Table of Contents
Action Items
Action Item
| Continue to implement brownfields pilot projects.
|
The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) continued to expand
its emphasis on community involvement by focusing on environmental justice
communities as part of the brownfields economic redevelopment initiative.
In January 1995, EPA solicited comments from the National Environmental Justice
Advisory Council on the Brownfields Initiative Action Agenda. In response,
the Subcommittee asked EPA to co-sponsor a series of one day public dialogues
across the country entitled, "Urban Revitalization and Brownfields: Envisioning
Healthy and Sustainable Communities." The purpose of these meetings was
to provide communities with an opportunity to discuss issues related to urban
revitalization and brownfields. More than 500 people participated in the public
dialogues, including grassroots community representatives, NEJAC members,
stakeholders representing industry, labor, and academia; representatives from
city and State environmental and economic development agencies; and EPA and
other Federal Government representatives.
The public dialogues resulted in several follow-up events, including revisions
to the brownfields national pilots applications guidelines and process, responses
to the NEJAC resolution on urban revitalization, and the brownfields pilots
national workshop. OSWER co-sponsored "Brownfields '96," a national
conference held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on September 20 and 21, 1996.
The conference was a collaborative effort by EPA and four other co-sponsors
-- the American Bar Association, the International City/County Management
Association, the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, and the
Mortgage Bankers Association of America. It was also endorsed by 21 organizations
and institutions, such as Carnegie Mellon University, the National Conference
of State Legislatures, and the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial
Justice. More than 1000 stakeholders from the public, private, and not-for-profit
sectors participated in the conference.
| 4/95 |
5/95 Worked with the NEJAC and EPA Regions 1, 3, 4, 5,
and 9 to develop agendas for the public dialogues on "Urban Revitalization
and Brownfields." |
| 6/95 |
7/95 Held public dialogues on the following dates: June
5 in Boston, MA., June 7 in Philadelphia, PA., June 9 in Detroit, MI.,
July 18 in Oakland, CA., and July 20 in Atlanta, GA. |
| 6/95 |
Initiated the "community involvement check-up"
as an ongoing part of the brownfields national pilot application process
to confirm the participation of the local community organizations and
representatives (this was in response to recommendations made at the Philadelphia
public dialogue). |
| 8/95 |
Developed a response to the NEJAC "Resolution on Environmental
Justice and Urban Revitalization" for review by the Federal Interagency
Working Group (IWG) on Environmental Justice. |
| 9/95 |
Integrated comments from NEJAC sub-committee members in
the revised version of the "Applications Guidelines" booklet
for the brownfields national pilots. |
| 12/95 |
Briefed the NEJAC on OSWER's follow-up to the public dialogues
and the NEJAC Resolution. |
| 1/96 |
Assisted the NEJAC in developing and distributing the working
draft of the Sub-committee's report on the public dialogues. |
| 2/96 |
Sponsored the "Brownfields Pilots National Workshop,"
which used the NEJAC working draft Public Dialogue Report to develop the
breakout sessions' agendas. EPA sponsored the participation of community
representatives from Oakland, CA., Detroit, MI., and Boston, MA. |
| 9/96 |
Co-sponsored "Brownfields '96" conference in
Pittsburgh, PA. |
| 11/96 |
Assisted the NEJAC in issuing the final draft of the report
on the public dialogues. |
| 1/97 |
Will incorporate recommendations from the public dialogues
report into the new National Brownfields Action Agenda. |
| Katherine Dawes |
(202) 260-8394 |
Region 1 conducted an outreach effort designed to solicit brownfields pilot
grant applications from cities/towns identified as having significant environmental
justice communities. This was accomplished using a mass mailing of a brownfields
information packet and grant application booklet to cities/towns that received
a significant environmental justice score as determined by the Region's Environmental
Equity Implementation Plan Guidance. State environmental justice offices
were also contacted to identify other communities that were considered a priority
under their criteria. More than fifty information packets were sent out to
these targeted communities.
Region 1 has taken direct steps to ensure that community concerns, particularly
those relating to environmental justice issues, are integrated into the Region's
brownfields pilots. In the case of the Boston pilot, the role of community
groups was formalized in a memorandum of understanding that was made part
of the cooperative agreement between the City and EPA. This memorandum of
understanding establishes the community as a significant partner in all key
brownfields decisions impacting their neighborhood.
In addition, as part of its national brownfields pilot, the City of Bridgeport,
Connecticut, expanded its citizens advisory panel to include additional community
representatives. This panel, known as the CLEAN Task Force (Community Linkage
for Environmental Action Now), serves to advise the City on brownfields-related
issues. The Bridgeport brownfields pilot has also spawned other community-focused
efforts, including an Environmental Job Training and Education Summit in June
1995, and a tentative agreement with the Laborers' International Union of
North America to create a job training program geared towards remediation
and construction projects.
| 8/95 |
Sent information packets on brownfields pilot grant program
to targeted environmental justice cities/towns. |
| 9/95 |
Cooperative agreement signed with the City of Boston awarding
$200,000 to fund a brownfields pilot. This $200,000 grant will facilitate
revitalization of contaminated sites in the Dudley Street Triangle, an
area with one of the City's largest environmental justice communities.
|
| John Podgurski |
(617) 573-5681 |
Region 2 reviewed and assisted five cities (Camden, New Jersey; Jersey City,
New Jersey; Buffalo, New York; Greenpoint, New York; Hunters Point, New York)
in developing brownfields applications. Region 2 nominated and submitted two
applications (Jersey City and Buffalo) to Headquarters for acceptance in late
April 1994. In addition, the Region has assisted local communities with applications
for the second round of brownfields programs.
Region 2 also sponsored three brownfields economic redevelopment workshops:
Newark (January 24, 1995), Buffalo (January 27, 1995), and Puerto Rico (February
4, 1995). EPA and the EPA Northeast Hazardous Substance Research Center (NHSRC)
jointly conducted the workshops. The NHSRC is a consortium of seven universities
involved with education, research, and community outreach on hazardous substance
materials and associated problems. The objective of the workshop was to introduce
community leaders to the brownfields program and provide basic information
about the key factors to address when incorporating environmental remediation
into their urban renewal efforts.
An additional Brownfields Summit was held in late February 1996. This summit
brought together participants from earlier workshops. The participants discussed
solutions to overcoming barriers identified during the earlier workshops.
At the workshops input was gathered for a Brownfields Reference Manual to
assist redevelopment efforts.
Region 2 has brownfield pilot projects under way in four communities, Rochester,
Trenton, Buffalo, and New York City. Each pilot is intended to be of two-
year duration and is funded at a level of $200,000.
| 11/94 |
Initiated assistance to potential applicants. |
| 1/95-2/95 |
Sponsored brownfields economic redevelopment workshops.
|
| 2/96 |
Brownfields Summit held. |
| Larry D'Andrea |
(212) 637-4314 |
Region 3 has entered into several cooperative agreements to explore ways
to facilitate redevelopment of contaminated sites within large tracts of now-abandoned,
industrially zoned land. There are strong environmental justice concerns because
many of these sites are located in minority and low-income neighborhoods.
The Region selected and awarded two regional pilots.
| 9/94 |
Initiated assistance to communities in developing brownfields
applications. |
| 2/95 |
Approved cooperative agreement with City of Pittsburgh.
|
| 2/95 |
Awarded cooperative agreement with City of Pittsburgh.
|
| 3/95 |
Worked with City of Philadelphia to expedite cooperative
agreement application process. |
| 5/95 |
City of Philadelphia awarded cooperative agreement. |
| 9/95 |
County of Northampton (Cape Charles, Virginia) awarded
cooperative agreement. |
| 9/95 |
City of Baltimore awarded cooperative agreement. |
| 1/96 |
Borough of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, selected as a Brownfields
redevelopment project. Cooperative agreement under negotiation. |
| 1/96 |
City of Philadelphia submitted list of five sites to Region
3 for project approval. |
| 3/96 |
Borough of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, cooperative agreement
drafted. |
| Tom Stolle |
(215) 566-3129 |
| Josie Matsinger |
(215) 566-3132 |
Region 4 identified a brownfields coordinator in July 1994. The region participated
in the July 1994 brownfields workshop; the December 1994 interagency brownfields
meeting; the January 1995 Regional brownfields meeting; the March 1995 EPA/State
meeting; and a local environmental sustainability conference. In addition,
the regional brownfields coordinator submitted a brownfields article for publication
in the National Association of Regional Project Managers Newsletter in March
1995 . Region 4 also assisted numerous parties in the submission of brownfields
applications, and awarded 3 pilot projects in FY95 and 8 more in FY96. Activities
at the pilot sites include ensuring compliance with Federal grant regulations,
as well as expanding site characterization, public outreach, and marketing
activities on each site. Environmental justice is an integral part of this
effort.
In July 1995, Region 4 expanded its Regional Brownfields Program through
an increase of 1.5 work years. This resulted in an expanded outreach effort
to all eight State environmental agencies, municipal officials, attorneys
and consultants, academic institutions, financial organizations, and the community
at large. The Region also has developed a homepage to share information on
the Brownfields Program in general, and Regional activities specifically.
| 7/94 |
Established Regional Brownfields Coordinator. |
| 1/95 |
Assisted interested parties in submitting brownfields applications.
|
| 7/95 |
Increased work years for Regional Brownfields Program.
|
| Barbara Dick |
(404) 562-8923 |
The Cleveland brownfields pilot to return contaminated inner-city properties
to productive use is an example of using creative alliances to address environmental
justice needs. Current brownfields redevelopment efforts in Region 5 have
centered on building State capacity to redevelop brownfields sites by: (a)
providing over $1 million in core grants and site assessment grants to help
States develop, expand, and promote voluntary cleanup programs; (b) providing
$550,000 in site assessment grants to investigate brownfields throughout the
Region; (c) developing Federal/State/local government "reuse action teams"
to quickly solve site-specific environmental barriers to the redevelopment
of property; and (d) adding addenda to existing Superfund Memoranda of Agreement
that express "programmatic comfort" with State voluntary cleanups.
Region 5 sponsored a "Regional Summit on the Urban Environment and Economic
Redevelopment: Brownfields Strategies for Midwestern Cities," in Chicago
in March 1995. The Region has also detailed three employees to local governments
to help cities build their capacity on brownfields. In addition, the Region,
in partnership with the Office of Administration and Resources Management,
created an Environmental Finance Center at Cleveland State University focused
on training and outreach to local governments on how to finance brownfields
redevelopment.
Regional efforts in brownfields continue to concentrate on building State
and local government capacity and agency directed outreach. The Region has
expanded existing State brownfields assessment pilots and opened similar options
with all States. Under the pilots, city planners and State site assessment
programs are working jointly on performing audits at sites where environmental
unknowns are stopping redevelopment. Developers have come forward on a number
of sites. The Region has also continued to provide "programmatic comfort"
to State voluntary cleanup programs and has memoranda of understanding with
4 States in order to encourage more private sector involvement.
| 4/94 |
Detailed employees to local governments. |
| 3/95 |
Sponsored Regional brownfields summit. |
| 3/95 |
Initiated creation of Environmental Finance Center. |
| 5/96 |
Sponsored the 4th Brownfields Congressional Field Hearing,
Chicago. |
| 6/96 |
Region 5 and Cleveland State University cosponsored Best
Financial Practices Forum, Cleveland. |
| 7/96 |
Region 5 sponsored Gas and Electric Utilities Forum, Chicago.
|
| Joe Dufficy |
(312) 886-7255 |
Region 7 is exploring opportunities available under the brownfields pilot
projects as part of its environmental justice initiative. The Region has contacted
all four States within its jurisdiction and a number of cities regarding the
brownfields pilot program and grants available through Headquarters. To enhance
economic redevelopment, Region 7 is working with the four States on their
voluntary cleanup programs and anticipates further efforts to assist and build
capacity in these programs. Region 7 recently participated with a group of
individuals from all EPA Regions and Headquarters to further understand and
apply brownfields concepts. Region 7 will continue to work with the group
to promote brownfields redevelopment in the Region and nationwide.
Region 7 has been working with Brownfield pilots and applicants to address
environmental justice concerns in their public engagement plans. The St. Louis
pilot has begun focusing on job creation and training and is working with
the St. Louis Association of Neighborhood Organizations to engage citizens
who live near the Dr. Martin Luther King Business Park Brownfield Pilot. To
enhance economic redevelopment, Region 7 is working with the four States to
develop their Voluntary Cleanup Programs (VCPs) and anticipates further efforts
to assist and build capacity in these programs. Region 7 is currently negotiating
a memorandum of agreement with Missouri for its VCP.
| 5/94-1/95 |
Contacted States and cities regarding brownfields pilot
program. |
| 12/94-3/95 |
Participated with Headquarters and other Regions in efforts
to understand and apply brownfields concepts. |
| 1//96 |
Worked with Brownfield Pilot applicants to include addressing
environmental justice issues in proposed plans. |
| 3/96 |
Held Regional Environmental Justice Forum. |
| 4/96 |
Participated in first Neighborhoods Conference in St. Louis,
Mo. |
| 4/96 |
Participated in the Round 4 Brownfield Pilot Panel. |
| Kerry Herndon |
(913) 551-7286 |
Region 9 has outlined a strategy for the Brownfields Initiative and has designated
a Brownfields Coordinator and established a Regional brownfields workgroup.
Region 9 developed criteria to determine what assistance can be provided to
prospective purchasers. This included the development of a Regional "comfort
letter." Region 9 also educated lenders and members of the real estate
industry to counteract the stigma of Superfund, and worked with local governments
to remove obstacles to redevelopment. The Region participated in a meeting
in East Palo Alto to discuss ways to assist the city in redevelopment.
Brownfields Grant. EPA has awarded the San Francisco Redevelopment
Agency a $100,000 Regional Brownfields Pilot Grant. The funds will be used
to develop a risk management approach for cleanup, which includes looking
at background site information and historical uses for the South Bayshore
area which is outside and adjacent to the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. A
Brownfields Advisory Board will be formed to ensure public participation in
project decisions.
| 7/95 |
Stationed a staff person in East Palo Alto to assist the
city in Brownfields activities. |
| 7/95 |
Provided support for the National Environmental Justice
Advisory Council (NEJAC) Public Dialogue in Oakland, California. |
| 9/95-6/96 |
Selected Brownfields National Pilots in Sacramento, Stockton,
Emeryville, and Richmond, California, and Navajo Nation (McKinley County),
New Mexico. |
| 1/96 |
Formed a Brownfields team in order to devote more time
and energy to Brownfields activities. |
| 3/96 |
The Region and the State of California hosted a Brownfields
Conference to bring together public and private parties to exchange information
and discuss Brownfields issues. |
| 5/96 |
Stationed a staff person in City of Los Angeles Environmental
Affairs Department to assist the city in Brownfields activities. |
| 6/96 |
Selected Brownfield Regional Pilots in San Francisco and
Oakland, California. The cities are each receiving $100,000 for the pilots.
|
| 8/96 |
Brownfields grant awarded to San Francisco Redevelopment
Authority. |
| Jim Hanson |
(415) 744-2237 |
Action Item
| Develop and implement job training and community outreach
activities. |
OSWER signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Labor's
Employment and Training Administration to promote job training and workforce
development for brownfields and disadvantaged communities. OSWER continues
to work with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences' Office
of Community Services and the EPA-Morgan State University Summer Teachers
Institute on issues related to education, outreach, and workforce development.
In addition, OSWER signed a memorandum of understanding with the Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fund the Superfund Step-up Program
for job training for economically disadvantaged persons living in the vicinity
of Superfund sites.
On an on-going basis, OSWER meets with non-profit organizations, such as
the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Renew America, to provide information
and build partnerships for job training and job creation in brownfields communities.
Through a cooperative agreement with Rio Hondo College, OSWER aided in establishing
the Rio Hondo Environmental Education and Training Center in Whittier, California.
The College began work on this project in March 1995 to provide environmental
job training and placement for local residents, and the Center has an 85%
minority enrollment.
| 6/95 |
Conducted the third EPA-Morgan State University Summer
Environmental Teachers Institute, in Baltimore, Maryland. |
| 8/95 |
Established the Rio Hondo College Environmental Education
and Training Center. |
| 1/96 |
Awarded a cooperative agreement to Morgan State University
to sponsor the fourth Summer Environmental Teachers Institute, in Baltimore,
Maryland. |
| 7/96 |
Conducted the fourth EPA-Morgan State University Summer
Environmental Teachers Institute. |
| 8/96 |
Awarded NIEHS-funded minority worker training program grants.
|
| Myra Blakely |
(202) 260-4527 |
Action Item
| Explore the use of enforcement tools to stimulate brownfields
development. |
Region 6 participated in Community Working Groups (CWGs) formed at the French
Limited (Texas) Superfund site to discuss options on future land use of the
remediated site, and its use as a catalyst for further economic (re)development
in that historic African-American community.
Region 6 has named an OSWER-programs Brownfields Coordinator, who is currently
promoting and administering the Brownfields program in several urban centers
in the Region. Other enforcement-related tools are being considered under
the Administrative Reforms initiative.
| Verne McFarland (CWGs/CAGs) |
(214) 665-6617 |
| Stan Hitt (Brownfields) |
(214) 665-6736 |
Action Item
| Continue to work with the Hazardous Materials Training
and Research Institute to expand educational training in local communities.
|
OSWER continued to sponsor job training and development and community outreach
activities linked to the Brownfields Initiative by working with the Hazardous
Materials Training and Research Institute (HMTRI) to expand training and curriculum
development to community colleges located near brownfields pilots.
| 11/95 |
Sponsored a HMTRI workshop in Baltimore, Maryland, which
was attended by 17 community colleges located near brownfields pilot sites.
|
| 2/96 |
Invited HMTRI to participate in the Brownfields Pilots
National Workshop Showcase, in order to conduct outreach to EPA brownfields
pilots and other stakeholders. |
| 3/96 |
Awarded a cooperative agreement to HMTRI to continue providing
workshops, and curriculum and technical assistance to community colleges
located near brownfields communities. |
| 7/96 |
Sponsored a HMTRI workshop in St. Louis, Missouri, which
was attended by 13 community colleges located near brownfields pilot sites.
|
| Myra Blakely |
(202) 260-4527 |
Region 9 is supporting the development of a solid waste management curriculum
at the Rio Hondo College. The curriculum is designed to work within the confines
of Rio Hondo's existing Environmental Technology Program. This program is
directed toward technician-level training. The student population at Rio Hondo
College is ethnically diverse, and the Program's marketing and recruitment
efforts will be targeted toward minorities and women. Region 9 awarded a $50,000
grant under Section 8001 of RCRA to support development of the curriculum.
Project activities past the first year are pending acquisition of additional
funds.
| 6/94 |
Negotiated final work plan. |
| 7/94 |
Established an Industry Advisory Committee. |
| 8/94 |
Developed and disseminated a Solid Waste Technician Skills/Competencies
Assessment. |
| 9/94 |
Developed solid waste curriculum. |
| 1/95 |
Recruited students. |
| 9/95 |
Began classes. |
| David Duncan |
(415) 744-2106 |
Action Item
| Support private efforts to conduct and define "all
appropriate inquiry" relating to property transfers. |
Region 6 responses to toll-free hotline inquiries and FOIA requests from
Region 6 commercial firms conducting Phase I Environmental Assessments (typically
to meet "due diligence" provisions for property ownership transfers)
are being handled as quickly as possible, often by documenting verbal or telephone
requests for this information in a Record of Communication (ROC) and then
entering the ROC into the FOIA system for tracking and accounting of billable
costs. This relieves the requestor of having to mail or telefax a formal written
FOIA request, while still ensuring accountability and tracking within the
Region.
| Verne McFarland |
(214) 665-6617 |
| Eddie Sierra |
(214) 665-6740 |
Action Item
| Build technical and organizational infrastructure to
assist economic development in environmental justice communities |
The Multi-Media Aquifer Protection Projects have resulted in the construction
of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for a limited number of areas within
the Region. Groups involved with environmental justice and brownfields have
expressed interest in similar systems. Rather than develop individual GIS
systems for each area of concern, the Region is developing a baseline geographic
database to support site discovery analysis that would avoid duplicative data
collection efforts, and would provide a consistent information source of known
reliability to use as a basis for Regional site discovery and site hazard
ranking decisions. The baseline data development is being done in cooperation
with other programs in the region, other Federal agencies, and State agencies.
The overall effort is being coordinated by the Region 2 Office of Policy and
Management, which seeks to expand it in several ways.
Through the brownfield pilot in Buffalo, the Region will be participating
in an expansion of this process to economic redevelopment. A system is planned
in Buffalo that will create a brownfields database with environmental and
developmental profiles of sites. By utilizing the GIS, the community believes
it can see how existing resources may be used, where loans and grants make
the most sense, and identify where to do rehabilitation projects. The Buffalo
effort would serve as a pilot for systems elsewhere in the Region.
An initiative in Puerto Rico is being conducted under two cooperative agreements
-- The Infrastructure Development Grant and the Program Implementation Grant
under the Multimedia Consolidated Environmental Program Cooperative Agreement
for Development of Global Positioning Systems Technology for the Improvement
of Locational Data in Puerto Rico. The Infrastructure Development grant will
provide funding to purchase Global Positioning Systems to collect highly accurate
geographic locations. Program Implementation funds will provide travel money
to visit the target areas for locational data collection and the training
for EQB staff to utilize this technology. Both grants will aid in the development
of an EQB global positioning system (GPS) infrastructure. This will allow
EQB to routinely collect highly accurate geographic locations to enter into
a GIS for all types of regulated facilities, discharge points, water supply
wells, monitoring sites, Superfund sites, and other sources to provide critical
information for multimedia environmental analysis for EPA and Commonwealth,
Territorial and other agencies.
As part of the next phase (future funding) the Region plans to conduct outreach
to communities that can benefit from the brownfield program and help develop
community-specific brownfield programs for those communities. The Region also
plans to develop an analytical framework that will enable the Region to adequately
assess the potential for Federal involvement in brownfield projects.
| Dennis Santella |
(212) 637-3746 |
| Larry D'Andrea |
(212) 637-4314 |
| Juan Davila |
(212) 637-4341 |
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