Brownfields Cleanup Revolving
Loan Fund Pilot Fact Sheet

PILOT SNAPSHOT
	Date of Announcement: September 1997 Amount: $350,000
BCRLF Target Area: Rochester's state Economic Development Zone and federal Enterprise Community.

BACKGROUND

Over the past 15 years, Rochester has suffered a significant decline in its manufacturing sector, a decline prompted by the relocation of several large, mainstay companies. Once-thriving facilities are now underutilized or abandoned altogether, resulting in declining property values and deterioration of the tax base. Many of the privately-owned brownfields sites in Rochester fall within the boundaries of the New York State Economic Development Zone and a federal Enterprise Community. In 1993, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) completed an inventory of hazardous substance disposal sites in New York State. Eighteen of these sites were identified to be in Rochester, many of which have significant redevelopment potential.

There are no public brownfields cleanup funding sources available to the private sector in New York State. Rochester has developed two dedicated sources of grant and loan funding for private sector pre-cleanup phase environmental activities at redevelopment sites. The city has begun to selectively take title to a limited number of brownfields sites through tax foreclosure and acquisition.

BCRLF OBJECTIVES

The goal of the Rochester BCRLF Pilot is to provide a funding option for cleanup by private parties and to complement Rochester's existing Brownfields Revolving Fund and Industrial Predevelopment Fund. With the high number of privately-owned brownfields in the city and the lack of available financing incentives to clean up and redevelop such sites, the BCRLF will provide needed stimulation of market-driven cleanup and minimize the need for the city to take ownership of these properties. BCRLF loans will support the city's effort to return brownfields to productive uses. The benefits from brownfields redevelopment in Rochester will include: creation and retention of jobs; increased city tax revenue. Rochester also plans to use the BCRLF to leverage other brownfields redevelopment funding sources.

FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

Rochester anticipates using the BCRLF program to initiate a coordinated and comprehensive brownfields investigation and cleanup funding program. The new cleanup revolving loan fund will be available to parties completing cleanup and redevelopment projects under the NYSDEC voluntary cleanup program or as a volunteer under an order on consent. Loans from the Rochester BCRLF are expected to be in the $100,000 range.

The city's Division of Environmental Quality will serve as the Lead Agency to oversee Pilot implementation. It will also serve as Site Manager to ensure that cleanup projects are conducted in compliance with all appropriate environmental laws and that appropriate community representatives are involved in the redevelopment planning process. The city's Department of Economic Development will act as the Fund Manager to implement the loan fund.

Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding also apply to BCRLF funds.

CONTACTS

Rochester Department of Environmental Services
(716) 428-5978

Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 2
(212) 637-4314

Visit the EPA Region 2 Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/brownfields/

For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/