United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Land Revitalization Program
Tools for Communities
EPA's Land Revitalization Team works across EPA Regions and program offices, and in partner-
ship with other federal agencies and the private sector to support communities in their efforts to
implement sustainable redevelopment strategies. A primary goal of EPA's Land Revitalization
Program is enhancing community revitalization by promoting the sustainable reuse of formerly
contaminated properties. The Land Revitalization Program offers contractor assistance for small projects to
support innovative, community-based land revitalization efforts with a goal to enhance the sustainability of
a community's redevelopment efforts. The Land Revitalization Program's projects often align with broader
Agency initiatives such as the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, Strong Cities/Strong Communities,
and Making a Visible Difference in Communities. These small investments in targeted technical assistance
to promising community projects often result in the development of replicable models and useful tools that
can help other communities implement more sustainable redevelopment strategies that lead to more livable
places.
This fact sheet highlights some of the tools that have resulted from the regional community-based projects
undertaken with assistance from the Land Revitalization Program. These useful tools can be adapted for
use in other communities.
The PREPARED Workbook
Using contractor support provided by the Land Revitalization Program, EPA Region 1
developed the Process for Risk Evaluation, Property Analysis and Reuse Decisions
(PREPARED) Workbook to help local governments that need a framework for evaluat-
ing potential property recovery actions for brownfields. The workbook guides local
decision makers through a step-by-step process for determining how to facilitate reuse
of contaminated properties by considering acquisition and non-acquisition property
recovery actions. While intended primarily for use by municipalities, the workbook also
can be used by states, counties, tribes, and quasi-governmental entities. It also includes
user-friendly worksheets to help document and guide the property transaction and
redevelopment process.
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Web-based PREPARED Workbook Tool for the State of Connecticut
EPA Region 1 worked with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environ-
mental Protection to create a user-friendly Web-based PREPARED Workbook to
help Connecticut's municipalities navigate the redevelopment process and access
applicable state and EPA information. While the website is state-specific, Connecti-
cut's experience adapting the workbook to its program is a replicable model for
other states interested in tailoring and web-enabling EPA's PREPARED Workbook
for use with their own voluntary cleanup programs.
Brownfields and Urban Agriculture:
Interim Guidelines for Safe Gardening Practices
E.-rrr" ' '*"•'
These guidelines provide a process and set of recommendations for developing
agricultural reuse projects on sites with an environmental history. Potential gardeners,
state environmental agencies and regulators can use the process to determine how to
address the risks inherent to redeveloping brownfields for agricultural reuses while being
protective of human health. There is a large body of ongoing research as concern about
contamination emerges and urban gardening becomes a common practice, particularly
in communities with limited economic activity. This document is meant to be an interim
guideline until such research can provide more definitive standards and policies for
agricultural reuse on brownfields. Although the guide was developed in the Midwest, it
may be used to benefit tribes and communities throughout the country wishing to use
urban agriculture on brownfield sites and vacant properties.
Residential Demolition Tool
Region 5's Land Revitalization Team helped the City of Detroit, Michigan,
develop sound demolition practices, prepare demolished sites for reuse,
and revitalize demolished lots into "green" sites. As a result of this technical
assistance to Detroit, Region 5 developed a useful tool for Detroit and other
municipalities, counties, or land banks undertaking large-scale residen-
tial demolitions. The On the Road to Reuse: Residential Demolition Bid
Specification Development Tool helps users anticipate environmental issues
and concerns so they can factor them into the planning and procurement
process. The tool also provides guidance for developing contract language
for bid packages that instructs contractors on specific technical requirements
to achieve improved environmental results in a demolition project.
On the Road to Reuse;
Residential Demolition Bid
Specification Development Tool
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Deconstruction Rapid Assessment Tool
Deconstruction Rapid
Assessment Tool
Region 5 also developed a Deconstruction Rapid Assessment Tool that helps contrac-
tors assess the potential value of materials that could be recycled by deconstructing a
structure rather than demolishing it. The tool enables organizations to triage building
stock slated for demolition by generating a data set to help identify priority structures
for deconstruction and salvage. The assessment process identifies candidates for
deconstruction by examining information on a building's condition and salvageable
material inventory. Whether the project scope is a few structures in a neighborhood,
or an entire city's blight program, a rapid assessment can help managers make critical
decisions regarding the allocation of resources and time. The Land Revitalization
Program also developed an Improving Demolition Practices fact sheet based on Region
5's work in this area (see box on page 5).
Business Planning Tool for Urban Agriculture Business
artnersnip
for Sustainable
The Fernwood Growing Center is an urban farm situated
on a two-acre brownfield that was vacant for more than
15 years before it was cleaned up with assistance from
an EPA Brownfields revolving loan fund grant awarded to
the City of Toledo, Ohio. The center encourages healthy
diets and lifestyles by providing fresh, locally grown fruits
and vegetables and nutrition education to the community,
thereby reconnecting people with locally grown foods.
Urban farms can help strengthen local economies
by creating new jobs and providing local community
members with job training opportunities. EPA Region 5 ^
worked with the Lucas County Improvement Corporation,
Toledo Community Development Corporation (CDC), University of Toledo, Center for Innovative Food
Technology, The Collaborative, Toledo Grows, the City of Toledo, Ohio EPA, and the U.S. Department
of Housing and Urban Development to help the Toledo CDC develop a business plan for the Fernwood
Growing Center. The project resulted in the development of products that will be used in Toledo, but also
have wider application. The following tools may be useful to communities that are seeking alternative
sustainable reuses for brownfields that can revitalize neighborhoods while improving access to fresh and
healthy foods:
• Urban Farm Business Plan Handbook
• Urban Farm Business Plan Worksheets
• Urban Farm Business Plan Financial and Plannina Soreadsheets
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Deconstruction Tools for Tribes and Rural Communities
Region 6's Land Revitalization Team developed two interactive tools that provide tribes
and rural communities with a step-by-step approach for calculating the feasibility and
value of deconstructing buildings, reclaiming materials, and/or recycling for potential
profit. The Checklist for Assessing the Feasibility of Building Deconstruction for Tribes
and Rural Communities is a tool for assessing the technical and economic feasibility
of building deconstruction, regardless of a community's size and geographic location.
Used in conjunction with the Building Material Reuse and Recycling Estimating Tool, this
checklist will help tribes and rural communities determine potential costs and benefits
of reuse, recycling, and disposal options for various types of
deconstruction materials. After completion of the checklist, the
information collected (e.g., type, quantity, condition, and value of deconstruction
materials; transportation and labor costs; regulatory considerations) is then entered
into the Building Material Reuse and Recycling Estimating Tool to calculate the
quantities and types of materials that can be reclaimed and recycled.
Public Infrastructure Coordination Assessment and Planning Tool
To support communities that are grappling with the combined effects of changing population
(growing or shrinking), aging infrastructure, and fewer public resources available to invest
in public infrastructure, including water, wastewater, stormwater, and transportation
infrastructure, Region 5's Land Revitalization Team developed the Public Infrastructure
Coordination Assessment and Planning Tool. The tool is intended to assist communities
in identifying opportunities to leverage investments across systems, by taking a more
coordinated approach to infrastructure management. It builds on the principles and best
practices in public infrastructure Asset Management (AM) and can be used by communities to assess progress
and consider the benefits of a coordinated, cross-system, cross-department, or city-wide AM approach.
Economic Development and Climate Resilience Planning Tool
The Land Revitalization Program, EPA Region 3, and the Strong Cities/Strong
Communities Initiative provided technical assistance to Chester, Pennsylvania, to
evaluate real estate market conditions and collect examples of land use strategies
that can promote economic development, increase green infrastructure, and reduce
vulnerability to climate change. The report drafted by EPAs technical assistance team
outlined nationally applicable examples of relevant regulatory standards, incentives, and
guidelines for Chester to consider as it updates its zoning and subdivision regulations.
The team's report, which also included examples of non-regulatory projects, programs,
and approaches that may be helpful to the city, was used to develop a tool to enable
other communities to use the team's findings to help inform their own efforts to balance
planning goals, increase climate resiliency, and promote economic development. The team found that
regulatory approaches to improving resilience to increased creek and coastal flooding often involve tax
rebates, storm water fee reductions, or grant funding to offset added development costs related to installa-
tion of site or building-based resiliency features, including porous pavers and asphalt, bio-retention, and
vegetated swales. They also identified significant opportunities to reduce stream flooding risk through
redesign of upstream parks, similar to projects implemented in other communities.
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Learn More About Land Revitalization Community Projects and Tools
EPA's land revitalization initiatives are producing significant environmental benefits and helping
to transform communities into more sustainable and livable places. For more information and
examples of successful EPA land revitalization projects, see:
Fact Sheets
• Buildina Healthier Communities bv Increasina Access
to Health Care
Revitalization Alona Historic Hiahwavs
Urban Aariculture
Revitalization in Auto Sector Communities
Revitalization in Tribal Communities
Sustainable Recoverv After Natural Disasters
Land Bankim
Green Infrastructure
Improving Demolition Practices
Imorovina Urban Soils
Recreational Reuse: Cleveland Velodrome
Land Revitalization Success Story Reports
• Land Revitalization Success Stories (2014}
• Land Revitalization Success Stories (2011}
• Green Infrastructure: Land Revitalization Success Stories
Green Infrastructure:
Visit the Land Revitalization Program Website
http://www2.epa.gov/land-revitalization
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The Land Revitalization Team:
Headquarters and Regional Land Revitalization Coordinators
EPA Headquarters
'tricia Overmeyer, Land Revitalization Coordinator
Region 1
Region 2
202.566.2774
Frank Gardner
gardner.frank@epa.gov
617.918.1278
John Struble
uble.iohn(T
'.637.4291
Region 3
Chris Thomas
thomas.christopher@epa.gov
215.814.5555
riema Newman
wman.keriemart
4.562.8859
Region 5
Region 6
Jim Van der Kloot
vanderkloot.iames@epa.gov
312.353.3161
'aren Peyck<
cke.karenrt
t.665.7273
Region 7
Brad Eaton
eaton. brad@epa.gov
913.551.7265
Region 8
Region 9
Noemi Emeric-Ford
emeric-ford.noemi@epa.gov
213.244.1821
OSWER Center for Communities, Partnerships and
Assessment
Marc Thomas
thomas.marc@epa.gov
202.566.0791
Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
Sara Rasmussen
rasmussen.sara@epa.gov
Office of Underground Storage Tanks
703.308.8399
Steven McNeely
neelv.stevenrt
,3.603.7164
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Land and
Emergency Management
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-16-001
January 2016
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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