The Hawai`i Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (HBCRLF) provides low-cost loans to eligible public and private entities to cleanup brownfields sites where economic or community development projects show the greatest need, exhibit long-term project viability and demonstrate the capacity of repayment. Contact the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism's Office of Planning at 808-586-2423.  For information on this and other brownfields benefits visit http://hawaii.gov/health/environmental/hazard/brownfields.html.

Under the Targeted Brownfields Assessment program, EPA Region 9 contractors conduct environmental site assessments for public agencies at brownfields where there are reuse plans. Contact Carolyn Douglas at 415-972-3092 or douglas.carolyn@epa.gov.

Under the EPA's Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) Communities program, CCLR provides in-kind technical assistance and training to communities and other stakeholders on brownfields issues with the goal of increasing the community's understanding and involvement in brownfield cleanup and revitalization. The TAB grants serve as an independent source of information assisting communities with community involvement, better understanding the health impacts of brownfield sites, science and technology relating to brownfield site assessment, remediation, and site preparation activities, brownfield finance questions, and information on integrated approaches to brownfield cleanup and redevelopment. Contact Ignacio Dayrit at 415-398-1080 x107 or ignacio.dayrit@cclr.org.

Originally signed into law in 1997 and extended through December 31, 2011, the Brownfields Tax Incentive encourages the cleanup and reuse of brownfields. Under the Brownfields Tax Incentive, environmental cleanup costs are fully deductible in the year incurred, rather than capitalized and spread over time. Improvements in 2006 expanded the tax incentive to include petroleum cleanup.

To be consistent with the Federal law, the Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 128D, also known as State of Hawaii Environmental Response Law, was amended to add a definition for "bona fide prospective purchaser". The bill was signed into law and became effective in 2009. The law provides opportunity for voluntary environmental cleanup, encourages urban redevelopment, and promotes cleanup of abandoned or unused contaminated properties.

Please find HRS 128D at http://hawaii.gov/health/environmental/hazard/docs/hrs128d.pdf.

The Fast Track Cleanup (FTC) program is designed to enable landowners or other private parties to conduct a voluntary investigation or cleanup under a simple agreement with Hawai'i Department of Health (HDOH) Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office (HEER). While still adhering to the State Contingency Plan (SCP), FTC offers a fundamentally different approach by placing a greater burden of technical justification on the participant, with less intermediate regulatory review and approval of multiple work plans and other interim report submittals. The focus of FTC is to streamline and expedite the assessment, cleanup, and closure process at removal action sites.

For more information, please visit: http://hawaii.gov/health/environmental/hazard/fasttrack.html.

The purpose of the VRP is to streamline the cleanup process to encourage prospective developers, lenders, and purchasers to voluntarily cleanup properties. The VRP facilitates the cleanup process and, in certain situations, provides relief from the strict liability provisions of the Federal CERCLA and Hawai'i ERL. Contact the VRP Program at 808-586-4249.

For more information on the VRP visit http://hawaii.gov/health/environmental/hazard/voluntaryresponseprogram.html.

Follow the URL below to view the May 2011 issue of the HEER News, an e-newsletter produced by the Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office (HEER Office) of the Hawaii State Department of Health. The newsletter provides updates on current activities, policy development, future plans, and features stories on recent projects of interest to the local environmental community. To subscribe to the distribution list and announcements, please contact Vicky Aki at vicky.aki@tetratech.com.