New Jersey
Connect Smart Growth with Brownfields Cleanup - New Jersey's Approach The New Jersey Office of State Planning's brownfields program began in July 1997. On January 6, 1998, Governor Christine T. Whitman signed into law the Brownfields and Contaminated Site Remediation Act, which established a Brownfields Redevelopment Task Force. The 11-member task force includes representatives from five state agencies and six public members. In June 2000, the task force adopted an action plan to guide its future activities. In addition, the 2001 budget included a new $15-million Brownfields Redevelopment grant program to provide municipalities with funds for redevelopment projects. The state plan impact assessment found that the brownfields approach would reduce sprawl, saving 68,000 acres of farmland and 122,000 acres overall. New Jersey Department of Environmental Quality, 609/292-1250
Michigan
Eliminate Barriers and Offer Incentives - Michigan's Approach to BrownfieldsPrior to 1995, a strict liability law and stringent remediation standards constrained Michigan's brownfields redevelopment efforts. Legislators amended the law, adding fairness to the liability scheme by holding only those parties that caused the contamination responsible for the cleanup. New cleanup standards based on reasonable risk assumptions give developers and public officials more flexibility. In 1998 Governor John Engler's Clean Michigan Initiative, a $675-million environmental bond, expanded redevelopment programs. Of this amount, more than $300 million is dedicated to environmental cleanup and urban renewal. In June 2000, the legislature approved several other proposals, making it easier to prepare brownfields for redevelopment and providing tax incentives and low-interest loans. A new law increases the maximum single business tax credit for developers from $1 million to $30 million. Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, 800/662-9278
Pennsylvania
Promote Reuse of Land -Pennsylvania's Green Opportunities for Brownfields InitiativeOn January 9, 1999, Governor Tom Ridge signed an executive order to foster sound land-use practices in Pennsylvania. The order promotes reuse of land, planned growth at all levels of government, regional cooperation among local governments, greenways to improve quality of life, and preservation of farmland and open space. The Natural Lands Trust and the departments of environmental protection, conservation and natural resources, and community and economic development are collaborating on the governor's Green Opportunities for Brownfields Initiative. It seeks to encourage mixed-use development with housing choices; recognize the importance of open space, recreational areas, and greenways in urbanized areas; and apply energy-efficient, low-emission designs. Pennsylvania's Land Recycling Program, 717/783-7816
Baraboo, Wisconsin - Built in honor of one of the world’s most famed conservationists, the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center, located on Leopold’s farm near Baraboo, Wisconsin, has earned 61 out of a possible 69 LEED points, the most earned by any LEED-certified building to date and enough to qualify for a Platinum rating.
Putting sustainability into action, originally made for use at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the UK. http://www.defra.gov.uk/
ThinkSustainable was developed in Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) as a package to communicate sustainable development (SD). It was created to raise awareness and understanding of SD and to help policy makers embed SD in their work.
The ThinkSustainable identity was launched in Defra alongside the UK SD Strategy Securing the Future in April 2005. ThinkSustainable aims to provide a coordinated approach to embedding SD in Government. This includes communicating clear messages and behaviours through for example, campaigns, tools and events.
ThinkSustainable has provided consistency and helped to gain the maximum impact from our messaging and campaigns. As part of this launch, Defra invested in developing a package of ‘SD Tools’.
These were developed to help government policy makers as well as those working on project and programs to think about how their work impacts on sustainable development.
The Making of the Toronto Hydro Services Facility Video at 500 Commissioners Street, Toronto, Ontario.
An example of a TEDCO brownfield redevelopment project for Toronto Hydro opened in 1997. TEDCO worked with Shell Canada to conduct a Site Specific RiskAssessment (SSRA) based clean-up with Shell retaining responsibility for any future clean-up requirements.Proactive environmental management approach by TEDCO, in association with Shell Canada and Toronto Hydro; Brownfields restoration of contaminated waterfront lands; 1995 Site Specific Risk Assessment clean up in Ontario; Strong working relationship with the City of Toronto and the MOE; Proactive environmental management approach by TEDCO, in association with Shell Canada and Toronto Hydro.
**Preliminary Results for the 2006 (May 2007) Brownfields Survey- Vol. 7**
Executive Summary
The seventh Brownfield’s report documents the problems of brownfields redevelopment faced by local communities throughout the United States and identifies the fleeting opportunities lost when properties remain idle and abandoned. For the first time, this report quantifies some of the benefits from brownfields redevelopment efforts across the country with cities responding their positive results from land recycling and the return of brownfields to productive uses.
Status of the Problem
203 cities provided information regarding brownfields in their communities. In this years’ survey, 179 estimated that they had more than 18,418 brownfields sites, with the average size of a brownfield site being 14.17 acres. There were 167 cities estimating 67,196 acres of land, which were idle or abandoned properties holding the potential to create jobs or produce tax revenue. More the 140 cities also estimated 2,705 sites have been “Mothballed,” which is defined, as sites that the current owner has no intention of redeveloping or selling due to environmental impact concerns.
This year’s report again demonstrates that brownfields not only affect large urban areas, but also rural landscapes. Our last report stated that nearly a third of the respondents were from cities with populations under 50,000 and this report had the similar results.
The cities again identified the major obstacles to the redevelopment of brownfield sites. In this seventh report, ‘Clean-up Funds’ was the most frequently identified impediment, cited by 85 percent of the respondents. The next two major impediments again were ‘Liability Issues’ and the need for ‘Environmental Assessment’. Both impediments were selected by an equal portion of the respondents and as a result, both tied for the second spot.
This survey also asked cities if they had brownfields sites that would require additional subsidies beyond cleanup funds and assessment monies. Over 69 percent of the respondents listed the need for additional help in the following forms: low interest loans, demolition monies, aid in the acquisition and assembly of land, grants for remediation and aid for sewer upgrades, road improvements and other infrastructure upgrades. Also identified this year, not in order or rank, were: brownfields technology training, job development and training, assistance in the planning process, and community needs assessment training.
In this year’s survey cities were also asked it there were institutional controls in place on their redeveloped Brownfield sites. 103 cities responded that they currently have institutional controls in place. 47 cities responded that they would require additional subsidies to enact a city / state wide system.
Potential Benefits
In this year’s survey we asked cities to report the actual number of acres and sites that have been redeveloped as well as current acres and sites in progress. There were 146 cities that reported having success in redeveloping brownfields. The average time it took to redevelop a brownfields site was three and half to four years. 152 cities successfully redeveloped more than 1,494 sites representing 13,179 acres. There are 1,163 sites, comprising 13,391 acres currently in progress of being redeveloped.
Over 46 percent of the survey respondents stated that if brownfields were redeveloped, they could realize nearly $1.1 billion to $3.3 billion annually in additional tax revenues. There were 62 cities that provided an actual tax revenue amount from redeveloped brownfields sites totaling over $336 million. In addition, 99 cities responded that over 149,515 new jobs could be created on brownfields sites with 75 cities reporting that 178,197 jobs have already been created from former brownfields sites (66,493 jobs during redevelopment and 111,704 jobs created post development.) We also asked what the end uses for sites were. Site usage included retail, mixed-use, housing and commercial projects.
Over 75 percent of the respondents stated that additional people could live in their cities without burdening existing infrastructure, with more than 35 percent of the respondents stating that 2.5 million additional people could be accommodated in their communities.
* 2006 Recycling America's Land Survey is in the process of being published, a full and finalized version of the Survey will be available of purchase or download starting in Late November 2007
* 2006 Recycling America’s Land Brownfield Survey Volume 7, contains numbers following the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. Cities in Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Mississippi and other effected regions submitted Brownfield numbers post 2005 Hurricane Season. Not all of the effected cities or areas were able to estimate their Brownfield sights after such a devastating hurricane season.
Bettina Puckett-Staff Writer
Years ago, folks around Fairland often stopped off at Frodie's Place Food Center to fill up their gas tank or buy a gallon of milk.The gas station has been closed for several years, but now its leaking underground gasoline storage tanks present an environmental problem that could affect the next phase of the County Road 400 North project, which is due to be bid in the spring.When David Griffin purchased the old gas station a few years ago at a tax sale, he bought it as an investment property but has made no improvements to the property. But on Oct. 23, he lost the two parcels of land in another tax sale.Shelby County Auditor Amy Glackman said Griffin owed $1,802.78 in taxes on the property. At the recent tax sale, a man named Vinod C. Gupta, in care of Banco Popular Lien Holder Rudy, of Miami Lake, Fla., purchased the two parcels for $4,400.
At Monday night's regular weekly meeting of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, Griffin told the commissioners that he didn't learn the tax sale had happened until Oct. 24."My intentions are to pay the taxes and get the property back," Griffin said.By Wednesday, Griffin had not yet reclaimed his property, and Glackman said the penalties and interest are growing.Grant money available
In the meantime, the problem of the leaking underground storage tanks has not been addressed. Under the Indiana Brownfields Program, petroleum remediation grants are awarded throughout the state to help clean up the contamination left from the old tanks.Ken Coad, a project manager with the program, said last August that $97,000 is in the state's budget to help clean up Frodie's. But since the old gas station is privately owned, the owner must give permission for the clean-up to begin. And since the ownership is now uncertain, cleanup is on hold.
Coad was out of the office this week and could not be reached for comment. Several tries to a phone number that Griffin provided in the commissioners' meeting produced only a busy signal.
Coad had explained that Indiana is divided up into seven regions, and Shelby County is located in Region 2. "Each region was awarded $750,000 to clean up leaking underground storage tanks that have been identified by our consultant," Coad said at the time.Dan Fortune, a project director with American Environmental of Indianapolis, said in August that Griffin hired his company to do some initial tests at the site. After doing seven borings, Fortune said a lot of contamination was found in the soil and ground water. Fortune was unavailable for comment.
All of this news of contamination does not sit well with Michael and Francine Turner, who own a home right next to the old gas station. Francine Turner said some people had come to take water samples about the time that the first story appeared in The Shelbyville News."The people said they would get back to us in 30 to 60 days, but we never heard from them," Francine Turner said. "We need to know what's going on."The Turners have lived in their well-kept yellow house next door to the gas station for 26 years. She is concerned about how the contamination might have affected their well water.
The family's house is located near the corner of South Edgerton Street and West Carey Street. The Turners have watched the gas station deteriorate through the years, but they have been good neighbors and have mowed the grass around the old store so that it doesn't detract from their home.
Episode brings back bad memories the whole episode reminds Commissioner Dave Mohr of when county officials had to deal with contamination from an underground storage tank at the old county jail before the new jail was built. "We went through some miserable times to clean that up," Mohr said. "Finally, (the state) said it was OK, and we went on down the road."Mohr has learned from experience that most everything having to do with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and other state agencies takes time.
He and his fellow commissioners, Roger Laird and Tony Newton, are wondering whether the $97,000 grant, when it is finally approved, will cover the entire cost of the cleanup at Frodie's. They don't want county taxpayers paying the rest of the cost.
Also, Phase 2 of the County Road 400 North project hangs in the balance. Phase 3 was recently completed, while Phase 1 was finished in 2003. Phase 3 was completed before Phase 2 because that portion of the road had no shoulders and was dangerous for drivers.At Monday night's meeting, the commissioners tabled any action on the petroleum remediation grant for two weeks to give Griffin time to pay his back taxes and reclaim his property. Griffin said a representative from the Shelby County Highway Department made him an offer from the county to buy the land a year ago, but the deal was never finalized."We had preliminary plans, but that was before the contamination showed up," Mohr said at the meeting. "The plan now is to keep the right of way as tight as we can."Rather than include sidewalks in the portion of CR 400 North that will be built in front of the store, through the contaminated area, the county has decided tentatively to eliminate those sidewalks."We were told to stay completely away from that (contamination)," Newton said.
Because the old gas station is on privately owned land, the county commissioners do not want the county to be liable for any of the cleanup costs."I don't want them stringing it out for two years and holding up that road project," Newton said.The federal Environmental Protection Agency estimates that nearly 25 percent of the underground fuel storage tanks in the United States might be leaking, according to a Purdue University Web site.
