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EPA Brownfields Initiative Receives Highest Award & EPA Selects 12 New Brownfields Showcase Communities

Release Date: 10/13/2000
Contact Information:
EPA 202-564-7824

Denver -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields initiative received on Oct. 12, the highest award given to honor those government programs that have best served the public.

"We are highly honored by the Harvard University’s recognition of the Clinton-Gore Administration’s Brownfields initiative as one of the most outstanding efforts by government to serve Americans," said EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner. "This successful program has provided communities across the nation with financial assistance to clean up contaminated sites, revitalize neighborhoods and create thousands of new jobs. The Brownfields initiative clearly demonstrates that economic prosperity and the protection of public health and the environment go hand-in-hand."

The Brownfields initiative was named one of the ten recipients of the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government and Council for Excellence in Government’s Innovations in Government Award, 2000. Designed to celebrate excellence in public service, this prestigious award program solicits nominations from Federal, State, Tribal and local governments which have developed innovative approaches to addressing important public challenges.

The Brownfields initiative was developed by the Clinton-Gore Administration in 1993 to clean up abandoned, lightly contaminated sites and restore them to productive community use. This highly successful initiative was selected from a pool of 1,300 applicants as one of this year’s winning government programs. To receive this recognition, finalists underwent an exhaustive review that included extensive analysis and scrutiny of the benefits of the Brownfields initiative, as well an actual on-site visit from an independent consultant.

Since its creation, the Brownfields initiative has awarded over 500 grants to communities nationwide, totaling over $140 million. These grants have resulted in the creation of nearly 7,000 new jobs and have leveraged over $2.3 billion in private investment. For every dollar invested by federal, state and local governments, almost $2.50 of private investment has been leveraged.

For further information about EPA’s brownfields initiative, visit the agency’s web page at: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields.


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EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner Announces The Selection of 12 New Brownfields Showcase Communities

EPA Administrator Carol M. Browner today announced an expansion of the Brownfields National Partnership with the selection of 12 new Showcase Communities for $4.8 million. This announcement is part of the Clinton-Gore Administration's ongoing commitment to clean up Brownfields B abandoned, lightly contaminated sites B and restore them to productive community use.

"The success of the Clinton-Gore Administration's efforts to revitalize brownfields clearly demonstrates that economic prosperity and the protection of public health and the environment go hand-in-hand," said Administrator Browner. "The selection of these new Showcase Communities will help foster the cleanup of abandoned contaminated properties, while also bringing new jobs and new economic opportunities to these communities."

The Showcase Communities effort is a key part of the Administration's successful Brownfields Initiative, which since its creation in 1993, has awarded grants to 362 communities nationwide totaling over $140 million. These grants have resulted in nearly 7,000 new jobs and have leveraged over $2.3 billion in investment. For every dollar invested by federal, state and local governments, almost $2.50 of private investment has been leveraged.

This is the second round of Showcase Communities -- the first round of 16 communities was announced by Vice President Gore in March 1998 and has resulted in more than $900 million in cleanup and economic redevelopment funds. In addition, the Showcase Communities effort has assessed 536 properties and generated 2,716 jobs.

Selected on a competitive basis, each Showcase Community will receive up to $200,000 for environmental cleanup assessments and $200,000 to support a federal staff person loaned to the community for two years, for a total initial commitment of $4.8 million. Additional financial and technical aid will be made available to the Showcase Communities from a wide range of federal programs depending on the community's needs.

As the centerpiece of the Administrations Brownfields National Partnership, the Showcase Communities initiative brings together more than 20 federal agencies to enable communities to clean up brownfields sites. Using the funding provided, communities will work with local and state officials to develop local solutions to clean up and redevelop brownfields. These communities will then serve as national models for other communities working to develop broad-based cooperative efforts for the cleanup and reuse of similar lightly contaminated properties.

The 12 new Showcase Communities include:
Denver, Colo.
Mystic Valley Development Commission, (Cities of Everett, Malden, Medford) Mass.
New Bedford, Mass.
Niagara Region, N.Y.
Cape Charles, Va.
Jackson, Miss.
Milwaukee, Wis.
St. Louis, Mo., and East St. Louis, Ill.
Houston, Texas
Des Moines, Iowa
Gila River Indian Community, Ariz.
Metlakatla, Alaska

The Administration's Brownfields redevelopment efforts are an important part of the President's overall community empowerment agenda, designed to create new opportunities and revitalize local economies in the nation's communities.

For further information about the Showcase Communities go to the following website: www.epa.gov/brownfields/showcase.htm


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