Environmental Cleanup Partnership Expanded

Dec. 8, 1999
Showcase Communities serve as models for efforts in cleaning up and revitalizing brownfields.

Building on the success of reclaiming once-contaminated local sites for job-producing development, the Clinton-Gore Administration announced its Brownfields Showcase Communities initiative will be expanded to include 10 additional cities.

The Showcase Communities are the centerpiece of the Administration's Brownfields National Partnership and are eligible to receive Administration-wide assistance and coordinated technical support for environmental cleanup and economic revitalization.

The Showcase Communities serve as models for future cooperative efforts in cleaning up and revitalizing brownfields, creating jobs and stimulating local economies.

For example, Dallas, Texas is a Showcase Community that is successful. In just over two years, the Dallas Brownfields Program leveraged more than $109 million in private investment and $1.9 million in federal funds to facilitate brownfields redevelopment with support from EPA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Economic Development Administration (EDA). The program helped reclaim more than 1,200 acres of brownfields and anticipates the creation of more than 1,700 jobs.

In terms of funding, EPA more than doubled its total expenditures to address brownfields between 1997 and 1998 to more than $126 million. The General Services Administration obligated $1 million to fund environmental assessment on federal properties. Other funding support also came from HUD, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and EDA.

The Brownfields National Partnership Action Agenda Accomplishment Report said the Partnership represents a new national model for government reinvention and for public-private partnerships.

"The accomplishments of the Partnership illustrate that coordinating resources and expertise of federal agencies and non-governmental organizations with local and state efforts can expedite the cleanup of more brownfields and spur more sustainable economic reuse," the report said.

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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