Grantee Research Project Results
2005 Progress Report: Training and Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TTAB) Communities for the Western Region
EPA Grant Number: R831576Title: Training and Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TTAB) Communities for the Western Region
Investigators: Williamson, Kenneth J. , Semprini, Lewis
Current Investigators: Williamson, Kenneth J. , Lach, Denise H.
Institution: Oregon State University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: April 10, 2004 through April 9, 2007
Project Period Covered by this Report: April 10, 2005 through April 9, 2006
Project Amount: $382,500
RFA: HSRC - TTAB Brownfields (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Hazardous Substance Research Centers , Hazardous Waste/Remediation , Land and Waste Management
Objective:
The objectives of this research project are to: (1) deliver community-specific brownfields redevelopment training and technical assistance; (2) provide resource and information brokering; and (3) engage in brownfields-related outreach and education, promoting the ideas and concepts of brownfields redevelopment.
Progress Summary:
The following is a list of communities that the Western region Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Program assisted during the period of this report, and a summary of the major accomplishments and activities engaged in with each group. In addition, TAB had contact with several other communities/entities in a less extensive way, providing one-time assistance such as responding to inquiries and connecting with the proper resources, reference materials, or persons/agencies.
Eliot Neighborhood Association
Portland, Oregon. TAB was contacted by the Portland Development Commission about providing technical assistance to the Association pertaining to the demolition and cleanup of the Grant Warehouse, a brownfield site in Northeast Portland, Oregon. TAB was asked to review the final postcleanup environmental report and report the results at the July 2005 Association meeting.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality Brownfields Program
Portland, Oregon. TAB participated in the quarterly brownfields working group meetings organized by Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ). These meetings bring together state brownfields professionals from both the public and private sectors. TAB met with the ODEQ and Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Directors from several Oregon counties to discuss participating in the expansion of the brownfields inventory project dome in St. Helens, Oregon.
San Benito County
Hollister, California. Continuing on the work done in 2004, TAB assisted this EPA Assessment grantee by providing information on innovative assessment techniques and community involvement activities.
Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
St. Helens, Oregon. TAB attended weekly meetings with this group to help promote the redevelopment of two sites in their community and to discuss expanding their work to other brownfields sites in the community. The initial addressed publicly held properties but the group did begin discussing the possibility of approaching private brownfields property owners. TAB had one of the St. Helens volunteers speak at the 2005 Oregon Brownfields Conference on the topic of “Meaningful Community Involvement”.
Lula Washington Contemporary Dance Foundation
Los Angeles, California. TAB assisted this U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields grantee with community outreach and notification efforts. TAB created a fact sheet for community distribution, a press release for media notification, and presented at a Community Advisory Committee Meeting to explain the cleanup activity to the public.
2005 Oregon Brownfields Conference
Portland, Oregon. TAB served on the planning committee for this conference, planning and moderating two sessions, “Brownfields Basics” and “Meaningful Public Involvement”. TAB also created a 15-minute film for showing during the conference of 300 attendees. The film showcased brownfields redevelopment in Oregon by profiling three brownfields sites in different stages of the brownfields redevelopment process. Using stakeholder interviews and site visuals, the film tells the story of how each site progressed and how project advocates overcame obstacles to redevelopment through creativity and innovation.
Community Partners for Affordable Housing/Housing Development Center (HDC)
Portland, Oregon. TAB assisted this EPA Assessment Grant recipient and their contacted redevelopment contractor (HDC) with writing a request for proposal for consultant services, selection of a consultant, and review of consultant proposals, including an in-depth analysis of a bioremediation proposal for cleanup of contamination at the site. TAB summarized the “Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives” prepared by the chosen consultant for submission to EPA.
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Brownfields Program
Boise, Idaho. TAB is working with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) to bring the brownfields inventory project to six smaller cities across Idaho. TAB rewrote the Oregon brownfields inventory manual (originally produced by the Environmental Alliance for Senior Involvement for use in Idaho. TAB and the IDEQ met with the Boise RSVP Director to recruit volunteers for the project.
Future Activities:
We will follow up/continue working with existing communities and develop new community contacts and working relationships.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 9 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
brownfields, community involvement, economic redevelopment, environmental remediation, hazardous waste, revitalization, technical outreach, technology transfer,, RFA, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Scientific Discipline, INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION, Waste, Ecological Risk Assessment, Urban and Regional Planning, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Brownfields, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecology and Ecosystems, environmental education, environmental consequences, government coordination, environmental risks, risk assessment, hazardous waste, environmental assessment, risk assessment , brownfield sites, environmental hazardsRelevant Websites:
http://tosc.oregonstate.edu/TAB/index.htm Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.