continuous learning, business competitiveness, and
community prosperity.
Brownfields Connection
• While DOL/ETA does not have a brownfields
initiative, its mission complements local redevelop-
ment efforts, which require workers who are trained
and skilled to handle environmental cleanup and
sustainable redevelopment of brownfields.
RESOURCES
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Job Training
DOL/ETA administers programs that provide training
and employment assistance to over 30 million adult
workers and youth each year. DOL/ETA is responsible for
administering Workforce Investment Act programs, which
operate through a nationwide network of about 3,000
One-Stop Career Centers. One-Stop Career Centers
are located in brownfields communities and provide job
seekers with job vacancies and labor market informa-
tion, job search and placement assistance, assessment
and career counseling, and access to training. They
also provide services to employers to find skilled
workers. In August 2003, DOL/ETA issued a training
and employment notice to all state workforce agencies
and liaisons on potential collaboration with ERA on
brownfields economic development (http://wdr.doleta.
gov/directives/corr_doc.cfm ?DOCN= 7508).
Eligibility: Technical assistance linked to job training and
workforce development is available to communities with
brownfields. State or local governments interested in this
support should contact the DOL/ETA's relevant regional
office. Contact information can be found on ETA's
website at: http://www.doleta.gov/regions/regoffices.
Availability: Each state and local workforce area has a
Workforce Investment Board that oversees the One-Stop
Career Center system in each state/local area, develops
strategic direction, and sets investment priorities. Locate
Workforce Investment Boards and One-Stop Career
Centers in your area at: http://www.servicelocator.org/.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Division of Strategic Investments
Office of Workforce Investment
Employment and Training Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave., NW, RM C-4518
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-3949
DS/@do/.gov
Main Site
htto://www. doleta.aov
SNAPSHOT - STATE OF CONNECTICUT
In June 2011, DOL awarded a $5.8 million Green Jobs Initiative Fund grant to the Connecticut Department
of Labor to help workers receive job training in green industry sectors and occupations, as well as access
green career pathways. The Connecticut Green Jobs Funnel Initiative will promote career pathways in the
green construction industry for 975 unemployed and underemployed workers in seven Connecticut com-
munities with high poverty and unemployment rates. The grant is targeted at providing unemployed and
underemployed workers with training and credentials to obtain employment in green construction and
related industries, to work in jobs such as brownfields remediation, deconstruction, retrofitting, weatheriza-
tion and energy management, and construction skilled trades that require green skills.
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Department of Transportation—
Federal Highway Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) works to
ensure that America's roads and highways continue
to be safe and technologically up-to-date. It provides
financial and technical support to state, local, and tribal
governments for constructing, improving, and preserving
America's highway system. Its budget is primarily divided
between two programs: federal-aid funding to state
and local governments, and Federal Lands Highways
funding for national parks, national forests, Indian
lands, and other land under federal stewardship. The
FHWA is committed to protecting and preserving the
environment through stewardship and timely reviews.
Brownfields Connections
• Encourages the appropriate consideration of
brownfields in transportation planning, FHWA's
National Environmental Policy Act (NERA) process,
and state-related project development process.
• Encourages state and local transportation agencies to
develop their improvement programs in concert with
brownfield site remediation and redevelopment efforts.
• Encourages transportation agency sponsors to
consider brownfield properties when siting projects
as part of redevelopment efforts.
• Develops working partnerships with a broad range
of environmental, state, local, and private sector
partners interested in supporting the redevelopment
of brownfields.
• Provides technical assistance as needed to communi-
ties considering brownfields redevelopment
programs on how to use federal-aid highway funds
to meet program goals.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement
Program
The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improve-
ment Program (CMAQ) is continued by the Moving
Ahead for Progress in the 21 st Century Act of 2012
(MAP-21) to provide a flexible funding source to state
and local governments for transportation projects and
programs to help meet the requirements of the Clean
Air Act. Funding is available to reduce congestion and
improve air quality for areas that do not meet the
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone,
carbon monoxide, or particulate matter (non-attain-
ment areas) and for former non-attainment areas that
are now in compliance (maintenance areas).
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants include
state departments of transportation and local govern-
ments.
Limitations: Funds must be spent in non-attain-
ment or maintenance areas. Projects must reduce
the pollutant for which the area is designated as
non-attainment or maintenance. No funds may be
used to add capacity except for high-occupancy
vehicle facilities that are available to single-occupant
vehicles only at off-peak times.
Availability: CMAQ funds require a state or local
match. The typical split is 80 percent federal and 20
percent state and/or local.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Supporting transit and public transportation
programs specifically through service or system
expansion, provision of new transit service, and
financial incentives to use existing transit services.
• Traffic flow improvements.
• Travel demand management strategies.
• Ride-sharing programs
• Pedestrian and bicycle programs.
• Alternative clean fuels.
• Public/private partnerships.
• Workforce development, training, and education
activities.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map2 7 /cmaq.cfm
Transportation Alternatives Program
The Transportation Alternatives (TA) Program is a
new program that was authorized by MAP-21. The TA
Program combines the following programs that were
authorized under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users:
Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School,
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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and Recreational Trails. It also includes funding for
some road uses.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants include
states.
Limitations: States must sub-allocate 50 percent
of their TA funds to Metropolitan Planning Organi-
zations (MPOs) and communities for local project
grants. States can use the remaining 50 percent for TA
projects or spend these dollars on other transportation
priorities, such as air quality improvement projects.
Availability: The combined funding for the TA
Program for all uses will be approximately $800
million per year.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
• Safe routes for nondrivers projects and systems.
• Construction of turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas.
• Vegetation management practices in rights-of-way
and other activities under Section 319 (similar to
landscaping and beautification).
• Historic preservation, rehabilitation, and operation
of historic transportation buildings, structures and
facilities.
• Preservation of abandoned railway corridors for
public uses, including pedestrian and bicycle trails.
• Inventory, control, and removal of outdoor advertising.
• Archeological activities related to transportation
projects.
• Any environmental mitigation, including existing uses.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Transportation Planning
FHWA has programs related to transportation
planning for local, rural, metropolitan, state, tribal,
federal, and citizen partners. These programs may
apply to brownfields planning and redevelopment.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Climate change and planning.
• Land use and transportation.
• Economic development.
• Public involvement.
• Smart growth and communities.
• Tools for planning.
Eligibility Requirements: FHWA's planning
programs provide planning assistance to local, rural,
metropolitan, state, tribal, and other federal partners.
Information is available online according to issue
and program. State and metropolitan transportation
planning processes are governed by federal law and
applicable state and local laws if federal highway or
transit funds are used for transportation investment.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/index.htm
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Constance Hill Galloway, Ph. D.
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Natural Environment
Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team
(HEPN-40)
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20590
804-775-3378
connie. hill(5).dot.gov
Main Site
htto://www.fhwa.dot.aov
SNAPSHOT - STATE OF CONNECTICUT
In June 2011, DOL awarded a $5.8 million Green Jobs Initiative Fund grant to the Connecticut Department
of Labor to help workers receive job training in green industry sectors and occupations, as well as access
green career pathways. The Connecticut Green Jobs Funnel Initiative will promote career pathways in the
green construction industry for 975 unemployed and underemployed workers in seven Connecticut com-
munities with high poverty and unemployment rates. The grant is targeted at providing unemployed and
underemployed workers with training and credentials to obtain employment in green construction and
related industries, to work in jobs such as brownfields remediation, deconstruction, retrofitting, weatheriza-
tion and energy management, and construction skilled trades that require green skills.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT)
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provides financial
assistance for locally planned, constructed, and
operated public transportation systems throughout
the United States, including buses, subways, light
rail, commuter rail, streetcars, passenger ferryboats,
paratransit for the elderly and disabled, and people
movers. As authorized by the Moving Ahead for
Progress in the 21 st Century Act of 2012 (MAP-21),
the FTA stewards formula and discretionary grant
programs totaling about $ 10 billion annually to
support public transportation.
Because many brownfields are located in urbanized
areas where transit is a viable transportation option,
FTA programs can play a role in local efforts to find an
economically productive use for a brownfield site. FTA
funds are specifically designated for transit projects,
but funds also may be used to assess or clean up any
part of a brownfield site that would be disturbed by the
construction of a transit project. FTA shares best practices
and offers technical assistance to transit agencies
working with other state and local government
agencies on transit projects involving brownfield sites.
Brownfields Connections
• Financially assists metropolitan planning organiza-
tions in planning transportation investment decisions
in metropolitan areas.
• Provides grants to public transit agencies in urban
and other than urban areas for transit capital projects.
• As part of project development for a transit capital
investment, assists the transit agency in assessing
the associated environmental impacts and benefits
of the proposed project, such as locating it on a
brownfield site.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5307)
The Urbanized Area Formula Program makes federal
funding available to designated transit agencies in
urbanized areas with a population of 50,000 or more.
It may be used for transit planning and transit capital
projects, such as bus purchases. Funding is also
available for transit operating assistance in urbanized
areas with a population under 200,000, and to small
transit agencies.
Eligibility Requirements: Funding is available to
designated recipients that must be public bodies with
the legal authority to receive and dispense federal
transit funds. Governors usually designate the largest
transit agency in the metropolitan areas as the
recipient to apply for, receive, and dispense these
funds.
Limitations: In most instances, the federal share
of the transit project is not to exceed 80 percent of
the net project cost. The federal share of a transit
operating assistance project may not exceed 50
percent of the net project cost.
Availability: Congress authorized approximately $4.4
billion for these grants in FY 2013.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Transit planning, engineering design, and evaluation
of transit projects.
• Capital investments in bus and bus-related activities,
such as replacement, overhaul, or rebuilding of
buses; crime prevention and security equipment;
and construction of bus maintenance and passenger
facilities.
• Capital investments in new and existing fixed
guideway systems, including rolling stock, overhaul
and rebuilding of vehicles, tracks, signals, communi-
cations, and computer hardware and software.
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/MAP-21 _Fact_
Sheet_- Urbanized Area Formula Grants.pdf
Formula Grants for Rural Areas (Section 5311)
Formula Grants for Rural Areas is a formula-based
transit program that provides funds to states and tribes
for the purpose of supporting public transportation
in rural areas with populations of less than 50,000.
The goal of the program is to enhance the access
in non-urbanized areas to health care, shopping,
education, employment, public services, and recreation;
assist in the maintenance, development, improve-
ment, and use of public transportation systems in
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non-urbanized areas; encourage and facilitate the most
efficient use of all transportation funds used to provide
passenger transportation in non-urbanized areas
through the coordination of programs and services; and
provide for the participation of private transportation
providers in non-urbanized public transportation.
Eligibility Requirements: Grants are awarded to
states and Indian tribes. The state often allocates the
funds to subrecipients of the program, which include
local governmental authorities, such as counties,
nonprofit organizations, or other operators of public
transportation in the rural area.
Limitations: The federal share of the capital transit
project may not exceed 80 percent of the net project
cost. The federal share of transit operating assistance
may not exceed 50 percent of the net project costs.
Availability: Congress authorized approximately
$600 million for this program in FY 2013.
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/MAP-21 _Fact_
Sheet_- Formula Grants for Rural Areas.pdf
Fixed Guideway Capital Investment Grants ("New
StartsJSection 5309)
The Fixed Guideway Transit Capital Investment is a
discretionary grant program that provides capital
assistance for new and expanded rail, bus, and ferry
systems. The program provides funds for construc-
tion of new fixed guideway systems or extensions to
existing systems that meet certain evaluation criteria.
A fixed guideway refers to any transit service that uses
exclusive or controlled rights-of-way or rails, entirely
or in part. The term includes heavy rail, commuter rail,
light rail, trolleybus, aerial tramway, inclined plane,
cable car, automated guideway transit, ferryboats, that
portion of motor bus service operated on exclusive or
controlled rights of way, and expanded capacity on
existing fixed guideway transit corridors.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants under
the New Starts program are public bodies and agencies
(transit authorities and other state and local public bodies
and agencies), including states, municipalities, other
political subdivisions of states; public agencies and instru-
mentalities of one or more states; and certain public
corporations, boards, and commissions established
under state law. Eligible projects are those that, in FTA's
technical evaluation of the project, satisfy certain criteria
specified in federal transit law (49 USC § 5309).
Limitations: The maximum FTA share for a New
Starts project is 80 percent. Most New Starts projects
are funded at a much lower federal share because the
local financial commitment to the project is one of the
evaluation criteria for its eligibility.
Availability: Congress authorized approximately $1.9
billion for this program in FY 2013.
Uses/Applications Include:
• New fixed guideway projects or extensions consisting
of light rail, rapid rail, commuter rail, automated
fixed guideway system, or bus rapid transit (BRT).
• Core capacity projects, which expand capacity by at least
10 percent in existing fixed-guideway transit corridors
that are already at or above capacity today, or are
expected to be at or above capacity within five years.
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/MAP-21 Fact
Sheet_- State of Good Repair Grants.pdf
Bus and Bus Facilities (Section 5339)
The Bus and Bus Facilities Program provides capital
funding to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses
and related equipment and to construct bus-related
facilities.
Eligibility Requirements: Designated recipients
under Section 5307 and states that operate or allocate
funding to fixed-route bus operators are eligible.
Eligible sub-recipients would include public agencies
or private nonprofit organizations engaged in public
transportation, including those providing services open
to a segment of the general public, as defined by age,
disability, or low income.
Limitations: The FTA share is 80 percent of the total
project cost.
Availability: Congress authorized approximately
$422 million for this program in FY 2013.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, and
purchase buses, vans, and related equipment, and
to construct bus-related facilities.
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/MAP-21 Fact
Sheet - Bus and Bus Facilities.pdf
State of Good Repair Formula Grants (Section 5337)
The formula-based State of Good Repair program is
dedicated to repairing and upgrading the nation's
rail transit systems along with high-intensity motor
bus systems that use high-occupancy vehicle lanes,
including BRT.
Eligibility Requirements: State and local
government authorities in urbanized areas with fixed
guideway public transportation facilities operating for
at least seven years are eligible.
Limitations: The FTA share is 80 percent of the total
project cost.
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Availability: Congress authorized approximately $2.1
billion for this program in FY 2013.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Capital projects to maintain a system in a state
of good repair, including projects to replace and
rehabilitate rolling stock; track; line equipment and
structures; signals and communications; power
equipment and substations; passenger stations and
terminals; security equipment and systems; mainte-
nance facilities and equipment; and operational
support equipment, including computer hardware
and software.
• Transit Asset Management Plan development and
implementation.
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/MAP-21 _Fact_
Sheet_- State of Good Repair Grants.pdf
Metropolitan and Statewide Planning Programs
(Sections 5303, 5304, 5305)
These programs provide funding to support coopera-
tive, continuous, and comprehensive planning
for making transportation investment decisions in
metropolitan areas and state-wide.
Eligibility Requirements: State Departments of
Transportation (DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning
Organizations (MPOs) are eligible. Federal planning
funds are first apportioned to state DOTs, which then
allocate planning funding to MPOs.
Limitations: The federal share is not to exceed 80
percent of the cost of the projects funded.
Availability: Funds are apportioned to states by a
formula that includes each state's urbanized area
population in proportion to the total urbanized
area population for the nation, as well as other
factors. States can receive no less than 0.5 percent
of the amount apportioned. These funds in turn are
sub-allocated by states to MPOs by a formula that
considers each MPO's urbanized area population, its
individual planning needs, and a minimum distribu-
tion. Congress authorized approximately $127 million
for the program in FY 2013.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Supporting the economic vitality of the metropolitan
area, especially by enabling global competitiveness,
productivity, and efficiency.
• Increasing the safety of the transportation system for
motorized and nonmotorized users.
• Increasing the security of the transportation system
for motorized and nonmotorized users.
• Increasing the accessibility and mobility of people
and freight.
• Protecting and enhancing the environment,
promoting energy conservation, improving the quality
of life, and promoting consistency between transpor-
tation improvements and state and local planned
growth and economic development patterns.
• Enhancing the integration and connectivity of the
transportation system, across and between modes,
for people and freight.
• Promoting efficient system management and
operation.
• Emphasizing the preservation of the existing
transportation system.
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/MAP-21 Fact
Sheet - Metropolitan and Statewide and Nonmetro-
politan Transportation Planning.pdf
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Ms. Antoinette Quagliata, LEED AP
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
Office of Planning and Environment
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
East Building - Room E45-339
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4265
anto;'nette.quag/;'ata(a)dot.gov
Main Site
htto: //www.fta.dot. aov
SNAPSHOT - WICHITA, KANSAS
The Douglas Avenue Transit-Oriented Redevelopment Project in Wichita, Kansas, provides enhanced bus
facilities for the bus circulator in downtown Wichita, which is in the midst of a downtown revitalization effort.
FTA contributed $1 million from the Bus and Bus Facilities Program for the project, which includes brownfield
redevelopment, bus shelters, electronic signage, solar powered features, streetscaping, pedestrian im-
provements, facilities designed for disabled transit riders, and bicycle parking.
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Department of Transportation
Office of the Secretary
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT)
Office of the Secretary (OST) oversees the formula-
tion of national transportation policy and promotes
intermodal transportation. Other responsibilities
include negotiating and implementing international
transportation agreements, assuring the fitness of U.S.
airlines, enforcing airline consumer protection regula-
tions, issuing regulations to prevent alcohol and illegal
drug misuse in transportation systems, and preparing
transportation legislation.
DOT encourages state and local transportation
agencies to address community brownfields redevel-
opment in transportation planning and other project
development processes. Transportation agencies may
spend federal transportation funds on the assessment
and cleanup of contaminated sites, provided that the
activity is part of an "eligible transportation project"
and makes "transportation sense."
Brownfields Connection
• Provides grants to invest in innovative road, rail,
transit, and port projects that incorporate livability
and sustainability principles. These principles
improve economic competitiveness by expanding
transportation connections and choices for
communities across the nation.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Transportation Investment Generating Economic
Recovery [TIGER) Grants
The Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropria-
tions Act of 2012 appropriated $500 million to be
awarded by DOT for national infrastructure invest-
ments. This appropriation was similar but not
identical to the appropriation for the Transporta-
tion Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or
"TIGER Discretionary Grant," program authorized
and implemented under the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009. Because of the similarity
in program structure, DOT has continued to refer to
the program as TIGER Discretionary Grants. Congress
dedicated $1.5 billion for TIGER I, $600 million for
TIGER II, and $526.944 million for the FY 2011
round of TIGER Grants. As with previous rounds of
TIGER, funds for the TIGER program were awarded
on a competitive basis for projects that demonstrated
a significant impact on the nation, a metropolitan
area, or a region.
Eligibility Requirements: TIGER grants are offered
on a competitive basis directly to states, tribes,
ports, or localities for major capital projects that will
enhance economic competitiveness, safety, state
of good repair, environmental sustainability, and
livability.
Limitations: Congress required a 20 percent cost
share for past projects in urbanized areas. For the
past three rounds of TIGER grants, the minimum
grant, by law, has been $10 million for projects
in urban areas and $1 million for projects in rural
areas. Although funding had been provided for
planning grants under TIGER II, it is uncertain if
future rounds of the grant competition will allow
use of TIGER funds for planning projects. Congress
did not provide for planning grants in the two most
recent rounds of TIGER Discretionary Grants.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Conducting planning, design, and environmental
work needed for a project to proceed to construction
(but only when construction costs also are included
in the project).
• Acquiring rights of way needed for a project.
• Constructing transportation infrastructure improve-
ments, including but not limited to:
Highway and bridge improvements (widening,
new construction, high occupancy toll lanes,
bridge repair and replacement, and grade
separations).
Bus and light rail infrastructure.
Creating transit centers.
Establishing electric vehicle networks.
- Streetcars.
Bicycle and pedestrian trail networks.
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Passenger and freight rail enhancements.
Port infrastructure.
Availability: At this time, DOT has not announced a
new round of TIGER Discretionary Grants.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Visit http://www.dot.gov/tiger/ for more information
about the TIGER Discretionary Grants program and any
updates regarding the future availability of funding.
SNAPSHOT - ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
DOT awarded a $ 10 million TIGER 3 grant to Allegheny County to fund access improvements to the Carrie
Furnace brownfields site. The project will help redevelop the historic blast furnace site and connect it to
a residential community. Funding will be used to improve three railroad crossings on streets approaching
Carrie Furnace and construct a ramp from the Rankin Street Bridge to provide direct access to the rede-
velopment site. These access improvements will enable redevelopment of the brownfield as a sustainable
industrial and office park with an adjacent riverfront residential development and park.
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Environmental Protection Agency
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is to protect human health and the
environment. EPA actively promotes the cleanup and
redevelopment of brownfields through the Office of
Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR). EPA's
Brownfields Program provides funds to empower
states, communities, tribes, and non-profits to prevent,
inventory, assess, clean up, and reuse brownfield
properties. The EPA Brownfields Program encourages
the redevelopment of America's abandoned and
contaminated brownfields through its annual grant
program, as well as its many outreach and technical
assistance programs.
Brownfields Connections
• Grants to assess site contamination.
• Grants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfields.
• Capital to establish revolving loan funds (RLFs).
• Funds to develop environmental job training for
residents of brownfields-impacted communities.
• Grants to conduct area-wide planning activities.
• Funds for environmental assessment activities.
• Grants to establish and enhance state and tribal
response programs.
• Grants to capitalize RLFs to correct or prevent water
quality problems.
• Outreach and technical assistance to brownfields
communities.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
EPA's Brownfields Program provides direct funding for
brownfields assessment, planning, cleanup, and RLF
capitalization. To facilitate the leveraging of public
resources, the program collaborates with other EPA
programs, federal partners, and state agencies to
identify and make available resources that can be used
for brownfields and community revitalization activities. EPA
also provides technical assistance to brownfields communi-
ties and information on brownfields financing opportuni-
ties. EPA provides funding for the following grants:
Assessment Grants
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by state legislature;
regional councils and groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; Indian tribes other than
in Alaska; and Alaska Native Regional Corpora-
tions, Alaska Native Village Corporations, and the
Metlakatla Indian Community.
Availability: Applicants may request grants of up
to $200,000 for assessing sites contaminated with
hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants
(including hazardous substances co-mingled with
petroleum), and up to $200,000 for assessing sites
contaminated with petroleum. Coalitions of three
or more eligible parties may submit one assessment
grant proposal for up to $600,000 under the name
of the lead coalition member. The total funding
available under the FY 2013 national competition for
assessment, cleanup, and RLF grants is estimated at
$60 million subject to the availability of funds and
other applicable considerations.
Site-specific assessment grant proposals are appropri-
ate when the applicant identifies a specific site and
plans to spend grant funds to address conditions
only at that one site. For a site-specific brownfields
assessment grant proposal, applicants may seek
a waiver of the $200,000 limit and request up
to $350,000 for a single site. Such waivers must
be based on the anticipated level of hazardous
substances, pollutants, or contaminants (including
hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum) or
petroleum at the site. The performance period is up to
three years.
An applicant may submit a community-wide
assessment grant proposal when the requested
assessment grant is not targeted to a specific site or if
the applicant plans to spend grant funds on more than
one brownfield in the community.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Inventory sites.
• Characterize and prioritize sites.
• Assess sites.
• Conduct community involvement activities related to
brownfields.
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• Conduct area-wide planning for brownfields
redevelopment.
• Conduct cleanup planning.
• Conduct redevelopment planning.
• Conduct health monitoring.
• Monitor and enforce institutional controls.
• Develop and implement assessment program.
• Purchase environmental insurance.
Limitations: An applicant may apply annually for one
community-wide hazardous substances assessment
grant and one community-wide petroleum assessment
grant. Applicants applying for community-wide
assessment grants for both hazardous substances
and petroleum may also apply for one site-specific
assessment grant each year. No single entity may
apply for more than $750,000 in assessment funding
per year. Coalitions of three or more eligible entities
may apply for a community-wide assessment grant of
up to $600,000. Coalition members may not apply for
any other assessment grants in the same year.
Cleanup Grants
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by the state legislature;
regional councils and groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; non-profit organiza-
tions; Indian tribes other than in Alaska; and Alaska
Native Regional Corporations, Alaska Native Village
Corporations, and the Metlakatla Indian Community.
An applicant must own the site that is the subject
of the grant proposal or obtain sole ownership by a
deadline specified in proposal guidelines.
Availability: Applicants may submit proposals
for grants of up to $200,000 to carry out cleanup
activities at a brownfield site contaminated by
hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants
(including hazardous substances co-mingled with
petroleum), and up to $200,000 for a brownfield site
contaminated by petroleum. The performance period
is up to three years. The total funding available under
the FY 2013 national competition for assessment,
cleanup, and RLF grants is estimated at $60 million
(subject to the availability of funds and other
applicable considerations).
Uses/Applications Include:
• Carry out cleanup activities;
• Oversee cleanup construction activities.
• Conduct environmental monitoring of cleanup work.
• Conduct health monitoring.
• Monitor and enforce institutional controls.
• Conduct program development and implementation
activities.
• Purchase environmental insurance.
Limitations: Each year, eligible applicants may apply
for up to three site-specific cleanup grants of up to
$200,000 each. Cleanup grants require a 20 percent
cost share, which may be in the form of a contribution
of money, labor, material, or services, and must be for
eligible and allowable costs. An applicant may request
that EPA waive the 20 percent cost-share requirement
based on hardship. Prior to submitting proposals,
applicants must complete a Phase II site assessment
using the ASTM El 903-97 standard or equivalent
assessment.
Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by state legislature;
regional councils and groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; Indian tribes other than
in Alaska; and Alaska Native Regional Corpora-
tions, Alaska Native Village Corporations, and the
Metlakatla Indian Community. Coalitions and single
applicants are eligible to submit a proposal for an RLF
grant.
Availability: An applicant may request up to $1
million to capitalize an RLF. Coalitions of eligible
entities may apply together as one applicant for up to
$1 million per eligible entity. The performance period
is five years. The total funding available under the FY
2013 national competition for assessment, cleanup,
and RLF grants is estimated at $60 million, subject to
the availability of funds and other applicable consider-
ations.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Capitalize an RLF and provide low-interest or
no-interest loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup
activities at brownfield sites.
• Award subgrants to clean up sites contaminated with
petroleum and/or hazardous substances, pollutants,
or contaminants (including hazardous substances
co-mingled with petroleum).
• Conduct programmatic management of the grant.
• Perform health monitoring activities at brownfield sites.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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• Monitor and enforce institutional controls.
• Conduct program development and implementation
activities.
• Purchase environmental insurance.
Limitations: RLF grants provide funding to capitalize
an RLF, make low-interest or no-interest loans for
brownfields cleanups, and provide subgrants to
eligible entities to carry out cleanup activities at
brownfield sites. At least 50 percent of the awarded
funds must be used to capitalize and implement a
revolving loan fund for loans. RLF grants require
applicants to provide a 20 percent cost share, which
may be in the form of a contribution of money, labor,
material, or services, and must be for eligible and
allowable costs. Applicants may request a waiver
of the 20 percent cost share requirement based on
hardship.
Area-Wide Planning Grants
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
local governments; land clearance authorities and
other quasi-governmental entities; regional councils
and groups of local governments; government entities
created by state legislature; redevelopment agencies;
states that are serving in a fiscal and administrative
capacity on behalf of a local community; Indian tribes
other than in Alaska; Alaska Native Regional Corpora-
tions, Alaska Native Village Corporations, and the
Metlakatla Indian Community; and nonprofit organi-
zations, including institutions of higher education.
Coalitions and single applicants are eligible to submit
a proposal for an area-wide planning grant.
Availability: An applicant may request up to
$200,000 for EPA assistance for area-wide planning
within a specific brownfields-impacted area, such
as a neighborhood, district, city block, or corridor.
For the purposes of this assistance, a brownfields-
impacted area is an area that is affected by a single
large brownfield or multiple brownfields, and where
revitalization of the area surrounding the brownfield(s)
is critical to the successful reuse of the property (or
properties). The total estimated funding available
under this competitive opportunity is $4,000,000,
subject to availability of funds, quality of proposals
received, and other applicable considerations. EPA
anticipates selecting approximately 20 projects.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Advance an ongoing planning process for
assessment, cleanup, and subsequent reuse of
brownfields sites.
• Facilitate community involvement in developing
an area-wide plan for the cleanup and reuse of
properties within a brownfields-impacted area.
• Connect assessment, cleanup, and decisions for
subsequent reuse of these parcels to neighborhood
and city-wide contexts.
• Promote innovative components, particularly with
regard to the integration of sustainable and/or
equitable development principles.
• Promote area-wide revitalization.
• Develop an area-wide plan and identify implemen-
tation strategies.
Limitations: Area-wide planning grants are designed
to assist predominantly underserved and economi-
cally disadvantaged communities. This may include
low-income, minority, and/or economically distressed
residents living in areas that face a disproportionate
level of environmental degradation, social inequities,
historic under-representation, economic stagnation,
and/or recent economic disruption (e.g., closure
of assembly or manufacturing plants, resulting in
recent and significant local job loss). Eligible uses
of EPA assistance under the area-wide planning
grant competition include direct costs necessary to
provide research, training, and technical assistance
and facilitate community involvement in area-wide
planning to develop area-wide plans and implemen-
tation strategies to facilitate brownfields assessment,
cleanup, and subsequent reuse. Each pilot project
must result in a final report accompanying the
area-wide plan and identification of next steps and
resources needed for implementation. Project periods
of up to 24 months are allowed. Individuals, profit-
making firms, and the FY 2010 EPA Brownfields Area
Wide Planning Pilot Program recipients are not eligible
to apply.
Multi-Purpose Pilot Grants
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by state legislature;
regional councils and groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; Indian tribes other than
in Alaska; and Alaska Native Regional Corpora-
tions, Alaska Native Village Corporations, and the
Metlakatla Indian Community. Coalitions and single
applicants are eligible to submit a proposal for a
multi-purpose pilot grant.
Availability: An applicant may request up to
$200,000 for assessment activities at a specified site.
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Applicants may request a waiver of the $200,000
limit and request up to $350,000 for the site. For
the cleanup activities, an applicant may request
up to $200,000 to address hazardous substances
or petroleum contamination at the same site to be
addressed by the assessment. The total multi-purpose
pilot grant proposal cannot exceed $400,000 if there
is no assessment waiver, or $550,000 if there is a
waiver request.
Uses/Applications Include:
• The multi-purpose grants have the same uses/
applications as both the assessment and cleanup
grants mentioned above.
Limitations: In FY 2012, OBLR piloted the multi-
purpose grant competition, which provided a single
grant for both assessment and cleanup work at a
specific brownfield site. Only applicants that received
an EPA Brownfields grant in 2003 or later were
eligible to apply. By statute, recipients must provide a
cost share of 20 percent of the amount of the cleanup
portion of the grant unless EPA approves a waiver of
this requirement. The cost share can be in the form of
a contribution of money, labor, material, or services,
and must be for eligible and allowable costs. EPA will
evaluate the effectiveness of the program and may
decide to conduct another competition in future years.
Note: Brownfields grant eligibility requirements are
subject to change. Please check the brownfields
website for up-to-date information.
Proposal guidelines for brownfields assessment,
cleanup, and revolving loan fund grants, area-wide
planning grants, and multipurpose grants can be
found at riffp://www.epa.gov/brownfields/applicat.htm.
Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Communities that have brownfields and suffer from
water quality impairment may be able to access and
use monies from the Clean Water State Revolving
Funds (CWSRFs) to correct or prevent water quality
problems at such properties. Through the CWSRF
program, each state and Puerto Rico maintains a
revolving loan fund to provide an independent and
permanent source of low-cost financing for a wide
range of water quality infrastructure projects. Funds
to establish or capitalize the CWSRF programs are
provided through federal government grants and
state matching funds (equal to 20 percent of federal
government grants). Today, all 50 states and Puerto
Rico are operating successful CWSRF programs.
Through FY 2011, CWSRFs provided over $89 billion
in assistance and more than 30,012 low-interest
loans.
CWSRF programs operate much the same as environ-
mental infrastructure banks that are capitalized with
federal and state contributions. CWSRF monies can
be loaned to communities, and loan repayments are
recycled back into the program to fund additional
water quality protection projects. The revolving nature
of these programs provides for an ongoing funding
source that will last indefinitely. States can design
CWSRF programs to address their own priorities and
may include a variety of assistance options, including
loans, refinancing, purchasing, or guaranteeing local
debt and purchasing bond insurance. States also can
set specific loan terms, including interest rates (from
zero percent to market rate) and repayment periods
(up to 20 years). States have the flexibility to target
resources to their particular environmental needs,
including brownfields remediation, contaminated
runoff from urban and agricultural areas, wetlands
restoration, estuary management, and wastewater
treatment.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible loan recipients
include large and small communities, homeowners,
farmers, small businesses, and non-profit organiza-
tions. Eligibility for funding varies by state. States also
may customize loan terms to meet the needs of small
and disadvantaged communities. In 2011, 69 percent
of all loans (20 percent of total funding) were made
to communities with populations of less than 10,000.
In addition, some states provide specialized assistance
for communities that are disadvantaged or experienc-
ing financial hardship. These states might offer lower
or no-interest loans to provide greater subsidies for
disadvantaged communities.
Limitations: States set CWSRF funding priorities and
project approvals.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Excavate and dispose of underground storage tanks.
• Construct wetlands as a filtering mechanism.
• Cap wells.
• Excavate, remove, and dispose of contaminated soil
or sediments.
• Safely abandon wells.
• Perform Phase I, II, and III environmental site assess-
ments.
For more information on the CWSRF program, visit:
http: //water, epa. gov/grants_f unding/cwsrf7cwsrf_
index, cfm.
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Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
was established by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA) Amendments to provide loans to publicly and
privately owned public water systems. The loans can
be used for infrastructure improvements needed to
protect public health and ensure compliance with the
SDWA. The DWSRF is a state-run program that works
like a bank, providing low- or no-interest loans to
communities, public utilities, and private companies
for drinking water projects that meet the program's
criteria. Federal and state contributions capitalize the
programs, which exist in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
In addition to providing loans, states may set aside
up to 31 percent of their DWSRF grants to finance a
variety of activities, such as encouraging improved
water system management and performance and
helping public water systems prevent contamination
through source water protection measures.
Annually, DWSRF programs provide nearly $2 billion
in assistance to drinking water projects. Using the
loan fund and set-asides, state DWSRF programs can
provide financial assistance in a variety of ways to
support the rehabilitation of brownfield sites across
the country.
In response to a public health risk, state DWSRFs
are able to loan money to water systems for the
infrastructure costs needed to provide a brownfield
site with safe drinking water, if certain conditions are
met. States should consider the criteria described in
the online resources below to determine whether a
brownfield-related drinking water project is eligible
for a DWSRF loan. Because exact project eligibility and
available funding vary by state, water systems should
contact their state DWSRF representative for more
information.
Contact information for state DWSRF representa-
tives can be found on EPA's DWSRF website at http://
water.epa.gov/grants_funding/dwsrf/index.cfm, and a
fact sheet on using the DWSRF to support brownfield
redevelopment is available at: htfp;//nepis.epo.gov/
Exe/ZvPURL.cai?Dockev=2000ZZBI.txt.
State and Tribal Response Programs
Section 128(a) of CERCLA authorizes EPA to distribute
noncompetitive grant monies to establish and
enhance state and tribal response programs. State
and tribal response programs address and oversee
the assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of
brownfields. State and tribal response programs
oversee assessment and cleanup activities at the
majority of brownfield sites across the country. The
four required elements of a response program are:
(1) timely survey and inventory of brownfield sites on
state or tribal land; (2) oversight and enforcement
authorities or other mechanisms and resources; (3)
mechanisms and resources to provide meaningful
opportunities for public participation; and (4)
mechanisms for approval of a cleanup plan and
verification and certification that cleanup is complete.
State and tribal recipients may use the funding to start
or enhance a new response program and to meet
public record requirements established in the statute.
States and tribes also may use funding to increase
the number of sites at which response actions are
conducted or perform activities that add or improve a
response program. In addition, the funds can be used
to oversee cleanups, conduct site-specific activities,
purchase environmental insurance, or develop other
insurance mechanisms to provide financing for
cleanup activities.
Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible for funding,
a state or tribe must: (1) demonstrate that its response
program includes, or is taking reasonable steps to
include, the four elements of a response program,
or be a party to a voluntary response program
memorandum of agreement with EPA; and (2)
maintain and make available to the public a record of
sites at which response actions were completed in the
previous year and are planned to be addressed in the
upcoming year.
Limitations:
• States and tribes cannot allocate more than
$200,000 per site for assessments, and no more
than $200,000 per site can be used for cleanups.
• A state or tribe may not use the awarded funds to
assess and clean up sites that are owned or operated
by the recipient.
• Assessments and cleanups cannot be conducted at
sites where the state or tribe is a potentially respon-
sible party.
• Subgrants cannot be awarded to entities that may be
potentially responsible parties under CERCLA.
Availability: For FY 2012, EPA considered funding
requests of up to $1.2 million per state or tribe.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Develop legislation, regulations, procedures,
guidance, etc., to establish or enhance the adminis-
trative and legal structure of a response program.
• Establish and maintain the required public record.
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• Capitalize an RLF for brownfields cleanup.
• Purchase environmental insurance or develop a
risk-sharing pool, indemnity pool, or insurance
mechanism to provide financing for response actions
under a state or tribal response program.
• Conduct limited site-specific activities, such as
assessment or cleanup, provided such activities
establish and/or enhance the response program and
are tied to the four elements.
For additional information see: http://www.epa.gov/
brownfields/state_tribal/index.html
Environmental Workforce Development and Job
Training Grants Program
EPA provides funds to eligible entities to deliver
environmental workforce development and job
training programs focused on hazardous and solid
waste management, assessment, and cleanup
associated employment activities. Environmen-
tal Workforce Development and Job Training
(EWDJT) grants are provided to recruit, train,
and place residents of communities impacted by
blighted properties, contaminated sites, and waste
management facilities in environmental jobs that
cleanup contractors might otherwise fill from outside
the affected community.
A critical part of EPA's EWDJT grant program is to
ensure that residents living in communities histori-
cally affected by brownfields, economic disinvestment,
health disparities, and environmental contamina-
tion are provided an opportunity to reap the benefits
of jobs created during revitalization efforts in these
areas. Training programs must target unemployed
and underemployed individuals. EPA is committed
to integrating principles of environmental justice
by helping communities revitalize contaminated
properties, mitigate potential health risks, and restore
economic vitality. Since 1998, EPA has awarded
more than $45 million under the EWDJT program.
As of August 2012, approximately 10,900 individuals
completed training and approximately 7,700 obtained
employment in the environmental field, with an
average starting hourly wage of $14.12.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by state legislature;
regional councils or groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; non-profit organiza-
tions; Indian tribes other than in Alaska; and Alaska
Native Regional Corporations, Alaska Native Village
Corporations, and the Metlakatla Indian Community.
Workforce Investment Boards and organized
labor unions that meet the criteria may be eligible
non-profit organizations. Public and non-profit private
educational institutions are eligible to apply.
Availability: EPA expects to award about 15 EWDJT
cooperative agreements totaling approximately $3
million through the FY 2013 national competition for
EWDJT grants. An eligible entity may apply for up to
$200,000. The performance period is three years.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Recruit job training participants from communities
impacted by hazardous and/or solid waste facilities
and contaminated properties.
• Conduct job development outreach activities
directed toward engaging prospective employers to
become involved in the job training program and
hire graduates.
• Train residents of impacted communities in the
handling and removal of hazardous substances and
petroleum, including health and safety certifica-
tion training, and training for jobs in environmental
sampling, analysis, and site remediation.
• Train participants in the inventory, assessment,
and remediation of facilities at which hazardous
substances, pollutants, contaminants, or petroleum
contamination are located, transported, or disposed
of; leak prevention and the removal of underground
storage tanks; techniques and methods for cleaning
up hazardous substances, petroleum, and pollutants;
and integrated solid waste management.
• Train participants in the use of compost and soil
amendments, plus associated sampling, testing,
design considerations, and management techniques
to support the assessment and cleanup of sites for
urban agriculture and horticulture; planning and
conducting ecological restoration of contaminated
land; and the reuse of biosolids and other industry
residuals associated with remediation of contami-
nated lands or solid waste facilities.
• Train participants in the requirements and conduct
of "all appropriate inquiries" and due diligence,
which can be defined as the process of evaluating a
properly for the potential presence of environmental
contamination and assessing potential liability for
any contamination present at the property.
• Provide skills in innovative technologies, green
remediation techniques, recycling of demolition
materials, installation of solar panels and other
renewable energy systems, preparation of sites
for water or stormwater management systems,
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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low-impact development, and LEED certification, and
other relevant areas.
Limitations: Applicants who received an EWDJT grant
from EPA in FY 2012 are not eligible to apply in FY
2013.
http: //www. epa.gov/brownfields/job.htm
Targeted Brownfields Assessment Program
ERA's Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) Program
is designed to minimize the uncertainties of contamina-
tion often associated with brownfields. The program
is tailored to entities that do not have EPA brownfields
assessment grants. TBA is not a grant program, and
EPA does not provide TBA funding directly to the entity
requesting the services. The TBA program provides
technical services through an EPA contractor to conduct
environmental assessment activities. TBA assistance
is available through two sources: directly from EPA
through programs administered by EPA Regional
brownfields offices, and from state or tribal voluntary
response programs using funds provided by EPA.
Eligibility Requirements: TBA funds may be
used only at properties eligible for EPA brownfields
funding. Property owners can include state, local,
and tribal governments; general purpose units of
local government; land clearance authorities and
other quasi-governmental entities; regional councils
and redevelopment agencies; states; and non-profit
organizations.
Availability: The TBA selection process varies
with each EPA Region and by each state and tribal
voluntary response program. The selection process is
guided by Regional and state criteria.
Uses/Applications Include:
• An "all appropriate inquiries" Phase I environmental
site assessment, including a historical investigation
and a preliminary site inspection.
• A more in-depth (Phase II) environmental site
assessment, including sampling activities to identify
the types and concentrations of contaminants and
the areas of contamination to be cleaned.
• Evaluation of cleanup options and/or cost estimates
based on future uses and redevelopment plans.
Limitations: Unless there is a clear means of
recouping EPA expenditures, EPA generally will not
fund TBAs at properties where the owner is respon-
sible for the contamination. The TBA program does
not provide resources to conduct cleanup or building
demolition activities.
htto:7/www. epa. oov/brownfie/ds/o rant info/tba.htm
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology
Support Center
EPA created the Brownfields and Land Revitalization
Technology Support Center (BTSC) in 1998 to help
decision-makers evaluate strategies to streamline the
site investigation and cleanup process, identify and
review information about complex technology options,
evaluate contractor capabilities and recommenda-
tions, and explain complex technologies to communi-
ties. BTSC helps eligible parties when traditional
site assessment and cleanup approaches are too
time-consuming and expensive to support the redevel-
opment of brownfield sites. Services are classified into
two categories: direct support services and information
requests.
Eligibility Requirements: Direct support is available
to state and local governments, tribes, brownfields
grantees, EPA Regional Coordinators, EPA Remedial
Project Managers, EPA On-Scene Coordinators,
and other EPA regional staff. Information about site
investigation and cleanup activities is available to
all brownfields stakeholders, including real estate
professionals, financial institutions, and other private
redevelopment interests; engineers, consultants, and
other private remediation professionals; potentially
responsible parties; affected communities; and
members of the public.
Availability: The BTSC offers two services: direct
support and response to information requests.
Information about site investigation and cleanup
activities is available to all brownfields stakeholders.
Services provided by BTSC include:
• Review and comment on project documents, such as
requests for proposals, work plans, field sampling
plans, and quality assurance plans.
• Facilitate the consideration and use of the Triad
approach.
• Provide information about field-based technologies
for site assessment and cleanup.
• Identify how dynamic work strategies and decision-
support tools can be incorporated in site assessment
activities.
• Evaluate remedial technologies and their advantages
and limitations for site-specific features and needs.
• Share technical information with nontechnical
audiences.
• Provide easy access to resources, tools, recent news,
and lessons learned.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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• Review literature and electronic resources.
• Provide demonstration planning support.
Limitations: Local and state government personnel,
EPA personnel, tribes, and non-profits with active EPA
brownfields cleanup grants may request site-specific
support for brownfields sites from the BTSC at no
cost. Nongovernment organizations may submit only
information requests.
http://www. brownfie/dstsc. org/
Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities
Program
Under the Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB)
Communities Program, EPA awards grants to organi-
zations that provide geographically based technical
assistance and training on brownfields issues to
communities and other stakeholders. The goal is to
increase community understanding and involvement
in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. Each TAB
grantee serves as an independent source of informa-
tion in assisting with community involvement activities
and increasing understanding of the health impacts
of brownfield sites; science and technology relating to
brownfield site assessment, cleanup, and site prepara-
tion activities; brownfields finance questions; and
integrated approaches to brownfields cleanup and
redevelopment.
In FY 2012, EPA awarded TAB grants to three organi-
zations to offer these services directly to communities
in their respective geographic regions. TAB grantees
are:
EPA Regions 1, 2 and 3: The New Jersey Institute of
Technology: http://www.n/'it.edu/tab
EPA Regions 5, 6, 7, and 8: Kansas State University:
http://www.engg.ksu.edu/chsr/outreach/tab/
EPA Regions 2, 4, 9, and 10: The Center for Creative
Land Recycling: http: //www. cclr. org/resources
Eligibility Requirements: Entities facing brownfields
challenges can determine whether they can get
technical assistance by contacting the TAB grantee
that supports their geographic area. Eligible entities
include: state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by state legislature;
regional councils and groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; non-profit organizations;
Indian tribes other than in Alaska; and Alaska Native
Regional Corporations, Alaska Native Village Corpora-
tions, and the Metlakatla Indian Community.
Availability: Most TAB services are provided free of
charge, but applicants should check with their specific
TAB providers.
TAB grantees can assist brownfields communities in
the following areas:
• Reviewing and explaining brownfields-related
technical reports.
• Providing information about basic science, environ-
mental policy, and other technical matters related to
brownfields sites.
• Helping to explain health risks associated with a
brownfield property.
• Helping with identifying financing options for
brownfields projects.
• Helping with explaining or interpreting scientific
information or environmental policy.
• Providing information to help the community
understand environmental issues and how they
affect brownfields cleanup and redevelopment.
• Facilitating brownfields redevelopment efforts
by supporting community and other stakeholder
involvement activities.
• Sponsoring a workshop.
• Holding a webinar or providing other Web-based
tools.
• Answering questions posted on a website, or
providing information through a newsletter, resource
center, and case studies.
http://www. epa.gov/brownfields/grantjnfo/tab.htm
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Patricia Overmeyer
U.S. EPA, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
Mail Code 5105 T
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
202-566-2774
overmeyer.patricia(a>epa.gov
Main Site
http: //www. epa.gov/
Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
http://www.epa.gov/brownfie/ds/
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SNAPSHOT - RANSOM AND CHARLES TOWN, WEST VIRGINIA
The Cities of Ranson and Charles Town, West Virginia, took advantage of grant assistance from EPA, the
U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to build
economic competitiveness by creating and implementing regional plans that integrate affordable
housing, economic development, and land use and transportation projects. These grants include an EPA
brownfields area-wide planning grant, an EPA cleanup grant, a DOT TIGER II Planning grant, and a HUD
Challenge Planning grant. The Partnership for Sustainable Communities is a key player in helping these two
communities join forces to build livable, sustainable communities.
The EPA cleanup grant will be used to clean up the former Kidde Fire Fighting Foundry site that is located
less than a quarter mile from Ranson's city hall. When the site is cleaned up, the city plans to redevelop it
into a mixed-use residential, commercial, retail, and recreational development known as Powhatan Place,
which is an integral part of Ranson's downtown revitalization plan. Ranson and Charles Town are using the
TIGER II grant to transform the road connecting them into a "complete street" that is designed to be safe
for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians. These funds also will help transform a rundown historic building into
a regional commuter center in downtown Charles Town, providing residents and workers with access to
regional trains and buses. HUD's Challenge Planning grant will be used to adopt a new, form-based "Smart
Code" that links a green downtown overlay district with a new zoning approach for the undeveloped areas
of the city.
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Federal Housing Finance Agency5
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) mission
is to promote a stable and liquid mortgage market,
affordable housing, and community investment
through oversight of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and
the nation's Federal Home Loan Banks (FHLBanks).
FHFA was formed in 2008 by a legislative merger
of the Federal Housing Finance Board (former
regulator of the FHLBanks), Office of Federal Housing
Enterprise Oversight, and U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development's government-sponsored
enterprise mission team. The FHFA now regulates the
FHLBanks, which are government-chartered, member-
owned corporations. There are about 8,100 FHLBank
members, including commercial banks, thrifts, credit
unions, and insurance companies. Each member is a
shareholder in one of the FHLBanks.
The FHLBanks provide long-term loans (called
"advances") to their members, who use the proceeds to
make loans to individuals or entities in the community
for residential mortgages and community economic
development activities, including brownfields redevel-
opment projects. Only members of FHLBanks receive
advances from their respective FHLBank.
The key lending programs are the Affordable Housing
Program (AHP); the Community Investment Program
(CIP), which has housing and community develop-
ment components; and the Community Investment
Cash Advances (CICA) program for community
development. All the FHLBanks offer an AHP and
CIP, and most offer one or more types of CICA
programs. The CICA program provides financing for
targeted economic development projects, including
brownfields.
Brownfields Connections
• FHLBanks finance their member institutions to
provide a wide range of affordable housing projects,
rental and owner-occupied, as well as single-family
and multifamily units.
• FHLBanks encourage member institutions to engage
in lending to meet community development needs,
such as housing and economic development, that
can take place on brownfield sites.
• FHL Banks use a variety of financing tools for
redevelopment, such as the purchase of taxable and
tax-exempt bonds and issuance of letters of credit
backing the bonds.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Community Investment Program
Each FHLBank operates a CIP that offers below-
market-rate loans to its member institutions for
long-term financing of housing or for community
economic development that benefits low- and
moderate-income families and neighborhoods. CIP is
an advance or loan that a member financial institu-
tion borrows from its FHLBank to lend to a project. CIP
loans support projects that create and preserve jobs
and help build infrastructure to catalyze community
growth. CIP loans may be combined with other
housing or community development funds.
Eligibility Requirements: Projects funded by the
member institutions of an FHLBank must meet several
requirements, depending on the type of project.
Projects may involve owner-occupied and rental
housing; construction of roads, bridges, retail stores,
sewage treatment plants, or other capital improve-
ment projects; and small business loans to create or
retain jobs.
Limitations: Advances are made only on a secured
basis with collateral requirements consistent with those
of all FHLBank credit programs. Advances to refinance
debt are generally not allowed under the CIP
Availability: Advances are available in various
maturities, including long-term maturities of 20 years
or more, on a continuous basis through FHLB member
institutions.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Home purchases by families with incomes at or
below 115 percent of the area median.
• Purchase or rehabilitation of rental housing for
families with incomes at or below 115 percent of the
area median.
• Commercial and economic development activities,
including brownfields, that benefit low- and moderate-
* Note: Ithough EPA has made an effort to ensure that the information contained in this section is as accurate as possible, FHFA did
not review this section. Please check with your local FHFA office or FHLBank for the most up-to-date information about these
programs.
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income families (those at or below 80 percent of
median income) or activities that are located in low-
and moderate-income neighborhoods.
• Projects that include a combination of these activities.
Community Investment Cash Advances Programs
The CICA programs offer funding, often at below-
market interest rates, for members to use to finance
economic development projects in low-to-moderate-
income neighborhoods. As with the CIP, many of these
advances are for long terms. Example projects include
brownfields redevelopment; commercial, industrial,
manufacturing, and social services projects; infrastruc-
ture; and public facilities and services. CICA includes
several different types of activities, most notably the
Rural Development Advance Program, Urban Develop-
ment Advance Program, and CIR
Eligibility Requirements: Only FHLBank members
may borrow CICA funds. Eligibility requirements for
project funding vary among FHLBanks.
Limitations: Before applying, each FHLBank must
have a Community Lending Plan that describes its
program objectives and funding availability.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Assistance to brownfields cleanup and redevel-
opment projects in areas eligible for a federal
brownfields tax credit.
• Assistance to Champion Communities, Empower-
ment Zones, or Enterprise Communities.
• Assistance to housing, commercial, industrial, and
other economic development activities.
• Assistance to areas affected by federal military base
closings.
• Assistance to small businesses as defined by the
Small Business Administration.
• Assistance to tribal homelands.
Affordable Housing Program
The AHP subsidizes the cost of owner-occupied
housing for individuals and families with incomes at
or below 80 percent of the area median income, and
rental housing in which at least 20 percent of the units
with affordable rents are reserved for households with
incomes at or below 50 percent of the area median
income. The subsidy may be in the form of a grant or
a below-cost subsidized interest rate on an advance.
FHLBanks contribute 10 percent of their net income
to affordable housing through the AHR AHP funds are
available primarily through a competitive application
program at each of the FHLBanks. This competitive
grant program is the largest source of private-sector
grants for housing and community development in
the country.
In addition to the funds awarded in the competi-
tive program, AHP funds are awarded through the
homeownership set-aside program. An FHLBank may
set aside an amount up to the greater of $3 million
or 25 percent of its AHP funds each year to assist
low- and moderate-income households in purchasing
homes. In the set-aside program, members provide
grants directly to households for down payment
and closing costs, and in some cases, counseling
and rehabilitation costs. Each member sets its own
SNAPSHOT - OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
The Tassafaronga apartment complex in Oakland, California, originally consisted of an 87-unit public
housing development built by the government in 1945 and a pasta factory built in 1947. In the
following decades, some of the original housing unit structures were demolished, and the northern half
of the pasta factory parcel was leased to an auto repair business and a gasoline station. Subsequent
environmental assessments determined that there was some contamination within the soil near the
housing complex. The Oakland Housing Authority applied for and received an EPA brownfields cleanup
grant to remediate the site.
Site cleanup, performed in conjunction with California's Voluntary Cleanup Program, was completed
in October 2008 with funds from the cleanup grant. The Federal Home Loan Bank's Affordable Housing
Program helped move this project forward by providing a $200,000 subsidy, which was used for con-
struction. Construction of the Tassafaronga Village began shortly thereafter and was completed in May
2010. The new housing complex is a green neighborhood of 157 units designed to bring a diversity of
affordable housing to an underserved area of Oakland. The complex, which currently is home to more
than 500 residents, includes affordable family rental apartments, affordable rental townhouses, and an
onsite medical clinic.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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maximum grant amount, which may not exceed
$15,000 per household.
Eligibility Requirements: Only member financial
institutions of an FHLBank can apply for AHP funds.
To be considered eligible for AHP funding, housing
projects must meet eight requirements, including
those related to occupancy, feasibility, need, timing,
retention of owner-occupied or rental units, and
project sponsor qualifications.
Limitations: Projects using AHP funds are subject to
retention requirements. The retention period is five
years for home ownership projects. Rental projects
must maintain household income and rental payment
restrictions during a 15-year retention period.
Availability: Each FHLBank has one or more AHP
funding rounds each year in which members submit
applications on behalf of sponsors and developers of
affordable housing projects.
Uses/Applications Include:
Over the years, the AHP has provided assistance to:
• Low- and moderate-income homeowners and
first-time homebuyers.
• Very-low-income residents of rental housing.
• Special-needs households, including the elderly,
disabled, homeless, or victims of domestic violence
who need supportive services.
• Residents in rural communities.
• Residents in urban areas.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Charles McLean
Housing and Community Investment, Federal Home
Loan Banks
Office of Housing Mission and Goals
Federal Housing Finance Agency
1625 Eye St., NW, 4th Floor
Washington, DC 20006-4001
202-649-3800
char/es.mc/ean@fhfa.gov
Main Site
htto://www.fhfa.gov
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General Services Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The General Services Administration (GSA) leverages
the buying power of the federal government to
acquire best value for taxpayers and its federal
customers. With thousands of federal properties
throughout the country, GSA partners with other
federal agencies, state regulatory agencies, and
local communities to recycle underutilized federal
properties. GSA expedites the cleanup and reuse
of federal real estate by leveraging its real estate
expertise, meaningful stakeholder input, and all
available real property and environmental authorities.
Brownfields Connections
GSA reviews and identifies surplus federally owned
brownfields that are available for redevelopment, and
seeks to redeploy these brownfields in close coordina-
tion with local community planning objectives. In the
case of federally owned brownfields, GSA works with
local communities to determine how these federal
properties can support local revitalization goals.
GSA serves as the "honest broker" in returning these
properties to productive use. To carry out this role, GSA:
• Coordinates with state and federal representatives to
ensure that the identification of underutilized federal
properties incorporates the latest state and federal
revitalization initiatives.
• Executes a process that brings stakeholders together
on issues related to contaminated properties.
• Provides local communities and potential federal
property developers with information on the federal
real property disposal process.
• Educates states and communities engaged in
brownfields revitalization about innovative disposal
methods and options for remediation privatization.
RESOURCES
Technical Assistance
Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative
GSA works with other federal agencies to identify
and redeploy underutilized federal properties. Within
each brownfields project location, GSA works with
state and local planners, economic development
officials, and community groups to match GSA's real
property authorities and local revitalization objectives
effectively. Guided by local objectives, GSA focuses
and prioritizes the disposal of underutilized real
property.
Eligibility Requirements: GSA works with local
officials, community stakeholders, and state and
federal agencies in communities with surplus federal
real property.
Availability: GSA works with all federal landhold-
ing agencies to develop real estate strategies that
identify options for better management of underuti-
lized assets. This process includes identifying potential
federal brownfields through GSA's utilization studies,
providing recommendations to federal landhold-
ing agencies for environmental characterization and
additional due diligence, and developing real property
strategies that expedite environmental regulatory
closure.
Uses/Applications Include:
• GSA identifies federal brownfields, incorporates
meaningful stakeholder input in matching available
real property authorities with local revitalization
objectives, and develops environmental and real
property strategies for successful return to productive
reuse.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Lee Anne Galanes
General Services Administration
Office of Real Property Asset Management
Property Disposal Division (PVB)
1800 FSt., NW, Room 4233
Washington, DC 20405
202-501-2287
/eeanne. ga/anes(a)gsa. gov
Main Site
http://www.gsa.gov
Office of Real Property Utilization and Disposal
r)ttp://propertydisposa/. qsa. qov
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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SNAPSHOT - DOWNEY, CALIFORNIA
Through the Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative, GSA transferred parcels of the former National Aeronau-
tics and Space Administration (NASA)/Downey industrial plant to the City of Downey for the development
of Downey Landing, a $300 million state-of-the-art medical facility complex, movie studio, retail center,
public park, and outer space learning center. The site previously was operated for 70 years as a rocket and
missile research and manufacturing facility that was home to the Apollo program. Working with NASA and
the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, GSA facilitated a privatized final cleanup that allowed
remediation and redevelopment to occur concurrently, which saved money. This was done pursuant to a
transfer agreement between the GSA and the City of Downey, greatly expediting the reuse process and
allowing development to proceed more rapidly.
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Small Business Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Small Business Administration (SBA) was created
in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal
government to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the
interests of small business concerns, to preserve
free competitive enterprise, and to maintain and
strengthen the overall economy of the nation. SBA
recognizes that small business is critical to our
nation's economic recovery and strength, to building
America's future, and to helping the United States
compete in today's global marketplace. Although
SBA has evolved in the years since it was established,
its bottom-line mission remains the same: The SBA
helps Americans start, build, and grow businesses.
Through an extensive network of field offices and
partnerships with public and private organizations,
SBA delivers its services to people throughout the
United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
and Guam.
The SBA's guiding principles are:
• Inspiring creativity in the American economy by
developing and supporting entrepreneurs through a
vast network of resource partners.
• Advocating for all small businesses by taking
leadership in building a productive partner-
ship between the American people and their
government.
• Delivering results for small business, and being
accountable, accessible, and responsive.
• Empowering the spirit of entrepreneurship within
every community to promote and realize the
American dream.
• Facilitating the environment necessary for America's
small businesses to succeed, and measuring our
performance by small business success.
Brownfields Connections
The SBA encourages the redevelopment of
brownfields. SBA loan guarantees are available to
small businesses interested in locating on revitalized
brownfields. Typically, this occurs through utilization
of one or more of the following factors: (1) indemni-
fication; (2) completed remediation; (3) "No Further
Action" letter obtained; (4) "minimal contamination"
achieved; (5) cleanup funds approved; (6) escrow
account available; (7) groundwater contamina-
tion originating from another site; (8) additional or
substitute collateral is pledged; or (9) other factors,
such as the existence of adequate environmental
insurance.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
The SBA provides financial assistance programs for
small businesses, including the Certified Development
Company/504 (CDC/504) Program and 7(a) loans.
Certified Development Company/504 Program
The CDC/504 loan program is a long-term financing
tool for economic development within a community.
The 504 Program provides growing businesses
requiring "brick and mortar" financing with long-term,
fixed-rate financing to acquire major fixed assets for
expansion or modernization. A Certified Develop-
ment Company is a private, non-profit corporation set
up to contribute to the economic development of its
community. CDCs work with SBA and private-sector
lenders to provide financing to small businesses.
Typically, a 504 project includes a loan secured from
a private-sector lender with a senior lien covering up
to 50 percent of the project cost; a loan secured from
a CDC (backed by a 100 percent SBA-guaranteed
debenture) with a junior lien covering up to 40 percent
of the costs; and a contribution from the borrower of
at least 10 percent equity.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
businesses that are operated for profit and fall within the
size standards set by the SBA. Under the 504 Program,
the business qualifies as small if it has a tangible net
worth of $15 million or less and an average net income of
$5 million or less after taxes for the preceding two years.
Limitations: The 504 Program cannot be used for
working capital or inventory, consolidating or repaying
debt, or refinancing.
Availability: The maximum SBA debenture is $5
million when meeting the job creation criteria or
a community development goal. The maximum
debenture for small manufacturers is $5.5 million.
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Uses/Applications Include:
• Purchasing land and making improvements to
existing buildings, grading, streets, utilities, parking
lots, and landscaping.
• Constructing new facilities or modernizing,
renovating, or converting existing facilities.
• Purchasing long-term machinery and equipment.
http://www.sba.gov/financialassistance/borrowers/
guaranteed/CDC504lp/index.html
Basic 7(a) Loan Program
The 7(a) loan program is SBA's primary program to
help startup and existing small businesses obtain
financing when they might not be eligible for
business loans through normal lending channels. It
also is SBA's most flexible business loan program,
because financing can be guaranteed for a variety
of general business purposes. The 7(a) name
comes from section 7(a) of the Small Business Act.
The 7(a) loans are the most basic and most used
types of SBA loans.
Eligibility Requirements: To be considered for a
7(a) loan, applicants must meet certain eligibility
requirements. These requirements are designed to be
as broad as possible so the program can accommo-
date the most diverse variety of small business
financing needs.
Limitations: SBA does not fully guarantee 7(a) loans.
The lender and SBA share the risk that a borrower will
not be able to repay the loan in full.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Working capital.
• Purchase, renovation, and new construction of land
or buildings.
• Acquisition of equipment, machinery, furniture, and
fixtures.
• Leasehold improvements.
• Debt refinancing (under special conditions).
http://www.sba.gov/financialassistance/borrowers/
auaranteed/7alo/index.html
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Office of Small Business Development Centers
The Office of Small Business Development Centers
(SBDC) provides management assistance to current
and prospective small business owners. SBDCs
offer one-stop assistance to individuals and small
businesses by providing a wide variety of informa-
tion and guidance to central and easily accessible
branch locations. The program is a cooperative effort
of the private sector, the educational community,
and federal, state, and local governments, and is an
integral component of Entrepreneurial Development's
network of training and counseling services.
Eligibility Requirements: Individuals and small
business owners can receive assistance at local SBDC
branches, which are listed online.
http://www.sba.gov/abou1sba/sbaprograms/sbdc/index.html
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
SCORE is a non-profit association dedicated to
educating entrepreneurs and helping small businesses
start, grow, and succeed nationwide. SCORE is a
resource partner with the SBA. It has 364 chapters
throughout the United States and its territories, with
13,000 volunteers nationwide. Both working and
retired executives and business owners donate time
and expertise as business counselors.
Eligibility Requirements: Small business owners and
entrepreneurs can receive assistance online or at local
SCORE branches, which are listed online.
http: //www.score.org/index, html
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Rachel Newman Karton
Small Business Administration
Office of Small Business Development Centers
409 3rd St., NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20416
202-619-1816
rachel.newman-karton(a>sba.gov
Main Site
www.sba.gov
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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SNAPSHOT - VENTOWER INDUSTRIES, PORT OF MONROE, MICHIGAN
In early 2010, Ventower Industries opted to locate a state-of-the-art wind turbine tower manufacturing
facility on a former industrial landfill located on Port of Monroe property in Monroe, Michigan. Monroe is the
only Michigan port on Lake Erie. In 2010, Ventower purchased the 38-acre parcel from the Port of Monroe
as a bona fide prospective purchaser. Ventower also acquired an additional 10 acres for stockpiling
excess contaminated soils generated from construction activities and in anticipation of a future expansion
of its existing facility.
State and EPA brownfield assessment funds were used to conduct some of the environmental site as-
sessment activities to facilitate these transactions. Approximately $4.5 million in cleanup funds from the
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Downriver Community Conference Brownfield
Coalition's Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant were used to prepare the site for redevelopment. The
Small Business Administration provided a Section 504 loan guarantee of approximately $4 million for the
construction of a LEED-inspired, 115,000-square-foot manufacturing facility with the capacity to build
250 wind turbine towers per year. A second phase expansion is planned that will increase the size of the
facility to 220,000 square feet and add 48 contiguous acres of tower staging and storage space. The
initial phase of the project is expected to result in the creation of 150 jobs, with an additional 150 new
jobs following expansion.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Often, the success of a brownfields redevelopment
project depends on crafting a financing package that
takes advantage of federal programs that offer tax
incentives or credits for various components of the
project. Since the Brownfields Law was enacted in
2002, there has been increasing emphasis on building
partnerships among federal agencies offering targeted
resources that can be used to support brownfields
redevelopment projects.
Many states have adopted their own financing programs
and approaches to integrate traditional state develop-
ment programs into the brownfields financing mix. Such
programs include tax incentives and credits, targeted
financial assistance, and direct brownfields financing.
Effective brownfield redevelopment approaches
increasingly involve linking federal and state incentive
and assistance programs to help provide the financing
needed to overcome brownfields challenges, from
assessment to site preparation to redevelopment.
Information on state incentive and assistance programs
may be available through the states' brownfields
programs. To locate these state programs, visit (http://
www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/state_tribal/state_map.htm).
Creatively crafted and carefully targeted incentives
and credits can help advance cleanup activities and
prepare properties for reuse. This section provides an
overview of federal tax incentives and credits that can
be leveraged for brownfields cleanup, redevelopment,
and reuse. The following topics are outlined:
• New Markets Tax Credits
• Low Income Housing Tax Credits
• Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Brownfields Expensing Tax Incentive
The following information about these incentives
reflects the most recent changes and extensions
authorized by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of
2012, which was passed by Congress on January 1,
2013. Please refer to EPA's website (http://www.epa.
gov/brownfields) for the latest information on rules or
interpretations affecting their use.
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New Markets Tax Credit
The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program is
designed to stimulate the economies of distressed
urban and rural communities and create jobs in
low-income communities by expanding the availabil-
ity of credit, investment capital, and financial
services. The NMTC program was created through
the Community Renewal Act of 2000. The program
is administered by the Community Development
Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund within the U.S.
Department of the Treasury. Each year, tax credits are
allocated through the CDFI Fund and distributed to
qualified Community Development Entities (CDEs).
CDEs include a range of for-profit and non-profit
organizations, such as community development
corporations, CDFIs, organizations that administer
community development venture capital funds or
community loan funds, small business development
corporations, specialized small business investment
companies, and others. In the United States, there are
approximately 5,780 organizations certified as CDEs,
including subsidiaries (CDE partners), and nearly
1,000 certified CDFIs. Brownfields developers can
approach existing CDEs to help fund their projects or,
in certain circumstances, consider applying for CDE
certification themselves.
Given their focus on distressed areas, many of
which are characterized by blighted and abandoned
buildings, NMTCs have significant potential to support
brownfields projects. Through FY 2011, the CDFI Fund
made 664 awards allocating a total of $33 billion in
tax credit authority to CDEs through a competitive
application process. This $33 billion includes $3 billion
in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Awards
and $1 billion of special allocation authority to be
used for the recovery and redevelopment of the Gulf
Opportunity Zone. Under the 2011 NMTC allocation
authority, all 70 of the recipients indicated that they
will invest at least 95 percent of equity investments
into low-income communities, which exceeds the
minimum required 85 percent.
Demand for the tax credits has remained high since
the program's inception. In FY2012, 282 applicants
requesting a total of $21.9 billion in NMTC allocation
authority competed for a hoped-for $3.5 billion in
allocation authority, pending congressional action.
This unique funding mechanism is a viable option
for many brownfields redevelopers, given the typical
target investments that allocation recipients identify.
How the Program Works: The NMTC program
allows certified CDEs to apply competitively for an
allocation from the CFDI Fund tax credit pool. Once
a CDE receives an allocation of tax credits, the CDE
can offer the tax credits to private-sector investors,
including banks, insurance companies, corporations,
and individuals. Investors acquire (using cash only)
stock or a capital interest in the CDE on which the
investor can gain a potential return. The investor also
receives a 39 percent tax credit on the amount of the
investment (total purchase price of the stock or capital
interest). The credit is claimed over a seven-year
period. Investors receive a five percent credit annually
during the first three years after purchase and a six
percent credit during the final four years. Thus, for
each hypothetical $100,000 investment, an investor
would realize $39,000 in tax credits over seven years.
Investors may not redeem their stock or capital interest
in CDEs prior to the conclusion of the seven-year
period. In short, the CDE secures investors through
the sale of stock or issuance of an equity interest in
exchange for tax credits, and then uses the resulting
cash to make investments in low-income communities.
In return for providing the tax credit to the investor, the
CDE receives cash. The CDE must invest "substantially
all" of the cash proceeds into qualified low-income
community investments (QLICIs). Over half of all
CDE investments are investments in real estate
or businesses. Eligible QLICIs include loans to, or
investments in, businesses to be used for developing
residential, commercial, industrial, and retail real
estate projects. Examples of QLICIs include:
• Direct investments in qualified low-income,
community-based businesses.
• Purchases of loans made by a CDE to qualified
low-income businesses that allow a return via a
secondary market-type approach.
• Purchases of financial counseling and other technical
services to qualified active low-income community
businesses.
• Loans or investments in real estate projects that can
include brownfields cleanup and redevelopment.
A CDE must be certified to be eligible to receive
NMTCs. The Department of the Treasury's CDFI
Fund evaluates applications for CDE certification in
four areas: business strategy, capitalization strategy,
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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management capacity, and community impact. In
addition, the CDE must demonstrate that it will
maintain accountability to residents of low-income
communities, which is typically done through
representation on a governing or advisory board.
Community entities applying to become a CDE may
submit CDE certification applications at anytime of
the year to the CDFI Fund. Completing an application
for CDE certification can be lengthy, but the process is
straightforward, and the CDFI Fund makes decisions
relatively quickly. Once an organization is certified, the
designation lasts for the life of the organization. Both
non-profit and for-profit groups may apply for certifi-
cation by the CDFI Fund.
While the CDE certification and the Department of
Treasury allocation processes are complex, the actual
operation of the NMTC program is relatively simple:
• An investor (taxpayer) decides to seek NMTCs.
• The investor identifies a CDE that received a NMTC
allocation (listed on the Department of Treasury's
website) and is in the process of completing a
mixed-use redevelopment project, which could be
on a brownfield property.
• In exchange for a cash investment in the CDE's
project, the investor receives 39 percent of the
investment value in tax credits ($39,000 in credits for
each hypothetical $100,000 investment), over the
seven-year schedule noted above.
• The investor also receives stock or an equity interest
in the CDE's redevelopment project.
Advantages for Brownfields Site Redevelopers:
The NMTC program offers several advantages to
developers seeking financing to clean up and reuse
brownfields properties:
CDFI Fund
Tax credits to
• CDEs may be willing to structure a more favorable
deal than traditional lending institutions for
brownfields projects, which can be a key consider-
ation when lending is tight.
• CDEs can offer funding for a full range of redevelop-
ment activities, including land acquisition, environ-
mental remediation, demolition, site preparation,
construction, renovation, and infrastructure improve-
ments—making them a true "one-stop" financing
source.
• CDEs involved in brownfields cleanup and redevel-
opment projects, especially non-profit entities, can
facilitate packaging of different public financing
sources for one project. Financing sources can
include state and local programs and credits,
initiatives such as tax increment financing, federal
programs such as the Department of Housing and
Urban Development's Community Development
Block Grants, and EPA's Brownfields Grants.
• Tax credits available to investors through CDEs can
encourage investors to commit additional funds
for qualifying projects or attract new investors who
ordinarily might not have considered investing
in brownfields projects located in low-income
communities.
Brownfields stakeholders interested in making the NMTC
program part of their brownfields project financing
strategies generally follow one of three approaches:
• Contact existing CDEs for funding. Several recipients
of tax credit allocations identified brownfields
redevelopment as one of the goals for their
economic development efforts, but any CDE
potentially can invest in a brownfield project,
which is the easiest and most common approach.
Investors
Cash
Tax credits to
(against Federal
Income tax)
Community Development Entity (CDE)
J
Purchases Loans from CDEs
Provides Financial
Invests in or Lends to CDEs
Invests in or Lends to
Counseling and Related
Services
Qualified Active Lower
Income Community
Businesses (QALICBs)
Which may include Financing
Brownfields Redevelopment
Projects
Which may Include Community
Development Loans for
Brownfields Redevelopment
Projects
Which may Include Brownfields
Redevelopment Projects
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Brownfields developers should consult the CDFI/
Treasury website to identify CDEs operating in
their state.
• Apply for and receive CDE certification, and then
apply for an allocation of tax credits to offer to
potential investors. Although this process is more
complex, it is viable for stakeholders with sufficient
staff, technical capacity, and commitment for large-
scale or long-term brownfields efforts.
• Apply for and achieve CDE certification, and then
apply to other CDEs that have their own tax credit
allocations for equity financing. CDEs can invest in
the projects of other CDEs, including brownfields
projects, as long as these investments are made in
low-income areas. However, little funding was made
available through this channel in recent years. Only
one percent of the 2011 allocations are expected to
be used this way.
Through nine rounds of the NMTC Program, the CDFI
Fund made 664 awards totaling $33 billion in tax
credit allocation authority. The $3.6 billion in credits
allocated in 2011 went to 70 private and non-profit
CDEs headquartered in 29 states and the District of
Columbia, with investments anticipated in 49 states
and the District of Columbia. Allocation awards
ranged in size from $20 million to $100 million.
At the aggregate state level, total allocations range
from $1.21 billion to 21 CDEs serving California, to
$30 million to a CDE serving Iowa. Total allocations
to CDEs in 13 states—California, Florida, Illinois,
Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, North
Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylva-
nia, and Texas—and the District of Columbia exceed
$500 million.
Limitations: CDEs can be a vital source of capital for
brownfields revitalization. Because of the underwrit-
ing effort involved, the NMTC program tends to work
best for mid-sized and larger projects. While there is
no hard and fast rule, most NMTC projects are at least
$1 million in size. Although NMTCs have been used
as part of the financing for numerous brownfields
projects, many CDEs are unaware of the brownfields
redevelopment process and potential leveraging
advantages. Consequently, the first task facing local
officials and community leaders may be to educate
CDEs about the brownfields process and the role that
state voluntary cleanup programs can play in bringing
certainty and closure to environmental concerns at
these properties.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
601 13th St., NW, Suite 200 South
Washington, DC 20005
NMTC Support Line: 202-622-8662
http: //www. cdfif und. gov
The CDFI Fund website provides access to CDE
application materials and workshops, legal review
services for NMTC-related documents, and a map of
qualified census tracts and counties under the NMTC
program. It also contains lists of certified CDEs, recent
NMTC recipients and their target states for investing,
and profiles of CDE-supported community revitaliza-
tion projects. In addition, the website includes the
NMTC Qualified Equity Investment (QEI) Issuance
Report, which identifies, among other things, the
amount of credits each CDE can allocate, how much
credit authority they committed, and the amount
remaining to be issued to investors. The QEI issuance
report is updated monthly and can be found at
http: //www. cdfif und. gov/what_we_do/programs_
;'d.asp?proqram/D=5.
SNAPSHOT - SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
A $15-million NMTC loan was critical to the development of a thriving, grocery-anchored shopping and cultural
center known as Market Creek Plaza on the site of an abandoned aerospace manufacturing facility in San
Diego, California. The Plaza is located in the culturally diverse Diamond Neighborhoods of southeastern San
Diego. Located just minutes from San Diego's thriving downtown area, these neighborhoods endured decades
of disinvestment and urban flight. A unique partnership between the residents of the Diamond Neighborhoods,
the Jacobs Family Foundation, and the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation transformed this once
abandoned site into a center of community revitalization. The NMTC Program continues to attract private sector
capital investment into the Plaza to help finance community development projects, stimulate economic growth,
and create jobs. A team of residents created a larger, more comprehensive community development plan called
The Village at Market Creek. Over the next 10 to 15 years, this resident-planned village will transform 63
acres of blight into a thriving area with 800 new homes, 350,000 square feet of commercial and industrial
development, 800 new jobs, and a network of integrated community services.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Low Income Housing Tax Credits
Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) were created
under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 to provide incentives
for the use of private equity in the development of
affordable housing for low-income Americans. The
program is administered at the state level. Each state
receives an allocation of federal tax credits determined
by formula based on its population. In 2012, each
state's LIHTC ceiling will be the greater of $2.20
multiplied by the state population, or $2,525,000.
These credits are intended to ensure an attractive
minimum rate of return on investments in low-income
housing. Each state can issue LIHTC tax-exempt bonds
up to its ceiling to attract investment capital for the
development of low-income housing. LIHTCs may
be used as part of a brownfields financing package
if affordable rental housing is part of a project. The
credits have been used successfully in many states as
part of mixed-income housing developments and as
infill projects on brownfields sites.
LIHTCs are more attractive than tax deductions
because tax credits provide investors of affordable
housing developments a dollar-for-dollar reduction in
their federal taxes, while a tax deduction only reduces
taxable income and therefore provides a lesser tax
benefit. Development capital is raised by "syndicat-
ing" the credit to an investor or a group of investors
by selling the rights to future tax credits in exchange
for up-front cash. As these credits are syndicated,
developers obtain the equity capital necessary to build
or rehabilitate structures for low-income housing. The
tax credit is paid to investors annually over a 10-year
period. The funds generated through syndication vary
from market to market and from year to year. A few
years ago, turmoil in the financial market reduced
demand for tax breaks. LIHTCs were bought for only
about 65 to 75 cents per tax-credit dollar. However,
market demand for the credits has bounced back. In
2012, LIHTCs generated about 90 to 100 cents per
tax-credit dollar.
State housing agencies administer the LIHTC program
by reviewing tax credit applications submitted by
developers and then allocating the credits. This
process allows each state to set its own priorities
and address its specific housing goals. Some states
consider infill, vacant property reclamation, and mixed
use in their allocation plans, all of which are priorities
that can make brownfield sites more attractive to
housing developers as they compete for LIHTC alloca-
tions. As an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) require-
ment, projects that serve the lowest-income tenants
and guarantee low-rent affordability for the longest
time period are given priority. Owners must keep the
rental units available to low-income tenants for at
least 30 years after completion of the project.
Both for-profit and non-profit brownfields developers
can use LIHTCs to help finance low-income housing
projects. The tax credit program can be used either
to construct new buildings or to rehabilitate existing
buildings. All activities associated with the develop-
ment of housing, including cleanup and demolition,
can be claimed as expenses associated with the
development of low-income housing for the purposes
of claiming the tax credit.
As part of their credit allocation plans, some states
promote projects located in specific geographic areas or
distressed rural or urban areas. To the extent that these
policies dovetail with local brownfields priorities, they
may encourage investment in brownfields revitalization.
In addition, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of
2008 (HERA) required states to include energy-efficient
construction as an allocation priority. As a result, to the
extent that brownfields housing projects include "green"
technologies and sustainable development provisions,
they may become more attractive to developers seeking
LIHTCs. Over the past 20 years, states received signifi-
cant levels of LIHTC allocations that supported the
development of many housing units. Since beginning
operation, the LIHTC program allocated over $7.5
billion in federal tax credits to support 1.8 million
low-income housing units. Almost all new affordable
multifamily construction undertaken since 2000
received a subsidy under this program. Some of the
projects were conducted on brownfield sites, but full
potential for the development of low-income housing
on brownfield sites is as yet unrealized.
How the Program Works: The LIHTC program
enables funding for the development of affordable
housing by allowing a taxpayer to claim federal tax
credits for the costs incurred during development
of affordable units in a rental housing project. The
program authorizes state housing credit agencies
to award 9 percent tax credits for projects receiving
no other federal subsidy, and 4 percent credits for
projects financed with tax-exempt bonds. Tax credits
are available only to help cover the cost of units within
qualified projects reserved for rental to low-income
households. The tax credits are used by developers
to raise capital from investors through syndication
for their projects. The capital generated from the tax
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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credits prior to the start of a project lowers the debt
burden on LIHTC projects, making it easier for owners
to offer lower, more affordable rents. Investors, such
as banks, obtain a dollar-for-dollar reduction in their
federal tax liability. The 9 percent and 4 percent tax
credits are paid annually over a 10-year period.
To qualify, a project must have at least 20 percent
of its units rented to households with incomes at or
below 50 percent of the area median income, or at
least 40 percent of its units rented to households with
incomes at or below 60 percent of the area median
income. Although the developer may claim the tax
credit directly, the credits usually are passed on to
investors through syndication. A syndicator acts as a
broker between the developer and investors in the
project. Syndicators may pool several projects' tax
credits into one LIHTC equity fund and offer the credits
to investors who buy a piece of the equity fund. This
process spreads the risk to investors across various
projects. In addition, the investors typically become
limited partners in the housing project and have an
ownership interest. The developer typically receives
a development and property management fee plus
a share in any cash flows and any profits when the
property is sold. By using the investor's equity, the
developer is able to complete the project with less
debt-service financing. Thus, the rents for the building
can be reduced and serve lower-income individuals.
Advantages for Brownfields Site Redevelopers:
The LIHTC program offers several advantages to
developers considering affordable housing projects
on brownfields. These range from cost savings to
opportunities for leveraging funding from other
programs.
• LIHTCs offer an opportunity to restore buildings
that may have historical significance to provide
affordable housing. These properties may be
located in distressed neighborhoods that will
benefit from low-income housing options. In
other cases, the properties may be in emerging
neighborhoods, and their redevelopment can
lead to affordable housing for lower-wage
workers that is located closer to places of
employment.
• LIHTCs can be combined with federal historic
preservation tax credits to create a powerful
investment incentive. If the brownfield is a
historical structure, it can be a relatively easy fit
with low-income housing development.
• LIHTCs can attract new investors in redevelop-
ment projects. LIHTCs offer a strong incentive
for investors to consider financing a low-income
housing project on a brownfield property in
instances where they otherwise might not
consider including low-income housing in the
Lender
Loan for
housing
project
reduced
Money
Syndicator
>
i
^ (ei/u/iy/
^-
Tax credits
Investors
(Corporations or
individuals)
Loan payment
reduced
Tax credits
Housing project
application
Tax credits
State Housing
Agency
Developer
(general partner of project)
Tax credits
Money (equity)
Housing project application ^-
Tax benefits (tax credits/deductions)
Internal Revenue
Service
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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project. This is especially true if a syndicator is able
to pool tax credits from several projects and create a
LIHTC equity fund, which can reduce the liability risk
for individual investors.
Non-profit housing developers such as community
development corporations often find the program
especially advantageous because each state must set
aside at least 10 percent of its credit allocation for
projects developed by non-profits. The guaranteed
return stemming from the tax credit can attract
private banks not normally interested in housing or
brownfields projects. A non-profit can sell the tax
credits to investors or syndicators and become the
principal partner in the project. The tax-related value
of these credits is of little use to nonprofits because
they already are exempt from paying taxes.
Limitations: Brownfields housing projects may be
hindered by the same forces affecting the banking and
housing industries in the economic downturn. Reduced
credit, tighter bank underwriting, a reduced demand
for housing, and tighter due diligence standards all
make housing development more challenging. As
indicated above, the lower syndication value of LIHTCs
during challenging economic times can limit the
viability of many potential projects.
In addition, state LIHTC allocation plans may vary in
their treatment of projects sponsored by local housing
authorities. Some states may award bonus points to
such projects. Others states may require local housing
authorities to work with non-profit organizations to be
eligible to apply for tax credits. Stakeholders interested
in information about specific state policies should
contact their state housing authorities.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
HDD's Office of Policy Development and Research
maintains the HUD USER website, which contains an
extensive database of information on projects that
have used the LIHTC.
HUD USER
RO. Box 23268
Washington, DC 20026-3268
Toll Free: 1-800-245-2691
http://www. h uduser. org/datasets//ihtc. html
In addition, the following housing non-profit and
advocacy groups track LIHTC trends and activities:
The National Council of State Housing Agencies is a
non-profit organization created by the nation's state
Housing Finance Agencies to coordinate and leverage
advocacy efforts for affordable housing.
National Council of State Housing Agencies
444 North Capitol Street, NW
Suite 438
Washington, DC 20001
202-624-7710
http://www.ncsha.org/
The National Low Income Housing Coalition is a
non-profit that educates, organizes, and advocates
to ensure decent, affordable housing within healthy
neighborhoods for everyone.
National Low Income Housing Coalition
727 15th Street NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
202-662-1530
http://www.ri/ihc.org
The National Association of Local Housing Finance
Agencies is a non-profit national association of profession-
als working to finance affordable housing in the broader
community development context at the local level.
National Association of Local Housing Finance
Agencies
2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
202-367-1197
http://www.na/hfa.orq
SNAPSHOT-ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA
Providing affordable housing has long been a priority for the City of Anaheim. As part of the city's Affordable
Housing Strategic Plan, the city and the Anaheim Housing Authority collaborated to redevelop a two-acre
property into affordable housing units. Assembled from four separate parcels, the property had mixed uses,
primarily industrial, dating back to 1907. The Anaheim Redevelopment Authority provided nearly $195,000
from an EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant to prepare the site for redevelopment, and the city
contributed an additional $355,000 toward cleanup. These efforts cleared the way for a $17.5 million
redevelopment project that created a 60-unit affordable housing complex, known as the Vineyard Town
Home development, which now is home to more than 200 low-income residents. Much of the funding for the
project came from federal and state low-income housing tax credits obtained by the developer.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
Historic rehabilitation tax credits were adopted by
Congress to discourage unnecessary demolition
of sound older buildings and to slow the loss of
businesses from older urban areas. The tax credits
encourage private investment in the cleanup and
rehabilitation of historical properties. The National
Park Service (NFS) administers the program in partner-
ship with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and State
Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs). Over 1.39
million historic buildings are listed in or contribute
to historic districts listed in the National Register of
Historic Places, with thousands added each year.
The NPS estimates that 20 percent of these buildings
qualify as income-producing.
The historic rehabilitation tax credit is well-suited for
packaging with other economic development grant
and loan programs. Using the historic preserva-
tion tax credit generally does not preclude the use of
other federal, state, or local funding sources or other
programs designed to encourage rehabilitation. In
FY 2011, 94.5 percent of the projects that used the
historic rehabilitation tax credit also took advantage
of at least one additional incentive or form of publicly
supported financing. Of the additional incentives, 48
percent used state historic preservation tax incentives,
and 5.5 percent used the low-income housing credit.
Given that historic rehabilitation tax credits focus
on older buildings, they are an ideal brownfields
financing tool. Their use at brownfields properties
is rapidly accelerating across the country. The tax
credits help attract redevelopment capital to many
projects in blighted and ignored areas not ordinarily
considered for investment. These projects encompass
a wide range of properties and project types, including
offices, hotels, retail stores, warehouses, factories, and
rental housing.
How the Program Works: This incentive offers
private investors a tax credit that can be claimed for
the year in which the renovated building is put into
service. There are two separate tax credits: one for the
restoration of certified historic properties and one for
the rehabilitation of older but noncertified properties.
A certified historic structure is defined as a building
that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places,
either individually, as a contributing building in a
National Register historic district, or as a contributing
building within a local historic district that is certified
by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Rehabilita-
tion of income-producing, certified historic structures
qualifies for a credit equal to 20 percent of the cost
of the work. Rehabilitation work on older, noncer-
tified structures built before 1936 qualifies for a
credit equal to 10 percent of the cost of the work.
Most reconstruction work is eligible for the credit. All
restored buildings and properties must be income-
producing and rehabilitated according to standards
set by the Department of the Interior and enforced by
the SHPOs.
The 20 percent tax credit is available for historic
properties rehabilitated for commercial, industrial,
agricultural, or rental residential purposes, but not
for properties used exclusively as an owner's private
residence. Working in conjunction with state historic
preservation agencies, the NPS must approve all
rehabilitation projects seeking to use the 20 percent
tax credit. The rehabilitation must be consistent with
the historic character of the property. Owners seeking
to claim the 20 percent tax credit must complete a
detailed application process and maintain certification
throughout the rehabilitation work. Generally, the tax
credit is claimed in the year in which the rehabilitated
building is placed back into service. The owner of the
building must maintain ownership of the building for
five years after completing rehabilitation or be subject
to a staggered recapture of the tax credit.
In addition, a rehabilitation project must meet several
IRS criteria to qualify for the tax credit:
• The structure must be depreciable.
• The rehabilitation must be "substantial," defined as
expenditures greater than $5,000.
• The property must be returned to an income-produc-
ing use.
• The building must be maintained as a certified
historic structure when returned to service.
The 10 percent tax credit is available for the rehabili-
tation of noncertified, nonresidential buildings built
before 1936. Former manufacturing facilities, office
buildings, and hotels located on a brownfield site
easily qualify for this tax credit. Projects that plan to
claim the 10 percent rehabilitation tax credit must
meet several physical structure tests:
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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• At least 50 percent of the building's external walls
existing at the time that rehabilitation begins must
remain in place as external walls upon completion.
• At least 75 percent of the building's existing external
walls must remain in place as either external or
internal walls.
• At least 75 percent of the building's internal
structural framework must remain in place at the
time the building is returned to service.
Rehabilitation tax credits can be especially attractive
for cleanup and restoration of certified historic or
pre-1936 properties. An increasing number of states
are adopting their own rehabilitation tax incentive
programs and are encouraging developers to partici-
pate in both the state and the federal program to
maximize benefits. This opportunity creates a powerful
incentive and provides developers with increased cash
flow, which can make brownfields redevelopment
projects financially viable. State programs often offer
tax credits that range between 10 and 30 percent.
According to the NFS, an estimated $4.02 billion in
structural rehabilitation work was carried out in 2011
at 937 project sites. This work represents a significant
amount of activity during a tight real estate develop-
ment market. Many of these properties, including
old mills, vacant industrial buildings, and abandoned
production facilities, meet the criteria to be classified
as brownfields. This investment in rehabilitation led
to the creation of over 55,000 jobs and the develop-
ment of more than 15,600 housing units in 2011.
Over 7,400 of the housing units were for low- and
moderate-income individuals, which created a link
between low-income housing tax credits and rehabili-
tation tax credits. In 2011, over 48 percent of the
completed projects receiving NFS certifications also
benefited from the use of state historic tax credits, the
largest percentage use ever.
Advantages for Brownfields Site Redevelop-
ers: Brownfields redevelopers can choose to sell or
syndicate rehabilitation tax credits in exchange for an
upfront cash investment in the project. This exchange
can translate into more upfront project funding if a
developer prefers having a larger cash flow infusion
before cleanup and redevelopment work is carried out
rather than a tax credit at the end of the project or tax
year.
In addition, rehabilitation tax credits offer significant
leveraging possibilities with:
• Low-income housing tax credits.
• Industrial development bonds.
• A variety of federal development programs described
earlier in this guide, including SBA, HDD's CDBG
program, and USDA rural development.
• Numerous state and local financing, tax incentive,
and bond programs.
Limitations: While historic rehabilitation tax credits
can be beneficial and flexible sources of funding,
taking advantage of these credits sometimes can be
difficult. Brownfields developers contemplating old
or historic sites for new uses need to consider the
following:
• Once a building is placed into service, tax credits are
not officially awarded until the project is reviewed
and approved by the SHPO. This can take time and
affect project cash flow.
• Complying with the Americans with Disabilities
Act, pursuing LEED certification, installing energy
efficient windows, and addressing environmental
considerations such as lead paint and asbestos may
impact a building's historic nature and complicate
project certification. Fortunately, more SHPOs are
gaining an understanding of the brownfields process
SNAPSHOT - WILMONT BUILDING, LIVINGSTON, MONTANA
Historic main streets are an important part of the local economy in smaller cities and towns, and the 20
percent federal historic tax credits are being used successfully to assist owners with meeting the cost of
building renovation. The Wilmont Building on South Main Street in the Livingston Commercial District is a
good example of a local building being successfully rehabilitated and returned to full use with the help of
historic rehabilitation tax credits. Before the project work began, the only principal occupant was a locally
owned furniture and appliance firm that used only the lower floors. The recent rehabilitation work returned
the upper floors to their original use as apartments while providing upgraded retail space below. Adding
an elevator for access and retrofitting to meet modern building codes, the owners repaired the historic
stairs, removed lead paint, refinished historic doors, and restored the principal historic corridors. Upon
completion of the rehabilitation work, the Wilmont Building once again is fully operational, with offices
and apartments above the thriving furniture and appliance store.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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and what needs to be done to achieve appropriate
cleanups. In addition, some of the new remediation
and reconstruction techniques are proving to be less
disruptive to a structure's historic integrity.
• Nonrefundable credits, such as the rehabilitation
tax credit, may not be used to reduce the alterna-
tive minimum tax. If a taxpayer is not eligible for
the rehabilitation tax credit because of the alterna-
tive minimum tax, the credit can be carried back or
forward.
• To claim any credit, the investment must exceed
the greater of $5,000 or the adjusted basis of the
building and its structural components. This require-
ment can necessitate a large rehabilitation expendi-
ture on a big project.
In addition, tax credit recapture scenarios need to be
avoided if the full value of the credit is to be realized.
The tax credits can be subject to recapture (at 20
percent per year) if the property is disposed of before
five years have passed since the credit was granted or
if the building is converted to tax-exempt use within
five years of being put back into service.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
National Park Service
Technical Preservation Services
1201 Eye St., NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
202-513-7270
http://www.nps.gov/tps/
The NFS website provides access to detailed tax
incentive information, regulations, applications, and
rehabilitation standards. An overview of the Federal
Historic Preservation Tax Incentives can be found at
hffp://www.nps.qov/tps/tax-incent;Ves.htm.
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Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
As communities become more concerned about
the economic and environmental impacts of the
use of fossil fuels, renewable energy technolo-
gies are expected to play a greater role in meeting
future electricity demand. Renewable energy in
the United States, including water (hydroelectric),
wood, biofuels, wind, organic waste, geothermal,
and solar, accounted for 10 percent of the domesti-
cally produced electricity in 2010. The U.S.
Energy Information Administration estimates that
renewable-generated electricity will account for 16
percent of total U.S. electricity generation in 2035.
This growth will be driven mainly by the extension
of federal tax credits, new loan and grant programs,
and state requirements.
Identifying and using land located in areas that are
amenable to high-quality renewable energy alterna-
tives will be an essential component to developing
new renewable energy sources. EPA screened more
than 13,000 potentially contaminated sites and
solid waste landfills covering nearly 22 million acres
across the United States for suitability to renewable
energy generation facilities. Tracked sites include
brownfields, Superfund sites, Resource Conserva-
tion and Recovery Act (RCRA) sites, abandoned mine
lands, and landfills. Maps depicting the locations
of these EPA tracked sites and their potential for
supporting renewable energy generation can be
found at: http://www.epa.gov/renewab/eenergy-
/and/mapping_too/.htm. These maps enable users to
view screening results for various renewable energy
technologies at each site. Through coordination
and partnerships among federal, state, tribal, and
other government agencies and utilities, communi-
ties, and the private sector, new renewable energy
facilities may be developed on many potentially
contaminated properties.
Combining energy incentives with contaminated
land cleanup incentives can allow investors and
communities to create economically viable, nonpol-
luting, renewable-energy redevelopment projects
on brownfields, particularly sites where local
economic conditions prohibit traditional reuse of
the site. Recently enacted statutes (including the
Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Energy Improvement
and Extension Act of 2008 (EIEA), the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), and
the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012) created,
expanded, or extended incentive programs such as
tax incentives, loans, grants, and loan guarantees
to encourage renewable energy generation and
energy efficiency projects. This section contains
information about the federal tax incentives that are
available to potential developers considering the
siting of renewable energy generation and energy
efficiency projects on brownfields.
How the Programs Work:
Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax
Deduction
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established a tax
deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings
placed in service through the end of 2007. This
deduction was extended through 2008, and then
again through 2013. A tax deduction of $1.80
per square foot is available to owners of new or
existing buildings who install lighting, heating,
cooling, ventilation, or other systems that reduce
the building's total energy and power cost by
50 percent or more in comparison to a building
meeting certain minimum requirements. Deductions
of $0.60 per square foot are available to owners
of buildings for which energy-efficiency measures
are installed but where total energy and power cost
savings from these improvements do not meet the
50 percent threshold.
The deductions are available primarily to building
owners. Deductions are taken in the year in which
construction is completed. Energy savings must
be calculated using qualified computer software
approved by the IRS. The IRS released interim
guidance in June 2006 to enable taxpayers to
obtain a certification that a property satisfies
the energy efficiency requirements contained in
the statute. IRS Notice 2008-40 was issued in
March 2008 to further clarify the rules. The U.S.
Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable
Energy Laboratory published a report, Energy
Savings Modeling and Inspection Guidelines for
Commercial Building Federal Tax Deductions,
Second Edition, to provide guidelines for the
modeling and inspection of energy savings required
by the statute. DOE also compiled a list of qualified
computer software for calculating commercial
building energy and power cost savings.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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• Notice 2008-40, "Amplification of Notice
2006-52; Deduction for Energy Efficient
Commercial Buildings"
http://www.irs.gov/irb/2008- 14_IRB/arl 2.html
• Energy Savings Modeling and Inspection
Guidelines for Commercial Building Federal Tax
Deductions, Second Edition
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy07osti/40467.pdf
• Qualified Software for Calculating Commercial
Building Tax Deductions
http://wwwl.eere.energy.gov/buildings/qualif led _
software, html
Business Energy Investment Tax Credit
The business energy federal investment tax credit
provides incentives for the development and
deployment of renewable energy technologies. Prior
to 2005, a 10 percent federal investment tax credit
was available to businesses to offset capital expendi-
tures for solar or geothermal energy property. The
federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 expanded the tax
credit to include fuel cells, microturbines, and hybrid
solar lighting systems and raised the tax credit for
solar to 30 percent. The tax credits were expanded
significantly by EIEA and ARRA, and modified by the
American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. Current tax
credits are briefly summarized below for eligible
technologies placed in service before the end of
2016:
• Solar. In general, the tax credit is equal to 30
percent of expenditures, with no maximum credit,
for eligible systems. Eligible solar-energy property
includes equipment that uses solar energy to
generate electricity, heat or cool a structure, heat
water for use in a structure, provide solar process
heat, and illuminate the inside of a structure
using fiber-optic distributed sunlight. Passive solar
systems and solar pool-heating systems are not
eligible.
• Fuel Cells. The tax credit is equal to 30 percent of
expenditures, with no maximum credit. However,
the credit for fuel cells is capped at $1,500 per 0.5
kilowatt of capacity. Eligible property includes fuel
cells with a minimum capacity of 0.5 kilowatts that
have an electricity-only generation efficiency of 30
percent or higher.
• Small Wind Turbines. The tax credit is equal to 30
percent of expenditures, with no maximum credit.
Eligible small wind property includes wind turbines
up to 100 kilowatts in capacity.
• Geothermal Systems. The tax credit is equal to 10
percent of expenditures, with no maximum credit
limit stated. Eligible geothermal energy property
includes geothermal heat pumps and equipment
used to produce power from a geothermal
deposit. The credit for geothermal energy
property, excluding geothermal heat pumps, has
no stated expiration date.
• A/1/crofurb/nes. The tax credit is equal to 10 percent
of expenditures, with no maximum credit limit
stated. The credit for microturbines is capped at
$200 per kilowatt of capacity. Eligible property
includes microturbines up to two megawatts in
capacity that has an electricity-only generation
efficiency of 26 percent or higher.
• Combined Heat and Power (CHP). A CHP system,
also known as cogeneration, recovers waste
heat from electrical generation equipment and
uses the heat energy to power heating, cooling,
dehumidification, and other systems. The credit
is equal to 10 percent of expenditures, with no
maximum limit stated. Eligible CHP property
generally includes systems up to 50 megawatts in
capacity that exceeds 60 percent energy efficiency.
The efficiency requirement does not apply to CHP
systems that use biomass for at least 90 percent of
the system's energy source.
In general, the original use of the equipment must
begin with the taxpayer, or the system must be
constructed by the taxpayer. The equipment also
must meet any performance and quality standards
in effect at the time the equipment is acquired. The
energy property must be operational in the year in
which the credit is first taken. EIEA allows utilities to
use the credits and allows taxpayers to take the credit
against the alternative minimum tax (AMT), subject to
certain limitations. ARRA repealed a previous restric-
tion on the use of the credit for eligible projects also
supported by "subsidized energy financing."
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 continues
to allow facilities that produce solar electricity to
take a 30-percent investment credit in the year
that the facility is placed in service, with the other
facilities eligible for a production tax credit for
electricity produced over a ten-year period. But
the recent statute does allow facilities qualifying for
the production tax credit to elect to take the more
advantageous investment tax credit in lieu of the
production tax credit for facilities that begin construc-
tion by the end of 2013.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit
The renewable electricity production tax credit
reduces the federal income taxes of qualified
taxpaying owners of renewable energy projects
based on the electrical output, measured in
kilowatt-hours, of grid-connected renewable
energy facilities. This type of credit differs from an
investment tax credit, which reduces federal income
taxes based on capital investment in renewable
energy projects. Originally enacted in 1992, the
production tax credit was renewed and modified
numerous times, most recently in December 2012.
The tax credit amount is 1.5 cents per kilowatt-
hour in 1993 dollars (now equal to 2.2 cents
per kilowatt-hour indexed for inflation) for some
technologies, and half of that amount for others.
The rules governing the production tax credit
vary by resource and facility type. Renewable
technologies that qualify for the production tax
credit include wind energy, closed-loop biomass,
open-loop biomass, geothermal energy, landfill
gas production, municipal solid waste combustion,
qualified hydroelectric energy, and marine and
hydrokinetic (150 kilowatt or larger) energy. The
American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 made this
provision more advantageous. Under the new law,
the deadline for qualifying for the tax credit applies
to systems that begin construction before the end
of 2013; formerly, systems needed to be in service
by that date. This new deadline also applies to
wind projects, which also must start construction
before the end of 201 3. The duration of the credit
generally is 10 years after the date the facility is
placed in service, with some exceptions. The tax
credit is reduced for projects that receive other
federal tax credits, grants, tax-exempt financing, or
subsidized energy financing. Taxpayers eligible for
the production tax credit may alternatively take the
business energy investment tax credit (described
above).
Renewable Energy Bonus Depreciation
Deduction
Businesses typically are allowed to deduct the
costs of capital expenditures over time according
to various depreciation schedules. Under the IRS's
modified accelerated cost recovery system (AAACRS),
certain renewable energy technologies are classified
as five-year property, which means that the cost
of the equipment can be depreciated for federal
income tax purposes over a period of five years,
as determined by the IRS's depreciation schedule.
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of
2008 included a 50 percent "bonus" depreciation
provision for eligible renewable energy systems that
allows taxpayers to deduct 50 percent of the cost
of the property in the year in which it was placed in
service, with the remaining 50 percent depreciated
over the remaining AAACRS depreciation schedule.
Various statutes enacted over the past few years
amended the bonus depreciation. Eligible property
currently includes a variety of solar-electric and
solar-thermal technologies, fuel cells and microtur-
bines, geothermal electric, direct-use geothermal
and geothermal heat pumps, wind energy, and CHR
The first-year 50 percent deduction was extended
through the end of 2013 for properties placed in
service after December 31, 2012.
The bonus depreciation rules do not override the
depreciation limit applicable to projects qualifying
for the business energy investment tax credit. If a
taxpayer takes advantage of the business energy
investment tax credit, the amount of the bonus
depreciation will be reduced. For more information
on the federal AAACRS, see IRS Publication 946.
• IRS Publication 946, "How to Depreciate
Property"
http://www.irs.gov/uac/Publication-946.-How-To-
Depreciate-Property
Residential Energy Conservation Subsidy
Exclusion
Public utilities may offer energy conservation
subsidies to corporations and homeowners to
encourage installation of energy conservation
measures that reduce consumption of electricity or
natural gas or improve the management of energy
demand. The subsidies may be a direct payment of
cash or an indirect payment in the form of credits
or reduced rates. According to Section 136 of the
U.S. Code, energy conservation subsidies provided
to customers by public utilities, either directly or
indirectly, are nontaxable. Eligible dwelling units
include houses, apartments, condominiums, mobile
homes, and similar properties. This exclusion may
not apply to electricity-generating systems that claim
federal tax credits or deductions for the energy
conservation property (a taxpayer may not claim a
tax credit for an expense that the taxpayer ultimately
did not pay). The exclusion also may not apply for
residential solar-thermal projects and solar-electric
systems. Taxpayers considering using this provision
for a renewable energy system should discuss the
details of the project with a tax professional.
Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Energy-Efficient New Homes Tax Credit for Home
Builders
The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 established
tax credits of up to $2,000 for builders of all new
energy-efficient homes, including manufactured
homes. Initially scheduled to expire at the end of
2007, the tax credit was extended several times,
effective through the end of 2013. Site-built homes
qualify for a $2,000 credit if they are certified to
reduce heating and cooling energy consumption
by 50 percent relative to the International Energy
Conservation Code standard and meet minimum
efficiency standards established by DOE, and if
building envelope improvements account for at least
one-fifth of the reduction in energy consumption.
IRS Notice 2006-27 provides guidance for this
credit. Manufactured homes also must conform
to Federal Manufactured Home Construction and
Safety Standards to qualify for a $2,000 credit.
Manufactured homes qualify for a $1,000 credit
if they reduce energy consumption by 30 percent
and building envelope component improvements
account for at least one-third of the reduction in
energy consumption. Alternatively, manufactured
homes qualify if they meet Energy Star Labeled
Homes requirements. IRS Notice 2006-28 provides
guidance for the credit for building energy-efficient
manufactured homes. This credit expired at the end
of 2011 but may be extended again.
• Notice 2006-27, "Certification of Energy Efficient
Home Credit"
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-06-27.pdf
• Notice 2006-28, "Energy Efficient Home Credit;
Manufactured Homes"
http://www.irs.oov/irb/2006-11 IRB/ar 13.html
Advantages for Brownfields Site Redevelopers:
As with the tax credits described in earlier sections,
integrating energy tax incentives into a project's
financing strategy can enhance project cash flow
by offsetting cleanup and construction costs.
Using the tax incentives can provide brownfields
developers an added income boost. In many cases,
these incentives were made more practical when
they were made applicable to projects that begin
construction by the due date (typically the end of
2013), rather than having to be completed and
placed into service. Energy projects can be ideal at
brownfields where market interest is insufficient to
support more traditional economic redevelopment
projects. These properties often are idle for years
and may be purchased relatively inexpensively.
Limitations: The descriptions of these incentives
are simplified versions of the information in the
tax code, which often contains additional caveats,
restrictions, and modifications. In addition, effective
dates for these incentives may have expired
pending reauthorization. Those interested in these
incentives should review the relevant sections of
the tax code in detail and consult with a tax profes-
sional prior to making business decisions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
There are many sources of additional information
on renewable energy and energy efficiency. Some
of the more comprehensive sources include:
• EPA's RE-Powering America's Land website
(http://www.epa.gov/oswercpa/) includes maps
of the renewable energy potential of current
and formerly contaminated land and mine sites,
and fact sheets describing state incentives for
renewable energy development.
• DOE's Database of State Incentives for
Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) website
(http://www.dsireusa.org/) is a comprehensive
source of information on state, local, utility,
and federal incentives that promote renewable
energy and energy efficiency. Established in
1995, funded by DOE, and updated frequently,
DSIRE is an ongoing project of the North
Carolina Solar Center and the Interstate
Renewable Energy Council, Inc.
• EPA established the Combined Heat and Power
Partnership (http://www.epa.gov/chp) in 2001
to encourage cost-effective CHP projects by
fostering cooperative relationships with the CHP
industry, state and local governments, and other
stakeholders.
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SNAPSHOT - ATLANTA, GEORGIA
The Hickory Ridge landfill in Atlanta, Georgia, recently was capped after being filled with several tons
of waste. Instead of installing a polyethylene cap covered with compacted topsoil, the Atlanta landfill
was fitted with a geomembrane dotted with 7,000 thin-film photovoltaic solar panels. The Hickory Ridge
project will produce approximately 1.4 million kilowatt-hours of energy per year. The solar cap eliminates
the need for seeding, mowing, and maintenance of a vegetated polyethylene cap. The overall cost of
the Hickory Ridge solar cap was roughly $5 million dollars. The company that installed and operates the
photovoltaic cap will get a 30 percent tax credit on equipment and installation costs and will sell the power
generated from the landfill to Georgia Power.
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Brownfields Expensing Tax Incentive
NOTE: Congress failed to include an extension of the
brownfields expensing tax incentive in the American
Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, so this incentive no longer
is in effect. The incentive had lapsed in December,
2011, but based on past precedent, proponents had
hoped that a retroactive effective date would be
included in the new tax act. Although the prospects
for an independent reauthorization of the brownfields
expensing tax incentive are remote at this time given
concerns over revenue losses, this guide retains basic
information on the incentive for your information.
Designed to spur investment in blighted properties
and assist in revitalizing communities, the federal
brownfields tax incentive encouraged cleanup and
redevelopment of brownfields by allowing taxpayers
to reduce their taxable income by the cost of eligible
cleanup expenses in the year they were incurred.
Cleanup costs at eligible properties were fully
deductible in the year they were incurred, rather
than capitalized and spread over a period of years.
Through favorable tax treatment of cleanup costs,
the incentive program aimed to level the economic
playing field between greenfield and brownfield
development.
Both large- and small-scale cleanup and redevel-
opment activities benefitted from the use of the
brownfields expensing tax incentive. From large
office buildings to small commercial strips, projects of
varying sizes successfully integrated the tax incentive
as a key part of their financing packages, especially
when considered in the early stages of planning the
cleanup and redevelopment process.
How the Program Worked: By using the federal
brownfields tax incentive, environmental cleanup costs
are fully deductible in the year that they are incurred,
rather than capitalized over time (up to 30 years in
some cases). There are three requirements to qualify:
• The property must be owned by the taxpayer
incurring the eligible cleanup expenses and used
in a trade or business or for the production of
income.
Hazardous substances or petroleum contamina-
tion must be present or potentially present on the
property.
Taxpayers must obtain a statement from a
designated state agency (typically, the state's
environmental agency overseeing the voluntary
cleanup program(VCP)) that confirms the site is
a brownfield and therefore eligible for the tax
incentive. Participation in a state VCP satisfies this
requirement.
To be eligible for the brownfields expensing tax
incentive, costs of environmental cleanup needed to
be associated with activities that control the release
or disposal of a hazardous substance or petroleum
contamination, or activities that abate the threat of
a release or disposal of a hazardous substance or
petroleum contamination. Costs for activities, such
as implementation and monitoring of institutional
controls (for example, construction of access roads
that serve as caps for contaminated soils), demolition
and removal of contaminated materials, and state
VCP oversight fees also were eligible expenditures.
Expenses associated with site assessment and investi-
gation activities at a qualified contaminated site
were eligible for the incentive program if conducted
in connection with the abatement or control of
hazardous substances or petroleum contamination.
The steps to qualify for and claim the tax incentive
were simple and straightforward:
• The site owner determined that a hazardous
substance or petroleum contamination was present
or potentially present on the property and began
planning for a cleanup and redevelopment project.
• The site owner contacted the designated state
agency to inquire about procedures for obtaining
a statement that confirmed the property was a
brownfield site. The owner then provided the
agency with documentation that shows hazardous
substances or petroleum contamination was
present or may be present on the property.
• The designated state agency verified submitted
information and provided the site owner with a
statement of eligibility for the tax incentive. In most
cases, the review process was very quick. (The
Congressional Research Service found that virtually
every state was able make a determination in
less than a month, and three states—New Jersey,
Texas, and Wisconsin—turned around requests in
three days or less.) Once state confirmation was
issued, the IRS considered it valid for the life of the
tax incentive.
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• To claim the deduction, small business taxpayers
wrote "Section 198 Election" on their income tax
return next to the line where the deduction was
claimed. Companies or partnerships with more
than $10 million in assets filled out Schedule M-3.
Advantages for Brownfields Site Redevelop-
ers: Integrating the tax incentive into a project's
financing strategy enhanced project cash flow by
offsetting cleanup costs. Prior to the availability of
the tax incentive, buyers purchased a contaminated
property at its impaired value and then capitalized any
cleanup costs over a period of many years. Using the
tax incentive, on the other hand, provided brownfields
developers an added income boost during the year
they invested in cleanups. Small businesses in the
environmental cleanup and consulting sector success-
fully completed brownfields cleanup and redevelop-
ment projects with the help of the tax incentive and,
as a consequence, encouraged other businesses to
seek out brownfields sites for redevelopment. The tax
expensing incentive also was used to leverage money
targeted for construction. For example, in a situation
where contaminated soils were capped with a parking
lot, the costs related to the soil remediation and cap
construction were allowable as cleanup costs.
Limitations: The brownfields tax incentive was not
frequently used, despite its great potential to support
property cleanup and reuse. A key reason for the
limited use of the incentive may have been uncertainty
over its availability over an extended period of time.
The tax provision never had long-term authorization,
and Congress allowed the provision to lapse six times
through December 31, 2011.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Brownfields Tax Incentive Website
http: //www. epa.gov/swerosps/bf/tax/index, htm
Brownfields Tax Incentive State Contacts
hff P.-//WWW. epa. qov/swerosps/bf/stxcntct. htm
SNAPSHOT - PIQUETTE SQUARE, DETROIT, MICHIGAN
Piquette Square is a new 150-unit apartment project in Detroit that was developed to house and care for
homeless veterans. This redevelopment project is the recipient of the 2010 Phoenix Award for National
Community Impact, the nation's highest honor for excellence in brownfield redevelopment. Located on the
site of a historic Studebaker factory destroyed by fire in 2005, the property required considerable environ-
mental remediation as a result of 80 years of industrial use. This brownfield redevelopment represents a
national model for effective public and private sector collaboration. The project cost of approximately $23
million was financed with a blend of public and private resources and funding, including more than $1
million in federal, state, and local grants for environmental assessment and cleanup and more than $1.7
million in brownfields tax credits. Lead by Southwest Housing Solutions and the Detroit Wayne County
Port Authority, cleanup activities began at the property in 2008. The first veteran tenants moved into
Piquette Square in June 2010. The facility encompasses a variety of "green" architectural aspects, including
geothermal heating and cooling technology that decreases the dependency on fossil fuels and reduces
operating costs for the building.
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Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-K-13-001
May 2013
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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