Panhandle Ara Development District Seeking Applicants For Brownfield Assessment Funds

The Panhandle Area Development District (PADD) received funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help communities in the 11 counties of the panhandle to redevelop potential brownfield sites.

Brownfields are properties with a real or perceived presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant which may hinder the redevelopment or reuse of the property. These properties may have previously been used as a factory, packing plant, or other industrial uses and may possibly be contaminated from leftover by products from its original use. These properties may also simply be old and have been built with materials that are no longer considered safe (lead paint, asbestos, etc.).

These funds will assist with the completion of Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) on these properties. ESA’s can happen in two phases. A Phase I site assessment looks at the historical use of the property and gives the owner or prospective buyer a recommendation on whether further testing is needed.

If the recommendation for further testing is indicated from the Phase I, the owner or buyer can decide whether or not to have a Phase II assessment done. A Phase II site assessment conducts tests on the property to determine the presence of hazards, contaminants or pollutants.

The information gathered from a Phase I or Phase II site assessment will give owners or prospective buyers the knowledge of the true story of the property. This information can help sell or redevelop the building or property for reuse.

PADD is ready to assist property owners and interested buyers with Phase I and Phase II site assessments. Interested property owners should contact PADD to complete an access agreement and a brownfields funding application. Following review and acceptance of the application, the next step is either environmental site assessments for property owners or redevelopment visioning for communities.

Redevelopment visioning is a tool for communities to plan for new uses and additional redevelopment resources.

For more information on brownfields assessment funding, contact Megan Koppenhafer, Community Planner at PADD at 308-633-6829 or at [email protected].