[CPEO-BIF] Automobile plants

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

Now available from EPA:

"Shifting Gears: Driving Toward Auto Sector Property Revitalization"


The automobile, long a symbol of the American Dream, spurred economic 
development in the 20th century and created a complex industry across 
the United States. Automobile manufacturing grew into a vast array of 
supporting industry sectors, all centered on meeting the demands of the 
driving consumer. As the industry grew, it came to employ hundreds of 
thousands of workers and established itself as the economic hub for 
hundreds of United States cities. The growth of the U.S. auto industry 
transformed the nation's economy as well as the landscape of thousands 
of acres of commercial and industrial property across the country.

U.S. automobile manufacturing reached its peak in the 1980s. In 1987, 
the industry employed 751,000 workers and generated annual revenue in 
the hundreds of billions. Since then, plant restructuring, technological 
advancements in automobile assembly and manufacturing, and increased 
international competition are resulting in the consolidation and closing 
of U.S. manufacturing plants. In addition, many of the parts used in 
automobile production are increasingly being manufactured overseas.

...

The economics and landscape of the Midwest states are particularly hard 
hit by recent changes in automobile manufacturing. Between 1997 and 
2002, nine motor vehicle manufacturing plants closed in U.S. EPA's 
Region 5 (i.e., Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and 
Wisconsin) alone, and many became brownfield properties.

Plant closings leave a physical mark upon municipal landscapes. 
Underutilized, idled and often contaminated properties that need to be 
cleaned up and revitalized are blighting many Midwestern cities and 
towns. These communities often are struggling to put these properties 
back into productive use and rejuvenate their local economies. This 
report illustrates the significant impact that idled properties are 
having on many communities. This report's purposes are to provide 
background, success stories and lessons learned for municipalities 
dealing with these properties; illustrate the opportunities for 
sustainable redevelopment; and offer ideas to help reduce the impact of 
future plant closures.

...

 The challenges posed by auto industry brownfields also can offer 
opportunities for communities, regulatory authorities, the automotive 
industry and other stakeholders to work together to redevelop these 
properties and revive local economies. This report presents case studies 
of successful automotive property redevelopment projects and offers 
lessons learned from some successful redevelopment case studies. The 
case studies provide real life or information needed to address the 
complex examples of how municipalities can navigate complex issues 
associated with former automotive properties and address similar sites 
in their own communities. In many cases, revitalization can be 
facilitated by partnerships forged between communities and the 
manufacturers themselves.

…

To download the full, 34-page, 2.7 MB report, go to 
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/policy/autosector.pdf,



--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org



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