2. RPC’s Brownfield Program
Regional Planning Commission Overview
‐ Government Entity
‐ Member Parishes: Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines,
St. Bernard, St. Tammany & Tangipahoa Parishes
‐ Commission is made up of elected officials,
community representatives, transportation
agencies
‐ Professional Staff carries out day-to-day work
Program Director: Rebecca Otte
‐ Secures & Manages Grant Funding (EPA Grants)
‐ Oversees Environmental Assessments
‐ Helps Applicants through the Environmental Process
‐ Coordinates Brownfield-related Outreach
3. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
‐ Provides funding through competitive grants
‐ Oversees compliance with EPA grant
requirements
Louisiana Dept. of Environmental Quality (LDEQ)
‐ State Environmental Regulatory Agency
‐ Overseas technical aspects of environmental
assessments & cleanups
‐ Responsible for approving all environmental
cleanup activities
‐ Also has a Brownfields Program
Louisiana Brownfield Association
RPC’s Brownfield Partners
4. What we look for in a Brownfield Project:
Redevelopment of an Underutilized/Abandoned Property which is
hindered by real or perceived environmental contamination
Site Champion that will be involved throughout the process
Redevelop will be Income Producing or for Community Benefit
Will help spur further economic development/ investment
Redevelopment is a Good Possibility
Site access
Compliance with EPA’s Continuing
Obligations
5. RPC’s Brownfield Program
What IS NOT included under Brownfields Funding:
Payment for environmental assessments already conducted
Funding for Site Purchase
Funding for Site Redevelopment, unless related to the Cleanup
Payments to other consultants or to property owners for
environmental activities
6. Remediation/ Cleanup
Reducing the risk of exposure
‐ Treating contamination on-site or in situ (in the ground)
‐ Removing the contamination
‐ Institutional Controls (e.g., conveyance notice to not allow
groundwater to be used for drinking water)
‐ Engineering Controls (e.g., capping contamination with a parking lot)
Goal: Reduce the risk of exposure to
unsafe levels of contamination to protect
Human Health & the Environment
7. Remediation/ Cleanup
Proposed Redevelopment affects
the Cleanup Plan
Coordinate Cleanup with
Redevelopment
Can layer funding
‐ Public/ private Funding
‐ Grants/loans
EPA Cleanup Funding = Additional
Requirements
9. Former Schwegmann’s Superstore
Algiers (New Orleans)
Environmental Issue: Needed to
address fuel tanks to secure bank
loan for site purchase
Proposed Redevelopment: Event
Rentals expanded operations
Environmental Work:
Event Rentals – Phase I
RPC – Phase II & UST Closure
Event Rentals also worked with New
Orleans City council to create
Economic Development District
around the site
10. Progressive Church Family Life Center
Site History
Asbestos in soil from previous fill activities
Updated Phase I ESA- former junkyard on
the site
Phase II ESA delineated asbestos
contamination & limited area of heavy
metal & petroleum contamination
Cleanup: 12,876 tons of soil removed
LDEQ Certificate of Completion issued
Sept. 10, 2008
Location: 4th and Cohen Streets, Marrero, Jefferson Parish, LA
Size: 18 acres
Total Investigation Cost: $111,500 - Paid for through RPC’s Brownfield Assessment Grants;
LDEQ waived their oversight fees
Total Cleanup Cost: just shy of $500,000
$200,000 USEPA Brownfield Cleanup Grant (Competitive Selection)
$300,000 Loan from RPC’s Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund
Also received LA Brownfield Cleanup Tax Credit
11. Garden on Marais
4600 Marais St., New Orleans (near Industrial Canal)
Environmental Issue: Former Pesticide Facility
Proposed Redevelopment: Community Garden
Environmental Work:
RPC Phase I & II assessment
Incorporated sampling for LSU Ag Center Evaluation
Utilized Workforce Development Students
Rec’d NFA from LDEQ
12. Former St. Rose de Lima Cathedral & School
Proposed Redevelopment:
- Charter School Incubator
- Artist Space & Support Services
- Community Meeting Space
Bayou Treme Center
13. Environmental Issues:
- Underground Tank – Heating Oil
- Lead, Asbestos & Bird Droppings
Environmental Work:
Phase I & Update
Phase II under VRP
Closed & Removed UST
Prepared Cleanup Plan & Related
Documents
Working with BTC on Lead &
Asbestos Abatement
Other Considerations:
Historic District
Use of CDBG Funding
Owned by Catholic Archdiocese
Bayou Treme Center
14. St. Margaret’s at Mercy
Environmental Issues:
- Asbestos in Building
- Fuel tanks onsite
Environmental Assessment Work:
- Phase I - St. Margaret’s
- Phase II Work Plan – City of New
Orleans
- Phase II implementation – RPC
- Cleanup Plan – RPC
Cleanup Funding:
- UST Removal - LDEQ Grant
- Asbestos Abatement:
EPA Competitive Cleanup Grant
Brownfield Cleanup Loan from
City of New Orleans
15. St. Margaret’s at Mercy
Redevelopment Planning Underway:
- Senior Living Facility already built
- Additional Senior Living Units in
Renovated Structure
- More information on the tour!
Considerations:
- Historic Tax Credits
- Significant community interest
16. Falstaff Brewery
Location: 2600 Gravier Street, New Orleans, LA
Size: 8 acres
Site History:
Brewery Closed in 1978; Site left vacant
Phase I ESA conducted in Aug. 2005 in
preparation for site purchase; Paid for by
RPC Brownfield Assessment Grant
Extensive Asbestos Containing Materials,
Lead-Based Paint, and Solid Waste
throughout 7-Story Structure
Falstaff Properties I LLC purchased property
and cleaned up contamination
Success Status:
Opened in 2008
Currently at 95% Occupancy
Mixed-Use Residential & Commercial Property
Includes Affordable Housing Units
Before:
After:
17. New Orleans BioInnovations Center
Location: 1441 Canal St.
Site History:
Former gas station
UST Cleanup funded by the LA Dept. of
Economic Development and U.S. EDA
Success Status:
LEED Gold
200 direct jobs
Clad with precast panels fitted with glass, which
reduces the amount of heat entering the
building.
Sunscreens on the glazing provide lighting and
storm protection and reduce energy costs.
The white reflective roof of the building also
reduces the energy costs. Other sustainable
features of the facility include a rainwater
retention system to collect water from the roof
and electric vehicle charging stations.
18. Considerations for Brownfield Funding
EPA Funding Comes with Strings Attached
EPA & LDEQ approvals
EPA reporting
Quality Assurance Project Plan
RPC helps with “string management”
RPC helps facilitate the LDEQ review process by:
‐ Flagging sites as redevelopment projects
‐ Reviewing documents prior to submission
‐ Working with the LDEQ Team Leaders on timing
19. Brownfields does not move quickly
Takes about 30 days to enroll a site
‐ Timing depends on how long it takes to receive paperwork & access
agreement from applicant
Phase I: 60-90 days (normally 30 days with private funding)
Phase II: 6- 12 months
VRP Phase II: 12 – 18 months
Cleanup: At least 12 months
Brownfields Timing
22. Environmental Process
Site Cleanup/Reuse Plans & Remediation
Address contamination to mitigate risk of exposure that may impact human
health or the environment
Not always in this order
Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)
Research report to look at what was at the site previously and what’s there now
and identify any potential environmental concerns
Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)
Collect and analyze soil and groundwater samples to determine if
contamination is present and if so, to what extent
23. Environmental Process
Reasons to Conduct a Phase I Environmental Site
Assessment:
Determine if contamination may be present
‐ Avoid surprises during the construction phase
‐ Reduce purchase price
‐ Address environmental issues prior to redeveloping the
site
Document site conditions before you purchased it
‐ Liability Protection from EPA & LDEQ
‐ Eligibility for Brownfield Funding
24. Environmental Process
Liability Protection Conditions:
Phase I Environmental Site Assessments must meet EPA’s All
Appropriate Inquiry / ASTM E1527-13 Standard
Performed by a “Qualified Environmental Professional”
Timing: Important to time the Phase I assessment to
ensure it’s valid at time of purchase
‐ Phase I Assessments expire after 1 year for
liability protection
‐ Portions of the Phase I report need to be
updated after 6 months
25. Environmental Process
Regulatory Oversight Options for
Phase II Assessments and Cleanups/ Remediation:
Traditional Oversight - Commonly called RECAP: Risk
Evaluation/ Corrective Action Program
Only address areas with recognized environmental concerns
Assessment Phase is generally quicker and lower costs
May need to sample offsite to determine horizontal extent of
contamination (increases costs & time)
Less flexibility if cleanup is required
LDEQ may reopened the investigation in the future (e.g., if LDEQ lowers
the maximum safe concentration levels of a contaminant found onsite)
26. Environmental Process
Regulatory Oversight Options for
Phase II Assessments and Cleanups/ Remediation:
VRP: Voluntary Remediation Program
Investigation/Cleanup covers the entire Site as defined by the Applicant
Requires additional sampling & analysis which increases upfront costs
Requires public notice & specific LDEQ approvals which increases time
Not required to sample offsite to determine horizontal extent of
contamination (may save costs & time)
More flexibility if cleanup is required
Can use Engineering/ Institutional Controls
Once the LDEQ approves the cleanup, the site cannot be reopened
Liability protection flows down to future owners
29. RECAP Investigation (Phase II ESA) VRP Investigation (Phase II ESA)
Generally lower in costs
- Less samples collected
- Fewer pollutants to analyze for
Generally a faster process
- No public notice required
May miss contamination in another area of
the site
May need to sample offsite to determine
horizontal extent of contamination
Generally more expensive
- Requires more samples to be collected
- Requires a wider range of analyses
More time consuming
- Specific process requires more approvals
- Public notice requirements
May find other contamination that was not
previously known
Investigation confined to site boundaries
RECAP Remediation/ Cleanup VRP Remediation/ Cleanup
Remediation of all risks is required, e.g. any
contamination that is above RECAP standards
needs to be remediated
Engineering/ Institutional controls generally
not acceptable
Remediation can be tailored for the intended
future use of the site
Engineering/Institutional controls may be
used to prevent exposure to contamination
- Cost savings
RECAP Final Result VRP Final Result
No further action at this time (NFA) letter
from LDEQ
Site may be reopened in the future (for
example, if LDEQ lowers the maximum safe
concentration levels)
Certificate of Completion (COC) for the entire
site defined in the application
Release of liability from EPA & LDEQ for all
past contamination at the site (transferable to
future site owners)
30. Environmental Process - Cleanup
Remediation/ Cleanup is reducing the risk of exposure to
contamination at the site as detailed in the Site Cleanup
Plan, including:
‐ Treating contamination on-site or in situ (in the ground)
‐ Removing the contamination
‐ Institutional Controls (e.g., conveyance notice to not allow
groundwater to be used for drinking water)
‐ Engineering Controls (e.g., capping contamination with a parking
lot)
Goal: Reduce the risk of exposure to unsafe
levels of contamination to protect Human Health
& the Environment
31. Environmental Process - Cleanup
Proposed Redevelopment affects
the Cleanup Plan
Coordinate Cleanup with
Redevelopment
Can layer funding
‐ Public/ private Funding
‐ Grants/loans
EPA Cleanup Funding = Additional
Requirements
32. Web Resources
US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Brownfields Website:
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD):
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/comm_plann
ing/economicdevelopment/programs
EPA’s RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative: www2.epa.gov/re-powering
The Brownfield and Land Revitalization Technology Support Center (EPA,
USACE, ANL): www.brownfieldstsc.org