Summary of Changes to 2011 Assessment Grant Guidelines
A. Area-Wide Planning (mentioned in several locations)
I.B. Uses of Grant Funds
1. Grant funds may be used for conducting area-wide planning activities within a specific brownfields-impacted area, such as a neighborhood, district, city block or brownfields corridor, that lead to the development of an area-wide plan. Area-wide planning activities may include:
a. Planning to identify potential future uses for brownfields properties. Planning should be to the extent necessary to inform assessment and cleanup decisions, in order to stimulate to the extent necessary to inform assessment and cleanup decisions, in order to stimulate economic development upon completion of the cleanup.
b. Creating a set of area-wide strategies which will help ensure successful assessment, cleanup and reuse of the brownfield site(s) within the brownfields-impacted area.
c. Developing strategies for facilitating the reuse of existing infrastructure.
d. Determining next steps and identifying resources needed to implement the area-wide plan.
V.B.2 Project Description and Feasibility of Success
Under this criterion, proposals will be evaluated based on the feasibility of the project to be funded under this grant. Specifically, proposals will be evaluated on the extent and quality to which the applicant demonstrates a reasonable approach to the project, sufficient resources to complete the project, and a capability to complete the project in a timely manner. Proposals that budget the majority of grant funds for conducting site assessments will be viewed more favorably than those that focus on inventory. For projects that include area-wide planning activities and development of an area-wide plan, at least one brownfields site must be assessed under this grant. For coalitions, you must assess a minimum of five sites under the grant. For coalition projects that include area-wide planning activities and development of an area-wide plan, at least one site must be assessed with each area-wide plan developed. Refer to Section VI.E, Brownfields Programmatic Requirements, to read EPA expectations of projects funded with brownfields assessment grants.
B. HUD/DOT/EPA Partnership
I.D. Livability Principles
On June 16, 2009, EPA joined with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to help improve access to affordable housing, more transportation options, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment in communities nationwide. It is the goal of this partnership to discourage sprawl and encourage or incentivize location efficient investments, smart growth practices, and green infrastructure development.
As a result of this partnership, a set of guiding livability principles have been developed. The Livability Principles can be found at www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/partnership/index.html#livabilityprinciples and include:
(1) Provide more transportation choices, (2) Promote equitable, affordable housing, (3) Increase economic competitiveness, (4) support existing communities, (5) Leverage federal investment, and (6) Value communities and neighborhoods. EPA recognizes that eligible activities listed in these guidelines advance the partnership’s livability principles.
C. Reporting for Past Grantees
V.B.2.c.i Programmatic Capability
Accomplishments: Describe your success using EPA grant funds to assess, clean up, and redevelop brownfield sites, including whether you reported accomplishments to EPA in ACRES, or alternatively, via the Property Profile Form.
D. Job Training
V.B.3 Community Engagement and Partnerships
Discuss your plan for involving the affected community (e.g., neighborhood organizations, citizens’ groups, borrowers, developers, and other stakeholders) in site selection for assessments, cleanup decisions, or reuse planning, including activities that have already occurred. Describe your plan for communicating the progress of your project to citizens, including plans for communicating in languages commonly used in the community. If a related local job training program(s) (including brownfields job training grantees) exists in your target area, explain any specific efforts that have been made to collaborate and to what extent will these efforts encourage future employment in the local community to address brownfields sites (e.g. use of first source hiring ordinances or agreements, incorporating terms and conditions requiring contractors to hire locally). [Refer to the Brownfields FAQ at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/proposal guides/FY10_FAQs_v1.pdf for more information on local job training programs.]
Focusing on challenges, stories, and issues important to the redevelopment of Brownfields in the South . http://www.southernbrownfield.com