Brownfields Supplemental Assistance

PILOT SNAPSHOT	Date of Announcement: May 2002 Amount: $150,000 Target Area: Ulster County, New York
Profile: The Pilot will conduct Phase II environmental assessments on waterfront sites in Newburgh and Kingston and expand inventory of brownfield sites through site specific education outreach efforts to private owners.

BACKGROUND

EPA awarded Ulster County supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot. Ulster County, along with Orange County and Dutchess County, is a leading governmental partner in the Mid-Hudson Land Revitalization Partnership, which was established in 1998 to revitalize communities in the region through redevelopment of brownfields. Participating cities include Beacon, Kingston, Middletown, Newburgh, Port Jervis, and Poughkeepsie. The Partnership is a coalition of over 25 government, business, environmental, and civic organizations. Communities in the Mid-Hudson region have experienced unprecedented development pressure, which has increased sprawl and threatened the region's world class natural beauty.

Through the original EPA Pilot, the Partnership identified 172 potential brownfields in the region and conducted Phase I environmental assessments at 86 properties. The Phase I environmental data will be used in a variety of ongoing redevelopment planning initiatives in the Mid-Hudson region. In the process of building the inventory, the Partnership forged strong links with representatives of municipal, community, environmental, legal, engineering, finance, development, and real estate organizations. The supplemental assistance will be used to build on the work that has been completed over the past three years and continue to advance an innovative regional approach to brownfields revitalization in the Hudson Valley.

OBJECTIVES

Ulster County will use the supplemental assistance to conduct Phase II environmental assessments at waterfront sites in the City of Newburgh and in the City of Kingston. Based upon the results of Phase I environmental assessments conducted through the original Pilot, both of these sites require further testing. Funds also will be directed towards efforts to expand the inventory of potential brownfield sites within the region, site-specific education and outreach to private owners, and involving affected communities in reuse decisions.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:

• Continuing development of a regional brownfields inventory to identify additional brownfields in the counties;
• Conducting additional site-specific education and outreach to private owners;
• Conducting Phase II environmental assessments on waterfront sites in Newburgh and Kingston; and
• Conducting outreach and community involvement activities.

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

CONTACTS

Ulster County
Administrator's Office
(845) 340-3642

Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA Region 2
(212) 637-5000

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: www.epa.gov/brownfields