EPA Brownfields Program Federal Grants and Technical Assistance Barbara Alfano, EPA Region 4 Brownfields Coordinator 2017 Florida Brownfields Conference
Definition of a Brownfield Federal Definition CERCLA section 104(k): A brownfield site is defined as real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, controlled substances, petroleum or petroleum products, or is mine-scarred land. Similar to Florida DEP s definition The key word is potential Sites are thought to have the stigma of contamination due to past use Many brownfields turn out to have no contamination above risk levels or cleanup levels But the only way to know is to conduct an Environmental Site Assessment Phase I ESA or All Appropriate Inquiry Phase II ESA Where to get the $$$ to pay for this ESA?? EPA BF Grant! 2
EPA Brownfields Program: Grants Statutory Authority CERCLA 104(k): Brownfields Revitalization Grants CERCLA 128(a): State Response Program Grants Request for Proposals issued by HQ Awarded and Managed in Regions Statutory requirement to at least annually, complete a review of applications for grants Statutory Requirement for Brownfields Revitalization Funding to have a percentage go to petroleumcontaminated brownfield sites
The Federal Brownfield Program: Types of Grants and Assistance Assessment Grants * Area-Wide Planning (AWP) Grants Cleanup Grants* Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants* Environmental Workforce Development Job Training (EWDJT) Grants Research, training and technical assistance *Applications being Accepted until November 16, 2017 4
The Brownfield Grants: Assessment Provides funding to conduct the following activities: Plan, inventory and assess brownfields contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants and petroleum products, Involve and engage the community, and Cleanup and/or redevelopment planning Who is eligible? State, local, and tribal governments General purpose units of local governments Florida s Regional Planning Councils Florida s Community Redevelopment Agencies Assessment grants are the most popular EPA Brownfields grant 5
The Brownfield Grants: Assessment (continued) Community-Wide Proposals: Up to $200,000 for hazardous substances or petroleum Up to $300,000 for hazardous substances AND petroleum in the same competition cycle (not to exceed $200,000 for either type) Site-Specific Proposals up to $200,000 (unless requesting waiver < $350,000) Coalition Proposals up to $600,000 FY18: 145 Assessment Grants estimated at 33.5 million $$ 6
The Brownfield Grants: Area-Wide Planning Provides funding for Communities interested in: Collecting information and identifying community priorities related to brownfields cleanup and near- and long-term revitalization; Evaluating existing environmental conditions, local market potential, and needed infrastructure improvements; Developing strategies for brownfields site cleanup and reuse; and Identifying resources or leveraging opportunities to help implement the plans, including specific strategies for public and private sector investments and improvements necessary to help with cleanup and area revitalization. 7
The Brownfield Grants: Area-Wide Planning (continued) Targets a focus area (neighborhood, city block, corridor, etc.) that is impacted by a catalyst, high priority site and any other brownfield sites Who is eligible? Same as Assessment, but also Non-profit Organizations Funding: Anticipated to be in winter/spring 2018 Up to $200,000 One of EPA s newest AWP grantee is the University of South Florida 8
The Brownfield Grants: Cleanup Cleanup of brownfields contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants and petroleum products. Applicants must own the property at time of proposal submission Who is eligible? Same as Assessment but with the addition of Non-profit organizations Funding: Up to $200,000 per site or per proposal Multiple sites within each proposal** Up to 3 proposals Requires a 20% cost share **New this year!! FY18: 38 Cleanup Grants estimated at 7.5 million $$$ 9
FY17 Brownfields Grant Competition Region 4 received more than 100 applications for assessment and cleanup 40 of those were selected for funding. Region 4 communities submitted the highest # of assessment grant applications than any other region last Congratulations to the 3 new Assessment Grant Recipients in Florida: Apalachee Regional Planning Council Gadsden County City of Tallahassee Congratulations to the 2 new Cleanup Grant Recipients in Florida: City of Deland City of Pensacola. 10
FY17 Brownfields Grant Competition In 2017, we had a success rate of 83% for our cleanup grant applicants in Region 4. More money went to Region 4 for assessment and cleanup grants than any other region. Communities in the southeast received a total of almost 11 million dollars in funding to assess and cleanup their brownfields. 11
12
The Brownfield Grants: Revolving Loan Fund Capitalize a revolving loan fund that provides loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup of brownfield sites contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants and petroleum products. Who is eligible: Same as Assessment Funding: Every other year Up to $1,000,000 (typically around $800,000 in past years) Requires a 20% cost share FY18: 15 RLF Grants estimated at 9 million $$$ 13
The Brownfield Program: Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Grants To deliver environmental workforce development and job training programs that recruit, train, and place local, unemployed and under-employed residents with the skills needed to secure full-time employment in the environmental field CDC of Tampa was recipient 14
The Brownfield Program: Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Grants Supports training in various environmental programs across EPA (such as solid waste, Superfund, brownfields, emergency response, waste and stormwater, chemical safety, etc...). Who is eligible? States, counties, municipalities, tribes, and U.S. territories Colleges and universities Community job training organizations Non-profit training centers and Workforce Investment Boards Funding: Up to $200,000 each Solicitation: Expected Soon! 15
The Brownfield Program: Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training (EWDJT) Grants Grant recipients can offer a variety of training curriculums, with a focus on solid and hazardous waste remediation, environmental health and safety, and wastewater training. 16
The Brownfield Program: Types of Technical Assistance Targeted Brownfield Assessments (TBA) Technical Assistance for Brownfields Communities (TAB) Tribal Technical Assistance Grant Other Research, Training and Technical Assistance Grantees 17
The Brownfield Program: Targeted Brownfield Assessment Request-based program! Communities can submit a 3-page application to our EPA Regional Office at any time EPA contractor conducts a Phase I, Phase II or supplemental environmental assessment at your site Useful for communities that have difficulty scoring high enough to get a Brownfields grant This is not a national competition! 18
The Brownfield Program: Targeted Brownfield Assessment In Region 4, about half of our eight states also conduct TBAs Florida DEP is one of those states that conduct TBAs States conduct TBAs under their State Response Program funding from EPA Florida communities can apply to the DEP or to EPA Region 4 for a TBA 19
The Brownfield Program: Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities (TAB) Grants EPA has grants with 3 educational/non-profit entities to provide technical assistance to those that request it! ---------NOT limited to EPA brownfields grant recipients A variety of Assistance is available to communities, such as: Develop site inventories, Review site historical site information, Plan for cleanup and redevelopment, Conduct community engagement, Host workshops, webinars and geographic based meetings such as meet the funders Build brownfields programs, and Prepare grant proposals. TAB Providers are geographically-based: New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) EPA Region 4 Kansas State University (KSU) National grant 20
The Brownfield Program: Tribal Technical Assistance Grants Provides technical assistance to tribal communities addressing brownfields Tribal technical assistance includes: understanding and building a Tribal Response Program, finding funding resources for cleanup and reuse, reviewing historical information, designing an investigation or sampling and analysis, and cleanup and redevelopment planning. Tribal Technical Assistance provider: Kansas State University 21
The Brownfield Program: Other Research, Training and Technical Assistance Grants The following grantees will continue to work with communities through September 2019. Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) Offers free technical assistance to any community interested in how to finance economic development on brownfields. Resources include: financing toolkit, webinar series (with archives of past sessions available), and more information on direct TA opportunities that connect brownfields project and development finance experts through project marketplaces and on-site project response teams. 22
The Brownfield Program: Other Research, Training and Technical Assistance Grants Hazardous Materials Training and Research Institute (HMTRI) offers and promotes educational opportunities, partnerships, and training programs related to Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. Great resource for potential and existing Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training grantees. 23
The Brownfield Program: Other Research, Training and Technical Assistance Grants Groundwork USA Provides free technical assistance to communities who are trying to incorporate equitable development and environmental justice into their brownfields projects. Groundwork can support: feasibility assessments of projects and opportunities identified through community planning efforts, design and sequencing of near and long-term place-based strategies, and aid development of tactical, locally based work groups and partnerships that jointly lead efforts on brownfield redevelopment which is responsive to community needs. Assistance includes: One-on-one, direct technical assistance opportunities (communities request assistance via form on GW USA website), quarterly webinar series and conference workshops. 24
The Brownfield Program: Other Research, Training and Technical Assistance Grants University of Louisville The research is to develop a Brownfields Communities Benefits Assessment Toolkit that communities can use to see where it makes the most economic and environmental sense to invest their brownfield resources. The goal is to enhance community decision makers capacity to measure and track the benefits of redeveloping brownfields and thus expand the number of abandoned, vacant, and under-utilized properties that get cleaned up and considered community assets. 25
What does Brownfields Revitalization look like? State Brownfields Program Community EPA Brownfields Program Brownfields Site Revitalization Prospective Purchaser Leveraged Resources $$$ Professional Environmental Consultant Developer
Brownfields: State/EPA Relationship EPA Brownfields Program encourages use of State programs Since we consider grants as seed money only need to leverage more $$ States can have Brownfields programs and/or Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP) which offer a combination of the following: Significant liability protections, Eligibility for economic incentives, EPA provides funding to Florida DEP thru annual CERCLA Section 128(a) State & Tribal Response Program cooperative agreement
Brownfields: State/EPA Roles EPA Brownfields Project Officers manage cooperative agreements, review and approve workplans and QAPPs, review assessments, and provide technical, leveraging, and revitalization assistance Florida DEP staff provides advice on state program, reviews of source removal plans and other cleanup plans, approve cleanups, and provide SRCOs. Sites in Florida being cleaned up in the EPA Brownfields program follow FDEP cleanup authorities/requirements Many more sites get addressed under the State programs rather than through EPA Brownfields grant program alone And in some cases (Georgia) more sites get addressed under the state brownfields program than the state regulatory enforcement program.
EPA Brownfields Program: National Accomplishments # Properties Assessed
EPA Brownfields Program: National Accomplishments # Properties Cleaned Up
EPA Brownfields Program: Accomplishments in Florida
EPA Brownfields Program: Accomplishments in Florida by DEP
Brownfields Receiving EPA Grant $$ in the Area 33
Resources Mapping of Brownfields that have received federal funding https://www.epa.gov/cleanups/cleanups-my-community Fed by ACRES - EPA s Brownfields database EPA Region 4 Brownfields program https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-and-land-revitalization-alabama-floridageorgia-kentucky-mississippi-north-0 Interactive Brownfields Road Map: https://brownfieldstsc.org/roadmap/roadmapclick.cfm Cleaning up Brownfields under State Response Program https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/cleaning-brownfields-under-state-response-programsgetting-no-further-action
Resources (continued) URL for the EPA Region 4 TBA Application: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/brownfields-and-landrevitalization-alabama-florida-georgia-kentucky-mississippinorth-0 or email me for an application!
Resources (continued) Brownfields Case Studies for Stormwater Management on Compacted, Contaminated Soils in Dense Urban Areas https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/swcs0408.pdf Brownfields Design Principles for Stormwater Management on Compacted, Contaminated Soils in Dense Urban Areas https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-09/documents/swdp0408_0.pdf Implementing Stormwater Infiltration Practices at Vacant Parcels and Brownfield Sites http://www.epa.state.il.us/water/watershed/publications/implementingstormwater-infiltration-practices.pdf
Brownfields Workshops/Conferences 2017 Southeast Brownfields Workshop November 7-9 Georgia Tech Research Institute Conference Center in Atlanta http://georgiabrownfield.org/gba-events/southeast-brownfieldsworkshop/ National Brownfields 2017 December 4-8 Pittsburgh Convention Center RESERVE YOUR LODGING NOW www.brownfields2017.org/
Contact info Barbara Alfano Region 4 Brownfields Coordinator Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Cleanup and Brownfields Branch United States Environmental Protection Agency Resource Conservation and Restoration Division 61 Forsyth Street SW Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8960 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Alfano.barbara@epa.gov (404)562-8923 38