Brownfields Supplemental Assistance Fact Sheet

PILOT SNAPSHOT
	Date of Announcement: March 2000 Amount: $150,000 Greenspace: $50,000
Target Area: Oregon Economic and Community Development Department Profile: The Pilot targets three sites in rural and economically distressed communities, including one site for greenspace creation.

BACKGROUND

EPA awarded the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot and additional funding for assessments at brownfields properties to be used for greenspace purposes. The original Pilot developed the Mill Site Conversion Project, a public/private partnership created to help return 12 vacant mill sites in rural communities to productive use. In many of these communities, these sites represent the only property zoned for industrial use. To create new jobs, vacant sites must be converted into usable, environmentally and financially viable industrial property. Due to the risk and liability associated with the sites, the mill properties have either been abandoned and condemned by the community for back taxes or "warehoused" by mill owners. Many sites contain chemicals, transformers, and asbestos that are slowly deteriorating and pose a potential threat to human health, soil, and groundwater.

OBJECTIVES AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES

Oregon is working to rehabilitate vacant and abandoned brownfields sites into productive industrial and commercial properties and enable surrounding communities to recruit, expand, and retain businesses.

Ultimately, the project aims to bring new and diverse employment opportunities to rural, economically distressed areas in Oregon.

Oregon's strategy includes focusing on the interface between community involvement, site owner participation, and a combination of state, federal, and private funding. Using the supplemental assistance, the Pilot will continue to focus its efforts on two sites from the original Pilot (Modoc Mill and Avison Mill), as well as one additional site yet to be determined. It is anticipated that the Modoc Mill and Avison Mill sites, both of which are privately owned, will be subdivided into parcels, some to be retained by the owners and some to be targeted for redevelopment.

The Pilot will use the greenspace funding to conduct environmental assessments at a 50-acre parcel of land adjacent to the Avison Mill. This parcel of land is located along Bear Creek and comprises wetlands and a riparian habitat. The proposed use for this area is as a greenspace that includes public trails.

To accomplish these objectives, the Pilot plans to:

. Conduct additional Phase II assessments at the Modoc Mill;

. Conduct additional studies at the Avison Mill, as deemed necessary by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality;

. Conduct Phase I assessments at a site yet to be determined;

. Conduct water testing, Phase I assessments, and additional studies on the greenspace property;

. Develop a greenspace plan;

. Create a list of vacant mill sites and other potential rural brownfields sites in Oregon; and

. Develop selection criteria to facilitate qualitative assessment of those brownfields for potential redevelopment.

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

CONTACTS

State of Oregon
Oregon Economic and Community Development Department
(503) 581-5115

Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 10
(206) 553-2100

Visit the EPA Region 10 Brownfields web site.

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/