Brownfields Economic Development Initiative

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Brownfields Economic Development Initiative

• Presentation by
• Linda Hallam

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• Sponsor The Environmental Protection Agency
• Initiative Sponsored program/partnership to
  redevelop abandoned and/or contaminated urban
  properties.
• Definition Property whose redevelopment
  complicated by presence or potential presence of
  hazardous materials.

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Why the Program?

• A 1998 Public Management Report estimated more
  than 600,000 unproductive former industrial ,
  manufacturing, and commercial properties in the
  United States.
• Investors stayed away from the sites due to fears
  of contamination and liability and moved
  development to outlying areas, worsening sprawl.

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How Program Started

• Initially, Brownfields Redevelopment provided
  seed money to local governments for pilot
  programs.
• Through the passage a federal liability relief
  and revitalization act, the EPA policies became
  law and the program permanent.

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Mission

• Protect the environment promote partnerships to
  facilitate cleanup and reuse provide financial
  and technical assistance sustain reuse to
  enhance quality of life.

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Getting Started

• Initial seed money, typically 200,000, used to
  conduct assessments of abandoned sites and
  leverage private funds for cleanup and
  redevelopment.
• Grantees chosen on a competitive basis.
• Criteria includes transferability and
  replicability of lessons learned.
• Program targeted to disadvantaged communities
  most affected by abandoned and contaminated sites.

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Funding the Redevelopment

• The Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund provides the
  money to capitalize the loans used for the actual
  clean-up.
• Clean-up Grants provide direct funding for
  activities with planned green spaces,
  recreational, or other nonprofit uses.
• .

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Successes

• Cleaned-up Sites More than 1,600 site
  assessments to date 600 not contaminated as
  feared and could be returned safely to productive
  use.
• Private Investment Program attracted more than
  7.2 billion in private investment
• Job Creation Attract more than 34,000 jobs
• Job Training 12 communities in 2005 awarded
  grants to provide job training that teaches
  environmental clean-up skills. Targeted to
  low-income areas near brownfields.

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One Step Further

• Gateways Initials image of a city or a
  community. The program has helped numerous
  communities improve this crucial introduction
  that sparks economic development.
• Green Buildings Sustainable, environmentally
  sound development is the natural culmination of
  Brownfields project.