The movement to revitalize the state’s brownfields program appears to be once again gaining momentum. One of the premiere programs in the country when it was first created in 1995, the state’s brownfield redevelopment plan lost much of its funding and virtually its entire staff in 1999. As a result, the program and its work of funding the cleanup of former industrial sites with real or perceived contamination, came to a standstill. For manufacturers, energy is more than just another operating expense. It plays a critical role… Now, almost three years later the state is just getting back on track. And as a special legislative commission continues to look at the issue, it remains clear that the state, while it has made some strides, still has a long way to go in making the brownfield revitalization process friendlier for municipalities, non-profits and potential developers. ”Early on, Rhode Island was one of the first entities to do this type of work. In fact they were one of our first pilot programs to receive funding,” said Lynne Jennings, a project officer with the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s New England District Office in Boston. “I think that turnover cost them a huge knowledge base and it has taken time to get that back up. I think that now we are starting to see a real increase in enthusiasm and momentum. I firmly believe that a year from now it’s going to be totally different.” Started as an EPA initiative in 1995, the national brownfield program has evolved into what is now known as the Brownfields National Partnership. The partnership, which includes a number of federal agencies, funds a variety of programs including site assessment demonstration pilots, revolving loan fund pilots, and job training. But somewhere along the way in the development of the program, Rhode Island got lost. According to the EPA, Rhode Island has received only $3 million in brownfield funding since the program’s inception compared to Massachusetts which has more than $21 million, and Connecticut which has received more than $12 million. “Rhode Island had definitely lost some momentum,” said Scott Wolf, executive director of Grow Smart Rhode Island, a non-profit land development organization. “But I think there is some momentum building now.” The change can be seen in the number of state and local agencies that are working together as part of the legislative commission, and as individuals to move the revitalization of brownfields forward. ”We are seeking to build on a good foundation that has already been laid,” said Wolf at a recent meeting of the Brownfields Commission. “We need to look at this as a mid-course correction not a rerouting.” And the new route is one that many seem to be taking. According to Adrienne Southgate of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, after a mass marketing campaign in the fall, the organization has received a lot of inquiries from local developers, so many in fact that they may run out of money. ”We could actually become a victim or our own success,” she said. “It would be fair to say that when I first took this program over in January, it needed some intensive care. So this is a good thing.” Southgate said the EDC has also submitted a draft tax bill to the governor that would allow for incremental financing for municipalities and developers to clean up brownfields. ”We are very hopeful that the governor’s office will introduce this bill in the upcoming legislative session,” she said. “We think that it will be one more tool to help people reclaim these sites.” According to Wolf, financing is currently one of the major stumbling blocks in the revitalization of brownfield properties. Wolf said the state did take some steps forward last year when it passed the State Commercial Historic Tax Credit, but still much more needs to be done. ”Currently all the financial incentives to revitalize their brownfields come through the federal government,” he said. “The state isn’t putting any money into this and I think that has to change.” The other major issue, Wolf said, is liability – a topic that he expects will be discussed at the commission’s next meeting early in the New Year. What’s lacking, many on the 19-member Brownfield Commission agree, is an inventory of the state’s brownfields. ”Everybody is trying to get their arms around the problem, but we have no idea what the number really is,” Jennings said. “It’s hard to get our arms around a number that we don’t know. It’s a problem across the country.” According to Terry Gray from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management the state has already “cleaned” close to 400 sites, but it is taking longer now for clean-ups to be completed. While the state has an average “turn around” of 42 days for perspective developers and land owners to get the necessary approvals they need to move forward with the revitalization, Grey said it doesn’t always work. ”The general trend is that it is taking longer,” he said. “We have more projects and less staff. We do have a 42-day turnaround and we really try to stick with that. We run into problems when people consider themselves unique and want to change the process. Then it takes longer.” What could truly change the face of brownfield development in Rhode Island and across the country, Jennings said, is a piece of legislation currently pending in the House in Washington, D.C. The legislation, put on hold for Congress to deal with an economic stimulus package, could add $97 million to the federal program. The new legislation will also allow for former petroleum sites to be included in brownfield clean up – something Rhode Island has long pushed for. ”This will allow us to keep broadening our horizons, to keep moving forward,” she said. “We need to keep moving and to keep this momentum going.” Bethany Costello can be reached via email: costello@pbn.com
Seifert Systems Invests in Energy Efficiency to Strengthen Operations
R.I. brownfields program regaining priority status
PBN Branded Content
