Program Background
Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. Brownfields can be located in urban, suburban, and rural areas. EPA's Brownfields Initiative is an organized commitment to help communities revitalize such properties both environmentally and economically, mitigate potential health risks, and restore economic vitality to areas where brownfields exist.

Purpose
The Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities (TAB) program has been established as part of EPA's Brownfields Initiative to help communities clean and redevelop properties that have been damaged or undervalued by environmental contamination. The purpose of these efforts is to create better jobs, increase the local tax base, improve neighborhood environments, and enhance the overall quality of life.

Audience
The aim of the TAB program is to facilitate stakeholder involvement in community brownfields redevelopment efforts, so the main audiences for TAB assistance are community groups, municipal officials, developers, and leaders with lending institutions constituting a secondary audience.

Program Management
TAB activities will be managed by the five regional Hazardous Substance Research Centers (HSRC) programs. The HSRCs draw upon the technical expertise of faculty at 29 universities throughout the United States. The HSRC program has developed a wide range of new approaches for understanding and cleaning up hazardous waste sites. Many of these new methods offer users significant savings in time and money.

Activities

• Leadership training. The TAB program will provide leadership training to brownfields pilot community leaders, focusing on the following topics: community dynamics , the technical side of clean-up activities, interaction with government agencies, neighborhood planning, sustainable economic and land use planning, environmental regulations, clean-up technologies, and risk assessment.
• Risk assessment. Each center can provide local government planners, developers and community members with risk assessment training sessions that build knowledge of the basic mechanisms and protocols of risk assessment. Topics will include site inventory, characterization, end use, and environmental quality requirements as part of the measurement of risk.
• Brownfields processes. Workshops can be provided in each region to walk a variety of stakeholders through the entire brownfield redevelopment process, tailoring subject matter to local requirements and interests.
• Site assessment. Workshops will be conducted to help community leaders and local government environmental professionals develop a better understanding of site assessment principles. These sessions will focus on integration of the assessment with land use decisions and provide information about the acceptable tools for data collection.
• Cleanup alternatives. Local government officials, developers, and environmental/planning professionals will be traught to use appropriate technology for sustainable land use.

• Center for Hazardous Substances in Urban Environments (EPA Regions 1, 2, & 3): Dr. Hedy Alavi, 410-516-7091, hedy.alavi@jhu.edu


• Midwest (EPA Region 5 & 7): Sabine Martin, 785-532-6519, smartin1@ksu.edu


• Rocky Mountain (EPA Region 8): Dr. Sandra Woods, 970-491-5049, Sandra.Woods@colostate.edu


• South & Southwest (EPA Regions 4 & 6): Bob Schmitter, 404-407-8064, bob.schmitter@gtri.gatech.edu


• Western (EPA Regions 9 & 10): Michael Fernandez, 541-737-4023, Michael.Fernandez@orst.edu

EPA Program Manager

Dr. Mitch Lasat
8722R
USEPA Headquarters
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W.
Washington, DC 20460
Telephone: 202/564-6826
E-mail: lasat.mitch@epa.gov

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