Treasure Coast Brownfields Program
Sustainable
Reuse of Brownfields: The Vision
TCRPC's vision for the sustainable reuse of brownfields
is a continuation and natural outgrowth of its efforts
to promote the creation of livable cities, towns, and
villages within the Treasure Coast Region. The Treasure
Coast Brownfields Program, funded by a grant from the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is intended
to facilitate the redevelopment and revitalization of
brownfield areas within older communities, restore abandoned
and under used sites to productive community-supported
uses, and promote overall economic and environmental
enhancement in communities.
The goal of TCRPC's Brownfields Program is to promote
the reuse and redevelopment of abandoned commercial
or industrial petroleum-contaminated brownfield sites
within the Region by removing the uncertainty associated
with the presence and extent of contamination.
back to top
Brownfields:
The Redevelopment Challenge
The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council seeks
to facilitate the redevelopment of petroleum-contaminated
brownfields sites in the Treasure Coast Region through
its Brownfield Site Assessment Assistance Program. A
brownfield is defined as an abandoned or underutilized
property with an active redevelopment potential that
is complicated by either real or perceived environmental
contamination. Once a source of jobs and economic benefits
to the community, these sites frequently lie abandoned
for fear of the contamination and the liability it implies.
Remediation and redevelopment of brownfields reduces
potential environmental hazards, encourages economic
development, and efficiently uses existing infrastructure.
back to top
Brownfields
Site Assessment Assistance
The Treasure Coast Brownfields Program, through its
provision of brownfields site assessment assistance
to local governments, is designed to serve as a catalyst
for redevelopment and revitalization in the targeted
redevelopment areas of the Treasure Coast Region. TCRPC's
Program provides a free environmental assessment service
to local governments with qualifying petroleum-contaminated
brownfield sites.
back to top
Eligible Applicants
Any local government (city, village, town, county,
redevelopment authority, community development agency,
downtown development authority) is eligible to complete
an application for brownfield site assessment assistance.
The program is available to municipalities, prospective
purchasers, and parties that would not be found liable
for any existing contamination at the property.
back to top
Eligible Sites
To qualify for Brownfields Site Assessment Assistance,
the identified site should be abandoned, idle, or under
used industrial or commercial property, and have the
following:
 |
• |
real or perceived petroleum contamination |
| |
• |
a high degree of redevelopment or
reuse potential |
| |
• |
no responsible party able to conduct
the environmental investigation |
| |
• |
the support of the local government
and the community |
back to top
Priority Brownfield
Sites
The Treasure Coast Brownfields Program primarily seeks
to assist the redevelopment of "viable" brownfield
sites sponsored by local governments and other eligible
applicants. TCRPC anticipates that the petroleum-contaminated
brownfield sites that local governments propose for
assessment activities will be in previously designated
redevelopment areas such as an Enterprise Zone or Community
Redevelopment Area. The following criteria will be used
to establish relative priorities among sites where environmental
site investigations are needed:
|
• |
site control, access, and ownership
transfer cannot be an impediment to assessment and
future redevelopment |
| |
• |
sites must be currently abandoned
or underutilized |
| |
• |
the site should have a local government
commitment and community vision supporting redevelopment |
| |
• |
the site should have a proposed beneficial
reuse |
| |
• |
the existing information should indicate
a low to moderate contamination at the site |
| |
• |
there should be evidence of commitments
in place for both cleanup (if necessary) and redevelopment |
| |
• |
the site's redevelopment or reuse
should have the potential to contribute to the overall
redevelopment and revitalization of the community |
back to top
Program Partners
TCRPC will work closely with the Florida Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) and EPA throughout
all phases of its brownfields program. Specifically,
DEP will be provided with the plans and reports for
the Phase II environmental assessments conducted for
their review and comment. TCRPC also anticipates working
with DEP on TCRPC's public outreach activities as well.
back to top
Eligible
Site Assessment Activities
Under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, TCRPC will contract with a consultant
to perform an environmental site investigation for a
qualifying brownfield property at no cost to local governments,
eligible property owners, or prospective purchasers.
The environmental assessment is a critical first step
to have abandoned or underutilized commercial or industrial
properties put back into productive reuse. Qualified
applicants can receive assistance for the following
activities:
|
• |
identification of eligible petroleum-contaminated
brownfield sites |
| |
• |
environmental assessments on selected
sites (Phase I or Phase II) |
| |
• |
pre-cleanup planning |
Information discovered during a site investigation
will be considered a public record and will be made
available for review at TCRPC offices. For more information,
please call Greg Vaday at the TCRPC at (772) 221-4060.
Download
TCRPC's Site Assessment Assistance Application
Download
Site Access Agreement
back to top
|
