Brownfields Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet

Elizabeth, NJ

EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower States, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. Between 1995 and 1996, EPA funded 76 National and Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields solutions. EPA is funding more than 27 Pilots in 1997. The Pilots are intended to provide EPA, States, Tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.

PILOT SNAPSHOT

Date of Award: June 1997

Amount: $200,000

Profile: The Pilot targets five sites for further assessment and redevelopment.

BACKGROUND

EPA Region 2 has selected the City of Elizabeth for a Regional Brownfields Pilot. Established in 1665, Elizabeth is an urban industrial city located south of Newark and has been a business center since the industrial revolution. Elizabeth has had a variety of large and small manufacturing and tool and die companies, but with a declining manufacturing base, the City has been left with a host of abandoned industrial buildings and lots. Although the City has had several redevelopment successes within the last four years, it continues to face barriers in identifying, assessing, and remediating brownfields.

Over the past four years, Elizabeth has taken advantage of various Federal and State redevelopment incentive programs (e.g., Enterprise Community, State Urban Enterprise Zone, Labor Surplus Area) to establish itself as a trade center with projects such as the ongoing Metro Mall project. Due to these efforts, Elizabeth is attracting more business inquiries, some of which are being discouraged by possible environmental liability associated with brownfields.

The City has developed an initial list of seven potential brownfields comprising a total of approximately 45 acres. About 45% of the City's population lives near these sites.

OBJECTIVES

The Pilot plans to identify and assess five marketable brownfields and develop remediation, financing, and redevelopment strategies. To accomplish its Pilot objectives, the City plans to involve stakeholders such as the Elizabeth Development Company, Elizabeth General Medical Center, the Regional Plan Association, and selected community members who are directly affected by brownfield sites. These stakeholders will assist in identifying brownfields and formulating redevelopment plans. As part of its outreach efforts, the City will continue to use existing mechanisms including local cable news, City Council meetings, newspaper articles, Neighborhood Council meetings, and the City's Info Line.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

The Pilot will:

Identify potential brownfield sites, and prioritize the sites by assessing factors such as marketability, transportation accessibility, and size;
Conduct environmental assessments of at least five priority sites;
Develop remediation, financing, and redevelopment strategies for the targeted sites; and
Conduct outreach and education to community members near the targeted sites.

The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.

CONTACTS:

Marie Krupinski
City of Elizabeth
(908) 820-4019

Larry D'Andrea
U.S. EPA -Region 2
(212) 637-4314
dandrea.larry@epamail.epa.gov

Visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460

Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)

EPA 500-F-97-152
July 1997

Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)

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