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IFA > Indiana Brownfields > Sustainability Initiative Sustainability Initiative

The IFA’s Environmental Programs, which consist of the Indiana Brownfields Program and the State Revolving Fund (SRF) Loan Programs, continuously seek ways to stay on the forefront of national financial and environmental trends and meet Governor Daniels’ priority to attract new businesses, create more jobs, and improve the health of Hoosiers. Incorporating sustainability into the Indiana Brownfields Program and the SRF Loan Programs is a natural outgrowth of this goal. In Indiana and across the country, redevelopment professionals have been discovering the numerous benefits of sustainable redevelopment and green building practices, including increased profitability, more efficient use of resources, and improvements in the general well-being of the community. This Web page will highlight the Indiana communities already benefiting from sustainable redevelopment practices, as well as provide resources to help guide and encourage others to incorporate sustainability into their brownfield projects.

Indiana Brownfields Program and Sustainability

Brownfield redevelopment itself is a sustainable development practice. Reusing a brownfield site offers additional opportunities to reduce environmental impact through the reuse of existing site structures and infrastructure, the recycling of demolition materials, and other sustainable practices.

The Indiana Brownfields Program is making programmatic changes to encourage the incorporation of sustainable remediation and development techniques into Indiana’s brownfield redevelopment projects. The Program's financial incentive guidelines have been revised to add scoring criteria pertaining to projects that anticipate and plan for environmental benefits beyond the assessment and/or remediation of on-site contamination as demonstrated by the reuse of existing buildings, connection of the site to existing modes of transportation, new construction of LEED-certified buildings, use of renewable energy sources, etc. For more information, click here to view individual financial assistance guidelines.

Examples of Sustainable Indiana Brownfield Redevelopment Successes

Items of Interest

U.S. EPA Resources Available for Local Governments on Transportation Control Measures, Smart Growth, and Energy Efficiency in Affordable Housing
  • New and Updated U.S. EPA Resources Available for Local Governments on Transportation Control Measures, Smart Growth, and Energy Efficiency in Affordable Housing.  U.S. EPA's State and Local Climate and Energy Program has released three documents that give straightforward overviews of how local governments can use transportation control measures, smart growth principles, and energy efficiency in affordance housing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  These documents are part of the Loal Government Climate and Energy Strategy Series, which helps policy makers and program staff plan, implement, and evaluate cost-effective climate and energy projects that generate economic, environmental, social, and human health benefits. 
    • NEW:  Transportation Control Measures, developed jointly with U.S. EPA's Office of Transportation & Air Quality
    • UPDATED:  Smart Growth
    • UPDATED:  Energy Efficiency in Affordable Housing

In 2009, U.S. EPA, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Department of Transportation formed the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to help communities increase transportation choices, improve access to affordable housing, and lower transportation costs while protecting the environment. Although these documents are not issued by the Partnership, they support Partnership goals by helping communities integrate energy efficiency, transportation efficiency, and smart growth principles into their climate protection programs.

Learn more at http://www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/resources/strategy-guides.html

  • Interim Resource Guide:  Greener Cleanups thorugh Sustainable Materials Management.  This resource guide, released by U.S. EPA Region 5 in May 2001, will help you find opportunities to:
    • reuse and recycle the construction and demolition debris generated on sites as part of the cleanup;
    • use compost for erosion control;
    • use compost, foundry sand, and other materials as soil amendments or growing medium;
    • incorporate native plants to reduce long-term maintenance and protect water quality;
    • use recycled or reclaimed materials as fill or as a component in pavements;

The document addresses benefits, techniques, and specifications, and includes a number of project spotlights to give real-world examples of these techniques being used in remediations around the Midwest.  The document is available here

  • U.S. EPA: RE-Powering America's Land Initiative Management Plan.  Resources from U.S. EPA to Evaluate Renewable Energy Development Potential on Indiana Sites. U.S. EPA is encouraging the development of renewable energy by identifying currently and formerly contaminated lands and mining sites that present opportunities for renewable energy development. Through the following link, http://www.epa.gov/renewableenergyland/, you will find information and resources for developers, industry, and anyone interested in renewable energy development on formerly contaminated land and mining sites. EPA's Fact Sheet with specific information pertaining to Indiana Incentives for Clean and Renewable Energy and Development of Contaminated Land can be found at :   http://www.epa.gov/renewableenergyland/incentives/in_incentives.pdf.

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Archive of Past Items

March 9, June 8, September 14, 2012
DEADLINE: Economic Development Administration's (EDA) Economic Development Assistance Program Grants for Renewable
Energy/Energy Efficiency Projects
Contact EDA for help in preparing your application.  For more information, click here.

March 28, 2012
DEADLINE: Sustainable Land Re-Use Tools for Practitioners Registration
To register and for more information: Please contact Verle Hansen at 513-569-7326, hansen.verle@epa.gov and see the flyer here. 

April 17 and 23, 2012
WEBINAR SERIES: U.S. EPA TechDirect National Association of Remedial Project Managers (NARPM) Presents: Two Webinars from th 2011 NARPM Greener Cleanups Sessions
1:00pm -3:00pm EDT
For more information and to register, see http://clu-in.org/live.

April 19, 2012
WORKSHOP: Sustainable Land Re-Use Tools for Practitioners
Cincinnati, OH
This workshop is Free.  To register and for more information: Please contact Verle Hansen at 513-569-7326, hansen.verle@epa.gov.  See the flyer here.  See the Agenda here.

May 10-11, 2012
CONFERENCE: Midwestern Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference
http://www.greenjobsconference.org/
Detroit, Michigan

May 22, 2012
Renewable Energy on Contaminated Land: Tools for Local Governments
2:00PM-3:30PM EDT - This webinar will provide an overview of tools available to local governments to help them get renewable energy projects built on contaminated land in their community.  Through its RE-Powering America's Land Initiative, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging renewable energy development on current and formerly contaminated land and mining sites.  EPA has identified thousands of acres of Brownfield, Superfund, mining and other potentially contaminated sites with potential for utility scale solar facilities.  Siting renewable energy facilities on brownfields offers significant benefits to communities.  During this session, Shea Jones with EPA's RE-Powering America's Land Initiative will highlight some of the recent tools developed by EPA, including two decision trees that were created to screen potentially contaminated and underutilized sites for solar and wind potentital and a draft best practice guide for siting solar on landfills.  Joshua Huneycutt with DOE's Sun Shot Initiative will discuss DOE's compilation of best practices titled "Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments."  Anjali Patel with the National Association of Local Government Environmental Professionals (NALGEP) will provide an overview of NALGEP's "Gultivating Green Energy on Brownfields: A Nuts and Bolts Primer for Local Governments."  Finally, Stephanie Wang with the Clean Coalitiion will describe the "Local CLEAN Program Guide," which helps local policymakers and advocates across the nation design, implement and campaign for CLEAN Programs.  For more information and to register, see http://clu-in.org/live.

Calls for Ideas Deadline Extended to August 24, 2012
DEADLINE: The Brownfields 2013 Call for Ideas
http://www.brownfieldsconference.org/en/Article/83/The_Brownfields_2013_Call_for_Ideas_is_Now_Open?pub=1&issue=Issue+2

September 14, 2012
DEADLINE: Economic Development Administration's (EDA) Economic Development Assistance Program Grants for Renewable Energy/Energy Efficient Projects
Contact EDA for help in preparing your application.  For more infrmation, click here.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is seeking public comment on a new strategy that would make cleanups at hazardous waste sites greener.  The Superfund Green Remediation Strategy is an initial effort to outline key actions and related activities that can be undertaken to promote green remediation and to reduce energy use.  Click here for more information. 

WEBINAR: August 10, 2011, 1:00pm-3:00pm - Greener Cleanups - EPA's Methodology for Understanding and Reducing a Project's Environmental Footprint
For more information and to register, click here

WEBINAR: September 30, 2011, 12:00pm-1:00pm - Framework for Integrating Sustainability into Environmental Remediation Projects
http://www.vitanuova.net/journal/2011/06/september-30-2011---framework-for-integrating-sustainability-into-environmental-remediation-projects.html or http://www.vitanuova.net/journal/upcoming-webinars/

SEMINAR: October 20, 2011, 1:00pm-3:00pm - Indianapolis Chapter Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) Trade Show Seminar - Responsible Brownfield Redevelopment - Demolition, Deconstruction or Building Reuse, Indianapolis, Indiana - for more information and to register see http://indianapolis.csinet.org/Functional-Menu-Category/Upcoming-Events/CSI-Indy-Trade-Show-Seminar.aspx

WEBINAR: October 28, 2011, 12:00pm-1:00pm EDT - Developing a Business Plan for an Urban Farm - for more information and to register, see http://www.vitanuova.net/journal/2011/04/october-28-2011---developing-a-business-plan-for-an-urban-farm.html or http://www.vitanuova.net/journal/upcoming-webinars/

February 9, 2010
U.S. EPA Region 5: A Greener Cleanup Workshop - free workshop
Chicago, IL and by video-enhanced Webinar
View workshop details. | Presentations | U.S. EPA Region 5 Greener Cleanup Interim Policy - added March 2010
April 14-16, 2010
Sustainable Property Transactions: Retooling the Business of Contaminated Site Redevelopments
Philadelphia, PA at the Sheraton Society Hill Hotel
Read Press Release | Register Now!

September 15, 2009 
Workshop: Tapping into the Emerging Green Economy: Green Economic Development Strategies for Community and Brownfield Redevelopment
Indianapolis, IN 
Click here for more information.

October 8, 2009
Sustainable Development:  Building Green on Brownfield Sites
Chicago, IL
http://www.brownfieldassociation.org/EducationTraining/tabid/59/Default.aspx

Brownfields, Renewables, and Carbon - US and EU Perspectives on Site Cleanup and Climate Change
Internet Seminar- May 26, 2009
http://clu-in.org/live/#Brownfields,_Renewables,_and_Carbon_-_US_and_EU_Perspectives_on_Site_Cleanup_and_Climate_Change_20090526

U.S. EPA Webcast Series: Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/outreach_files/webcast_flyer_green_infrastructure.pdf


Disclaimer

Mention of non-Indiana Finance Authority (IFA) Web site links does not constitute an IFA endorsement of their contents, only an acknowledgement that they exist and may be relevant to our brownfields redevelopment stakeholders.