PA DEP Partnering in Brownfield Revitalization

1
PA DEP Partnering in Brownfield Revitalization

• Presented by
• Eugene DePasquale, Deputy Secretary
• Office of Community Revitalization Local
  Government Support
• PA Department of Environmental Protection
• April 2005

2
Challenge gt Opportunity

• Current Administrations Commitment
• Revitalization of PA Communities
• Establishing DEP as a Revitalization Partner
• Secretary took Unprecedented Actions
• Creation of Economic Development Deputate within
  Department of Environmental Protection
• Development Implementation of new tools and
  programs with input from stakeholders
• Commitment and Actions gt Results

3
Program Goals

• Reduce public exposure to contamination by
  encouraging voluntary site remediation.
• Return contaminated sites to productive use,
  stimulating economic growth improving quality
  of life.
• Develop incentives to balance the costs of
  brownfield vs. greenfield development

4
Program Enhancements

• MOA with EPA Region 3
• Brownfield Action Team (BAT)
• MultiSite Remediation Agreements (MSAs)
• Buyer-Seller Agreements (BSAs)

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MOA with EPA

• First MOA under the Fed Brownfields Law
• One Cleanup Program
• Provision for addressing CERCLA, RCRA, and TSCA
  issues through the Act 2
• Coordination throughout the process
• State relief from liability
• Federal declaration of No Further Action

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Brownfield Action Team

• Selection identifies site as a DEP priority
• Assistance with Project Development
• Support for Funding Initiatives
• Project Advocates Single Point of Contact
• Top of the Pile permit reviews
• Application available online

7
Multi-Site Agreements

• Multiple Sites in various DEP Regions.
• One comprehensive cleanup agreement.
• Mutually developed procedures, reports.
• Consistent MSA Team at DEP.

8
Buyer-Seller Agreements

• Seller locks in the sale for cleanup.
• The Buyer (and DEP) have enforceable commitment
  for remediation of the site.
• Act 2 Liability for Seller and Buyer.

9
Technical Enhancements

• Streamlined Processes
• Low Risk Sites Program
• Vapor Intrusion Screening Guidance
• Legislation Actions

10
Enhancing the Voluntary Process

• Streamlined NIR NIR acknowledgement letter
• Project management steps, taken from past proven
  practices, institutionalized
• Checklists to assist remediators they have
  complete submissions
• Acknowledging role of client professionalism
• Deficiency letters

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Low-Risk Sites Program

• Objective
• Expedite development and the reuse of these
  sites.
• Criteria
• Small sites
• Groundwater exposure risk acceptable
• SHS or pathway elimination used
• Plan for redevelopment
• Licensed Professional and training
• 10-day turnaround
• Audits

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Vapor Intrusion Guidance

• Guidance for assessing potential vapor intrusion
  under Statewide health standard.
• Decision matrices to determine if IAQ is a
  concern.
• Screening values developed for soil and for
  groundwater evaluation.

13
Pending Legislation

• Grayfields
• Mine-Scarred Lands included in Brownfield
  Programs
• Incentive funding OSM federal grant
• Environmental Insurance
• Establish PA-specific policy (premium discounts)
• Fund for premium subsidies established
• Uniform Environmental Covenants Act
• Facilitates Real Estate transactions.
• Provides for long-term stewardship.

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Financial Resources

• State Incentive Programs
• Governors Economic Stimulus Package
• Private Investment Partners

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State Incentive Programs

• Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP)
• Infrastructure Development Program (IDP)
• New Communities/Enterprise Zones
• Keystone Opportunity Zones (KOZ/KOEZ)
• Keystone Innovation Zones (KIZ)
• PENNVEST

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Economic Stimulus Package

• PA Business in Our Sites
• Real Estate Construction Fund/Building PA
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
• Elm Street Main Street Programs
• HUD 108 Loan Guarantees
• Water and Sewer Fund/PennWorks
• Redevelopment Assistance Capital Budget Program
  (RCAP)

17
Private Investment Partners

• National Investment Firms
• Regional Investment Partners
• DEPs new Brownfields Inventory Program
• DEP proactively Marketing PA Brownfields

18
New Initiatives

• Incorporation of Green Technologies
• Use of Renewable Energy Sources
• Housing on Brownfields
• PA Chapter of NBA

19
Program Success Stories

• 10-year Anniversary of Land Recycling Program
• Close to 2000 sites closed under Program
• 1-year Anniversary of Brownfield Action Team
• High Success Rate for Public Funding
• All sites are moving forward in Redevelopment

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Gamesa Success Story

• Gamesa Spanish Wind Energy Company
• Locating North American HQ Operations in PA
• 40M Investment in PA
• 250 Manufacturing Jobs
• 1000 new Jobs including HQ Wind Farms
• Multiplier effect from support businesses
• Cooperative PA effort DEP, DCED, GAT
• DEP Negotiated Commitments to Wind Energy
• DEP assisted in Siting with focus on Brownfields
  

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Thank you

• DEP Land Recycling Program Brownfields Action
  Team
• www.dep.state.pa.us
• (Keywords land recycling or brownfields)
• DEP Office of Community Revitalization LGS
• [phone]
• DEP Brownfields Policy Specialist
• jgaito_at_state.pa.us
• DCED Funding Programs
• www.newpa.com