Brownfields 101

A Guide to Finding Brownfields

& Understanding Our Program

Training for the

Community

Champions

Presentation Outline

1. Understanding that Brownfields sites aren’t

always what you think and are widespread.

2. Understanding Reuse.

3. Understanding the difference between

finding sites and having projects.

4. Understanding obstacles and overcoming

them.

5. Understanding our Program

6. Finding Sites and Resources

Northwest New Mexico defines a brownfield site as:

1. a parcel of real estate

2. abandoned, inactive, or underutilized

3. on which expansion, redevelopment, or reuse is

complicated because of the presence or potential

presence of a hazardous substance, a contaminant,

petroleum, or a petroleum product

What is a Brownfield?

Brownfields have many faces

o Former service stations

o Oil and gas sites

o Salvage yards

o Illicit dump sites

o Landfills

o Industrial sites

o Rail yards and adjacent facilities

o Abandoned/occupied buildings

- Old hotels, schools, offices, etc.

o Mine scarred and adjacent lands

Brownfields have many faces

o Illicit dump sites

Brownfields have many faces

o Dry cleaners

Brownfields have many faces

o Scrap metal facilities

Brownfields have many faces

o Oil & gas sites

Brownfields have many faces

o Mothballed commercial sites

Brownfields have many faces

o Mothballed office buildings

• Links economic vitality with environmental protection

• Stimulates economy through investment and job creation

• Returns abandoned or underutilized properties to tax

roles

• Values existing infrastructure (decreases costs)

• Improves community appearance

• Fosters sustainable and livable communities

• Increases surrounding property values

• Promotes infill development

• Decreases blight (improves community appearance)

• Encourages planned growth / discourages urban sprawl

• Preserves greenspace and farmland

Why is Brownfields Redevelopment Important?

• Industrial

• Commercial

• Residential

• Public – offices, building, recycling centers

• Greenspace - parks, golf courses, trails, greenways,

community gardens

• Mixed (a mixed use development is a project that

combines uses above on one site)

Examples of Brownfields

Reuse/Redevelopment

KEY: There are many potential

Brownfields sites in Northwest NM – but

without a re-use development planning or

wanting to occur - we do not yet have a

Brownfields project.

• industrial park

• shopping center

• grocery store

• restaurant

• houses, apartments, condos

• government offices

• bank

• soccer field

• golf course

• community park

Specific Examples of Reuse

What are Obstacles to

Brownfields Redevelopment?

• Real or potential environmental contamination

• Assessment / Cleanup costs

• Liability issues for the lender, prospective

purchaser, and third parties

• Socio-economic issues

• Economic development climate

• Viability of re-use plans for the site

What are Obstacles to

Brownfields Redevelopment?

• Unknowns – risks, ownership, access

• Lack of awareness

• Lack of planning

• Lack of community support

• Lack of partnerships (among local gov’t,

developers, community groups, etc.)

NWNM Brownfields

Coalition Assessment Grant

o Administered by NWNMCOG

o Funds ($1M) – used only for assessments and

planning work on sites,

o Program Budget breakdown:– COG management (5%)

– Assessment Contractors (80%)

• Daniel B. Stephens

• AMEC

• Intera

– Quality Assurance Manager - EAEST(10%)

– Travel and Other (5%)

o Can provide service any site in Cibola,

McKinley, & San Juan counties

(including tribal sites)

Project Need: In May 2009, the COG received $1,000,000 in “American Reinvestment & Recovery Act (ARRA) stimulus funding for the region to implement a Brownfields Assessment Program and ramp up site assessments in Cibola, McKinley, and San Juan counties.

NWNM Brownfields

Coalition Assessment Grant Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III environmental site assessments

Eligible entities include private individuals, developers, public entities and non profits, etc.

Typical Phase I activities: Historic use information Research on site or nearby recognized environmental conditions Mapping Site investigations

Typical Phase II activities: Soil sampling/ waste characterization Monitoring well installation and ground water sampling Geophysical surveys Risk assessment Soil & gas surveys Remediation Planning/cost estimates

Typical Phase III activities: Cleanup cost estimate and scope-of-work development Tank pulls Other pre-cleanup planning work

Phase II or III leads to eligibility to apply for an EPA Cleanup Grants, which offer up to $200,000 for site cleanup activities.

NWNM Brownfields

Coalition Assessment Grant

Examples:County Property Along 491 (Private owned land,

Private Developer) – Phase I Report finalized on

former illegal dump site, no further action needed.

A developer is currently creating a manufacturing

business on this property.

Lexington Hotel (CARE 66, Non-Profit) – Phase I and

Phase II Reports completed on the project – site

needs asbestos and lead paint remediation – currently

pursuing a NMED RLF and EPA Cleanup Grant.

CARE 66 has a planned transition housing

project slated for this historic building, once

remediation has been completed.

Identifying sites and

Resources for Development

Finding sites that fit

o Develop screening criteria

o What are the site’s needs?

– Assessment

– Cleanup

– Demolition

– Renovation

o Are these eligible costs?

Finding sites that fit

o Will the site be eligible?

– Brownfields eligibility criteria

– Contaminants

o Will the owner be eligible?

– When was site acquired?

– How was it acquired?

– Is the owner responsible for contamination?

o Is it a good development site?

– What is likelihood of

redevelopment?

Finding sites that fit

o Some sites may need a little help

– Assessment needs

• NWNMCOG can offer free services to perform

assessments

– Cleanup/Reuse Funding

• NMED has a revolving loan fund that is available

for cleanup as

well as the EPA grant program

• COG can facilitate funding for a variety of other

sources (EDA, USDA, HUD, etc.)

– Lack of interest in the property

• Market to developers

Identifying Sites

o Brownfields won’t come looking for you

o Be on the lookout for good candidates

– Blighted or distressed areas

– Abandoned or mothballed properties

– Sites with proposed development concepts

– Sites in key development areas

o Avoid fast track redevelopment

projects

Identifying Sites

o Tools to identify sites

– Newspaper

• Business and real estate sections

– Major transactions

– Proposed projects

– Economic Development entities

• City planning or economic development

• Councils of government

• Chambers of Commerce

• Brokers

Identifying Sites

o Tools to identify sites, cont’d

– Visual cues

in the

landscape

– Sudden

changes in

land use

Identifying Sites

o Tools to identify sites, cont’d

– City / county property records

– Regulatory databases

– Services such as EDR OnDemand

• Provides instant access to up-to-date local,

state, federal, and proprietary database

information

Contact Information