PUBLIC NOTICE: Southeast Louisiana Regional Criminalistics Laboratory Commission Meeting

The Southeast Louisiana Regional Criminalistics Laboratory Commission will hold a special meeting on Friday, October 2nd, 2020 at 11:30 a.m. at the office of South Central Planning and Development Commission, 5058 West Main Street, Houma, LA.  Anyone requiring reasonable accommodation is requested to contact South Central Planning and Development Commission three days in advance of the meeting at (985) 851-2900 to discuss the particular accommodations needed.

PUBLIC NOTICE: Corona Recovery Committee Meeting (Sept. 30) CANCELLED

Due to the lack of required documents being returned in a timely manner from applicants, our weekly Corona Recovery Committee Meeting for tomorrow is CANCELLED!

Please keep next week’s meeting on your calendar: Wednesday, October 7th @ 3:00 PM!

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Louisiana’s South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) will receive a $300,000 Revolving Loan Fund

DALLAS – (June 12, 2020) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Louisiana’s South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) will receive a $300,000 Revolving Loan Fund for its South Louisiana Brownfields Coalition. The grant is part of $6.9 million in supplemental funding EPA is providing for 25 current successful Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (Revolving Loan) grantees.

The SCPDC Brownfields Coalition will focus the supplemental funding to complete several existing projects. These include the Lafayette Courthouse Development, turning three buildings into a mixed-use facility with 66 multi-family units and 23,700 square feet of commercial space; the Lenox-Hotard American Legion cleanup to provide further services to the elderly and veteran community; the Joseph J. Cefalu Power Plant, for reuse by the city of Morgan Public Works operations; and the St. Luc French Immersion and Cultural Campus, for reuse as a business incubator and French cultural center.

“The South Central Planning and Development Commission continuously shows creativity and foresight in selecting properties for Brownfields funding and transforming them for new purposes,” said Regional Administrator Ken McQueen. “This funding will allow them to continue their work of creating new economic assets for the benefit of many South Louisiana parishes and communities.”

“SCPDC is pleased to be selected as one of the grantees for EPA’s Brownfields RLF grant. Through the $300,000 award of the supplemental funding, the pursuit of cleanup planning and implementation will continue throughout our South Louisiana Brownfields Coalition RLF program’s regional area,” said Chief Executive Officer Kevin Belanger. “EPA’s great relationship and continued support have allowed us to sustain a continual source of funding for our committed and potential brownfields cleanup activities and ongoing management of our RLF program. Throughout our past and continuing coordination with EPA, we thank you for the support of SCPDC’s Brownfields Coalition RLF program initiative and look forward to revitalizing our communities!”

All communities receiving supplemental funds have census tracks designated as federal Opportunity Zones within their jurisdiction. An Opportunity Zone is an economically distressed community where new investment, under certain conditions, may be eligible for preferential tax treatment. Most often, those who reside near these sites are low-income, minority, and disadvantaged Americans. When coupled with leveraged funds, such as other Brownfield grants or Opportunity Funds, Revolving Loans can be a powerful tool for revitalizing a community of need.

When Revolving Loans are repaid, the loan amount is returned to the fund and lent to other borrowers, providing an ongoing source of capital within a community. To date, EPA’s Revolving Loan grantees across the country have completed 759 cleanups and attracted approximately 45,000 jobs and $8.4 billion in public and private funding.

Background
A brownfield is a property where the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. There are estimated to be more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S.

https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-300000-southern-louisiana-brownfield-sites

Buying or Selling Property with Underground Storage Tanks, such as Old Abandoned Gas Stations?

South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) currently has U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfield Assessment funding to assess properties for the cleanup and reuse of petroleum-contaminated sites. Funding may be used for sites that are contaminated with petroleum substances (such old gas stations, auto service businesses, factories, mill sites, shipyards, transit stations, junkyards, etc.)

So, what is a Brownfield? Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized 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. A limited amount of Petroleum Site Assessment Grant funds is available to conduct Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs). A Phase I ESA helps identify potential contaminants on a site as well as recommending clean up options. A Phase II ESA provides a more detailed analysis of site conditions, the cleanup required per industry standards, and any follow-up monitoring of the site post-cleanup.

Want more information on SCPDC’s Brownfield Program and to determine if your petroleum site is eligible for brownfield funding? Contact our Brownfield Program Manager, Lesley Long at lesley@scpdc.org or (985) 851-2900.

More information can also be found at https://www.epa.gov/ust/petroleum-brownfields.

SCPDC will be applying for a FY 2021 EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant!

SCPDC is pleased to announce the agency is applying for a FY 2021 EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant that would allow it to take inventory of brownfield properties within the region, complete environmental assessment and raise awareness.

If awarded, the $300,000 grant may be used to address sites contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants (including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum) and petroleum. In South Central’s region are Lafourche, Terrebonne, Assumption, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist and St. Mary parishes.

For more information, please contact our Brownfields Program Manager – Lesley Long at 985-851-2900 or lesley@scpdc.org.