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Portfields - Description
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Waterfront Industry
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Portfields is a NOAA led federal interagency effort that focuses on the redevelopment of brownfields in port and harbor areas, with emphasis on development of environmentally sound port facilities. The Ports of Bellingham, WA, New Bedford, MA, and Tampa, FL have been selected as Portfields pilot pilots. The Portfields federal agencies will work in close partnership to provide targeted resources to assist these pilot ports redevelop brownfields and revitalize waterfront areas, improve marine transportation, and protect and restore coastal habitat. Portfields is an opportunity for the federal government to partner with port communities, state programs and other stakeholders to help build on the Ports existing efforts to be both an engine of commerce and a good steward of the environment.
Portfields Federal Partners
Each federal partner participating in Portfields brings its own specialized expertise and strong commitment to the overall goal of revitalizing port communities (see Federal Commitments for more information).
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Economic Development Administration, DOC
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
• Department of Labor
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Maritime Administration, DOT
• Department of the Interior
• Department of Housing and Urban Development
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New Bedford Building
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How Portfields Began
Portfields originated from the 2002 Brownfields Federal Partnership Action Agenda. A Brownfields federal partnership was created in 1996 and includes more than 20 agencies. Spurred on by the Bush Administration’s commitment to brownfields and the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, the federal partners renewed their commitment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely cleanup and sustainable reuse brownfields. The result was a new Brownfields Federal Partnership action Agenda that was developed in October 2002. The Action Agenda contains over 100 commitments from participating federal agencies. Through the Action Agenda, NOAA committed to leading the interagency Portfields effort.
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Tampa Waterfront Construction
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Why Portfields
Many brownfields are located in coastal communities, as historically, industries were situated along the shore for access to the water for transportation, power and cooling. Of the 500,000 brownfields nationwide, an estimated 10-15% are located along waterways and coastal areas. The cleanup and redevelopment of coastal brownfields presents tremendous opportunities to revitalize waterfronts and promote economic development, restore coastal natural resources, and enhance public access to the coast.
Important links exists between brownfields and our nation's ports and harbors. Contamination from hazardous substances is a common obstacle to development of port properties and port infrastructure. Brownfields also pose a threat to the marine environment and sensitive coastal natural resources. Port communities have an enormous impact on the nation’s economy. Approximately 95% of U.S. foreign trade travel through our nation’s ports, which contributes $742 billion to the GDP and employs 13 million people. Maritime trade is expected to double by 2020, exerting further pressure on already highly developed coastal areas. Redeveloping brownfields in ports areas can facilitate improved marine transportation while providing environmental, economic, and social benefits.
Portfields Phase I Report
The Portfields federal agencies first approached the Portfields project by gaining a better understanding of the issues and challenges port communities encounter with brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. The federal agencies interviewed eight ports that have successfully incorporated brownfields redevelopment into port activities. The Federal agencies partnered with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) to develop a Portfields Report from information gathered through these interviews. The Portfields report includes successful practices and strategies that can be transferred to other ports.
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