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Brownfield Handbook
In December 2008, DEC's Reuse & Redevelopment (or Brownfield) Program hosted the first Alaska State and Tribal Brownfield Workshop in Fairbanks. The workshop brought together representatives from each of the ten tribes and tribal consortia who were managing an EPA State and Tribal Response Program grant, to discuss ways we could work together to achieve our goals through a coordinated approach. EPA Region 10 Brownfield staff, DEC staff, and several non-government organizations also participated. A positive exchange of ideas and information led to a successful first meeting and lasting partnerships. DEC has since held three more annual workshops, and Alaska now has 21 active tribal response programs; our handbook has been updated to reflect the new programs as of November 2011.
This handbook was developed as a resource for our tribal brownfields partners. We continually update the handbook as new Tribal Response Programs are established and new topics are identified. We welcome you to download this handbook and send us any comments you may have to help us improve the quality of this document.
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We had some requests to post our EPA and DEC presentations from
"Brownfields and Beyond," presented by Mary Goolie and John Carnahan,
respectively, on February 7, 2012, at the Alaska Forum on the
Environment. If you have trouble downloading these files please contact
Sonja.Benson@alaska.gov. Thank you.
Brownfields and Beyond DEC
Brownfields and Beyond EPA
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What are Brownfields?
brown·field n. A piece of industrial or commercial property that is abandoned or underused and often environmentally contaminated, especially one considered as a potential site for redevelopment.
(Definition according to the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.)
Any property potentially contaminated, previously contaminated, or perceived by a community to be contaminated with hazardous substances, including petroleum products, may be eligible for assistance from the State of Alaska or the federal government to support reuse and revitalization efforts. This assistance may include environmental assessment, cleanup, and job training. DEC assists eligible sites in Alaska in applying for different types of EPA brownfield grants. DEC also provides oversight to protect public health in the cleanup and management of brownfield sites.
Nearly a decade ago, EPA initiated a program to clean up brownfields. The program focused primarily on properties in urban blighted areas and was designed to empower states, communities, and others with economic redevelopment interests to assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields, as well as to prevent the creation of new brownfields.
As the program has developed, rural land and properties are increasingly eligible for assistance, with reuse for fish and wildlife habitat, subsistence, greenspace, or recreational uses.
More details are available on EPA's website about the formal definition of a brownfield site for the purposes of determining eligibility for federal funding, and what kinds of sites are included or excluded in the definition.
In 2002, Congress expanded the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and increased funding authority for the federal Brownfields Program.
For more information about brownfields, please read our fact sheet, Frequently Asked Questions About Brownfields. Back to the Top
DEC's Brownfield Assessments & Cleanups
Our Request Period is Now Open!
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A former dry cleaner in Anchorage, Alaska, has received both a Targeted Brownfield Assessment and a Cleanup Grant from EPA, and it all started with a DEC Brownfield Assessment in 2005.
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We are pleased to open the DEC Brownfield Assessment and Cleanup (DBAC) request period. DEC assists Alaskan communities by conducting environmental site assessments and cleanups at brownfield sites. Our last DEC Brownfield Assessment (DBA) request period closed in February 2010. In 2012 and 2013 we plan on focusing on two or three assessment or cleanup projects using our State & Tribal Response Program funding. News about these projects will be included in future issues of our DEC Brownfield Bulletin. A DBAC is intended to help reduce the environmental uncertainties or conditions that may hinder the reuse or redevelopment of a brownfield. For more information on specific projects throughout Alaska, see DEC Brownfield projects in Alaska.
The objectives of a DBAC are to:
- Help determine whether an environmental problem at a site is limiting its desired reuse;
- Help identify the nature and extent of contamination;
- Make recommendations and estimate costs for additional assessment, if needed;
- Identify cleanup options and provide an estimate of cleanup costs, if indicated; and
- When funding permits, conduct cleanup activities designed to enable reuse of a site.
In selecting projects, we look for solid reuse or redevelopment plans and strong community support and commitment. This year’s DBAC request period will close on June 8, 2012. To apply, please download the 2012 DBAC Request Form (MS Word), complete it, and send via email or fax to our office.
Contact Sonja Benson by email or at (907) 451-2156, Melinda Brunner at (907) 451-5174, or John Carnahan at (907) 451-2166, for assistance or additional information.
For more information about this program, please see the 2012 DEC Brownfield Assessments Fact Sheet (PDF). See also DEC's Reuse and Redevelopment assessments.
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DEC's Brownfield Toolbox
DEC and the State of Alaska have developed tools and websites to assist with research, assessment, and property transfers associated with redevelopment of contaminated land. Services range from site assessments for eligible brownfields to prospective purchaser agreements to clarify liability before a property transaction. Follow the links below for complete information.
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| EPA Brownfield Funding |
DEC Assists with Applications for EPA Brownfields Grants
Some Alaskan brownfields are eligible to receive money or technical assistance through EPA's Brownfields Program. DEC assists eligible entities in Alaska to apply for EPA brownfields grants, some of which are described below:
See the fact sheet EPA 2011 Brownfield Program Assistance to the State of Alaska, March 2011 (PDF 711K).
Assessment Grants provide funding for environmental assessments of brownfields and community outreach (limited to $200,000 per site with no match requirement). See
EPA Brownfields Assessments Fact Sheet (PDF).
Cleanup Grants provide direct funding for cleanup activities at certain properties with planned greenspace, recreational, or other nonprofit uses (limited to $200,000 per site with a 20-percent match requirement).
Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants provide funding to capitalize loans that are used to clean up brownfields ($1 million per applicant, coalitions and pooling of requests allowed, 20-percent match; up to 40 percent of RLF may be awarded as grants).
A coalition of Alaska regional development organizations and DEC have an application pending with EPA for an Alaskan RLF program. Click here to read more. |
| Job Training Grants provide environmental training for residents of brownfields communities (limited to $200,000 per grant). |
Targeted Brownfield Assessments are designed to inventory, characterize, and assess brownfield sites using EPA contractors. No cleanup is funded under this program. The Targeted Brownfield Assessment program is open for requests year-round, and features a non-competitive application process for the award of assessment services. It is not a grant. This is one of the most accessible brownfield services for rural Alaska communities.
This program helps states, tribes, and municipalities—especially those without EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants—minimize the uncertainties of contamination often associated with brownfields. Targeted Brownfields Assessments supplement and work with other efforts under EPA's Brownfields Program. Please see these links for more information and eligibility requirements:
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State and Tribal Response Program Grants -- This is a national, noncompetitive grant program to establish and enhance state and tribal response programs. DEC has been awarded a State and Tribal Response Grant from EPA, to fund Brownfields-related work in Alaska. To download the guidelines for the current application period, click here.
The deadline for submitting proposals for State and Tribal Response Program grants is January 31, 2012.
In 2011, EPA awarded six new STRP cooperative agreements to Alaska tribes or tribal consortia. We look forward to working closely with these new and established programs as they develop their environmental response capacity.
Current State and Tribal Response Program Grantees in Alaska:
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EPA Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup, and Job Training Grantees in Alaska:
Federal Grants and Funding Information
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Note: There are restrictions on the use of federal brownfield funds at sites with existing EPA actions, and sites with only petroleum contamination must be of "relatively low risk," with no viable responsible party.
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| Links to more EPA Brownfield information |
| EPA Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment Homepage |
Region 10's Brownfields Homepage |
| EPA Brownfield Grants |
News and Events |
| Tools and Technical Information |
Brownfield Cleanups in my Community |
| Liability and Cleanup Issues |
Partnerships and Outreach |
| Brownfields Tax Incentives |
EPA Brownfields Contacts |
| Laws and Statutes |
History of Brownfields Program |
| Success Stories |
Brownfields Revitalization Act in 2002 |
Other Sites of Interest
For more information:
- U.S. EPA Region 10 Brownfield Team: (800) 424-4EPA
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For more information contact:
John Carnahan, Brownfields Coordinator
Contaminated Sites Program
DEC Division of Spill Prevention and Response
610 University Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99709-3643
Telephone: (907) 451-2166
Fax Number: (907) 451-2155
Email Address: John.Carnahan@alaska.gov |
Sonja Benson, Environmental Program Specialist
Contaminated Sites Program
DEC Division of Spill Prevention and Response
610 University Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99709-3643
Telephone: (907) 451-2156
Fax Number: (907) 451-2155
Email Address: Sonja.Benson@alaska.gov |
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Melinda Brunner, Environmental Program Specialist
Contaminated Sites Program
DEC Division of Spill Prevention and Response
610 University Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99709-3643
Telephone: (907) 451-5174
Fax Number: (907) 451-5105
Email Address: melinda.brunner@alaska.gov |
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