FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 17, 2016
FOURTH ANNUAL NORTHWEST FLORIDA BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT FORUM HELD IN MILTON
~Forum educates participants on the economic and environmental benefits of brownfield redevelopment~
L to R: Joe Ullo, director of DEP's Division of Waste Management; Sally Cooey, Northwest District brownfields coordinator; Barbara Alfano, EPA Region 4 brownfields coordinator; Mayor Freddie McCall, town of Century; and Kim Walker, DEP's brownfields liaison
MILTON, Fla. – Nearly 70 representatives from local government and engineering and environmental consulting firms joined state and federal experts to learn more about the economic and environmental benefits of Florida’s Brownfields Redevelopment Program.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Northwest District, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the West Florida and Apalachee Regional Planning Councils partnered for the fourth consecutive year to educate attendees about grants and other incentives available to Florida’s communities for brownfields assessment and cleanup. The forum included discussion of local success stories and a review of recent updates to Florida laws governing brownfields. Private and public sector leaders with practical experience participated in panel discussions on the technical aspects, funding mechanisms and incentives of the Brownfields Program. EPA also provided a grant writing session.
“It is a priority for DEP to focus taxpayer resources on projects that provide a direct benefit to the environment and local communities, and the Brownfields Redevelopment Program is designed to do just that,” said Shawn Hamilton, director of DEP’s Northwest District. “Utilizing these incentives, our local communities can redevelop unused properties to meet local needs. We have seen many successful brownfields redevelopment projects in Northwest Florida and this annual forum encourages continued success.”
Through economic and regulatory incentives, the Brownfields Redevelopment Program encourages the restoration and redevelopment of contaminated sites, which helps create new jobs and boost the local economy. For the program's incentives to be available to a community, a local government must designate a brownfields area by resolution.
During the forum, the town of Century was recognized for its recent selection by EPA to receive $400,000 in brownfields assessment grants. These funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments within the town of Century and the neighboring town of Flomaton, Ala. After the assessment phase, grant funds will also be used to prioritize the sites, develop cleanup plans and conduct community outreach activities. This will pave the way for the former hazardous waste and petroleum sites to become safe and environmentally sound locations for redevelopment, providing economic benefits for these communities.
"The Brownfields Redevelopment Program provides incentives to help revitalize communities and foster economic development,” said Joe Ullo, director of DEP’s Division of Waste Management. “It is an honor to not only recognize the town of Century for their success on obtaining the brownfields assessment grants from EPA, but also to be a part of educating our communities about these programs that empower communities, local governments and other stakeholders to work together to assess, clean up and reuse properties previously impacted by pollutants."
As of 2015, statewide, there have been 404 Brownfield Area Designations, 258 Brownfield Site Rehabilitation Agreements and 88 Site Rehabilitation Completion Orders issued since the program's inception in 1997. More than $155 million has been invested in Florida’s communities through this program.
See the 2015 Florida Brownfield Redevelopment Program Annual Report for more information.
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