Brownfields Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet

Tucson, AZ

EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.

PILOT SNAPSHOT

Tuscon, AZ

Date of Announcement:
May 1997

Amount: $200,000

Profile: The Pilot will focus on brownfields site assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment at five targeted sites.

BACKGROUND

EPA has selected the City of Tucson for a Brownfields Pilot. Industrial activity in downtown Tucson that began in the 1880s with the advent of the railroad began to decrease in the 1950s. At that time, rail yards were relocated, a major military base was constructed, and pristine and inexpensive land surrounding the city began drawing development away from downtown. A patchwork of vacant, deteriorating, and underused properties remains. Contamination from various industrial pollutants released over the years threatens the reliability of Tucson's groundwater, the city's principal source of drinking water.

The Pilot targets five designated brownfields areas located within the city center. The targeted areas are known as the Warehouse Arts District, Barrio Anita Railroad Spur, Rio Nuevo South, Downtown Commerce Park, and Armory Park. The areas suffer from potential groundwater and soil contamination resulting from milling operations, landfills, the railroad, and other industrial activities. Tucson's areas of highest economical and social stress are located adjacent to these properties. In 1997, more than 40 percent of city center residents lived in poverty, 11 percent were unemployed, and more than 50 percent of its population were Hispanic.

OBJECTIVES

Tucson's goal is to stimulate sustainable redevelopment of targeted sites. The objectives of the Pilot are to complete site assessments, identify funds for cleanup and redevelopment, and begin the redevelopment planning process for brownfields sites within the five target areas.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

The Pilot has:

Completed a regulatory database search, conducted a search of the county assessor's records of all properties in the Pilot area, collected available historic records, and completed the database for the initial Pilot roject areas;
Conducted community outreach efforts, including creation of a Pilot brochure, preparation of a newsletter, and gathering stakeholder views on redevelopment of the Warehouse Arts District and Rio Nuevo South sites; and
As of January 11, 2001, completed 11 Phase I assessments, with two in process, and completed one Phase II assessment, with another in process.

The Pilot is:

Continuing a collaborative, community-based process to involve stakeholders such as the Tucson Arts District Partnership, Inc., Weed and Seed, Tucson Unified School District, Westside Coalition, Menlo Park and Barrio Anita neighborhood associations, Business Development Finance Corporation, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality;
Continuing a process for identifying potential redevelopment projects within the Pilot areas, prioritizing the sites, and conducting site assessments;
Identifying methods to ensure sustainable redevelopment of brownfields in the downtown area; and
Providing outreach and education regarding the Pilot to minority residents of the city center.

LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES

Experience with the Tucson Pilot has been a catalyst for related activities, including the following:

A sustainable development advisory team ("The Green Team") has been created to establish and ensure sustainable development practices throughout the city.
Redevelopment activities are underway at three sites (Rio Nuevo South, Downtown Commerce Park, and Barrio Anita Railroad Spur).
The City of Tucson received a $100,000 U.S. EPA Environmental Justice through Pollution Prevention (EJP2) grant in the fall of 1998.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers provided $125,000 in matching funds for Phase I assessments in the Warehouse Arts District area.
Tucson was awarded an additional $200,000 in supplemental funding as one of EPA's Brownfields Showcase Communities finalists.

CONTACTS

City of Tucson, Office of Environmental Management
(520) 791-5414

Regional Brownfields Team

U.S. EPA - Region 9
(415) 744-1207

Visit the EPA Region 9 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/region09/waste/brown/index.html

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/

United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460

Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)

EPA 500-F-01-334
July 2001

Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)

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