/ O \ Brownfields 1994 As 1 J Cleveland, OH EPA Brownfields Initiative EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Background EPA selected the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission (CPC) as its first Brownfields Pilot in September 1993. To date, the CPC brownfields project has leveraged an additional $3.2 million to support environmental cleanup and property improvements at the Pilot site. Payroll tax base improvements alone have netted over $ 1 million for the local government, and more than 170 new jobs have been created. Pilot Fact Sheet Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 09/01/1993 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets regulatory, economic, and community organization efforts at three contaminated sites. Contacts For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields Web site (http ://www .epa.gov/brownfields). EPA Region 5 Brownfields Team (312)886-7576 EPA Region 5 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields) Grant Recipient: Cleveland, OH CPC (216) 443-3716 Tri-C (216) 987-4327 Objectives The CPC's objective has been to focus cleanup decisions on future reuse of the site and ensure that decisions about cleanup and redevelopment are consistent with the needs and expectations of the community. The CPC has garnered input and assistance from lending institutions, developers, regulatory agencies, and the community to ensure a holistic, coordinated approach. CPC's strategy involves all parties that have a stake in the redevelopment and provides each of them with an opportunity to communicate their concerns and help develop solutions. This includes ensuring that minorities and economically disadvantaged people actively participate in the brownfields efforts. United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 500-F-97-011 nil- a ancl Emergency .. Protection Agency Response (5105T) MaV97 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- Activities The Pilot has: • Selected three sites for redevelopment: the Sunar Hauserman site; the Mid-Town Corridor site; and the Collinwood Railyard site; • Performed three site assessments; and • Worked with the Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), a community/business task force, to insure broad participation and input in the brownfields effort. This task force will be a key link to ensure that Cleveland has the trained workforce needed to assess, clean up, and redevelop contaminated properties. The Pilot is: • Performing a final review of the draft community manual prepared by the Community Strategies Team; and • Developing a GIS system to support brownfields redevelopment decision-making. This tool will provide organizations and individuals with up-to-date information which many communities across the country already provide for economic development and marketing for local properties. Experience with the Cleveland Pilot has been a catalyst for related activities including the following. • Under the auspices of the Cleveland Pilot, the Sunar Hauserman property has become a successful demonstration site. $4.2 million has been leveraged for environmental cleanup and property improvements after the bankruptcy of the original site owners. The site is now home to several new businesses which provide 181 jobs, income and revenue generation of more than $ 1 million per year, and approximately $ 1 million dollars in property improvements. The property has changed ownership and the new owner has begun cleanup activities which will consist primarily of soil vapor extraction and groundwater remediation. A "comfort letter" from EPA Region 5 provided the assurance to make this activity possible. • Working with the Cleveland State University (CSU), which received a two-year grant to support the creation of a Brownfields Redevelopment Finance Center which will develop models and strategies for resolving brownfields issues in EPA Region 5. The Cuyahoga County Council developed a revolving United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 and Emergency Response (5105T) Solid Waste EPA 500-F-97-011 May 97 ------- loan fund for site assessments. The fund will generate money for the redevelopment of brownfields within Cuyahoga County and possibly be used as a model throughout the State of Ohio. • Tri-C is developing programs to provide trained and capable workers to support the redevelopment of brownfields. Efforts are underway to recruit local minority residents into these programs. • Tri-C held a forum to discuss the risks posed by brownfields as part of its outreach efforts. • The City is assisting the Tri-C in developing a high school curriculum on environmental issues to encourage interest and awareness among students. • The City and Tri-C are conducting outreach activities to recruit minorities and other citizens to provide information to environmental justice neighborhoods. • The Mid-Town corridor site has been expanded and now covers an area which includes over 200 parcels. Future uses of the area include food processing, light and heavy manufacturing, and service sector businesses. • Phase I audits have been completed at over 150 parcels done in large part by Ohio EPA with EPA Site Assessment financial support. Phase II field work is scheduled for summer/fall 1997. • The Collinwood Railyard site is a joint County/City effort that will transform an idle Conrail property into a commercial/retail center on Cleveland's northeast side. Ohio EPA is again providing technical assistance through the Region's Site Assessment mechanism. • In August 1996, CSU released survey results of municipal industrial land capacity within various cities in the Region that could be developed as brownfields. The survey results were reported at a symposium organized by the University. The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agreement for the grant has not yet been negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 500-F-97-011 j. i- a ancl Emergency .. Protection Agency Response (5105T) MaV97 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- |