Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Wilmington zeroing in on ballpark site

Source: WWAYtv3.com
10/29/12

The City of Wilmington apparently knows which site it wants to build a ballpark if voters approve a bond referendum. WWAY has obtained the latest draft copy of an option agreement for the city to purchase land from Sawmill Point Investors, LLC, of Charlotte. City spokeswoman Malissa Talbert says the agreement is still in negotiation, but it calls for the city to pay Sawmill a one-dollar option for the riverfront parcel between Cowan Street and the Isabel Holmes Bridge.

Click here to see the draft option agreement

The deal as it stands now would have the city pay Sawmill $5.2 million for the land. The city has budgeted $6 million of the $37 million proposed bond for site acquisition. Sawmill bought the property in late July for $3.6 million according to county tax records.

According to the agreement, Sawmill has already submitted a Brownfields Application to the NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and closing on the property will only happen after Sawmill and DENR have a Brownfields Agreement in place, unless the city waives that condition.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Wake Forest residents furious about drinking contaminated water for years

By Charlotte Huffman
WRAL TV-17 News (Triangle Area, NC)
October 25, 2012

A Wake Forest community is in an uproar after learning the state of North Carolina knew that a resident's water had been contaminated with toxic chemicals and failed to alert other residents for more than six
years.

"It makes me feel horrible," homeowner Michele Hamilton said of unknowingly giving the toxic water to her kids "They're the most important things to me."

The EPA called families in the community this past summer, saying their water is contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical called trichloroethylene, or TCE, and to not drink, bathe or cook with the water....




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Monday, October 29, 2012

EJ Small Grant Teleconference - Tuesday (Oct. 30, 2012)

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it is seeking applicants for a total of $1.5 million in environmental justice small grants to be awarded in 2013. EPA’s environmental justice efforts aim to ensure equal environmental and health protections for all Americans, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. The grants enable non-profit organizations to conduct research, provide education and develop solutions to local health and environmental issues in communities overburdened by harmful pollution. Grants are available for up to $30,000 each.

“Environmental justice grants support efforts to raise awareness about local health and environmental concerns,” said Lisa Garcia, EPA’s senior advisor to the administrator for environmental justice. “By supporting local projects in under-served communities, communities are able to develop plans and partnerships that will continue to improve their local environment and better protect human health into the future.”

The 2013 grant solicitation is now open and will close on Jan. 7, 2013. Applicants must be incorporated non-profits or tribal organizations working to educate, empower and enable their communities to understand and address local environmental and public health issues. EPA will host four pre-application teleconference calls on Oct. 30, 2012; Nov. 14, 2012; Dec. 1, 2012; and Dec. 13, 2012 to help applicants understand the requirements.

Previous grants have supported activities including projects to better protect children in the Boston-area from incidences of lead poisoning and asthma attacks, conduct research on air quality in a portside Philadelphia community and provide support to residents on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota to repair failing septic systems and identify water that is unsafe to drink.

The principles of environmental justice uphold the idea that all communities overburdened by pollution – particularly minority, low income and indigenous communities – deserve the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, equal access to the decision-making process and a healthy environment in which to live, learn and work. Since 1994, the environmental justice small grants program has provided funding in more than 1,300 communities, to community-based non-profit organizations and local governments working to address environmental justice issues. The grants represent EPA’s commitment to expand the conversation on environmentalism and advance environmental justice in communities across the nation.

More information about the Environmental Justice Small Grants program:
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html

Environment Justice Small Grants 2013 Request for Proposals and schedule of pre-application teleconference calls: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/ej-smgrants-rfp-2013.pdf

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Wilmington implements brownfields program to help property owners

Source: StarNewsOnline.com, Z. Hanner
10/14/12

The effects of environmental contamination on a property are many. There is the direct effect on basic safety, and there is the tangential effect of reducing the property's value. Even the name of these places, brownfields, sounds negative. In an effort to rehabilitate these areas, the city of Wilmington is implementing a brownfields program to assess which places are most in need of rehabilitation and to assist property owners in determining what their next steps should be.

Monday, October 22, 2012

URGENT UPDATE: EPA #Brownfield Grant Guidelines!


Q96. What demographic information should be provided under Financial Need (Section V.B.1.b of the Assessment, RLF and Cleanup Guidelines)?

A96.
Section V.B.1.b of the #Brownfields Assessment, RLF and Cleanup Guidelines (pages 29, 21 and 31, respectively) ask for demographic information about the community. The narrative directions instruct applicants to provide Per Capita Income information, however, the example table format included in the guidelines lists Median Household Income instead and may confuse applicants about what information they should provide. Applicants should follow the narrative instructions in the guidelines and provide data for the Per Capita Income for their project area. While not specifically requested, applicants at their discretion, may also provide data on Median Household Income to further support their proposal.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

EPA #Brownfields Grant Proposals: Clarification on Financial Need Section

One astute #brownfield grant writer found an inconsistency in the Financial Need section of all three 2013 ARC Guidelines. The following is a clarification that will likely be formalized by EPA HQ into a Frequently Asked Question and post on the HQ Brownfield web page:

Sections V.B.1.b (Financial Need) of the Assessment, RLF and Cleanup Guidelines (pages 29, 21 and 31, respectively) asks for demographic information about the community. The narrative requests that applicant provide Per Capita Income information, however the table format lists Median Household Income as the requested information with the related national figure. It is recommended that applicants provide data for both measures. However applicants will not be penalized in the scoring if only one of the statistics is provided.

EPA Announces Opportunity to Apply for 2013 Environmental Justice Small Grants

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced that it is seeking applicants for a total of $1.5 million in environmental justice small grants to be awarded in 2013. EPA’s environmental justice efforts aim to ensure equal environmental and health protections for all Americans, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. The grants enable non-profit organizations to conduct research, provide education and develop solutions to local health and environmental issues in communities overburdened by harmful pollution. Grants are available for up to $30,000 each.

“Environmental justice grants support efforts to raise awareness about local health and environmental concerns,” said Lisa Garcia, EPA’s senior advisor to the administrator for environmental justice. “By supporting local projects in under-served communities, communities are able to develop plans and partnerships that will continue to improve their local environment and better protect human health into the future.”

The 2013 grant solicitation is now open and will close on Jan. 7, 2013. Applicants must be incorporated non-profits or tribal organizations working to educate, empower and enable their communities to understand and address local environmental and public health issues. EPA will host four pre-application teleconference calls on Oct. 30, 2012; Nov. 14, 2012; Dec. 1, 2012; and Dec. 13, 2012 to help applicants understand the requirements.

Previous grants have supported activities including projects to better protect children in the Boston-area from incidences of lead poisoning and asthma attacks, conduct research on air quality in a portside Philadelphia community and provide support to residents on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota to repair failing septic systems and identify water that is unsafe to drink.

The principles of environmental justice uphold the idea that all communities overburdened by pollution – particularly minority, low income and indigenous communities – deserve the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, equal access to the decision-making process and a healthy environment in which to live, learn and work. Since 1994, the environmental justice small grants program has provided funding in more than 1,300 communities, to community-based non-profit organizations and local governments working to address environmental justice issues. The grants represent EPA’s commitment to expand the conversation on environmentalism and advance environmental justice in communities across the nation.

More information about the Environmental Justice Small Grants program:
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html

Environment Justice Small Grants 2013 Request for Proposals and schedule of pre-application teleconference calls: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/ej-smgrants-rfp-2013.pdf

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Deadlines Approaching for EPA/Smart Growth Technical Assistance Applications

EPA and four grantees (Smart Growth America, Project for Public Spaces, Global Green. and Forterra) are offering free technical assistance to communities through the Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program. Deadlines are approaching for applications to EPA and three of the grantees:
  • Smart Growth America: October 25
  • EPA: October 26
  • Project for Public Spaces: November 2
  • Global Green: November 2
NEW: EPA has posted a spreadsheet that lists all the tools available from EPA and the four grantees by topic area. To view this information, please click on the link to the Excel spreadsheet in the Background section immediately below the table.
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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Polk Co. (FL) Planners To Hold Public Hearing Tonight

MULBERRY - Polk County planners are holding a public hearing Tuesday 
on a proposal to grant a brownfield designation for an industrial 
plant near Mulberry.

The application is coming from KC Industries Properties on Old State 
Road 60.

The plant, formerly owned by Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corp., has 
been operating since 1957 on a 200-acre site west of Mulberry.

If commissioners grant the designation, KC Industries would be 
eligible for tax credits and loan guarantees under Florida's 
Brownfields Redevelopment Program, which was established in 1997 to 
encourage redevelopment of contaminated sites, which are referred to 
as "brownfields."
...
MORE

Monday, October 15, 2012

EPA Announces Opportunity to Apply for 2013 Environmental Justice Small Grants

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it is seeking applicants for a total of $1.5 million in environmental justice small grants to be awarded in 2013. EPA’s environmental justice efforts aim to ensure equal environmental and health protections for all Americans, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. The grants enable non-profit organizations to conduct research, provide education and develop solutions to local health and environmental issues in communities overburdened by harmful pollution. Grants are available for up to $30,000 each.

“Environmental justice grants support efforts to raise awareness about local health and environmental concerns,” said Lisa Garcia, EPA’s senior advisor to the administrator for environmental justice. “By supporting local projects in under-served communities, communities are able to develop plans and partnerships that will continue to improve their local environment and better protect human health into the future.”

The 2013 grant solicitation is now open and will close on Jan. 7, 2013
. Applicants must be incorporated non-profits or tribal organizations working to educate, empower and enable their communities to understand and address local environmental and public health issues. EPA will host four pre-application teleconference calls on Oct. 30, 2012; Nov. 14, 2012; Dec. 1, 2012; and Dec. 13, 2012 to help applicants understand the requirements.

Previous grants have supported activities including projects to better protect children in the Boston-area from incidences of lead poisoning and asthma attacks, conduct research on air quality in a portside Philadelphia community and provide support to residents on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota to repair failing septic systems and identify water that is unsafe to drink.

The principles of environmental justice uphold the idea that all communities overburdened by pollution – particularly minority, low income and indigenous communities – deserve the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards, equal access to the decision-making process and a healthy environment in which to live, learn and work. Since 1994, the environmental justice small grants program has provided funding in more than 1,300 communities, to community-based non-profit organizations and local governments working to address environmental justice issues. The grants represent EPA’s commitment to expand the conversation on environmentalism and advance environmental justice in communities across the nation.

More information about the Environmental Justice Small Grants program:
http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/grants/ej-smgrants.html

Environment Justice Small Grants 2013 Request for Proposals and schedule of pre-application teleconference calls: http://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/grants/ej-smgrants-rfp-2013.pdf

EPA RFP on Smart Growth Conference

EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities is seeking proposals for organizing a series of national smart growth conferences over a period of five years. EPA will award one cooperative agreement to include substantial federal involvement. EPA expects to award $140,000 for Year 1 with the possibility of additional, incremental funding of up to $800,000 in total over a five-year project period. Proposal submissions are due by Monday, November 26, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Learn more at http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/grants/index.htm.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Registration Now Open: New Partners Conference, Feb. 7-9, Kansas City, MO

Registration has opened for the 12th annual New Partners for Smart Growth Conference, Feb. 7-9, 2013, Kansas City, Missouri. The conference brings together practitioners, activists, community leaders, and elected officials from a wide range of disciplines and perspectives. The program includes plenaries, breakouts, workshops, trainings, tours, networking, and opportunities for continuing education accreditation. Don't miss the pre-conference workshop, Sustainable Neighborhoods, Thriving Residents: Strategies for Building Equitable Communities, on Feb. 6. The conference and workshop are cosponsored by EPA's Office of Sustainable Communities.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

OCT. 22 - EPA WEBINAR: #Brownfield Area-Wide Planning Grants

Name: The FY13 #Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Grant Guidelines

Audience:  All potential Brownfield Area-Wide Planning Grant applicants

Date & Time:  Monday, October 22, 2012 @ 2pm EST

Webinar Location:  https://epa.connectsolutions.com/awpguidelines/
Call-in for Audio: 866-299-3188 / code: 202 566 2773

Summary: The purpose of this webinar is to walk through the FY13 Brownfield Area-Wide Planning Grant Guidelines, discuss eligibility and ranking criteria and answer any questions potential applicants may have.

Instructions: To access the powerpoint presentation and post questions/comments please join the webinar by clicking on the link above. For audio, please dial in using the conference call number provided.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Smart growth stories: Growth that benefits all residents on Greenville, SC’s West Side

Greenville, South Carolina’s West Side is growing rapidly, and planners in the city are using a comprehensive plan to make sure that growth creates better neighborhoods for all the area’s residents.Currently, the West Side is a cluster of low- to moderate-income neighborhoods adjacent to Greenville’s downtown. Planners from the City of Greenville are considering a number of different strategies to better link the West Side with the rest of the city, while still ensuring that current residents can reap the benefits of the growth that will ensue.“The West Side is adjacent to downtown so it has a lot of potential,” says Greenville planner Wayne Leftwich. “Growth is heading this way, with a lot of interest from potential developers in this area, and we want to make sure that when these things happen, they’re not disconnected from current residents.”
City planners are bringing concerted planning to the West Side’s robust growth, and are working to ensure that new development meets the needs of as many residents as possible. To achieve that goal, planners are developing a comprehensive plan for the West Side and its three main commercial corridors.

MORE

Friday, October 5, 2012

Nominations: 2012 Brownfield Renewal Person of the Year!

Only 1 week left to submit a nomination for our 2012 Brownfield Renewal Person of the Year!

Nominations can be submitted directly online at click here.
Is there a man or a woman in the brownfield industry that's been on a roll over the past six months, or longer? An individual who has demonstrated the ability to innovate, collaborate across multiple industry disciplines, execute the plan and deliver the goods? Someone who has captured a unique vision of how to effect real change and generate positive results in our industry?

If so, please go online and nominate them for the 2012 Brownfield Renewal Person of the Year. Be sure to include enough information about your nominee so people voting will know why your candidate should be our 2012 Person of the Year!

Nominations will be accepted between Monday, September 10th and Friday, October 12th. Then it's up to you, the brownfield community, to vote for the Brownfield Renewal Person of the Year!

The winner will be announced in December.

For additional information, or to submit a nomination, click here .
The deadline for nominations is Friday, October 12, 2011.

Call for Phoenix Awards Applications – Deadline Extended to December 14, 2012


26 September 2012
The Phoenix Awards inspire and recognize exemplary brownfield redevelopment and revitalization. Winning projects offer a fresh take on significant environmental issues, show innovation and demonstrate masterful community impact.
The entry period for applications has been extended to December 14, 2012 and the chances for recognition are even greater.  Two years of winners will be recognized at the Awards Ceremony at Brownfields 2013 on May 16, 2013 in Atlanta. The award program honors approximately 12-15 projects for each award year. Download the application now at www.phoenixawards.org
One winner is selected from each of EPA's 10 regions, and additional special winners are selected for community impact, sustainability or other special achievements. Projects are judged primarily upon:
  • Magnitude of the problems and the project,
  • Use of innovative techniques,
  • Cooperative efforts of multiple parties,
  • Positive impact on the environment, conservation or sustainability, and
  • Project's general and long-term economic and/or social impacts on the community.
Any individual, group, company, organization, government body or agency is eligible to apply for a Phoenix Award. Applications may be submitted by an individual involved in the project or by a third party, with the primary project coordinator, e.g., property owner, environmental engineering firm, or project developer, or the entire project team listed as the applicant.
In order to be considered, the brownfield redevelopment project must have been completed by the date the application is submitted. Projects are deemed "complete" if the end-use is being conducted at the site.

Download the application now at www.phoenixawards.org

Thursday, October 4, 2012

What to Expect from Brownfields 2013 Mobile Workshops


The Mobile Workshop component of the National Brownfields Conference gives attendees the chance to see brownfield transformations firsthand. Whether it is biking, hiking, or a bus tour, these unique tours will get you out into Atlanta to experience local redevelopment!
The Atlanta region offers a wonderful array of brownfield success stories and projects in progress. Sign up for a mobile workshop to interact with local experts and learn how they turned a community liability into a catalyst for revitalization.
In case you missed it – the most popular mobile workshop at the Brownfields 2011 Conference in Philadelphia was Northern Liberties which took a group on a walking tour to a mix of developments and open space projects that had contributed to the amazing revitalization of an abandoned industrial neighborhood.
The Conference Planning Committee is currently in the process of selecting and developing a great mobile tour lineup – we will be sure to update you when the program is finalized! 

For more information about the 2013 Brownfield Conference, go to www.brownfieldsconference.org

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Smart Growth America now accepting applications for 2012 free technical assistance workshops

Smart Growth America is pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for our 2012-2013 round of free technical assistance workshops. Communities interested in learning about smart growth strategies are welcome and encouraged to submit an application for one of our 12 technical assistance tools. Read more >>

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Brownfields 2013 Registration and Housing is Now Open!


The 15th National Brownfields Conference, cosponsored by the U.S. EPA and ICMA, will take place on May 15 - 17, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. Registration and housing for this one-of-a-kind event is now open!
 

Click here for online registration (preferred)

Click here to book a hotel room online (preferred)

Click here for mail-in or fax your registration/housing forms

Announcing a new online home for the National Complete Streets Coalition

After a summer of working on the details of this transition, we are proud to announce a new online home for the Coalition at www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets. The new web home has all the same great resources for Complete Streets advocates and practitioners. Learn about what makes a Complete Street, discover how local leaders are changing policy across the country, find out about bringing the Coalition to your town or city, and see other ways you can get involved. Explore >>

Monday, October 1, 2012

Natchez, MS to Apply for EPA Brownfield Grant

The Natchez Democrat
NATCHEZ, MISS. — The city of Natchez is applying for $400,000 grant it was previously denied from the Environmental Protection Agency that will fund a study to identify and possibly clean up any environmental contamination at industrial sites.


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New Smart Growth Tool for State Transportion Officials

State officials across the country are facing the same challenges. Revenues are falling and budgets are shrinking. Yet state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) have ambitious goals: improve safety, reduce congestion, enhance economic opportunity, improve reliability, preserve system assets, accelerate project delivery, and help to create healthier, more livable neighborhoods, just to name a few. These goals would be challenging even if money were no object, but dwindling conventional federal and state transportation funding makes these goals even harder to achieve. Read more >>