Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment

As part of EPA's initiative to reuse and revitalize contaminated property, the Brownfields Program provides funds and technical assistance to states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. The Southeast region works under the policies, guidance and direction of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Brownsfields Cleanup and Redevelopment, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

The Southeast region will be collaborating very closely with the Office of Land Revitalization to provide more assistance to state, local and private partners to restore contaminated land to reuseable, marketable real estate development opportunities. Our Land Reuse Revitalization and Reuse website has a variety of information about revitalization and reuse in Region 4, including revitalization tools and resources.

Brownfields News In Region 4

Brownfields (broun'felds) n.
Real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

Brownfields 2009 Grant Fact Sheets

EPA Region 4 announces $16.6 Million in Brownfields grants to communities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. These grants are for the purpose of investigating or cleaning up sites that may be contaminated with petroleum or hazardous chemicals or pollutants. These grants will help revitalize abandoned or underutilized properties, helping turn them in to productive and sustainable assets for the communities. The grants include $ 5.8 Million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and $10.8 Million in funds from the Brownfields general program funding.

The Fact Sheets below contain information for all Region 4 grants.

Region 4 FY 09 Fact Sheets

2009 Grantee Workshop (For Grantees Only)

National Brownfields Conference 2009 masthead
New Orleans, November 16-18, 2009 Brownfields 2009 Submasthead Right

The National Brownfields Conference is the largest, most comprehensive conference focused on cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned, underutilized, and potentially contaminated properties in the nation. Registration is free, and by signing up you gain access to more than 150 educational and learning opportunities, outstanding plenary sessions, 200 exhibitors, scores of networking events, special training sessions, film screenings, book signings, and much, much more. In addition to an outstanding educational program, the conference has plentiful networking and business development opportunities including the Brownfields Transaction Forum and the Brownfields 2009 Exhibit Hall. Whether you’re a newcomer to the world of economic and environmental redevelopment, or a seasoned professional looking to make new connections and increase your business, Brownfields 2009 offers something for you. Questions? Call the Brownfields 2009 Hotline at 1-877-343-5374 (toll free). Register today!

EPA's New Directive on Ecological Revitalization of Contaminated Properties
Ecological Revitalization: Turning Contaminated Properties Into Community Assets
EPA 542-R-08-003. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
U.S. EPA. February 2009

This document provides technical information to assist property managers and other stakeholders better understand, coordinate, and conduct ecological revitalization at contaminated properties during cleanup. Specifically, this document presents general planning and process considerations for ecological revitalization and provides technical considerations for implementing ecological revitalization of wetlands, streams, and terrestrial ecosystems during cleanup. This document also highlights EPA’s initiatives and resources that are available, and presents numerous site-specific examples and case studies where ecological revitalization has occurred.

An informational session is being developed for the remedial project managers meeting (NARPM) in June 2009. Internet seminars are also in the works. EPA's clean-up program directive is available on-line. You can find it at: http://www.clu-in.org/download/issues/ecotools/Ecological_Revitalization_Turning_Contaminated_Properties_into_Community_Assets.pdf

Fiscal Year 2009 Brownfields Job Training Grants Announced

Thirteen communities in 12 states will share $2.6 million in job training grants geared toward cleaning up contaminated properties and turning them into productive community assets. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, under its Brownfields Program is awarding grants of $200,000 each to non-profit organizations, workforce investment boards, and state and local governments. The grants will teach environmental assessment and cleanup job skills to individuals living in areas near brownfields sites in Ark., Calif., Conn., Ill., Ind., Md., Mass., Mich., N.J., Oreg., Tenn., and Wis.

EPA Press Release
January, 2009

Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities (TAB)

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency recently selected four new TAB grantees. The TAB grantees include the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Enterprise Corporation of the Delta, Kansas State University, and the Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR). The TAB grantees will help communities tackle the challenge of cleaning up and redeveloping brownfield sites by providing geographically-based technical assistance and training to communities and other stakeholders on brownfield issues.

Direct Final Rule on All Appropriate Inquiries

EPA published a direct final rule recognizing ASTM International's E2247-08 "Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process for Forestland and Rural Property" as compliant with the All Appropriate Inquiries Regulation and allowing for its use to satisfy the statutory requirements for conducting all appropriate inquiries under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA).

Federal Register Notice
December 23, 2008

Brownfields Tax Incentive

On October 3, 2008, H.R. 1424 was signed into law by the President. Section 318 of the bill provides for expensing of environmental remediation costs extending the current brownfield tax incentive till December 31, 2009, and is effective for expenditures paid or incurred after December 31, 2007. The tax incentive allows taxpayers to receive a current federal income tax deduction for certain qualifying remediation costs that would otherwise by subject to capitalization. The extension is a timely benefit for companies seeking to acquire or dispose of environmentally impaired properties

Financing Brownfields: State Program Highlights

A new report is available featuring highlights of more than 50 different state programs supporting brownfields financing.

Release of Report and Recommendations: Market Barriers to Green Development

EPA Region 5, the Delta Institute and the Northeast-Midwest Institute released Market Barriers to Green Development, a report on market based approaches to increase green redevelopment projects. The report is also available at the Delta Institute or the Northeast-Midwest Institute’s websites: http://www.delta-institute.org/marketbarriers or http://www.nemw.org/brownfields Reports.

The report describes six principles for removing market barriers to green development, and recommends action projects and next steps to address these barriers and further promote green development practices. Throughout the report, case studies illustrate how different organizations or communities have tackled these barriers.

Multi Vision Integration to Action

A process to get your community involved in environmental concerns.

FY09 Proposal Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup Grants

The FY09 Proposal Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants have been posted to the brownfields website at: More...

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