Sarah Sieloff is a Haley & Aldrich contaminated site expert based in the Pacific Northwest. She recently published the article “A New Forgivable Loan Program Targets Oregon’s Private Brownfield Owners” in the Urban Land Institute’s Urban Land Magazine.
Sarah describes the history of Oregon’s brownfields cleanup program and its latest development — a $5 million Brownfields Properties Revitalization Fund (BPRF) announced in early 2023. The BPRF offers forgivable loans to private property owners and operators for the remediation of contaminated sites. It also reimburses loan recipients up to $500,000 for enhancing remediated sites with features such as electric vehicle charging stations and affordable housing.
The BPRF, Sarah notes, is one of the few programs to offer what are essentially grants to private entities for brownfield redevelopment. The fund’s launch marks the culmination of years of lobbying by the Oregon Brownfield Coalition, a group of more than 50 public, private, and nonprofit members. In her article Sarah details the Oregon Brownfield Coalition’s history and work, describing it as “instructive for anyone with a stake in land reuse, infill, and sustainability” and concluding that it is “both remarkable and provides a potential model for other jurisdictions.”
Read the full article on Urban Land’s website.
