Track C: Leveraging Financial Resources

Mary Kay Santore, Environmental Protection Specialist, Environmental Protection Agency

• Innovative Community Partnerships -- This program was initiated as a demonstration project in May, 2000 and has awarded 11 small grants to states, communities and organizations looking to promote the concepts of Smart Growth to make their communities cleaner and more livable. The grants act as seed money to leverage further investment in innovative locally-developed solutions to restore community water and air sheds; integrate planning efforts to foster better environmental outcomes; and promote environmentally responsible development and revitalization techniques. As an example, Concord, NH received a grant to supplement their 2020 Vision for Concord initiative, which was awarded an FY 2000 TCSP grant. The city of Concord, the New Hampshire DOT, and a non-profit local development organization are working together on a community vision for restoring the downtown and revitalizing the waterfront.
• Smart Growth INDEX Pilots -- Smart Growth INDEX is a planning tool developed with Criterion Planners of Portland, OR. It is a GIS-based model that allows communities to look at the different environmental, transportation and community trade-offs associated with different transportation and development scenarios. In 2000, proposals were solicited and 20 pilot sites were selected to use the tool to provide assistance in long range community planning, infill or brownfields redevelopment, and updating transportation plans. The pilot program does not provide financial resources, but provides a copy of the software and technical assistance for installation and usage.
• Mobile Source Outreach Assistance -- The EPA Office of Transportation and Air Quality administers the Mobile Source Outreach Assistance competition. The program supports state and local air management associations with public education and outreach efforts to improve air quality from mobile sources. The program is designed to provide seed money to initiate new projects or to advance existing projects that are being presented to new audiences or locations. The program emphasizes voluntary measures, commuter choice, and transportation choices. While an air pollution control agency is the only eligible recipient for these grants, agencies are encouraged to create partnerships with other interested organizations. As an example, the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services, in partnership with the Washington Area Bicycling Association, received $73,200 to offer and publicize customized bicycle commuting routes on-line. For more information, please contact Susan Bullard at 202-564-9856.
• "It All Adds Up to Cleaner Air" -- This program, jointly operated by DOT and EPA, is designed to inform the public about the connections between transportation choices, traffic congestion, air pollution, and public health. The program is geared toward public agencies that have a responsibility to plan and implement transportation and air quality projects. Such agencies include MPOs, state DOTs, Councils of Governments (COGs) and air quality agencies. Currently the program includes 12 selected demonstration communities that have a documented air quality problem, a committed public awareness campaign, strong community partnerships, and dedicated personnel and financial resources. Federal support includes limited funding, creative materials, and a resource toolkit.
• Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative -- Brownfields are sites or portions of a site that have actual or perceived contamination and a potential for redevelopment and reuse. Many of these sites are located in infrastructure-rich areas of cities. There are three Brownfields programs:
  • Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots -- Grants are awarded under this pilot program to assess sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models. There are currently 365 pilots, each funded up to $200,000 over two years.
  • Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund -- Stakeholders have told the EPA that the primary brownfield need was more money for cleanup. In response, EPA initiated this loan fund in 1997. The EPA can provide grants of up to $500,000 to pilot programs to establish a revolving loan fund. As funds are repaid, loans for new cleanup sites can be made to other pilot programs.
  • Job Training and Development Pilots -- This program is designed to prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field. Awards of up to $200,000 over two years can be made to universities, non-profit training centers, states, tribes and community job-training organizations.

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