Brownfields Workshops

Brownfields Definition         What is the Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative?

Annual Brownfields Job Development Training Grantee Meeting

Date

August 26 - 27, 2009

Location

Hilton Alexandria Old Town
1767 King Street
Alexandria, Virginia

The Hazardous Materials Training and Research Institute (HMTRI), under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is sponsoring a meeting for past and present EPA-funded job training grantees.

This meeting is by invitation only and will provide a unique opportunity to share a variety of approaches to Brownfields Job Development and Training. The focus of the meeting is for grantees to exchange information and ideas with each other and with EPA Regional and Headquarters representatives. By attending, grantees will be provided the following opportunities to share:

• Information that will include basic program component guidelines necessary for successful programs, initiatives that support and interact with Brownfields activities, key measures and expectations, partnering, and related job development program issues;
• Project plans and implementation strategies with other grant recipients and EPA project officers; and
• Information on available sources of technical resources and assistance.

Grantees are strongly encouraged to attend.

Details and Questions

Please see the invitation and registration form for more information.
For questions, contact Glo Hanne.

Brownfields Definition

Many areas across the country that were once used for industrial and commercial purposes have been abandoned—some are contaminated. Because lenders, investors, and developers fear that involvement with these sites may make them liable for cleaning up contamination they did not create, they are more attracted to developing sites in pristine areas, called "greenfields." The result can be blighted areas rife with abandoned industrial facilities that create safety and health risks for residents, drive up unemployment, and foster a sense of hopelessness. These areas are called "brownfields."

Brownfields are defined as real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

What is the Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative?

The EPA's Brownfields Initiative provides financial and technical assistance for brownfields revitalization, including grants for environmental assessment, cleanup, and job training. According to an EPA report, Reusing Land and Restoring Hope , the EPA began the Brownfields program in 1995 to "change the way people think about contaminated properties," and to begin to reuse these lands for economic redevelopment. The brownfields revitalization effort is based on four main goals:

• Protecting the environment
• Promoting partnerships
• Strengthening the marketplace
• Sustaining reuse

For a guide to implementing brownfields projects, please visit the Brownfields Toolbox Web site.

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