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Pacific Northwest Nets $4.08 Million For Brownfields Redevelopment Work

Release Date: 6/15/2004
Contact Information: Tim Brincefield
[email protected]
(206) 553-1200

June 15, 2004


24 Grants are Most Ever for the Region

Northwest states and communities were awarded just over $4 million in the latest round of federal aid made available by the U.S. EPA’s national “Brownfields” redevelopment initiative. As part of EPA’s ongoing efforts to promote economic revitalization while safeguarding the environment and public health, the agency is awarding nearly $76 million in Brownfields grants to communities nationwide.

According to John Iani, EPA regional administrator in Seattle, the Brownfields Program reflects a new model in environmental protection which is locally-based, forges strong public-private partnerships, and promotes innovation and creativity.

“Brownfields relies on market incentives and private sector actions to restore blighted properties,” said EPA’s Iani. “Its novel approach empowers state and local environmental and economic redevelopment officials to oversee brownfields activities, ensuring that local solutions are created to solve local problems.”

By encouraging redevelopment of hundreds of thousands America's abandoned and contaminated waste sites by EPA's Brownfields program has leveraged more than $5.8 billion in private investment, helped create more than 27,000 jobs and resulted in the assessment of more than 4,500 properties nationally.

In Alaska -

• Fairbanks Northstar Borough Recycling Center- Fairbanks Northstar Borough will receive $148,398 to perform a site assessment of a former solid waste recycling center. The assessement will aid in answering questions regarding the existence of contaminants and associated risks and liability, allowing the Borough to address any potential health risks and render the property more attractive to potential purchaser/developers.
• City of St. Paul LUST Assessment Project -The City of Saint Paul, Alaska will receive $200,000 to assess the current characteritics of 193 underground and above ground residential fuel tanks, identify those tanks that warrant further assessment, perform a more indepth assessment on those tanks that warrant further investigation and finally, develop a corrective action plan to address leaking tanks.

In Idaho:

• Washington County/Mike’s Cleaners; The County will receive a $85,675 Brownfields grant from EPA to assess hazardous substance contamination related to a former dry cleaning operation and help return the vacant site to beneficial use.
• Caldwell - Indian Creek Downtown Alignment: The city of Caldwell will receive a $200,000 Brownfields grant from EPA to assess potential petroleum contamination and help their efforts to address any contamination found, daylight Indian Creek as an amenity for citizens, and redevelop downtown Caldwell.
• Capital City Development/ Boise Urban Renewal Districts, Boise ID: The urban renewal agency for the city of Boise will receive a $200,000 Brownfields grant from EPA to assess potential petroleum contamination in three Boise urban renewal areas and remove one of the significant barriers to downtown redevelopment.
• The Salmon Urban Renewal Agency, a Municipal Corporation of the City of Salmon, Idaho, will receive $92,500 to remove petroleum contaminated soils from a property that housed various former service stations. The contaminated property lies within the Salmon Urban Renewal Agency’s Town Square Park project, the goals of which are to revitalize the downtown business district, stimulate economic growth and improve the quality of life for the community

In Oregon -

• City of Gresham Brownfields Program – The City of Gresham was selected for a new $200,000 Brownfields assessment grant to inventory and prioritize contaminated properties throughout the community. The City is building upon the success of a previous project that is turning an old bus barn into a Cultural Arts Center.
• Coastal Range Food Bank/Blodgett City -- The non profit Coastal Range Food Bank will receive a $100,000 grant from EPA to cleanup petroleum contamination at their property in Toledo, Oregon and reuse the former community store and property to provide food assistance and provide community gardening areas. The partnership forged between community members, the Food Bank organization and Oregon State and EPA demonstrate the empowerment and restoration of rural communities.
• Klamath County Chiloquin Mill Site – Klamath County, will receive $200,000 to eliminate and repair hazardous contaminant impacts to the Sprague River from the former Chiloquin Lumber Mill. The Central Klamath Community Action Team, City of Chiloquin, Klamath County and Klamath Tribe have worked closely together and with the community to develop a sustainable plan for reuse of the property that includes community green space and economic growth.
• Portland Development Commission South Waterfront – The PDC was will receive $200,000 for its second Brownfields cleanup grant at the old Lincoln Steamplant in the South Waterfront area. Community redevelopment plans include a public riverfront esplanade and 210 new residences.
• City of Astoria/Youngs Bay Brownfields Project – The City of Astoria will receive $200,000 to perform an assessment of hazardous contaminants at a five acre site on Young’s Bay. Activities will include completion of a Risk Assessment of the intertidal area and a Feasibility Study for the entire site. In addition, the City plans to produce a Master Plan for the property in partnership with the property owner and the local community.

In Washington:

• The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department will receive a $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant from EPA to conduct assessment activities which will identify and catalogue potential Brownfield sites which may contain abandoned commercial underground storage tanks. This work will be conducted under the Former Gas Station Assessment Pilot/Neighborhood Advisory Board for Redevelopment Project. This funding will promote restoration and redevelopment of petroleum only Brownfields properties.
• The Town of Coupeville, Washington will receive a $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant from EPA to conduct assessment activities at three separate properties known as the Former Unocal Bulk Plant #0138, the Island County Mental Health Building and the Former Shell/Island Marine and Sports/Edenholm Property. Assessment of these properties will be the first step to removing significant barriers to downtown redevelopment.
• The Kitsap County Consolidated Housing Authority will receive a $54,205 Brownfields Assessment Grant from EPA to conduct a site assessment of the Mitchell Avenue Senior Housing Redevelopment Project. Redevelopment of this site will provide affordable housing opportunities for low and moderately low income seniors.
• The Kitsap County, Washington Department of Community Development will receive three Brownfields grants totaling $600,000. A $200,000 grant will allow for assessment and cleanup and redevlopment planning of the Charleston Beach Road segment of SR304 Transportation Improvement Project. Two cleanup grants for $200,000 each will fund the cleanup of the former Evergreen Auto Wrecking Yard and the former Port Orchard Sand and Gravel Batch Plant properties along the Gorst Creek Estuary, resulting in restored riparian, estuarine and saltmarsh environments in addition to a one-acre site to be developed for commercial/retail use.
• Port of Seattle: The Port of Seattle will receive a $200,000 Brownfields grant from EPA to assess potential hazardous waste contamination in three urban sites in the City of Seattle. The redevelopment of these sites will clean up the contamination and mitigate environmental risks to the local population and provide for economic redevelopment in blighted areas.
• Public Health - Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Division: The City of Seattle & King County will receive a $200,000 Brownfields grant from EPA to assess potential hazardous substance contamination related to methamphetamine drug lab activity. This grant will help advance the Division's goal to provide prompt and complete assessment services of contaminated drug lab sites.
• The University of Washington will receive $200,000 to address petroleum-related contaminants on the Shaub-Ellision Parcel at the Tacoma Campus in support of the UW Tacoma 2003 Campus Master Plan. Subsurface contamination will be reduced using soil bioventing and aerobic groundwater treatment technologies.
• The Port of Seattle will receive $76,800 to remove several underground storage tanks and related piping and petroleum contaminated soil at Terminal 106 East, Building 6. The Port of Seattle plans to pursue redevelopment of the Building 6 property in partnership with the Duwamish Coalition of the Duwamish Industrial Corridor.
• Pacific Northwest Salmon Research Center, Belfair WA: This non-profit organization will receive an EPA Brownfields grant for $123,200 to clean up petroleum contaminated soils. The cleanup of this site will allow for the construction of a complex for a conference room, offices, labs, outdoor classrooms, viewing decks and salmon stream.
• Southeast Effective Development (SEED) Rainier Court Phase 2, Seattle WA: Non-profit SEED will receive a $200,000 Brownfields grant from EPA to clean up hazardous substance contamination at a South Seattle site and help develop a mixed use building to provide 178 units of affordable, family housing and 9,000 square feet of retail space for this inner-city community.

BROWNFIELDS ON THE WEB: https://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/archive/pilot_arch.htm


Contact: Tim Brincefield Mark MacIntyre
EPA/Seattle EPA/Seattle
206-553-1200 206-553-7302