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Brownfields Success Stories
Las Vegas Cleanup a Sure Thing
In Las Vegas, Nevada, a former National Guard Armory has the distinction of being the country's first site cleaned up under EPA's Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF) Pilot Program. The City of Las Vegas was selected as a BCRLF Pilot in May 1999 and received $500,000. The city loaned $50,000 to the Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency to enable cleanup of the Armory site. The $50,000 cleanup involved the removal of more than 600 cubic yards of soil contaminated with hazardous waste and petroleum hydrocarbons from a 3.6-acre parcel that the Nevada National Guard used for vehicle maintenance, chemical and supply storage, and general operations from 1948 to 1997. A community center, cultural center, retail stores, and a small business incubator are now planned for the site, which is in the vicinity of predominately Hispanic neighborhoods with high unemployment and poverty rates. Through the site's small business incubation center, the city hopes to provide opportunities for new community-based enterprises, as well as a community meeting place and cultural center.
To date, EPA has awarded 68 BCRLF Pilots. The purpose of these Pilots is to enable states, cities, and Native American tribes to make low-interest loans to promote the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields properties. The program has already leveraged more than $50 million in redevelopment funding from the BCRLF loans issued thus far. For more information on EPA's BCRLF Program contact Barbara Bassuener of OSWER's Outreach and Special Projects Staff at (202) 260-9347.