CCRPC Board Training Climate & Brownfields September 19, 2012 Julie Potter, Senior Planner

Objectives  Review CCRPC’s air, energy and climate-related activities  Review CCRPC’s Brownfields activities  Questions & answers

Air Quality, Energy and Climate  UPWP Task  Multi-year program; MPO funded  Identify and recommend policies and actions at the regional, local and individual level that would help the region reduce energy consumption, air pollution and climate change and be resilient to future climate change impacts.

Air Quality  2010 in-house report: Keeping Our Air Clean  Research on air quality issues for the region  Implications of ozone non-attainment  Identify strategies to improve air quality

Air Quality Data

Major Air Quality Findings  Ozone concentrations are partly due to pollution from mid-west power plants and partly due local emissions  Major local sources: vehicles, solvent use, residential wood combustion, fossil fuel combustion  Air quality and climate change are linked through fossil fuel consumption  Recommendation to develop a climate action plan

Energy  Regional energy forums for municipal energy committees  $275K EECBG from federal stimulus – competitive grant program funded 8 local projects  VEIC energy analysis study for ECOS project

Climate Change Trends & Impacts  2012 in-house review Data showing changes in our climate Discussion of projections for our region Discussion of impacts to environment, public health, infrastructure, economy

Current Climate Activities  Regional greenhouse gas emissions inventory #1 source is transportation #2 source is heating fuels  Climate Action Plan Regional strategies and actions to address climate mitigation (reducing emissions) and climate adaptation (resiliency) Guides in appendix for municipalities, employers, and individuals  Coordinate with ECOS Regional Plan

Brownfields  Brownfield – “Real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.”  In most cases, the property owner is liable for clean up

Brownfields Activities  UPWP Task ; EPA grant funded  Assessment grants to conduct environmental studies of sites with known/suspected contamination  $200K over 3 years for petroleum sites  $200K over 3 years for hazardous sites  $200K petroleum; $200K hazardous  Preparing application for grants to start 2013  Assessment grants don’t pay for clean up!

What do we do?  Voluntary program  Hire qualified environmental consultant to: Review site history to identify concerns (Phase 1). Sample to determine what, if any, contamination actually exists (Phase 2). Determine appropriate clean-up actions and costs for planned redevelopment (Clean up plan).  Help identify funding sources for clean up.  Get idle/underutilized properties ready for redevelopment to productive use.

What have we done so far?  Browns Court, Burlington – parking lot proposed for downtown housing – Phase 1 and Phase 2 assessments  157 So. Champlain St, Burlington – former garage proposed for downtown housing – Phase 2 assessment and clean up estimates  3 Maple St, Essex Jct. – mixed use proposed for increased density – Phase 1 and Phase 2 assessments

What are we working on now?  Moran Plant/Waterfront North, Burlington – former power plant planned for public access development – sluiceway dams, clean up plan for interior, soils assessment  Richmond Creamery, Richmond – former creamery in village planned for mixed use development – Phase 1 and Phase 2 assessments, clean up planning  Bright Street, Burlington – house and garage planned for affordable housing – Phase 2

What are we working on now?  Winooski – historic tank inventory  Essex Jct. – Village center area-wide assessment  Urban Reserve, Burlington – gap analysis review of previous studies and planned supplemental sampling

Questions?