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U.S. EPA SELECTS CITY OF TUCSON FOR BROWNFIELDS PROJECT

Release Date: 5/13/1997
Contact Information: Lois Grunwald, U.S. EPA, (415) 744-1588

     (San Francisco) -- At the White House today, Vice President Al Gore announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) has selected the city of Tucson to participate in a pilot redevelopment project at industrial sites known as brownfields. Tucson is one of 34 cities and municipalities  nationwide that were selected today as brownfields pilot projects.
   
      "We are pleased to announce this new partnership with the city of Tucson to encourage the cleanup of contaminated industrial land and help return these areas to more productive uses," said Felicia Marcus, U.S. EPA's regional administrator. "Environmental cleanup can bring life and strength to a community through jobs, an enhanced tax base, and vision for the community's future. We are committed to helping Tucson achieve that vision."

      The city of Tucson will receive a $200,000 grant over a two-year period. These federal funds will be used to involve the community in decisions regarding cleanup and future uses of the contaminated brownfields' properties, and encourage public and private investment for redevelopment.  

     The $200,000 will be used by Tucson to stimulate sustainable redevelopment in the Warehouse District/Barraza Aviation parkway (BAP) corridor, which encompasses about 80 acres of warehouse properties, roadways, and vacant sites within the BAP corridor. These areas are perceived to have groundwater and soil contamination as a result of aviation activities, milling operations, rail use, and other industrial activities.

     In Region 9, U.S. EPA currently has existing brownfields pilot projects in Sacramento, Stockton, Emeryville, Richmond, San Francisco, Oakland, and with the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. U.S. EPA is also providing assistance to the city of Los Angeles for brownfields redevelopment. With the 34 new projects, there are now 113 brownfields pilot projects nationwide.

     In addition to the new pilot projects, Vice President Gore also announced that he is bringing together the resources of more than 15 federal agencies as part of the Clinton Administration's new "Brownfields National Partnership." The Brownfields Partnership builds on the Administration's actions to empower and revitalize America's communities. This expanded effort includes commitments from across the federal government and the private sector to help thousands of communities clean up and redevelop brownfields.

     The brownfields initiative is designed to encourage the redevelopment of former industrial and commercial properties known as brownfields, and to discourage the siting of industrial sites in more rural, pristine areas. The initiative also addresses the concerns of prospective developers and lenders concerned about inheriting cleanup liability for property that is contaminated or perceived to be contaminated.

     Information on the new brownfields pilot grant awards and the Brownfields National
Partnership can be obtained from the U.S. EPA's brownfields home page on the Internet at:
https://www.epa.gov/brownfields .