Free National Brownfields Conference in October!

FREE National Conference on Cleaning Up and Reusing Contaminated Properties Comes to Portland in October! Federal Grants to Local Governments Now Available!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) are proud to announce Brownfields 2003: Growing a Greener America is coming to the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, October 27 - 29, 2003.

Now in its 8th year, this national conference is THE premier event for discovering solutions to cleanup, redevelopment and community revitalization challenges. Join the leaders, innovators and decision makers in this growing field for three full days of innovative sessions, mobile workshops, exhibits, networking and information-sharing opportunities.

Best of all, this incredible event is FREE to attend. That’s right, there is no registration fee for this amazing learning and networking opportunity. You can easily register on-line at www.brownfields2003.org. At the website you can also see the official conference program containing more than 100 sessions with something for everyone – regardless of your brownfields experience. On-line registration is requested on or before October 10, 2003, however on-site registration will be available.

Special Features

Continuing Education Credits—For the first time, the National Brownfields Conference is pleased to announce that various continuing education credits will be available for professionals attending the conference. Credits for ICMA members, certified planners, and law and real estate professionals may be available. Check the conference website for details.

Pre- and Post-Conference Events—Several exciting excursions are being planned before and after the conference so attendees have the chance to experience Oregon. They include a "Brownfields Express Train Ride" with an overnight in Astoria, and trips to the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls, wineries that practice sustainable viticulture, and the Oregon coast, among others.

Did you know: This year EPA will award more than $100 million in Brownfields grants to states, tribes, local governments and non-profits? Come to the conference in Portland and learn how to take advantage of this great grant program!

Brownfields Grants Available from EPA: Proposals Due December 4th, 2003

EPA is seeking new proposals for our four competitive Brownfields grant programs: Assessment Grants, direct Cleanup Grants, Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Grants, and Job Training Grants. New Grant Proposal Guidelines describing how to apply should be available in September, 2003, with proposals due to EPA December 4th, 2003, for funding in the Summer of 2004.

Grants can be used for assessment and cleanup of properties known or suspected to be contaminated with hazardous substances, petroleum, drug lab wastes, and mine-scarred lands.

For more info or to discuss your potential proposal please call our EPA Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington) brownfields team at 1-800-424-4EPA, or email brincefield.timothy@epa.gov, morales.susan@epa.gov, karia.roopa@epa.gov or slater.mike@epa.gov. Further information is also available on EPA’s website at www.epa.gov/brownfields; the final Proposal Guidelines for this year should be published and made available on that website in mid-to-late September.

Brownfields monies can be used in a wide variety of urban and rural settings. Examples of where brownfields cleanup and redevelopment has occurred include:

Timber-related sites, like mills (may have a variety of contaminants) Dumpsites/landfills Mining impacted areas Petroleum contaminated areas -- bulk storage facilities, pipeline, pump stations, old gas stations, other places that have above ground storage tanks Powerstations Areas where the military action occurred (not DOD facilities) Areas affected by the railroad Former fish processing facilities Canneries Tanneries