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Making the Program Faster, Fairer, and More Efficient (Continued)
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Successful Enforcement at the BROS site ASSESSMENT DEMONSTRATION PILOTS
NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP AND SHOWCASE COMMUNITIES
BROWNFIELDS CLEANUP REVOLVING LOAN FUND (BCRLF)
JOB TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT DEMONSTRATION PILOT PROGRAM |
Returning "Brownfields" to Productive Community Use
"Brownfields" are formally defined as abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.
Examples include abandoned gas stations, dry cleaners, and photo labs. Brownfields can also encompass much larger facilities like underused shipping terminals or an industrial plant that has closed its doors.
Often in the past these properties were idle after their first use. They existed as eyesores to the community and drains on the local economy. Developers did not want to go near them, so they built the new gas station (or parking lot or office building) on some undeveloped lot -- possibly in suburban or rural areas. Such actions contributed to sprawl and to the slow disappearance of "greenfield" areas.
EPA announced the Brownfields Initiative in 1993 to clean up abandoned, lightly contaminated sites and restore them to productive community use. The benefits of successful brownfields development go far beyond the immediate improvement of public health and environment. Many of the neighborhoods surrounding brownfields were traditionally stable, working class areas that have deteriorated since the departure of the industries that sustained them. Some of the Nation's highest concentrations of poverty, crime, and other social problems are located in areas close to brownfields. Redevelopment can help remove blight from these neighborhoods and generate jobs and income. Brownfields projects can also serve as catalysts for the revival of older communities and neighborhoods.
The Brownfields Initiative has achieved these successes through four general programs:
- Providing grants for brownfields assessment and cleanup pilots;
- Clarifying liability and cleanup issues;
- Building partnerships and outreach among Federal agencies, States, municipalities, and communities; and
- Fostering local job development and training initiatives.
Since 1993, the Brownfields Initiative has awarded over 500 grants to communities nationwide, totaling over $164 million. These grants have resulted in the creation of over 7,000 new jobs and have leveraged over $2.3 billion in private investment. According to a study by the Conference of Urban Economic Development, almost $2.50 of private investment has been leveraged for every $1 invested by Federal, State, and local governments.
There have been many notable Brownfields successes. One prominent success occurred in Dallas, Texas. The city initially received a $200,000 Brownfields grant from the Federal government and leveraged over $840 million in public and private development funds. This money has been used to clean up and redevelop six sites and reclaim more than 1,000 acres of brownfields. Residents now benefit from new low-income housing developments, a city recreation facility, shopping centers, and environmental training and technology center, and hundreds of new jobs.
On October 12, 2000, the Brownfields Initiative was recognized by the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government and Council for Excellence in Government with their Innovations in Government Award. This is the highest award given government programs that have served the public and have developed innovative approaches to addressing important public challenges.
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Bringing Development to a Brownfield in Connecticut Bridgeport, Connecticut, has been plagued with economic hardship due, in large part, to the departure of several industrial operations in the 1980s. Several of these former industrial properties which remain abandoned -- often viewed as eyesores detracting from property values -- have been the focus of city officials in recent years. The former Jenkins Valve Company site, located at the city's main gateway, has been the fueling a growing urban renewal effort in Bridgeport. Through innovative fund-raising and a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment Pilot Initiative grant, the City of Bridgeport identified the property as a priority Brownfields site and performed an evaluation of the property exploring site redevelopment. Based on this evaluation, the Zurich Re Corporation invested $11 million to clean up and redevelop the site. Both the State and the City contributed a total of $3 million for site redevelopment. The result is the state-of-the-art Harbor Yard sports complex featuring a new 5,500-seat minor league ballpark, the home of the Bridgeport Bluefish. There are also plans for a sports arena and a new museum. The complex is a testimony to the commitment of EPA, the State, the City, the business community, and the residents of Bridgeport to revitalize a once-forsaken area with new development. 
Brownfields reuse in Bridgeport, Connecticut
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