National Perspective Review Of Brownfields Proposals

1
National PerspectiveReview Of Brownfields
Proposals

• EPA Region 4

The United States Environmental Protection Agency
2
Overview

• Grant Programs Background
• Purpose And Intent
• Impact Of History
• General Suggestions For A Better Proposal
• Going Beyond The Criteria

3
Background

• Overall Vision and Plan for Project, from
  Assessment thru Cleanup and Redevelopment
• Give Us Reasons To Believe Overall Project/Vision
  Will Be Completed
• Schedule, Cost Estimates All Project Phases
• Funds
• Thought Out

4
Background

• Evidence Of Local Commitment
• Budget, In-Kind, Man-hours
• Leveraging
• Local Partners, Ground Swell
• Community Groups, Environmental Groups, Chamber
  of Commerce, Economic Development
  District/Department, School Boards, Transit
  Authority, Banks, Local Business, Churches

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Background

• Assessment Grant
• Local Program Seed Money
• Technical Work, Use Contractor (Assessment,
  Cleanup Planning, Cleanup)
• Work Applicant Can Do - Limit Contractor Use
  (Outreach, Reporting)
• If Possible, Make Activities In-Kind

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Background

• Strong Relationship with State
• Cleanups Are Overseen And Approved by State
• Private Projects Should Have Public Benefits

7
Background

• EPA Has Seen Local Programs Struggle
• Lack of Political Support
• Assessment, Access
• RLF, Loans Do Not Occur
• Criteria Worth Extra Effort
• Community Need and Involvement
• Budget
• Reduction of Threats to Human Health/Environment
• Greenspace
• Experience Counts
• History of Success on Related Projects or
  Partnering

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Key Terms

• Collaboration, Coordination, Voluntary
• Partners Local, State, Federal, Private,
  Non-Profit
• Stakeholders, Community
• Outreach, Meaningful Public Participation
• Commitment
• Vision
• Incentives
• Transform, Change Catalyst, Revitalize
• Innovative

9
Potential Red Flags

• Superfund Sites
• Marketing, except RLF
• Contingencies
• Fund Raising
• Lobbying
• Enforcement Action/Order
• Administrative, Indirect

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General Suggestions

• Read Guidelines!
• All Criteria Matter, If Not Applicable - Say So
• Respond to All Parts of Each Criterion
• Get Clarification Of Any Not Fully Understood
• Reviewer Knows Only What You Tell Them
• Be Specific But Not Overly Detailed
• Be Specific And Thorough But Brief
• Provide Project Specifics
• If Not Possible Provide Area Wide Specifics

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General Suggestions

• Adhere To Format (page limit, font size, budget)
• Proposal With Pages Less Than Limit OK!
• Copy Ready
• Budget Versus All Project Activities Discussed in
  Proposal Who Is Paying?
• If Not Planning To Charge Activity To Grant, Show
  As In-Kind Or Leverage In Budget Narrative or
  Table
• Examples Community Involvement, Cleanup Planning

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General Suggestions

• Know And Explain Community
• Strengths
• Unique Programs Or Characteristics
• Vision 2025, Main Street/Downtown Program,
  Railroad City, Heritage Rivers
• Weaknesses (help justify funds)
• Recognized By Outside Sources
• University or Environmental Groups studies,
  Sierra Club

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General Suggestions

• Know What Activities Are Allowable Grant
  Expenses, When in Doubt - Ask
• Non-Allowable Costs Red-Flags
• Administrative Cost Ban
• Examples Indirect, Admin-type Activities,
  Supervision, Management
• Various Planned Grant Activities
• Examples Redevelopment Costs, Unjustified
  Demolition for Cleanup/RLF, Land Acquisition

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General Suggestions

• Applying For Both Assessment and Cleanup Grants -
  For Same Project, At Same Time - Viewed
  Unfavorably
• Quality of Proposal and Project Both Matter

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General Suggestions

• Be Clear About
• Total Amount Of Federal Funds Requested
• Type Of Proposal, Assessment Only
• Community Wide
• Site Specific
• Type Of Funds Requested
• Hazardous
• Petroleum

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General SuggestionsPut Yourself in Reviewers
Shoes

• Do Not Make Reviewer Hunt For Answers
• Organize Proposal by Criteria, Use Number System
• Describe All Unique or Local Terms Used
• Reviewer Does Not Know Your Area
• Briefly Explain All Local and State Programs
• Avoid Reiterating entire Criteria in Response
• Dont Reiterate General Brownfields Concepts,
  Except As They Relate To Your Vision

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General SuggestionsPut Yourself in Reviewers
Shoes, cont.

• Know Your Reviewer (Scientists, Engineers,
  Environmentalists)
• Cleanup Plan Description
• Get Technical Professional Help
• Specifics
• All Environmental Impacts, Direct and Indirect
• Discuss Other Area Environmental Projects
• Specifics Preferred
• Details Generally Preferred, Dont Overdo
• Provide Numbers, If Possible
• Use Simple Legible Charts/Tables
• Examples Demographics, Contaminant Levels, Grant
  History

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General SuggestionsPut Yourself in Reviewers
Shoes, cont.

• Overall Proposal Check
• Unnecessary Redundancy?
• Unusual Activities? Explained? Justified?
• Media Services For Site Project
• Offsite Planning
• Understandable? Readable?
• Ask Third Party to Read Proposal

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General Suggestions Proposal Attachments

• Summarize and Refer to All Attachments
• Mandatory Attachments
• State Letter(s)
• Petroleum determination by State
• RLF Legal Opinion
• Excluded or Property-Specific Site Information
• Attach Community Notice Documentation
• Attach Site Access Agreement, Assessment Site
  Specific Only
• Think Minimal Attachments, Value Added?

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General SuggestionsProposal Attachments,
continued

• Maps (81/2 x 11, copy ready)
• Include Index
• Support Letters Are Encouraged
• From Sub-Jurisdictions, If Proposal Covers
  Multiple Jurisdictions
• From Local Community Based Groups
• From Partners Discussed In Proposal
• Letters Should Include Discussion Of Partners
  Specific Contributions, If Any

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Specific Criteria Suggestions Above and Beyond,
Extra Points

• Community Need
• Compare Demographics To State/National
• Primary Race, Unemployment, Poverty, Income
• Other Crime, Disabled, Food Stamps, Renters,
  High School Graduate, Unmarried Mothers, Infant
  Mortality
• Think Sensitive Populations (Children, Elderly)
• Any Special Designation of Need
• Empowerment Zone, Enterprise Community, Renewal
  Community, Treasury Hot Zone, Health Human
  Services Underserved Medical Community, Weed
  Seed
• www.epa.gov/compliance/environmentaljustice

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Specific Criteria Suggestions Above and Beyond,
Extra Points

• Budget
• Realistic Environmental Costs
• Ph I, 2,000-5,000
• Ph II, highly variable, 20,000
• Ph III/Cleanup Plan, highly variable, 10,000
• Explain all Personnel Costs
• What Will Staff Do On Project?
• Do Environmental Work With Federal Funds
• Be Clear About Your Intent - What Will Be Charged
  To Grant? In-Kind? Donated?

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Specific Criteria Suggestions Above and Beyond,
Extra Points

• Community Involvement
• Early and Often, Never Too Soon To Build
  Relationship
• Plan to Provide Translators
• Conduct Design Charette, if appropriate
• Hold Public Meetings
• Use Internet
• Go Overboard, Have an Aggressive Plan
• Community Based Group List, Residents, Grass
  Roots, Business, Neighborhood Groups
• Are They Actual Partners? How Are They Involved?
• Use Citizen Advisory Committee
• Form Before Proposal Submission or Plan to Form

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Specific Criteria Suggestions Above and Beyond,
Extra Points

• Leveraging
• Explain How Funds Will Be Used In Project
• Research Identify Potential Funding Sources
• Private, Foundations
• Federal
• EDA for Redevelopment HUD for BEDI, CDBG COE
• State
• Bonds, Park Funds
• Local
• Tax, Community Development Block Grant

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Specific Criteria Suggestions Above and Beyond,
Extra Points

• Ability to Manage Grants
• Refer to Grant Requirements
• Progress Reports
• Financial Reports
• Minority/Women Owned Business Reports
• Quality Assurance
• Quality Management Plan Before Award
• Quality Assurance Project Plans Before Sampling

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Specific Criteria Suggestions Above and Beyond,
Extra Points

• Site Selection Assessment
• Site Specific, Attach Access Consent
• Access For Private Sites
• Refer to Written Agreement
• Attach Example of Written Agreement
• Past Experience Getting Access

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Contacts

• Brownfields National Homepage
• www.epa.gov/brownfields
• EPA Region 4 http//www.epa.gov/region4/waste/bf
  /index.htm