Oregon Coalition Brownfields Cleanup Fund provides loans for site cleanup to, with certain exceptions, any individual, business, nonprofit organization, prospective purchaser, municipality, special district, port or tribe, for sites where economic or community development projects show the greatest need, exhibit long-term project viability and demonstrate the capacity of repayment. A limited amount of funding is available in grants for projects on properties owned by municipalities or nonprofit organizations. Contact Karen Homolac at 503-986-0191 or karen.homolac@biz.state.or.us.

Oregon Department of Business Development's Brownfields Redevelopment Fund assists private persons and local governments to evaluate, cleanup and redevelop brownfields for community revitalization. Contact Karen Homolac at 503-986-0191 or karen.homolac@biz.state.or.us

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's Site Specific Assessments provide free site assessments to public and quasi-public entities designed to promote redevelopment or property transfer.  Contact Gil Wistar at 503-229-5512 or wistar.gil@deq.state.or.us.

EPA Region 10 provides Targeted Brownfield Assessments (TBAs) which are designed to inventory, characterize, and assess brownfield sites using EPA contractors. The TBA program is open for requests year round, and features a non competitive application process for the award of assessment services. Contact Joanne LaBaw at 206-553-2594 or labaw.joanne@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.

Under the Voluntary Cleanup Pathway (VCP), DEQ provides flexible oversight throughout the investigation and cleanup. This option is available for voluntary high priority sites, as well as lower priority sites. Work can be completed as part of a site development project, as operable units, or based on an annual budget.

The Independent Cleanup Pathway (ICP) assists parties wishing to clean up contaminated sites without ongoing DEQ oversight. If a cleanup is protective of human health and the environment and is consistent with cleanup regulations, DEQ will issue a No Further Action (NFA) letter to the responsible party when the cleanup activities are completed, reviewed, and approved. The ICP is specifically designed for low and medium priority sites; it is not available for high priority sites.

A Prospective Purchaser Agreement (PPA) is a legally binding agreement between the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and a prospective purchaser or lessee of real property that limits liability for environmental cleanup of the property. In return for this liability release, the PPA must provide the state with a substantial public benefit.

In exchange for liability relief from cleanups and cleanup costs, dry cleaners pay fees that go into a fund used to clean up solvent contamination at dry cleaner sites. The law protects dry cleaners, under specified circumstances, from individually having to pay for environmental damage caused by the use of dry cleaning solvents at their establishments.

June 13 & 14, 2012
Portland, OR

Register Now!

The conference will provide an exceptional learning and networking opportunity for those working to make contaminated properties economically viable for reuse. The Oregon Brownfields Conference is designed to target the educational needs of brownfields practitioners - from long-time brownfields professionals to those just entering into the process of transforming old contaminated sites into productive properties. The theme "Getting to Development" reflects the hands-on, practical nature of this year's event. Visit website below for details.