City of Scranton Brownfields Assessment Project
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The City of Scranton has received a $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Program. The grant will provide funding to the City of Scranton to assist with identifying abandoned industrial
properties for potential redevelopment, The City is one of 209 communities nationwide receiving more than $74 million in Brownfields-related funding. The City plans to use the grant to develop an inventory of Brownfields within the City, and then perform environmental assessments on priority sites to identify issues of concern and help prepare them for sale and/or redevelopment. Grant money will be available to assist with site assessments for environmental due diligence and reuse planning at properties where a committed developer and redevelopment plan have been identified.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Brownfields?  
What does the grant actually do?
What is the point of these assessments?
How does the City determine which properties get assessed?
How can I get my property considered for a free environmental assessment?
Where did the City come up with the money for this program?
Who do I talk to if I have further questions?
What if you own or know of a potential Brownfields site?

What are Brownfields?

Brownfields are defined as "real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated
by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant."

What does the grant actually do?

The main goal of the project is to create a comprehensive inventory of Brownfields is the City. Also, the grant will pay for 2 kinds of environmental assessments for both public and privately-owned properties. A Phase I assessment is a comprehensive paper records search that may or may not require  physical access to a site. A Phase II assessment involves collecting on-site soil/water samples, test borings and other activities, results of which are analyzed in a laboratory.

What is the point of these assessments?

These environmental assessments will determine the cleanliness of a particular site and what is required to bring the property
in compliance with its future usage. A property where people would reside [including a mixed-use development] would require a higher level of scrutiny than a parking lot or an exclusively commercial or industrial property. These assessments can help provide answers to long-held questions about cleanup costs. These assessments are often required in order to redevelop property in urban areas, and can cost property owners thousands of dollars. The City has the money to do this work for free for selected sites. The professional firm Duffield Associates of Philadelphia won a public procurement and is handling all of the scientific work on
this project.

Does the grant pay for clean-up costs?

No, the grant does not cover actual clean-up. However, receiving this assessment money is the first step
in receiving federal clean-up funds, if the need warrants.

How does the City determine which properties get assessed?

The Brownfields Advisory Group being formed will meet and make recommendations of properties to be assessed. The committee will include local residents, property owners and other interested in Brownfields identification and cleanup. Grant money will be available to assist with site assessments for environmental due diligence and reuse planning at properties where a committed developer and redevelopment plan have been identified.

Where did the City come up with the money for this program?

The City won a competitive federal grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. All of the funding for activities associated with this program is entirely paid with these federal grant funds. The taxpayers of the City of Scranton are not supporting this program with one penny outside of what the federal government provides through this grant. The EPA reimburses the City for allowable costs up to $200,000.

Who do I talk to if I have further questions?

Feel free to contact Donald King, AICP, the City's Brownfields Assessment Grant Coordinator, at 348-4280 or dking@scrantonpa.gov.

What if you own or know of a potential Brownfields site?

Again, Feel free to contact Donald King, AICP, the City's Brownfields Assessment Grant Coordinator, at 348-4280 or dking@scrantonpa.gov or attend the first meeting of the Scranton Brownfields Advisory Group that will take place February 24, 2010 from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the Scranton City Hall, Governor's Room, 340 N. Washington Avenue. Community members interested in being involved in the advisory group should contact Ed Shoener at 570-489-6920 prior to the meeting.