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Demonstrating New Approaches
EPA’s pilot programs and projects help test innovative approaches to the cleanup and revitalization of contaminated land. The following pilot projects have been implemented by several EPA offices and programs both inside and outside of OSWER:
Area-Wide
Pilots
There are several examples of large scale, area-wide contamination problems
that are successfully managed and coordinated across multiple cleanup
programs. Building on these successful management approaches, EPA encourages
waste cleanup programs to look for additional opportunities to coordinate.
Area-wide pilots coordinate the cleanup of several sites in a geographic
area involving different statutory/regulatory authorities, and are designed
to achieve productive reuse of formerly contaminated land. EPA is working
with its regional offices to pilot approaches for addressing challenging,
area-wide problems that can be addressed using a coordinated, multi-program
approach.
Collaborative Cleanups Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 1.3MB, About PDF)
Collaborative Cleanups
The purpose of the Collaborative Cleanups initiative is to encourage partnerships among stakeholders to protect, restore, and revitalize land and water resources. Two conferences were held in 2005 and 2006 to develop practical actions for collaborating more effectively.
Urban
Rivers Restoration Pilots
In July 2002, EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers entered into a
memorandum
of understanding (PDF) (4 pp, 221K, About PDF)
to address water quality issues, economic revitalization, and the public
use and enjoyment of urban rivers. Through this MOU, the two agencies
designated eight demonstration pilot projects to coordinate the planning
and implementation of urban river cleanup and restoration.
Collaborative Cleanups Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 1.3MB, About PDF)
Environmental
Justice Pilots (PDF) (5 pp, 125K, About PDF)
In 2003, EPA’s Office
of Environmental Justice announced the selection of 15 Interagency
Working Group on Environmental Justice (IWG) Revitalization Projects.
These projects seek to showcase collaborative interagency and multi-stakeholder
partnerships in the area of environmental justice and community revitalization.
Interagency
Working Group on Environmental Justice
OSWER Environmental
Justice Action Agenda
RCRA Targeted
Site Efforts
EPA is piloting its Targeted Site Efforts (TSEs) to showcase the use of
Brownfields tools and RCRA Cleanup Reforms and also to emphasize the importance
of addressing brownfields issues in RCRA cleanups. TSE projects provide
concentrated energy, attention, and resources to selected sites with redevelopment
potential to move them forward in the cleanup process and to develop approaches
and options for cleanup and reuse. TSEs support specific site work (outreach,
site assessment, etc.) and provide assistance in developing approaches
and options for cleanup and reuse (e.g., supporting meetings, researching
options and other activities) at RCRA facilities.
Brownfields
Showcase Communities
EPA is piloting its Brownfields Showcase Communities which seek to: (1)
promote environmental protection, economic redevelopment and community
revitalization through the assessment, cleanup and sustainable reuse of
brownfields; (2) to link the actions of Federal, State, local and non-governmental
organizations to support community efforts to restore and reuse brownfields;
and (3) to develop national models demonstrating the positive results
of public and private collaboration addressing brownfields challenges.
In March 1998, a partnership of more than 20 Federal agencies with interests
in brownfields redevelopment designated 16 Brownfields Showcase Communities.
Re-evaluating
Superfund Cleanups ("Tear Down the Wall" Initiative)
EPA is undertaking a new initiative to support Superfund redevelopment:
the "Tear Down the Wall" Initiative. This Initiative helps communities
reclaim former Superfund sites for productive reuse. The primary objective
of the initiative is to remove barriers to reuse that are not necessary
for the protection of human health, the environment, or the remedy itself.
In the past, excessive or unnecessary access restrictions have left many
sites underutilized. Reuse of these sites will allow communities to regain
lost landscapes as valuable green space, or add recreational amenities
or commercial property.