June 25th, 2010 - 12:00pm eastern
John Podgurski, USEPA Region I and Jim Rocco, Vita Nuova LLC

View slides from this webinar.

Worksheet 1, Worksheet 2, Worksheet 3, Worksheet 4, Worksheet 5, Worksheet 6, Worksheet 7

Description:

The June Sustainability Series webinar will be a presentation of the PREPARED workbook, developed in USEPA Region I. This revolutionary workbook is designed to help government entities facilitate the cleanup and revitalization of contaminated properties. Built around a risk management framework, the workbook utilizes worksheets to help municipalities identify potential obstacles to redevelopment and evaluate appropriate actions to address potential risks and liabilities to move properties forward toward redevelopment. This workbook will be important for individuals associated with government entities and project managers, environmental consultants, and other working with government entities to facilitate the redevelopment process.

The webinar will be led by John Podgurski, Land Revitalization Coordinator for USEPA Region I and Jim Rocco, primary author for Vita Nuova.

May 21, 2010 - 12:00pm eastern
Leslie Creane - Town Planner, Hamden, CT

A new approach to zoning encourages the protection of open space, the strategic location of denser mixed-use development and equitable infrastructure investment. Believe it or not, opportunity abounds when a municipality is "built-out!" It is possible to make land more profitable for a property owner and a municipality.

Sustainable development starts with creating the "big vision". What criteria should be used to develop that plan? How can structures positively contribute to the formation of the public realm? How do you determine where to actively preserve open space? What tools are available to encourage development that can adjust to changes in market demand? How can you increase your tax base? Where can you provide housing options for your children and your aging parents? Is it possible to integrate infrastructure improvements, quality design, mass transit, community gardens and economic start-ups in one development?

Click here to download slides from this webinar.

April 30, 2010 - 12:00pm eastern
Paul R. Michaud, Murtha Cullina LLP

Find out the story on renewable energy in New England. Paul is the former lead attorney for the CT Clean Energy Fund where he had an important role in bringing renewable energy to CT. Paul will discuss current incentives, current net metering policies and the status of offshore wind in New England. Hear from an expert.

Click here to download the presentation slides from this webinar.

Register today for Vita Nuova's monthly Sustainability Series Webinars - FREE and open to all! The webinars are held on the last Friday of each month for one hour and feature experts from around the country who present interesting and current discussions on sustainable development topics. 1 AICP CM credit is typically available per webinar - check www.planning.org for current credit availability.

Upcoming webinars include:

January 29, 2010: The June Key Delta House: Living Building from the Grassroots

February 26, 2010: LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings, "More than Just Chasing Points"

March 26th, 2010: Building Vibrant Communities - Linking Revitalization with Other Opportunities

In the June Key Delta House project, a sisterhood of primarily African/American women made the decision to embrace sustainability at its highest level. Their perseverance has begun the transformation of a blighted gas station/convenience store into a place for community education and outreach programs.   The June Key Delta House project will serve as a demonstration that Living Buildings can grow from the grassroots.  The project was initiated concurrent with the Living Building Standard 1.0 and is currently tracking each Petal.  Learn how the Owner and Architect worked in close collaboration to overcome barriers and seize opportunities.   Hear how first impressions changed against the realities of design, regulatory agencies.

Features of the building are the reuse of the service station structure, cargo containers, and large sheets of insulating glass diverted from landfill.  That the site is a brown field presented difficulties with the regulatory but created opportunities to enrich the project.  Water will be re-used and disposed of on-site within local regulations.  High efficiency heating and lighting will be balanced against a solar array to minimize cost and achieve net-zero energy.  Building material sourcing plays a major part in the design as Living Building and budget requirements inspire innovation.

Joe Bourg, SRA International

Joe Bourg, a Senior Energy Policy Official with SRA International, will provide a summary of the role of brownfield properties in supporting renewable energy development. His presentation will demonstrate the benefits of this approach to renewable development via a case study of one of EPA's Sustainable Pilot Projects, a feasibility study of a potential 10 MW solar photovoltaic power plant on a closed landfill in the City of Houston, Texas.  Joe will also discuss the lessons learned from this project, and the transferability of the study's approach and results to other potential sites around the country. 

October 30, 2009
Matthew Brener, GreensGrow Philadelphia Project

The Greensgrow Philadelphia Project (Greensgrow) is a nationally recognized center for the research, development, and dissemination of urban agricultural technology. Located on the site of a former steel-galvanizing plant in the Kensington neighborhood of north Philadelphia, Greensgrow has become a remarkable example of the successful transformation of blighted, vacant property into green, productive and profitable enterprise. The Greensgrow model for success includes the use of relatively low capitalization and operating costs, innovative and effective growing systems and marketing strategies that are well-suited for the urban environment, and a diversity of robust  income streams. After only 10 years of existence at its ¾-acre site on Cumberland Street, Greensgrow grossed over $700,000 in sales in the calendar year of 2008 creating 15 full-time and 4 part-time jobs.

September 25, 2009
Michele Mahoney, USEPA Office of Superfund Remediation & Technology Innovation

Ecological revitalization refers to the process of returning land from a contaminated state to one that supports a functioning and sustainable habitat.  Although the final decision on how a property is reused is inherently a local decision that often rests with the property owner, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actively supports and encourages ecological revitalization, when appropriate, during and after the assessment and cleanup of contaminated properties under its cleanup programs. Ecological revitalization of contaminated properties is consistent with EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment, and it is an integral component of EPA's cleanup programs.  Under its cleanup programs, EPA ensures that (1) ecological revitalization does not compromise the protectiveness of the cleanup and (2) the best interests of stakeholders are considered.  

EPA's cleanup programs have established initiatives that support ecological revitalization and provide a variety of tools, information resources, and technical assistance.  Collaboration and coordination with stakeholders is important for promoting ecological revitalization across EPA's programs.