Revitalizing Southeastern Communities , flftr -f EPA's Land Revitalization Office EPA's Land Revitalization Initiative coordinates land reuse activities across a variety of EPA departments. The initiative advocates "a culture of reuse" within EPA, urging that future land uses be considered as part of any cleanup strategy. The Land Revitalization Office works with inter-agency collaborators, as well as with outside organizations, to implement the initiative. The office also engages the public through outreach and training activities. Partner programs within EPA include the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative, the Brownfields Program, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Brownfields, the Office of Underground Storage Tanks, the Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office, and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. Externally, EPA has partnered with Habitat for Humanity International to redevelop sites into residential properties. As part of a current collaboration, EPA is working with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to turn former Superfund sites into soccer fields. The Land Revitalization Initiative also promotes sustainable redevelopment policies and is involved in several related EPA initiatives including Sustainable Growth, The Green Buildings on Brownfields Initiative, and the Environmentally Responsible Redevelopment and Reuse (ER3) Initiative. These programs and their partners utilize enforcement policies and green redevelopment strategies to ensure sustainable land revitalization. The Land Revitalization Initiative has a significant interest in fostering technical innovation. To this end, the initiative's website provides "Tools & Technical Information," notably the Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology Support Center and The Directory of Technical Assistance for Land Revitalization. In its "Land Revitalization Action Agenda," the initiative states its desire to establish performance measures for reuse, along with technical determinations that could be used to discern appropriate reuses. EPA's Land Revitalization Action Agenda outlines policies and practices that may be employed in the future to further the goals of the initiative. The Agenda highlights EPA's desire to strengthen state, local, and tribal collaborations. It also suggests the expansion of EPA Regional efforts, including the creation of a "Regional Reuse Coordinator Team" in each region and the establishment of expert "Revitalization Technical Assistance Teams." Finally, the Agenda proposes "brown bag" meetings for HQ and Regional staff, as well as increased recognition for staff members, states, tribes, communities, and developers who work to implement creative reuse solutions. The agenda is available at www.epa.gov/swerrims/landrevitalization/agenda_full.htm . ------- Websites: www.epa.gov/oswer/landrevitalization/toolstechnicalinfo.htm www.epa.gov/swerrims/landrevitalization/toolstechnicalinfo.htm Contacts: Matt Robbins U.S. EPA Region IV Reuse Coordinator 410-562-8371 Robbins.matt@epa.gov Catherine Allen U.S. EPA Headquarters 202-566-1039 Allen.catherine@epa.gov ------- Revitalizing Southeastern Communities , flftr -f U.S. EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers the Underground Storage Tank (UST) program through its Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST). OUST was created in 1985 in response to a Congressional mandate to regulate UST activities nationally. The vast majority of USTs store petroleum products at retail establishments, such as gas stations, and at petroleum refining facilities. The EPA provides funding for "petroleum brownfields," including abandoned gas stations and USTfields affected by underground storage tanks. Twenty-five percent of the EPA funding provided for brownfields assessment and cleanup is directed toward these petroleum brownfields. In addition, the EPA Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) is providing resources and fostering partnerships for the recycling of America's abandoned gas stations. OUST launched an "USTfields Pilot Initiative," which has provided funding to 50 localities and their state partners for the creation of new models for the cleanup of petroleum brownfields. OUST has also formed agreements with organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the Wildlife Habitat Council to promote the reuse of petroleum brownfields for housing, parks and wildlife habitat areas. OUST is likewise launching an effort to promote the reuse of abandoned gas stations for small retail outlets like coffee shops, copy stores and convenience markets. Contact: Mr. Sammy Ng U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST) MC: 5401G 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington , DC 20460 703-603-7166 ng.sammy@epa.gov ------- U.S. EPA Office of Smart Growth EPA's Office of Smart Growth or the Development, Community, and Environment Division offers "Smart Growth in Brownfieid Communities" grants in recognition of the importance of brownfields revitalization to sustainable growth strategies. The funding is used to facilitate sustainable growth in planning, revitalization, and redevelopment efforts, with an emphasis on projects that can be emulated by communities across the country. Website: www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/ Contact: Adhir Kackar U.S. EPA Headquarters kackar.adhir@epa.gov 202-566-2846 ------- EPA's Environmentally Responsible Redevelopment and Reuse Initiative EPA's Environmentally Responsible Redevelopment and Reuse (ER3) Initiative promotes sustainable redevelopment of contaminated sites. This approach can magnify the environmental benefits of a brownfields revitalization effort, joining cleanup with development strategies that avoid the habitat destruction, stormwater runoff, and excessive energy consumption that often characterize current development practices. By encouraging redevelopment efforts that are both sustainable and profitable, ER3 hopes to catalyze cleanups that might not otherwise be undertaken. To accomplish this, ER3 will partner with organizations—such as non-profits, universities, and trade associations—that have significant expertise in sustainable development and facilities. ER3 may also provide developers with information on local architects who have experience designing green buildings. Comfort letters and prospective purchaser agreements are available to encourage sustainable development. Defendants in civil penalty actions may agree to undertake a "Supplemental Environmental Project" (SEP), an environmentally beneficial project whose value is considered in establishing the amount of a final cash penalty. Website: www.epa.gov/compliance/cleanup/redevelop/er3/ Contact: Phil Page Environmentally Responsible Redevelopment and Reuse Initiative U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 202-564-42II KC Schefski, Environmentally Responsible Redevelopment and Reuse Initiative U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 202-564-8213 ------- Revitalizing Southeastern Communities , flftr -f EPA's Technology Innovation Office A great resource for brownfields technologies is the EPA's Technology Innovation Office. The Technology Innovation Office (TIO) provides information and technical assistance on characterization and treatment technologies for the hazardous waste remediation community. It offers technology selection tools and describes programs, organizations, publications for federal and state personnel, consulting engineers, technology developers and vendors, remediation contractors, researchers, community groups, and individual citizens. EPA's TIO has engaged in a number of technology demonstration and evaluation projects in support of local communities. Informational reports on technology innovations in brownfields redevelopment are included in the Resources folder of this section. Contact: Dan Powell U.S. EPA Headquarters 703-603-7196 powell.dan@epa.gov ------- Revitalizing Southeastern Communities , flftr -f Clean Water State Revolving Funds An EPA funding program has great potential but has been little used. Each state has been given capital to operate Clean Water State Revolving Fund programs, which are used to make low or no-interest loans of up to 20 or 30 years for projects that improve water quality - including the cleanup of waterfront brownfields. Project priorities are set by the states, within broad EPA guidelines, and brownfield projects that could improve water quality may be able to access these state funds, subject to state programs and procedures. State clean water revolving funds can cover the costs of activities like excavation and disposal of underground storage tanks; capping of wells; excavation, removal, and disposal of contaminated soil or sediments; well abandonment; or Phase I and II assessments, or remedial planning. Each state determines who may use its revolving fund resources. EPA allows communities, municipalities, individuals, citizen groups, and non-profit organizations to be loan recipients. Usually, loans are repaid through sources such as fees paid by developers; recreational fees; dedicated portions of state, county, or local government taxes; stormwater management fees; or wastewater user charges. Website: www. e pa.gov/own. c wf i nan ce/c ws rf/i n d ex. htm www.epa.gov/Region4/water/gtas/grantprograms.html Contact: State Contacts for the CWSRF Sheryl Parsons State Contact Telephone CWSRF Coordinator AL Aubrey White 334-271-7805 EPA Region 4 FL Don Berryhill 850-245-8358 404-562-9337 parsons.sheryl@epa.gov GA Greg Mason 404-962-3003 KY Sandy Williams 502-573-0260 MS Mark Smith 601-961-5187 NC John R. Blowe 919-715-3216 SC David Price 803-734-5341 TN lim Poff 615-532-0451 ------- |