DEPARTMENT: Center City Development & Operations
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Lori Houston
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
FY2015 Application for EPA Brownfields Grant
SUMMARY:
This ordinance authorizes the City to apply for and if awarded accept a $400,000.00 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Petroleum and Hazardous Community-Wide Assessment Grant to implement environmental site assessments to encourage the redevelopment of abandoned, vacant, or underutilized petroleum and hazardous contaminated sites located within targeted areas of the City of San Antonio.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
This ordinance authorizes the submittal of a grant application for a Brownfields Petroleum and Hazardous Community-Wide Assessment Grant. If awarded, EPA grant funds will be utilized to implement environmental assessments of sites that are perceived to be contaminated with hazardous and petroleum-based products. This funding will be directed to brownfields-impacted areas. The EPA Community-Wide Assessment Grant is a three year grant program.
The City was awarded a Hazardous Assessment grant in 1999 and a Petroleum Assessment grant in 2004. Both of these grants have been successfully closed out. The City of San Antonio's Center City Development & Operations Department created a dedicated Brownfields Program in the fall of 2011 to seek out additional brownfields grants opportunities and leverage existing internal and external resources to assist in redevelopment of brownfields properties. Since the program's creation, the City has applied for multiple grants, receiving over $85,000.00 in assistance from state and regional brownfields programs. The program also partnered with Metro Health to successfully apply for a $150,000.00 brownfields planning and community health grant. In total, the Brownfields Program assisted in developing 22 projects in FY 2013 and FY 2014, leveraging $32 million in investment.
Funds will be used to provide Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments, as well as Clean-Up Plans where applicable, to properties within three areas previously targeted for grant funds. These target areas include the near West Side, the Roosevelt Corridor, and an expanded area on the Eastside that encompass the Eastside Promise Zone. Phase I Environmental Site Assessments identify potential or existing environmental contamination liabilities. A Phase II assessment may be needed if the Phase I assessment identifies likely contaminants on the site.
The deadline for grant submittal for EPA's FY 2015 Community-Wide Assessment Grant is December 19, 2014.
ISSUE:
The perception of environmental contamination has prohibited the redevelopment of certain abandoned, vacant, or underutilized sites. Grant funds are available through the EPA to assess brownfields sites within targeted areas of San Antonio. The Center City Development & Operations Department works to remove barriers to redevelopment within the center city, and the redevelopment of brownfields sites is a key component of this effort.
ALTERNATIVES:
The City could elect not to apply for any brownfields assessment grant funds. Council provided funding from the General Fund for environmental site assessments for FY 2013 and FY 2014. This was provided as an initial seed investment in the early growth of the Brownfields Program, and was not meant to be a sustainable source of funds for Brownfields assessments in the community.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Petroleum and Hazardous Assessment grant does not require a match. If awarded, the City would receive $400,000.00 to fund site assessments within target areas. The funds will be managed by the Center City Development and Operations Department.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval to apply for and if awarded accept the EPA Brownfields Petroleum and Hazardous Community-Wide Assessment Grant.