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What are Brownfields?
brown·field n. A piece of industrial or commercial property that is abandoned or underused and often environmentally contaminated, especially one considered as a potential site for redevelopment.
(Definition according to the American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.)
Any property potentially contaminated, previously contaminated, or perceived by a community to be contaminated with hazardous substances, including petroleum products, may be eligible for assistance from the State of Alaska or the federal government to support reuse and revitalization efforts. This assistance may include environmental assessment, cleanup, and job training. DEC assists eligible sites in Alaska in applying for different types of EPA brownfield grants. DEC also provides oversight to protect public health in the cleanup and management of brownfield sites.
Nearly a decade ago, EPA initiated a program to clean up brownfields. The program focused primarily on properties in urban blighted areas and was designed to empower states, communities, and others with economic redevelopment interests to assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields, as well as to prevent the creation of new brownfields.
As the program has developed, rural land and properties are increasingly eligible for assistance, with reuse for fish and wildlife habitat, subsistence, greenspace, or recreational uses.
More details are available on EPA's website about the formal definition of a brownfield site for the purposes of determining eligibility for federal funding, and what kinds of sites are included or excluded in the definition.
In 2002, Congress expanded the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) and increased funding authority for the federal Brownfields Program.
For more information about brownfields, please read our fact sheet, Frequently Asked Questions About Brownfields.  Back to the Top
DEC's Brownfield Assessments
Our request period is currently open.
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A former dry cleaner in Anchorage, Alaska, has received both a Targeted Brownfield Assessment and a Cleanup Grant from EPA, and it all started with a DEC Brownfield Assessment in 2005.
See DEC Brownfield projects in Alaska. |
Our DEC Brownfield Assessment (DBA) request period is now open. The deadline for receipt of DBA requests is February 19, 2010. During our Spring 2009 DBA request period, we received 18 requests for brownfield assessments of non-state-owned sites and 11 for state-owned properties. Thank you to everyone who submitted a DBA request! For more information on the last round of DBA requests, check out our summer 2009 newsletter.
DEC assists Alaskan communities by conducting environmental site assessments at potential brownfield sites. A DBA is intended to help reduce the environmental uncertainties that may hinder the reuse or redevelopment of a brownfield. For more information on specific projects throughout Alaska, see DEC Brownfield projects in Alaska.
The objectives of a DBA are to:
- Help determine whether an environmental problem at a site is limiting its desired reuse;
- Help identify the nature and extent of contamination;
- Make recommendations and estimate costs for additional assessment, if needed; and
- Identify cleanup options and provide an estimate of cleanup costs, if indicated.
To request a DBA, download and complete a Brownfield Assessment Request Form. The deadline for submitting your DBA request is February 19, 2010. DEC staff is available to discuss your project with you and help you complete your request.
Contact Sonja Benson by email or at (907) 451-2156, Deborah Williams at (907) 451-5174, or John Carnahan at (907) 451-2166 for assistance or additional information.
For more information about this program, please see the DEC Brownfield Assessments Fact Sheet (PDF).
See also DEC's Reuse and Redevelopment assessments.
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DEC's Brownfield Toolbox
DEC and the State of Alaska have developed tools and websites to assist with research, assessment, and property transfers associated with redevelopment of contaminated land. Services range from site assessments for eligible brownfields to prospective purchaser agreements to clarify liability before a property transaction. Follow the links below for complete information.
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| EPA Brownfield Funding |
DEC Assists with Applications for EPA Brownfields Grants
Some Alaskan brownfields are eligible to receive money or technical assistance through EPA's Brownfields Program. DEC assists eligible entities in Alaska to apply for EPA brownfields grants, some of which are described below:
Assessment Grants provide funding for environmental assessments of brownfields and community outreach (limited to $200,000 per site with no match requirement). See
EPA Brownfields Assessments Fact Sheet (PDF).
Cleanup Grants provide direct funding for cleanup activities at certain properties with planned greenspace, recreational, or other nonprofit uses (limited to $200,000 per site with a 20-percent match requirement).
Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants provide funding to capitalize loans that are used to clean up brownfields ($1 million per applicant, coalitions and pooling of requests allowed, 20-percent match; up to 40 percent of RLF may be awarded as grants).
A coalition of Alaska regional development organizations and DEC have an application pending with EPA for an Alaskan RLF program. Click here to read more. |
| Job Training Grants provide environmental training for residents of brownfields communities (limited to $200,000 per grant). |
Targeted Brownfield Assessments are designed to inventory, characterize, and assess brownfield sites using EPA contractors. No cleanup is funded under this program. The Targeted Brownfield Assessment program is open for requests year-round, and features a non-competitive application process for the award of assessment services. It is not a grant. This is one of the most accessible brownfield services for rural Alaska communities.
This program helps states, tribes, and municipalities—especially those without EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants—minimize the uncertainties of contamination often associated with brownfields. Targeted Brownfields Assessments supplement and work with other efforts under EPA's Brownfields Program. Please see these links for more information and eligibility requirements:
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State and Tribal Response Program Grants -- This is a national, noncompetitive $75-million grant program to establish and enhance state and tribal response programs. DEC has been awarded a State and Tribal Response Grant from EPA, to fund Brownfields-related work in Alaska. DEC encourages other tribal entities to apply for this type of funding, especially as consortia of related or sub-regionally aligned groups. Click here to learn more.
The deadline for submitting proposals for State and Tribal Response Program grants is January 31, 2010. However, it's not too soon to start framing your request for the next grant cycle. Contact us to discuss the new possibilities this grant could offer your organization or community. We especially encourage tribal consortia to apply. To read more about the State and Tribal Response Program, check out our Fall 2007 DEC Brownfield Bulletin.
In 2008 EPA awarded five new STRP grants to Alaska tribes or tribal consortia, doubling the number of tribal response programs in the state. In 2009, four more were added. We look forward to working closely with these new and established programs as they develop their environmental response capacity.
Current State and Tribal Response Program Grantees in Alaska:
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EPA Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup, and Job Training Grantees in Alaska
Federal Grants and Funding Information
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Note: There are restrictions on the use of federal brownfield funds at sites with existing EPA actions, and sites with only petroleum contamination must be of "relatively low risk," with no viable responsible party.
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| Links to more EPA Brownfield information |
| EPA Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment Homepage |
Region 10's Brownfields Homepage |
| EPA Brownfield Grants |
Region 10's Brownfields and Alaska |
| EPA Brownfields Tools |
Region 10's Brownfields Assessments Homepage |
| EPA Brownfields Federal Programs Guide (PDF file) |
Brownfields Newsroom - what's going on now at EPA Brownfields? |
| Liability and Cleanup Issues |
News and Events |
| Brownfields Tax Incentive |
Publications |
| Brownfields Success Stories |
Resources |
| Brownfields Revitalization Act in 2002 |
Brownfields Management System Database |
| History of Brownfields Program |
EnviroMapper for Brownfields - Interactive maps and aerial photography. |
| Laws and Regulations |
Brownfields Topic Index |
| Partnerships and Outreach |
EPA Brownfields Contacts |
Other Sites of Interest
For more information:
- U.S. EPA Region 10 Brownfield Team: (800) 424-4EPA
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For more information contact:
John Carnahan, Brownfields Coordinator
Contaminated Sites Program
DEC Division of Spill Prevention and Response
610 University Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99709-3643
Telephone: (907) 451-2166
Fax Number: (907) 451-2155
Email Address: John.Carnahan@alaska.gov |
Sonja Benson, Environmental Program Specialist
Contaminated Sites Program
DEC Division of Spill Prevention and Response
610 University Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99709-3643
Telephone: (907) 451-2156
Fax Number: (907) 451-2155
Email Address: Sonja.Benson@alaska.gov |
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Deborah Williams, Environmental Program Specialist
Contaminated Sites Program
DEC Division of Spill Prevention and Response
610 University Avenue
Fairbanks, AK 99709-3643
Telephone: (907) 451-5174
Fax Number: (907) 451-2155
Email Address: deborah.williams@alaska.gov |
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