Brownfields

Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council

The Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council was awarded $500,000 in assessment funding to provide support to perform community-wide hazardous substance and petroleum assessments. The Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council staff members will be responsible for implementing this project, assisting in the prioritization of sites as well as disseminating information to the community. There are multiple brownfield sites within the target area in Moore Haven, Florida. The SWFRPC is proposing a four-year time frame to complete the assessment portion of its brownfields program. The awarded funding will support economic development projects generating a positive outcome for the region.

Project Description

This grant will fund up to 35 ASTM-AAI compliant Phase I ESAs (Environmental Site Assessments), 1 Generic Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP), 14 Phase II ESAs with Site Specific QAPPs, and up to 6 Remedial Action Plans (RAPs). This project aligns with the goals of the Southwest Florida Promise Zone Strategic Plan, the Comprehensive Plans of Collier, Glades, and Hendry Counties, and the Southwest Florida Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy 2017-2022 (CEDS). The CEDS specifically identifies brownfield remediation and redevelopment as a focus and places a high priority on equitable development and sustainable practices. CEDS examples include:

• Objective 2.2.1: Integrate alternative modes of travel, including walkability, in new and existing communities.

• Objective 2.2.2: Promote safe, healthy built environments and ensure access to high quality healthcare, including primary, specialty, and ancillary services.

• Objective 2.3.3: Expand housing options that support the local workforce by planning development near employment and transportation centers.

• Objective 3.1.1: Develop a plan for the design and funding of a multimodal, interconnected transportation system which sustains local livability and serves regional hubs for global, national, and state distribution of goods and movement of people.