New Report Shows Brownfield Redevelopment in Cities Leads to More Jobs, Increased Tax Revenue (PDF)
Source: U.S. Conference of Mayors

The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) today unveiled a national brownfields report, entitled Recycling America’s Land: A National Report on Brownfields Redevelopment (1993 – 2010). This new report estimates the progress 99 cities have made over the past 17 years as it relates to the number of brownfields that have been redeveloped, acres of land reclaimed, new jobs that were created, and additional revenues that have been generated. The Conference of Mayors brought the issue of brownfields to the attention of Congress and the Administration back in 1993 and worked hand in hand with the Federal Government to establish a national brownfields program.

Brownfields, abandoned or underutilized properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by either real or perceived environmental contamination, present a major challenge to cities both large and small, primarily because of the lack of public and private sector resources that are necessary to redevelop these properties back into productive use.

This study is the ninth in a series of reports that have documented brownfields redevelopment by local communities throughout the United States and the potential revenue that could be generated. According to the study, fifty–four cities reported 161,880 new jobs created through the redevelopment of 2,118 sites with 64,730 jobs in the pre-development / remediation stage and 97,150 permanent jobs. Further, fifty cities said that since 1993, $309 million in additional local tax revenue was generated from 654 redeveloped brownfield sites. Significantly, 58 cities estimated if their brownfields were redeveloped, potential revenue could range from $872 million to $1.3 billion annually.

+ Full Report (PDF)
+ Best Practices (PDF)

During the fall and winter of 2009, EPA met with stakeholders from state and local government, the renewable energy sector, finance, utilities, land owners, parties responsible for cleaning up sites, community organizations and nonprofits to hear feedback on barriers to using contaminated sites for renewable energy and how to overcome those barriers. EPA used the information provided at the stakeholder meetings to develop the draft management plan.

Activities to be undertaken as part of the management plan include:

• Developing and expanding the toolbox of resources for use by EPA, states, and stakeholders including guidance, case studies and fact sheets
• Conducting outreach to different stakeholder groups
• Clarifying liability protections
• Adding other sites to the Google Earth mapping tool, such as state-tracked contaminated lands
• Launching a webinar series on October 21, which will be an overview of the RE-Powering initiative and on renewable energy on contaminated land
• Seeking collaborative opportunities with other federal agencies to site renewable energy projects on potentially contaminated land and mine sites

The public can submit comments on the draft plan on the RE-Powering website until November 30, 2010.

More information on the plan: http://www.epa.gov/renewableenergyland/

Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response announced the grants today at an event in Cleveland, Ohio, along with Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The plans will integrate site cleanup and reuse, laying the foundation for addressing community needs such as economic development, job creation, housing, recreation, and education and health facilities.  Brownfields are properties where the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants may complicate the properties’ expansion, redevelopment, or reuse.

“This area-wide approach recognizes that revitalization of the communities impacted by multiple brownfield sites or a large individual site – particularly in distressed communities – requires a strategy for area-wide improvement to attract investment to redevelop brownfields properties,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.  “The approach also recognizes the importance of identifying and leveraging additional local, state and federal investment to implement the plans.”

EPA will work with the City of Goshen and other selected projects in 18 states and one territory to identify ways the planning effort can utilize local, state and federal resources to help implement area-wide efforts for housing, transportation, economic growth and healthy communities.  Recipients will be able to leverage the Partnership for Sustainable Communities, a joint effort of EPA, Department of Transportation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Economic Development Administration, to identify potential resources to help move the community plans forward.

EPA will award up to $175,000 to each recipient to help facilitate community involvement in developing an area-wide brownfields plan. In Goshen, the city will target the 9th Street Industrial Corridor, which is 12 blocks long and contains 350 parcels. A long history of intensive manufacturing has left a legacy of contamination and abandoned, vacant or underutilized industrial properties. There are at least 61 brownfields in the Corridor, which is surrounded by residential areas and several schools. The city’s comprehensive plan for the area will advance redevelopment and brownfield reuse efforts, identify cleanup goals and evaluate infrastructure conditions. The goal will be to redevelop the Corridor for modern manufacturing and industrial reuse, and create new jobs in the process.

The Partnership for Sustainable Communities ensures that the agencies’ policies, programs and funding consider affordable housing, transportation and environmental protection together.  This interagency collaboration gets better results for communities and uses taxpayer money more efficiently.  Coordinating federal investments in infrastructure, facilities and services meets multiple economic, environmental and community objectives with each dollar spent.  The partnership is helping communities across the country to create more housing choices, make transportation more efficient and reliable, reinforce existing investments, and support vibrant and healthy neighborhoods that attract businesses.

• More information on the grant recipients:  http://epa.gov/brownfields/areawide_grants.htm
• More information on the partnership:  http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/partnership_year1.pdf

TAB EZ is a FREE online tool intended to streamline and simplify the grant writing process when applying for EPA brownfields assessment and cleanup grants. The goal of TAB EZ is to level the playing field for smaller local governments and communities so they may have an increased chance to obtain EPA brownfields grant funds. TAB EZ is very user friendly. It offers helpful hints for addressing proposal requirements, as well as links to additional resources. Multiple participants may work on a proposal, while at the same time all proposals are password protected to prevent unauthorized use.

TAB EZ was developed by the TAB (Technical Assistance to Brownfields communities) program at Kansas State University with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under cooperative agreement TR83389401. This webinar will step attendees through TABEZ and explain the use of the tool. Attendees may want to log on to TABEZ before the webcast and follow along using the live tool. TAB EZ is available at http://www.tabez.org

For more information and to register, see http://clu-in.org/live .

The launch pad used by the first United States astronauts to enter orbit around Earth may soon be revived as an engineering classroom for a new generation of rocket builders, where laid-off space shuttle technicians are the teachers.

The National Brownfields Conference is the largest, most comprehensive conference in the nation focused on cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned, underutilized, and potentially contaminated properties.  Proposals can be submitted at the conference website: www.brownfields2011.org .

Cosponsored by EPA and the International City/County Management Association, the conference attracts more than 5,000 registrants and hundreds of exhibitors. With more than 100 educational sessions, the conference offers knowledge building, networking, and business development opportunities for beginners and experienced professionals.

The conference addresses issues facing brownfields practitioners, policy makers, and communities. This year, conference organizers are particularly interested in ideas related to green jobs, community engagement and environmental justice, the business of brownfields, green technology and emerging solutions, planning for community revitalization, and sustainability.

Additionally, the Brownfields 2011 planning committee wants to encourage more interactive sessions that use the marketplace/roundtable format or the new public dialogue/debate format.

For more information, visit www.brownfields2011.org or contact Julie Butler at jbutler@icma.org .

The brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites. As of March 2010, EPA’s brownfields assistance has leveraged more than $14 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding, and 61,277 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment.  These investments and jobs target local, under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods – places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed. Cleaning up our communities is one of EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s priorities, which leads not only to health and environmental benefits but also economic development and prosperity.

“To strengthen our economy, we must first strengthen our communities,” said Administrator Jackson. “Cleaning up and revitalizing these contaminated sites opens doors to new businesses, new homes and new jobs for American workers while making our environment cleaner and the community healthier. This shows that what is right for the environment is right for the economy.”

In total, EPA is selecting 304 grants through the Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants programs:

• 188 assessment grants, totaling $42.56 million, will conduct site assessment and planning for cleanup at one or more brownfields sites as part of a community-wide effort.
• 17 revolving loan fund grants, totaling $17 million, will provide loans and subgrants for communities to begin cleanup activities at brownfields sites.  Revolving loan funds are generally used to provide low interest loans for brownfields cleanups.
• 99 cleanup grants, totaling $19.36 million, will provide funding for grant recipients to carryout cleanup activities at brownfield sites they own.

Since the beginning of the brownfields program in 1995, EPA has awarded 1,702 assessment grants totaling $401 million, 262 revolving loan fund grants totaling more than $256.7 million, and 655 cleanup grants totaling $129.4 million. As part of Administrator Jackson’s commitment to this program, the 2011 proposed budget includes an increase of $215 million for brownfields with a focus on planning, cleanup, job training and redevelopment.

In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed.  The brownfields law expanded the definition of what is considered a brownfield, so communities may now focus on mine-scarred lands, sites contaminated by petroleum, or sites contaminated as a result of manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs (e.g. meth labs).

More information on EPA’s brownfields  program and the FY 2010 grant recipients:  http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Brownfields success stories:  http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/success/index.htm

Steven E. Campbell is a senior vice president and director of environmental and development services for the AMB Property Corporation, based in San Francisco. Earlier this summer, AMB completed a project that helped a California city move a step closer to its goal of greening its community. The project involved an industrial infill. Urban areas that have a desire to grow, but no space to do it, are increasingly turning to former traditional industrial properties to create a place for smarter, more environmentally conscious enterprises that are near population centers and transportation hubs. Steve Campbell tells us how this strategy is being applied to distribution centers.