| Regional Planning Commission of Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, and St. Tammany Parishes Brownfield Redevelopment Program |
Grants & Programs
The RPC’s Brownfield Redevelopment Program receives funding from the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) through their Brownfield Grant Program to fund our various projects and
programs. The following are grants we have received from EPA and the programs we have developed with
some of that grant funding.
RPC'S BROWNFIELD GRANTS
Original Brownfield Pilot and Supplemental Assessment Grants
RPC began our Brownfield Redevelopment Program in 1999 as a Brownfield Pilot grantee with a grant of
$200,000. The main focus of the grant was to create the Southeast Louisiana Brownfield Consortium and
compile the Brownfield Cookbook, a template for Brownfield assessment and redevelopment. This grant was
supplemented in 2001 with an additional $119,000, which was used to conduct ten (10) Phase I and four
(4) Phase II environmental site assessments (ESAs). We recently completed our fourth Phase II ESA at the
Progressive Church site, currently in the cleanup stage, and have closed out this grant. Other sites assessed
under this grant can be found on the Property Profiles page and reports generated can be found on the
Library page.
Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Grant (BCRLF)
The USEPA provides grants to support Revolving Loan Fund programs for environmental cleanups of
Brownfield properties. A portion of the grant is used for low-interest loans that are then repaid to replenish
the lending pot to be loaned out again for additional cleanups. Part of the grant can also be used to provide
services related to cleanup and redevelopment planning. In 2003, RPC was awarded a $500,000
Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF) grant. Under RPC’s BCRLF, redevelopment plans
were created for three sites: the Jefferson Lake Canal Site in Plaquemines Parish, and the Old Paris Road
Landfill Site and Old Incinerator & Main Yard Site, both in St. Bernard Parish. Of the total grant amount,
$300,000 is set aside for the actual loan pot. This money will be loaned to Progressive Church for the
cleanup of the site of their future Family Life Center, daycare/school facility, and senior housing
community. Located in Marrero on the west bank of Jefferson Parish, this project is expected to generate at
least 150 new jobs for the area. The Phase I and II ESAs, funded by RPC's Brownfields Assessment Grants,
have been completed and cleanup is currently underway. Once the loan has been repaid, we will be looking
for other Brownfield projects in need of assessment and/or cleanup.
Brownfield Petroleum Assessment Grant
In 2004, USEPA opened up the Brownfield Program to include sites with petroleum-related contamination,
which were previously excluded from receiving Brownfield funding, and awarded RPC a grant to expand
our assessment program to include these sites. Under our Brownfield Petroleum Assessment Grant, we were
successful in producing the USTriage software model, which will help us catalog and rank all our
Brownfield sites. The software model inventories detailed information on each site, such as location, access
to various transportation systems, available financial incentives, and environmental concerns. Users can
then rank the importance of various criteria base on their specific needs. The software will evaluate and
score each site based on those criteria. The user can then further pursue the highest-ranking site for their
redevelopment project. Users include developers, local governments, community groups, economic
development and business groups, and others interested in Brownfield redevelopment.
Also under this grant, sites identified by the communities as potential Brownfield sites were mapped on
Parish land use plans to ensure that proposed redevelopments are consistent with Parish goals for the
community. Assessment of the petroleum-related contamination at the Progressive Church site was
conducted under our Brownfield Petroleum Assessment Grant as well. In addition, we plan on conducting
two more Phase I ESAs under this grant, and applying for additional funding for petroleum assessments.
PROGRAMS
Southeast Louisiana Brownfield Consortium
(as described above under our Petroleum Grant)
The Southeast Louisiana Regional Brownfields Consortium is the centerpiece of RPC’s Brownfield Program.
The Consortium membership includes private citizens, local governments, community organizations, state
agencies, other Brownfield grantees, developers, banking and real estate professionals, and others
interested in Brownfield redevelopment. The Consortium provides a forum to discuss Brownfield related
issues and brings together a variety of partners to help facilitate cleanup and redevelopment of Brownfield
properties. Examples of past meeting topics include our USTriage Software Model (see below under our
Petroleum Grant), the Louisiana Brownfield Association, and programs and funding from the Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). We meet on a quarterly basis at the Regional Planning
Commission, and all meetings are open to the public.
Southern Louisiana Portfield Initiative
The goal of the Portfields Initiative is to partner government agencies with local ports to facilitate projects
and explore application of innovative technologies. Possible projects are not limited to just Brownfield
redevelopment, but may also include stormwater management, security mechanisms, wastewater pond
cleanup, habitat restoration, environmental protection, and any other port project that might benefit from
agency collaboration.
Through our Brownfield Redevelopment Program, the Regional Planning Commission is the local lead
agency for the Southern Louisiana Regional Portfields Initiative, in partnership with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), EPA and LDEQ. In May 2006, the RPC hosted a Portfields Peer
Exchange Workshop, partnering regional ports with federal, state, and local partners. Over 75 people
attended the LDEQ-sponsored event, including representatives from the Port of New Orleans; St. Bernard
Port, Harbor and Terminal District; Jefferson Parish Port District; Port of Greater Baton Rouge; Greater
Lafourche Port Commission (Port Fourchon); and Port of South Louisiana. Representatives from the three
original Portfield Pilot ports, the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission (Massachusetts), Port of
Bellingham (Washington) and the Tampa Port Authority (Florida), enhanced the workshop by sharing
their experiences with the program.
Following the workshop, the ports submitted proposed project summaries for potential Portfield projects.
Federal, state, and local partners reviewed the summaries to determine which agencies can best assist with
which projects. Based on the project summaries, the goal of the partners is to choose at least one project
from each port for implementation. The government partners have agreed to a two-year commitment,
which will hopefully be extended based on the success of this initiative.
Additional information is provided on our Portfields page.
Protection Agency (EPA) through their Brownfield Grant Program to fund our various projects and
programs. The following are grants we have received from EPA and the programs we have developed with
some of that grant funding.
RPC'S BROWNFIELD GRANTS
Original Brownfield Pilot and Supplemental Assessment Grants
RPC began our Brownfield Redevelopment Program in 1999 as a Brownfield Pilot grantee with a grant of
$200,000. The main focus of the grant was to create the Southeast Louisiana Brownfield Consortium and
compile the Brownfield Cookbook, a template for Brownfield assessment and redevelopment. This grant was
supplemented in 2001 with an additional $119,000, which was used to conduct ten (10) Phase I and four
(4) Phase II environmental site assessments (ESAs). We recently completed our fourth Phase II ESA at the
Progressive Church site, currently in the cleanup stage, and have closed out this grant. Other sites assessed
under this grant can be found on the Property Profiles page and reports generated can be found on the
Library page.
Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Grant (BCRLF)
The USEPA provides grants to support Revolving Loan Fund programs for environmental cleanups of
Brownfield properties. A portion of the grant is used for low-interest loans that are then repaid to replenish
the lending pot to be loaned out again for additional cleanups. Part of the grant can also be used to provide
services related to cleanup and redevelopment planning. In 2003, RPC was awarded a $500,000
Brownfield Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF) grant. Under RPC’s BCRLF, redevelopment plans
were created for three sites: the Jefferson Lake Canal Site in Plaquemines Parish, and the Old Paris Road
Landfill Site and Old Incinerator & Main Yard Site, both in St. Bernard Parish. Of the total grant amount,
$300,000 is set aside for the actual loan pot. This money will be loaned to Progressive Church for the
cleanup of the site of their future Family Life Center, daycare/school facility, and senior housing
community. Located in Marrero on the west bank of Jefferson Parish, this project is expected to generate at
least 150 new jobs for the area. The Phase I and II ESAs, funded by RPC's Brownfields Assessment Grants,
have been completed and cleanup is currently underway. Once the loan has been repaid, we will be looking
for other Brownfield projects in need of assessment and/or cleanup.
Brownfield Petroleum Assessment Grant
In 2004, USEPA opened up the Brownfield Program to include sites with petroleum-related contamination,
which were previously excluded from receiving Brownfield funding, and awarded RPC a grant to expand
our assessment program to include these sites. Under our Brownfield Petroleum Assessment Grant, we were
successful in producing the USTriage software model, which will help us catalog and rank all our
Brownfield sites. The software model inventories detailed information on each site, such as location, access
to various transportation systems, available financial incentives, and environmental concerns. Users can
then rank the importance of various criteria base on their specific needs. The software will evaluate and
score each site based on those criteria. The user can then further pursue the highest-ranking site for their
redevelopment project. Users include developers, local governments, community groups, economic
development and business groups, and others interested in Brownfield redevelopment.
Also under this grant, sites identified by the communities as potential Brownfield sites were mapped on
Parish land use plans to ensure that proposed redevelopments are consistent with Parish goals for the
community. Assessment of the petroleum-related contamination at the Progressive Church site was
conducted under our Brownfield Petroleum Assessment Grant as well. In addition, we plan on conducting
two more Phase I ESAs under this grant, and applying for additional funding for petroleum assessments.
PROGRAMS
Southeast Louisiana Brownfield Consortium
(as described above under our Petroleum Grant)
The Southeast Louisiana Regional Brownfields Consortium is the centerpiece of RPC’s Brownfield Program.
The Consortium membership includes private citizens, local governments, community organizations, state
agencies, other Brownfield grantees, developers, banking and real estate professionals, and others
interested in Brownfield redevelopment. The Consortium provides a forum to discuss Brownfield related
issues and brings together a variety of partners to help facilitate cleanup and redevelopment of Brownfield
properties. Examples of past meeting topics include our USTriage Software Model (see below under our
Petroleum Grant), the Louisiana Brownfield Association, and programs and funding from the Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ). We meet on a quarterly basis at the Regional Planning
Commission, and all meetings are open to the public.
Southern Louisiana Portfield Initiative
The goal of the Portfields Initiative is to partner government agencies with local ports to facilitate projects
and explore application of innovative technologies. Possible projects are not limited to just Brownfield
redevelopment, but may also include stormwater management, security mechanisms, wastewater pond
cleanup, habitat restoration, environmental protection, and any other port project that might benefit from
agency collaboration.
Through our Brownfield Redevelopment Program, the Regional Planning Commission is the local lead
agency for the Southern Louisiana Regional Portfields Initiative, in partnership with the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), EPA and LDEQ. In May 2006, the RPC hosted a Portfields Peer
Exchange Workshop, partnering regional ports with federal, state, and local partners. Over 75 people
attended the LDEQ-sponsored event, including representatives from the Port of New Orleans; St. Bernard
Port, Harbor and Terminal District; Jefferson Parish Port District; Port of Greater Baton Rouge; Greater
Lafourche Port Commission (Port Fourchon); and Port of South Louisiana. Representatives from the three
original Portfield Pilot ports, the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission (Massachusetts), Port of
Bellingham (Washington) and the Tampa Port Authority (Florida), enhanced the workshop by sharing
their experiences with the program.
Following the workshop, the ports submitted proposed project summaries for potential Portfield projects.
Federal, state, and local partners reviewed the summaries to determine which agencies can best assist with
which projects. Based on the project summaries, the goal of the partners is to choose at least one project
from each port for implementation. The government partners have agreed to a two-year commitment,
which will hopefully be extended based on the success of this initiative.
Additional information is provided on our Portfields page.
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| Regional Planning Commission 1340 Poydras, Suite 2100 New Orleans, LA 70112 (504) 568-6611 |