nvironment
How to Achieve Win-Win on the Industrial Waterfront
§* to,
S£
-,-v
A Guide to Sustainable Redevelopment Practices
by The Elizabeth River Project
Prepared unctof oonlrKt to ttw U«S* EnvlroniiMfital Protection AQ§ncy( Rijlon 3
-------
DISCLAIMERS
This publication was prepared by a private entity under
contract to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Region 3 (EPA). The content herein does not consti-
tute the policies or positions of EPA. nor does EPA by
contracting for this publication endorse any viewpoints.
persons or entities described herein or connected in any
way to this work.
The Elizabeth River Project has researched information
presented to the best of our ability. However, neither The
Elizabeth River Project nor its employees or volunteers.
nor any industry, company, business or any employee or
representative of those entities makes any claim, war-
ranty, or representation whatsoever expressed or implied
with respect to the use of any information, apparatus.
method, process, or similar item shared, recommended.
or suggested in this guidebook, including merchantability
and fitness for a particular purpose: or assumes respon-
sibility for any damages or other liability whatsoever
including any consequential damages resulting from any
use of stated information. Web addresses correct as of
September 2008.
Publication Date: September 30. 2008
Prepared by:
Elizabeth River Project
.\fitking >t:*rti>;irit»i „• mi I in'. _£.'
The r li/alu'lh River Project
475 Water Street. Suite Cl 03A
Portsmouth, Virginia 23704
Phone: 757-399-7487
www.elizabethriver.org
Prepared for:
US EPA Region 3
Brownfields Land Revitalization Branch
1650 Arch Street (3HS51)
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2029
Phone: 215-814-5000, Hotline for environment;
questions
Coverphnto: BAE S\xtems Norfolk ship repair (fonuc/iv NORSIIIl'CO) restored weilundx and m.xter reej'x.
-------
Table of Conten
Executive Summary - "Doin' Right by the River" - What's In it for You? 5
Introduction - The Satisfaction of Finding the Balance 7
Chapter 1 - Preventing Pollution, the Basic Win-Win 11
Plan your approach 11
Keys to successful plans 13
Reduce: Pollution is often a product you throw away 15
Reuse: One man's trash is another's treasure • 19
Recycle is an old favorite 19
Chapter 2 - Wildlife Habitat: Making Room on the Urban Waterfront 20
The shoreline: The critical zone 20
Design a healthy shoreline by limiting encroachment 21
Minimize dredging: The bottom of the river is also critical wildlife habitat 22
Halt erosion with a living shoreline 23
Create a bioengineered shoreline 25
Conserve or restore wetlands 26
Add or protect a vegetated buffer 28
Landscape with native plants 28
Reduce pesticides and fertilizers 30
Consider habitat needs specific to your area 31
Conserve your habitat for the long term 32
Chapter 3 - Stormwater Runoff, the Big Payoff 34
Principles for reducing polluted runoff 35
Menu of effective practices for runoff control 36
Take the traditional stormwater pond to a more effective level 39
Consider mechanical devices to solve urban challenges 40
Big ideas that could change the world 41
Chapter 4 - Redeveloping the Contaminated Site 43
Conduct "All Appropriate Inquiry" to reduce your liability 44
Clean up to a level appropriate for your use 45
Try putting plants to work phytoremediation 46
Chapter 5 -Green Buildings for Global Sustainability 48
Energy efficiency: for big savings 49
Design as a "system" and reduce overall costs 49
Make sustainable building material choices 50
Sustainable building materials 51
-------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 6 - Three Case Studies 55
Case Study 1 - Earl Industries: A Shipyard Conserves the Shore and Models Modern Stormwater Controls
A diverse committee agrees on guiding principles 56
The controversial undeveloped 22 acres 58
Addressing Stormwater: low impact development strategies 60
Case Study 2 - ARM Terminals Virginia: Seeking Sustainability on a Mega Scale 61
The precendent-setting regulatory mitigation 61
Aggressive Stormwater controls 63
"Raising the bar" - operation efficiency that also prevents pollution 65
A pro-active commitment to staying clean 65
Case Study 3 • Southern Branch Corridor. Elizabeth River: Seeking Synergy Across
Multiple Sites 67
Stakeholder guiding principles: A pivotal step 70
Guiding principles - Southern Branch corridor 70
Applying the principles: Belharbour proposed condominiums 71
Applying the principles: Smiling Earth proposed biodiesel site 72
Applying the principles: IBE propsed ethanol site 73
Applying the principles: Atlantic Wood Superfund site 74
Resources
Acknowledgements
River Stars 2008
State of the Elizabeth River 2008 (back cover)
77
79
80
APM Terminals Virginia balances the economy and
environment.
-------
Executive Summary
"DOIN' RIGHT BY THE RIVER" - WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?
"What is Sustainability? Sustainable develop-
ment marries two important themes: that environ-
mental protection does not preclude economic
development and that economic development
must be ecologically viable now and in the long
run."
- U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency website,
http://vww.epa.gov/sustainabilitybaslcinfo.htm
The working waterfront is a fascinating world of
modern industrial ingenuity, steeped in the ancient
mystique of ships calling from foreign ports, jux-
taposed with the call of seagulls, the rise and fall of the
tide, the sight of an osprey diving and rising with a fish in
its talons.
On the Elizabeth River in Southeastern Virginia, birth-
place of maritime industry in America, we seek the power
of balance between these forces. We at The Elizabeth
River Project (www.elizabethriver.org) call our industries
River Stars when they pass peer review for documented,
voluntary achievements in pollution prevention and
wildlife habitat restoration along our busy Norfolk-Ports-
mouth-Chesapeake harbor.
The value of pollution prevention to your business
can be as simple as saving money. Pollution is
the economic equivalent of throwing away your
product. But this guidebook is also about a larger magic
we have discovered in helping urban waterfront indus-
tries both help their bottom line, and help conserve the
living waterways where they have located. While our
program was developed for the Elizabeth River water-
shed, many of the practices and the benefits apply to your
industry, too, if you are operating or planning to operate
on an urban waterfront. We hope this guide also inspires
other communities, agencies and environmental groups to
consider the value of assisting and rewarding industries
for their progress with environmental stewardship, versus
the old model of blame and attack. The guidebook will
explore five elements of voluntary environmental stew-
ardship on the working waterfront:
CHAPTER 1 - PREVENTING POLLUTION, THE
BASIC WIN-WIN. This is a primer for avoiding hav-
ing any pollution to manage by not creating it in the first
place. We will draw on the documented successes of
River Star industries in the Elizabeth River watershed.
Cost-savings, improved worker safety and morale, posi-
tive publicity and reduced liability are among the benefits
awaiting you.
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT - MAKING
ROOM ON THE URBAN WATERFRONT. No
industry will have a greater opportunity to make a differ-
ence than yours if you have chosen the urban, industrial
waterfront. More than likely, wildlife habitat is at a great
premium all around you because it is so scarce. You
may be surprised to find that you can do a lot to conserve
or bring it back, even on the working waterfront. Dis-
cover industries that have created oyster reefs, restored
wetlands and planted native forests among the drydocks
and storage tanks of a major port. And learn the payoffs
we've seen - from savings of $16,000 a year on mowing
to a company that landed three major construction con-
tracts because of an article about its wildlife habitat. Bay
Environmental and WPL, two environmental consultants
in our area, helped us put together our technical advice
here.
CHAPTER 3 - STORMWATER RUNOFF, THE
BIG PAYOFF. Rain seems innocuous until it washes
across your industrial yard and into the river, picking up
your unintentional drips and drabs along the way. Then
it becomes contaminated stormwater runoff, the No. 1
source of pollution on most waterways in the nation.
Related both to pollution prevention and wildlife habitat
restoration, efforts to address stormwater runoff provide a
really big payoff for the health of your waterway. Here's
the latest in stormwater ingenuity for the industrial wa-
terfront, with advice from our consultants Williamsburg
Environmental Group and WPL.
CHAPTER 4 - REDEVELOPING THE CONTAMI-
NATED SITE. Most sites that become available on
the urban waterfront have been used before; generally
heavily, often for centuries. Forging forward with rede-
-------
XECUTIVE SUMMARY
velopment plans without first assessing and addressing
prior contamination is taking the fast lane to problems,
both for the river and for you. A systematic approach to
first identify and then address the problems will pay off
with improved land value and minimized environmental
liabilities.
CHAPTER 5 - GREEN BUILDINGS FOR GLOB-
AL SUSTAINABILITY. If you are located near the
ocean, no one stands to gain more from helping halt
global wanning than industries located on the waterfront.
You're in the immediate path of rising sea water levels.
Designing your buildings with energy efficiencies will
provide dollar savings for you over the long-term and
help reduce greenhouse gases. The Unhersity of Virgin-
ia School of Architecture's Phoebe Crisman and partner
Michael Petrus were our advisors for a primer on sustain-
able building practices.
We conclude w ith three case studies of sites
\\e ha\c advised over the past several years
to demonstrate the principles and practices
described in this guidebook. Our case study on Karl In-
dustries, a multi-state corporation that bought a shipyard.
marina and undeveloped land on the Elizabeth River
describes finding win-win for the 80 acres of waterfront
property' including nearly a mile of densely forested
shore - despite plans to turn the shore into condos and
office towers.
Our case study on ARM Terminals of Virginia de-
scribes finding the path to a pro-active approach to doing
right by the river despite plans for paving 230 acres to
establish the largest private port terminal in the U.S.
Our case study of the Southern Branch Corridor of
the Elizabeth River includes sites ranging from Atlantic
Wood Industries, a Superfund site, to proposed plans for
the world's largest ethanol plant, to a proposed public
nature park and a condominium development. This cor-
ridor presents pretty close to the full range of challenges
and opportunities we have identified in the search for
balance between the environment and the economy on
the \\orking waterfront. At the end of the book, you will
find further resources for "doin" right by the river." an
approach that we hope will help your company's bottom
line, and give you the satisfaction of leaving the legacy of
a health\ waterway for the next generation.
If you are a non-profit or other environmental organiza-
tion like The Elizabeth Ri\er Project, we hope this guide-
book shows you the power of working collaboratively
rather than confrontationally with industries to help them
discover this rewarding path.
The head of the environment for China once |
came to see why industries are so interested in
working with The Elizabeth River Project to pre-
vent pollution.The official had only a smattering of
English and we knew no Chinese. Van White, the
environmental manager at NOVA Chemicals, did
his best to explain some of the company's inven-
tive efforts as a River Star business participating
with The Elizabeth River Project to "do right by
the river," our program slogan. Speaking through
interpreters, Van explained that NOVA had, for in-
stance, designed a steel mesh to cover the storm
drains with holes just smaller than the polystyrene
pellets it manufactured to capture spilled pellets
before they entered the drains. The pellets were
collected and re-used in the company's manufac-
turing process. Polystyrene, once washed into
the river, would never have degraded.Giving the
Chinese delegation a tour of NOVA on the Chesa-
peake, Virginia, shore of the Elizabeth River after
Van's presentation, we were not sure our mes-
sage had made it past the language barriers. Then
our guest of honor bent beside a storm drain and
picked up one of the pellets. "Money,1 he said,
summing things up perfectly.
Environmental protection does not /»
nomic development. Photo b\ Van White.
-------
INTRODUCTION
THE SATISFACTION OF FINDING THE BALANCE
Miicrsk />n>i>oseil to huilii n $4IMI million terminal. <>n f> ai'i'i's re/tre.senliiix tin l of cancer in bottom-dwelling fish.
Would the trade-off really be win-win for the Elizabeth
River and the local economy? Would APM Terminals
also follow through on pledges to build a state-of-the-
art facility with controls on stonrmater far bevond the
minimum required by law'.' Would they add maximum
pollution prevention practices? Only such pro-active
leadership on the company's part would limit the impacts
to our urban river sutricientlv for restoration to win the
race with degradation. Meanwhile, for the companv.
willing cooperation with a prominent non-profit such
as ours could help them move forward to construction
without the resistance large port development plans were
meeting from other port communities and regulators.
-------
INTRODUCTION
(iitinl Ccnifin <>t \'in;inhi
\/;<>n \ <>t t'nnulist Circk
established n nan IIIIIH :mif ulnni; the
cmitini; huhittil uml suvini; miniy on ;mm-
Four years later, I returned to the same shore by
\ery different means. Tour buses shuttled almost
a thousand dignitaries from parking lots that had
replaced the farmer's fields to a circus-sized event tent,
set among towering shipping cranes. Not only were the
cranes electric, and thus would add no diesel fumes to
the air. but APM also chose to make their 30 Rail-Mount-
ed Gantry yard cranes electric, unheard-of on the East
Coast, eliminating more diesel emissions. "Welcome to
the most environmentally friendly port terminal in the
world." our driver told the bus load of visitors on open-
ing day.
In this guidebook, you will find a diagram for how
APM Terminals indeed went beyond the minimum re-
quired by law to capture and treat its stormwater on the
vast asphalt fields that have replaced the soybeans, and
details of pollution prevention measures such as the elec-
tric cranes. "We want to be a terminal with a conscience.
You inspired that" through Elizabeth River Project rec-
ommendations, Nick Taro. senior vice president during
the terminal's development, told me over the asparagus
tips and ham biscuits at the grand opening.
The non-profit Elizabeth River Project is pioneering a
new premise on the East Coast of America, that water-
front industrial development can take place in coopera-
tion with, rather than in opposition to. those of us who
seek to champion and protect the environmental health of
our waterways.
W:
re believe that win-win is almost always pos-
sible. Part of it is a simple matter of commit-
ment, the same kind you make when you de-
cide to keep your room clean. When Ron Babski, APM's
environmental manager, tells drivers not to leave their
vehicles idling - an unnecessary source of emissions - he
means it. "I tell people, if I rind one of those vehicles,
I'll take your keys and they'll be on my desk." Often
win-win also requires thinking out of the box, as when
we thought of offsetting the loss of the healthy river bot-
tom at APM by asking the company to fund the clean up
of degraded river bottom nearby. Typically win-win ends
up surprising the companies with unexpected benefits to
them as well as the river, from public approval, to cost-
sax ings (pollution is often a product you no longer create
and throw away), to the pure pleasure of knowing \ou
are doing something good for the world.
"I feel like we benefitted more than we
contributed."
- Van White, NOVA Chemicals
"1 feel like we have benefited more than we have
contributed," said Van White, environmental manager of
NOVA Chemicals, regarding its achievements with The
Elizabeth River Project's "River Stars" program. The
company became a River Star by planting an 11-acre
wildlife habitat along Elizabeth's shore. That day's
work wound up attracting 11 news articles including one
that featured Nova Chemicals in the New York Times.
Continuing on to become a guru of voluntary pollution
prevention. Mr. White ended up in Thailand one year,
welcomed by the Minister of the Environment for Thai-
land, to teach a seminar for businesses overseas on The
Elizabeth River Project's model for cooperative pollution
prevention.
A
Ilmost always, our brand of win-win has required
an open mind on the part of the company, to
consider a little different approach in develop-
-------
INTRODUCTION
ment or redevelopment of an urban waterfront site than
the traditional one. Thus, we are pleased to provide this
guidebook, made possible by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. EPA also saves time and money when
industries "do right by the river" without the heavy hand
of enforcement.
Our approach in Southeastern Virginia is organized
through our River Stars program, a structured approach
to assisting and recognizing voluntary industrial achieve-
ment. The Chesapeake Bay Program modeled its Busi-
nesses for the Bay effort after our approach. NOVA
Chemicals reached the highest level of recognition in this
program, becoming one of our Model Level River Stars.
recognizing the best of the best, the exemplary leaders
here in environmental stewardship. At this writing. 63
companies are recognized as River Stars by The Eliza-
beth River Project, based on peer review of their annual
documentation of stewardship results.
O\er the 10 years the program has been in exis-
tence, starting in 1997. the companies volun-
tarily have restored or conser\ ed S1 S acres of
urban wildlife habitat pockets of native plants in and
among shipyard dry docks and along busy highways, that
mean all the more because of the scarcity of habitat in
tins 250-square-mile. 90 percent developed watershed.
Through waste and emission reductions. River Stars o\ er
.\iler development, lite .\t'M site included stcite-ot-tlte-art approach-
es stieh as electric enmes.
Mtirjoric Mayfield Jackson, l\.\c< uiivc Director. Eli-abctli River
I'rojccl. helieves lite onl\ sustainahle ir special opportunity to achieve something
extraordinary: a working waterfront that is also green and
healths. You begin with the magic of life along a busy
harbor. Pam Boatwright. our River Stars Project manager.
loves the harbor so much that she lives there, aboard her
own trawler. She also loves the site v isits where she puts
on a hard hat and climbs, for instance, cement silos that
will unload container carriers from foreign shores. When
man) property owners along an industrial shore are ac-
tively engaged in environmental stewardship, an energv
is created that is unlike any other.
If you are a non-profit wondering how you can con-
vince waterfront businesses to consider greener practices,
we believe you can draw on the same resources, so long
as you choose the collaborative path of believing win-
win can be found.
-------
INTRODUCTION
"It is with subtlety and grace that Elizabeth River
Project's mission and programs have encouraged those
of us in the maritime industry to look beyond the trans-
portation and commercial fishing services that the river
provides and into the depths of her marshes, oyster reefs
and muddy bottom," J. Robert Bray, Executive Director,
Virginia Port Authority, wrote in a letter to The Virginian-
Pilot. Bray said the voluntary approach has inspired port
leaders "to understand that the river is the livelihood of
our industries and as a result we should serve as her stew-
ards."
Don't worry, I have only once trespassed in the
pursuit of win-win, and only because I wanted to
sit on that quiet beach at the proposed APM Ter-
minal site alone, with the trees and tide, to decide if our
unorthodox approach felt right even when applied to so
very large a development: the proposed largest privately
owned container terminal in the United States. At The
Elizabeth River Project, we believe the only sustainable
way forward in this modern world is when the largest
developers, as well as the small ones, learn to seek out
approaches that complement the natural world rather than
destroy it. That the one is deeply more satisfying than the
other hardly needs to be said.
- Marjorie Mayfield Jackson, Executive Director
The Elizabeth River Project
10
-------
Preventing Pollution
The Basic Win-Win
Pollution prevention (P2). or the practice of avoid-
ing pollution before it is created, is perhaps more
important on the urban waterfront than lor any
other location. If harmful materials are spilled, they have
little distance to travel to reach the fragile ecosystem of
the river or harbor that is your host. Meanwhile, your
urban waterfront is probably also already the home for a
staggering load of pollution from industrial sites dating
back many decades before anyone attempted to design
for environmental protection.
Because how you chose to develop your site and design
your processes will have an unusually critical role in
conserving the remaining natural resources of\our urban
waterway, you have a leadership opportunity to pro\c
thai there is another way to do business on the waterfront
the u in-w in wav for the environment and the economv.
When an 18-wheeler truck pulls into ARM Ter-
minals of Virginia to unload or load a contain-
er for overseas shipment, APM's goal is to have
the truck on its way again inside of 30 minutes.
A scanner reads a card in the driver's windshield
to alert automated equipment regarding what the
driver needs to load or unload, moving his truck as
efficiently as possible through the terminal.
Two things are saved here: money and the en-
vironment. The cost of the driver's time is mini-
mized, and so are emissions from the truck. It's a
classic pollution prevention success story.
Not many waterfront sites \\ill ha\e the resources for
the state-of-the-art efficiencies at APM. Bui pre\enting
waste wasted materials, wasted operating time, wasted
fuel generally equates to preventing pollution and sa\ -
ing money. On the Lli/abeth River waterfront, this has
proven true for both our largest and smallest facilities.
Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest navy
base, operates at the mouth of the Elizabeth Riv-
er. One change alone in its processes to maintain
ships saved the naval station $285,000, and re-
duced fugitive dust emissions by 90 percent. The
pollution prevention change was a switch to re-
move non-skid coating from submarines by water
blasting instead of grinding. The naval station re-
ports that pollution prevention efforts add up there
each year to the tune of almost $3 million in cost-
savings.
NOAA Marine Operations Center - Atlantic
is a tiny facility in comparison, totaling only a few
acres on the waterfront and conducting no manu-
facturing or repair processes that might create sig-
nificant pollution. Yet working with The Elizabeth
River Project, NOAA designed an energy manage-
ment program that saved the facility $3,500 in the
first two months over the prior year, while reducing
greenhouse gases.
PLAN YOUR APPROACH
You v\ill be most successful in the long-term if
you approach pollution prevention systemati-
cally, with the development of a written plan that
others can help \ou follou.
Types ot pollution prevention plans. Ideally your plan
will lake a look at all your processes to see where you
could be using the principles of reduce, re-use or recycle.
The si/c of your facility may dictate which of three plan-
ning approaches is best for you:
• The pollution prevention plan is tor smaller
facilities. Smaller facilities may want to develop
a simple "pollution prevention plan" on your own.
-------
CHAPTER 1 - PREVENTING POLLUTION
/>' \/ .S'wcm.s \ci-jolk Ship Kt'pair IA/IOIWI abowl aloni; with \nrtolk
.\\ivcil Shipyard treat the storniwatcr runoff a.\ well ax mixhwatcr
from ctryitocks. Photo by Van White.
although ideally with the help of an environmental
consultant. On our working waterfront, an example
of an industry choosing this route is Giant Cement
of Virginia, a small cement transfer facility that
as a result changed its cooling systems to prevent
runoff. At The Elizabeth River Project, we provide
companies with a pollution prevention workbook
to get them started; also downloadable from our
website. http://www.elizabethriver.org/PiJblicatioris/
PDFs/ERPPubs/Polltion%20Prevention%20Workbook.
pdf. Other resources are available such as guidance
from the Pollution Prevention Roundtable. found at
http://www.p2.org/.
• The Environmental Management System offers a
more comprehensive approach (see http://www.epa.
gov/ems/). Larger facilities not interested in outside
certification often find the development of a more
formal Environmental Management System (EMS) to
be more comprehensive and more useful as a dy-
namic tool for on-going environmental improvements
in a facility with constantly changing processes. An
EMS looks beyond environmental compliance and
asks "which of our processes have the greatest im-
pact on the environment, and what can we do about
it?" Because many environmental impacts arise from
process wastes, useless byproducts, energy consump-
tion, and excess materials, facilities often find that
reducing environmental impacts and reducing costs
go hand-in-hand. Examples of River Stars on our
waterfront who use an EMS include Dominion Vir-
ginia Power's Chesapeake Energy Center, a coal-fired
power generation plant, and the Virginia Port Author-
ity which developed the plan for its terminals.
International certification, or ISO 14001, offers
third-party certification. Internationally accepted
standards can be pursued by facilities willing to go
one step beyond an Environmental Management
System to have their pollution prevention efforts
certified by the International Standards Organization
(ISO 14001). This can take several years and gener-
ally requires the guidance of consultants specializing
in ISO certification. While time-consuming, the
certification is recogni/ed around the world and can
demonstrate a high level of environmental commit-
ment for companies conducting international com-
merce. Skanska. USA Civil Southeast, a Ri\er Star
on the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River o\\ncd
by an overseas company, was the first heavy/marine/
industrial contractor in the U.S. to be awarded ISO
14001 certification.
THE THREE R'S
OF POLLUTION PREVENTION:
1. REDUCE - Reducing the sources of pollu-
tion is the top priority, through the design of
environmentally friendly products, product or
process changes and source elimination.
RE-USE - When sources of pollution cannot
be reduced, re-use, or reclamation of waste
materials is the next priority.
3. RECYCLE - When waste materials cannot be
re-used, often they still can be recycled - the
next level of priority.
12
-------
CHAPTER 1 - PREVENTING PO
KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL PLANS
w
hichever of the three approaches you pick,
common themes apply to all of them for
helping you "star" in pollution prevention.
PUTTOGETHER THE RIGHT TEAM
• Make the plan a company-wide effort, supported
by top management. Write down your company's
environmental policy or goals regarding pollution
prevention and share it with all company employees.
It is important to encourage all employees to read
and adopt this policy. At NOAA's Atlantic Marine
Center, pollution prevention really gained momen-
tum when a new commanding officer took a personal
interest and assigned someone on his staff to develop
goals and implement them, reporting to him directly
on the progress.
Ford Motor Company's business on the Eliza-
beth River was assembling the F-150, a popular
pickup truck. This required a large volume of
fpaint, solvents and lubricants, none of it welcome
in the waste stream or the Elizabeth River.
To reduce the volume of these potentially harm-
ul materials, Ford pioneered "green purchasing"
Dractices. Up to that time, "Ford purchased paint
DV the gallon. There was no incentive for suppli-
3rs to make the paint stretch," says Pam Boat-
Bright, River Stars Program Manager.
With paints, typically, "People don't think
ninimizing. They think extra." But Ford figured
Dut exactly how much paint and solvents they
needed for each truck, then renegotiated with
he suppliers to pay per truck unit. Then suppli-
=rs had a vested interest to be on site helping
9nsure that paint waste was at a minimum. This
concept is known as Chemical Management Ser-
vices (see http://www.epa.gov/minimize/cms.htm and
http://cmsforum.org).
• Identify one person who takes the lead in pollution
prevention efforts. Your champion could be called
the pollution prevention facilitator, manager, coordi-
nator, etc.
• Provide a team format to encourage other em-
ployees to participate on a day-to-day level. For
instance, employees could form a Pollution Preven-
tion (or "Green") Team that identifies and evaluates
potential pollution prevention opportunities. This
team should be "cross-functional," incorporating
people within different areas of the company (i.e.
engineering, operations, accounting, etc.).
• The best place to get ideas for pollution prevention
is often your employees. Yes, a pollution preven-
tion champion is important, but the greatest syner-
gies and achievements can occur when many people
get involved. The first line mechanics/craftsmen are
generally in the best position to identify inefficiencies
in processes and waste streams.
• Incorporate a recognition or award program
for employees who identify pollution prevention
opportunities or promote environmental aware-
ness and safety. Norshipco, a large shipyard on the
Elizabeth (now BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair),
provided a special parking space for its Environmen-
tal Employee of the Month. Pro-active environmen-
tal initiatives earn employees a special ball cap from
Virginia Port Authority at terminals on the river -
inspiring workers to invent simple but effective new
ways to store equipment and collect litter. Consider
providing employees a share of the savings from the
changes.
TOUCH ALL THE BASES
• Identify all waste streams at your facility to assess
their impacts and opportunities for reducing them.
• Set pollution prevention goals, based on your pro-
cesses and waste streams. Goals should be achiev-
able, measurable, observable, flexible and demanding
13
-------
CHAPTER 1 - PREVENTING POLLUTION
The world's largest mivy ha\e. \iival Sialion .\orfolk. saved
$2X5.tHX) h\ changing from grinding to vacuumed walcr-bUisl-
ing when replacing non-skid coating on submarines. .\ classic
»m-um tur llie enviornment and the taci!it\. tlic change
reduced fugitive dust h\ W) percent.
and should incorporate the following categories (if
applicable):
process wastes, inefficiencies and rework
focus on each media (river water, ground water.
stormwater. air) that may be impacted by dis-
charges
material, water, and energy consumption
purchasing practices
employee awareness and training
stormwater runoff
public relations community involvement
Include a method to track progress. As with any
company effort, you will want to document that the
initiatives are worth your time. Document as specifi-
cally as you can all information about your successes
with waste elimination, reduction, recycling, re-use
and treatment, including types. \olumes amounts.
and impacts, divided b\ process. Once recycling
is implemented, measure rum much each of those
categories has changed. Other measurements could
include disposal cost a\oided. number of employee
hours required to implement, training cost for imple-
mentation, etc.
How can this show up on your bottom line?
Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) saves
$1 million per year through creative reduction of
its energy needs. CBN's approach includes using
energy at night (off-peak time) to freeze water that
supports the air conditioning during the day (peak
time) by reducing the amount of cooling effort (en-
ergy) that is needed from the air conditoning units
for proper climate control. This offsets both the
costs of energy and the demand load on Dominion
Virginia Power.
CBN also collects the water from this coolant
process and reuses it in various other aspects of
the operation, thus reducing the amount of water
that the facility requires from the city. In addition,
CBN made significant changes to its lighting sys-
tem that involved changing three and four-lamp fix-
tures to two-lamp fixtures over the entire complex.
The addition of mirrors within the fixtures actually
increased the amount of useful light while requiring
less energy to run.
KNOW IFI T'S WORKING
Determine the "baseline" performance for each
goal so that progress can be measured. For in-
stance, if you decide to recycle a material, measure
how much material is currently recycled and how
much is currently disposed of as waste before imple-
menting the recycling.
Publici/e your efforts every chance you get, in-
cluding through recognition programs. The public
really wants to hear about positive environmental
efforts, especially when they are voluntary! On the
Elizabeth of course, you might qualify for recognition
as one of our River Stars. But there are also regional.
L4
-------
CHAPTER 1 - PREVENTING POLLUTION
national and even international recognition and award
programs, varying by industry specifics. Three
include EPA's ENERGY STAR program (http://www.
energystar.gov), Performance Track program (http://
www.epa.gov/performancetrack/) and Businesses for
the Bay (www.acb-online.org/b4b/index.cfm) here on
the Chesapeake Bay. The publicity can also be shared
with other facilities within the company.
Evaluate your plan periodically to ask yourself if
it still meets your facility's needs.
If you are a non-profit like The Elizabeth River
Project, working to inspire partner industries to
try pollution prevention, publicize and reward
what companies achieve. We hold an annual rec-
Nutrients and sediments: Too much of two
good things. Nutrients sound like a good thing,
since they are essential for the growth of all living
Drganisms. But in waterways like the Chesapeake
Bay, excess nutrients are the leading problem
associated with poor water quality. Excess sedi-
Ttents are not far behind, as innocent as they may
seem ("just dirt," right?). Here's why:
Nutrients cause algae blooms which, in turn,
deplete the dissolved oxygen essential for fish
and shellfish to breathe, leading to fish and
shellfish kills.
Algae blooms also block sunlight to underwa-
ter grasses, preventing the growth of this criti-
cal form of habitat for aquatic life.
Sediments washed off the land and into a wa-
terway often carry with them excess nutrients
as well as toxics. Causing further problems,
the sediments smother bottom-dwelling plants
and animals and cloud the water, preventing
light from penetrating to the leaves and stems
of underwater grasses. Sediments also clog
navigation channels, making traffic difficult or
hazardous, and requiring dredging.
ognition banquet for participants in our River Stars
program and seek all the media coverage we can for
their achievements. Industries find it easier to budget
for voluntary environmental improvements when they
receive public relations benefits for doing so. Friend-
ly peer pressure, as pollution prevention becomes the
"in" thing in your community, helps a lot also.
REDUCE: POLLUTION IS OFTEN A
PRODUCT YOU THROW AWAY
Why create it in the first place, if you can figure
out an alternative? You have achieved the
most effective approach to pollution preven-
tion when you re-design your processes or practices to
avoid harmful wastes or emissions. Here's what some of
our inventive River Stars did on the Elizabeth River.
BUY ONLY WHAT YOU NEED TO START WITH
At your site, think similarly. Order only what you need
in terms of paints, epoxies and hazardous materials.
EQUIPMENT IS EVERYTHING
One of the easiest steps you can take to reduce your im-
pacts on the environment - and save energy and operating
costs - is to choose the most efficient equipment, appli-
ances and vehicles. In spite of double-digit (12 percent)
growth in container movement, Virginia Port Authority
reduced air emissions by 30 percent when they purchased
off-road vehicles that met on-road vehicle air emission
standards, replaced eight-cylinder pick up trucks with
four-cylinder models where practical, and implemented
no-idle policies that direct equipment drivers to turn off
vehicles during down times and all computer-controlled
engines to shut down after 15 minutes of idling. When
the Coast Guard Integrated Support Command in Ports-
mouth replaced older heating units with efficient, cleaner
propane-burning units, it reduced air emissions from the
station by 1,200 pounds per year. Earl Industries, another
River Star, converted a boiler to natural gas, reducing air
emissions by 2,600 pounds in one year.
15
-------
CHAPTER 1 - PREVENTING POLLUTION
COVERED STORAGE: DON'T WASH YOUR
MATERIALS OUT WITH THE RAIN
If materials and wastes aren't properly stored, pollut-
ants can leak or be washed out by rain water and carried
into waterways. Cover stockpiled materials. Stockpiles
of building and other materials such as lumber, metal
products, topsoil, sand, gravel, compost, sawdust, and
wood chips must be covered to prevent rain from carry-
ing off pollutants such as sediment and nutrients.
SPILL PREVENTION:
REDUCE LIABILITY AND POLLUTION
It you use paints, solvents, oils, gasoline, pesticides.
or other materials that can spill, your business needs
a spill control plan. This is true e\en if you handle
materials that are normally considered harmless (such as
food). In excess, anything can become a harmful pollut-
ant. Food, for example, can contribute to excess nutri-
ents in \vaterwa\s. the leading cause ol eutrophication
(unwanted plant growth, decay and oxygen depletion) in
the Chesapeake Bay.
H7)<7i Skansku. a construction company, moves drums on the site
like its Elizabeth River locutions, this "drum dolly" not only makes
the move eas\. bin provides sectmdar\ containment in case of a
spill.
Examine your business for ways to reduce the chance
of spills. Nearly every business uses liquids in its opera-
tions.
• Organize the delivery and unloading areas. Ideally,
loading unloading docks should have overhangs or
door skirts that enclose the trailer end. and should be
designed to prevent run-off of stormwater (for ex-
ample, by being surrounded by a low berm).
Use a funnel to transfer liquids from one container to
another.
• Store materials where they won't be knocked o\er.
Prepare a clean-up plan
Any business that uses oils, gasoline, pesticides, or
e\en bulk food products should prepare for pos-
sible spills. HPA links for spill prevention plans
include http://epa.gov/owm/mtb/spillprv.pdf and hrtp://
www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/frps/index.htm. Cien-
erally, a clean-up plan includes the following elements:
• Describe the facility (including ow ner's name and
address, activities, and types of chemicals used).
Show chemical storage areas, storm drains, and what
areas are sloped toward each drain. Also locate and
describe spill control devices such as positive control
valves.
• Establish who to notify' in the event of a spill.
• Provide specific clean-up instructions for different
materials handled on-site. safety requirements, and
guidelines for evacuation.
Accurate Marine Environmental, an Achieve-
ment Level River Star on the Southern Branch of
the Elizabeth River, installed stormwater inserts
that filter sediment and hydrocarbons. The unique
inserts also have a valve that can be closed in the
event of a spill, which will prevent the spill reaching
the river and make cleanup easier.
16
-------
CHAPTER 1 - PREVENTING POLLUTION
Assign people to be in charge of spill clean-up, up-
dating the spill control plan, training staff in clean-up
procedures, testing the clean-up kit equipment, and
maintaining the inventory.
Prepare spill containment and clean-up kits which
are easy to find and use. Include any needed safety
equipment as well as clean-up materials appropriate
to the type and quantity of material that could spill.
In fueling areas, store absorbent materials in small
bags for easy use and keep small drums for storing
used absorbent rags.
Post a plan summary (including clean-up contractors,
location of clean-up kits, and who to contact) at ap-
propriate locations.
Clean up spills immediately. If a spill occurs, re-
spond immediately according to your clean-up plan.
Protect your safety and the safety of others. Contact
regulatory authorities when required.
IMPROVE HOUSEKEEPING
Any residue (such as paint chips, metal shavings.
or grease) on a surface that drains to a storm
drain can be washed to waterways, often in vio-
lation of state and local laws. Disorganized work places
increase the chance of spills.
• Keep surfaces that drain to the drainage system clean
and organized.
Keep toxic materials separated from non-toxic mate-
rials.
• Regularly sweep or mechanically remove outside
wastes such as those found around the dumpster or on
the parking lot. Don't hose the parking lot to clean it.
• Place a tarp on the ground during remodeling, paint-
ing prep work, sandblasting, or other operations that
can create dust or debris.
Drain fluids such as unused gas, transmission and
hydraulic oil, brake fluid, and radiator fluid from
vehicles or parts kept in storage. Reuse, recycle, or
dispose of these fluids properly. Leaking vehicles or
parts kept on-site should be kept in a covered, bermed
area.
Fix leaks on equipment and vehicles. Maintain
equipment properly and develop a system to report
leaks promptly.
Organize the work place to reduce the chance of
spills. Use a funnel when transferring or diluting
chemicals and place a tray underneath to catch spills.
Place drip pans under the spouts of liquid storage
containers. Immediately clean up any spills.
Don't hose down your shop floor if the water can
enter a storm drain. It's best to sweep it.
For decades, the largest power plant on the Eliz-
abeth River had little market for a large percentage
of what it created: "fly ash," a by-product of the coal
t burned for power. A creative engineering team
came up with a solution.
When Virginia's first Carbon Burn Out unit opened
at Dominion Virginia Power's Chesapeake En-
ergy Center in November 2007, the power plant
began re-using, rather than land-filling, 360 million
oounds a year of the fly ash, while addressing a
national shortage of cement. The fly ash is now
aurned at the power plant to remove the last of the
carbon with the heat captured and used at the plant
- saving more than 15,000 tons of coal a year. The
'esulting powder is now suitable for resale as a ce-
ment alternative. This is a classic pollution preven-
ion success story: the new approach reduces raw
material usage, air emissions and landfill impacts
/vhile providing a revenue stream for the utility and
'educing pollution from cement production.
17
-------
CHAPTER 1 - PREVENTING POLLUTION
EMPLOYEE TRAINING/AWARENESS IS
CRITICAL TO SUCCESS
Many of the steps you can take to prevent pol-
lution need to be followed on a daily basis.
Therefore, continuing employee education is
key to success. Consider incorporating the following into
your training program:
• Select the applicable strategies.
• Include pollution prevention concerns in new em-
ployee orientations and in written procedures. Each
employee should understand how the work he/she
performs can create pollution and consume (or waste)
energy and materials.
Provide employees with proper disposal options.
• Conduct "worker right-to-know" training and have
material safety data sheets (MSDS) available for easy
reference. Show employees how they can identify
the hazardous or toxic constituents of materials and
let them know that finding less or non-toxic alterna-
ti\es is a goal of the company.
• Discuss your company's P2 strategies and goals,
including any equipment purchased, process changes.
re-use and recycling efforts. Monitor workers to
determine how effective the training program is.
Provide daily feedback on observed behavior. Par-
ticipate in other educational opportunities.
• Attend workshops and other relevant courses such as
those sponsored by your trade association.
• Display signs and posters.
• Post an explanation of your pollution prevention
strategies in areas where employees and customers
will see them. For example, post the spill control
plan or install a sign on the dumpster reminding staff
to close the cover.
Put pollution prevention issues ideas/articles in staff
minutes or a company newsletter.
• Publish successes around the facility and other facili-
ties in the company.
REDUCE POLLUTION FROM YOUR VEHICLE
• Keep up maintenance for all vehicles including oil
changes and tire pressure checks to minimize leaks.
keep up fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
• Recycle oil.
• In hot climates, tint vehicle windows to help increase
fuel efficiency.
• Maximi/e the quantity for each material shipment
to reduce deliveries to achieve savings in fuel and
reduce emissions.
• Before purchasing vehicles, match the size vehicle to
the job - does the facility need an eight-cylinder truck
to drive around when a four-cylinder would do?
Domininn \'iri;inia /'mur. Chesapeake /•."wnjv Center, reached
Model Level River Star for improvements in its pollution ami habitat
conservation efforts.
-------
CHAPTER 1 - PREVENTING POLLUTION
UTION
• Reduce engine idling time.
• Consider reducing pollution from diesel engines
through use of clean fuels such as low sulfur diesel
fuel and retrofits of older diesel engines with pol-
lution control equipment such as diesel oxidation
catalysts or particulate filters.
These steps will reduce emissions of particulate matter,
hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide, improve air quality,
and reduce asthma triggers.
REUSE: ONE MAN'S TRASH IS
ANOTHER'S TREASURE
One way to help your bottom line while helping
your local environment is to consider whether
others could use your leftovers. Many times,
there are other uses for those things that are considered
waste. Used motor oil can be burned for heat in certain
types of space heating equipment. A neighboring facil-
ity may be able to use leftover paint or other materials.
Used furniture can be given to a charity or to employees.
Scrap wood may be turned into mulch, and dirty solvent
from one process may be clean enough to use in another
process.
RECYCLE IS AN OLD FAVORITE
If you can't "reduce" waste or "re-use" the material,
the third priority in the three R's of pollution preven-
tion is the old standby of the environmental steward,
to "recycle." This means to recycle waste material into a
new product, still saving significant energy over creating
the material from scratch - if not for you directly, for the
planet.
The key to successful recycling: Separate wastes.
Keep your wastes in separate containers according to the
type of product and keep records of the container con-
tents (keep materials in the original container if possible).
Combining different types of waste can prevent recycling
and greatly increase disposal costs.
For example, uncontaminated waste oil can be re-
cycled, whereas waste oil mixed with solvents requires a
much more costly and complicated disposal process.
It's easy to start with simple office waste such as cans,
paper and plastic. Seek out the recycling agency in your
area for collection bins, instructions on what materials
are accepted and any fees involved.
For waste fluids such as oil, antifreeze, transmission
fluid and solvents, many industries buy their own equip-
ment to recycle these fluids in-house, especially if they
are working with large volumes. Waste contractors are
also available to remove and recycle the fluids.
Steel and tin are valuable to metal scrap yards that
often will pay to remove these waste materials from your
site.
19
-------
Wildlife Habitat
Making Room on the Urban Waterfont
THE SHORELINE:
THE CRITICAL ZONE
At The Elizabeth River Project, \ve have yet to dis-
cover an industry that needs every scrap of land
at its waterfront for industrial use. Only a few
water-dependent activities really require replacing the na-
tive vegetation with bulkheads and paving. Everywhere
else, consider the fact that the last 100 feet along your
shore are the most critical for conserving the health of the
river through natural vegetation, especially native trees
and shrubs, and on our tidal river, native marsh grasses
and oyster beds as well.
\Ve invite you to consider a new definition of what
looks great along your shore. When you think mowed
Tom Eplc\. former president for BAE(Norshipco), the Inn;, st private
shipyard on the Eli:ahcth River, finds room amont> tin- drydotks n>
restore ti tidal wetland, f-'pley and his daughter were ainoni; volun-
teers making an outing of the Saturday planting.
The shoreline of the largest private shipyard in the
Norfolk harbor and the center of ship repair for the
East Coast, BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair
might be the last place you would expect to find any
opportunity for planting native trees, let alone re-
storing marshes and oyster reefs.
Nonetheless, has restored not one, but five wild-
ife habitat areas tucked between its mighty dry-
Jocks. On any given day, while shipyard workers
are sandblasting paint from a destroyer or cruise
ship, blue herons are fishing in two wetlands the
workers restored on volunteer duty on Saturday
mornings. A fox may be glimpsed in a patch of for-
est the crew replanted along the shore to absorb
runoff and restore habitat value in an area where
contaminated sandblast was voluntarily removed.
At low tide, the waves may reveal a long stretch of
oyster shell, hauled in and seeded with baby oys-
ters at shipyard expense.
The shipyard is "committed to the proactive pro-
tection of natural resources beyond compliance,"
says Michael Ewing, Environmental Manager of
BAE (formerly NORSHIPCO), whose wildlife habitat
results are featured on the cover of this guidebook.
All along the Elizabeth River, industries new and
old are doing their part to bring back the natural
shoreline that once filtered pollution and created
habitat through a rich diversity of native marsh
grasses, oyster reefs, shrubs, wildflowers and trees.
For the health of the river, the shoreline is the most
critical zone for restoration and conservation. For
the industries, a greener shore lifts the spirits of the
workers, who take pride in "doin" right by the river"
and may take to picnicking and bird watching in the
new habitats. Customers take positive notice, too.
"I like doing business with a green yard," a ship cap-
tain told BAE's president soon after a sign was in-
stalled at its headquarters about the habitat efforts.
i.
-------
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT
When Earl liulustire.s hoiivlll these
-------
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT
clams, wading birds and more. Site structures to avoid
wetlands whenever possible, and design them to mini-
mize impacts. Consider restoring wetlands along areas
where you do not need access.
Forested buffers: Trees are unequaled in their ability
to absorb runoff. A "forested buffer" of trees between
your operations and the shore provides one of the sim-
plest, most attractive and most effective means of pro-
tecting water quality. Protect and enhance your shoreline
trees where you can.
Boat moorings: Boat moorings are necessary to
secure vessels at rest. It is less environmentally damag-
ing to tie up to a mooring or a piling than to bulkhead
the shoreline for securing a vessel. If other access from
shore can be obtained, such as with a pier, less habitat is
disturbed.
Piers and boardwalks: Boardwalks, piers and obser-
vation decks can often be employed along a shoreline to
provide community access and enjoyment of the shore-
line, without physical disturbance to riparian buffers and
wetlands. Piers and timber boardw alk structures should
be supported with piles to reduce wetland disturbance
and should be elevated sufficiently to minimize shading
of wetlands underneath. A pier should have a minimum
height of four feet between the decking and the wetlands
substrate to allow more sunlight to reach the wetland
plants. Another option in industrial settings to further
minimize shading is a metal grated pier.
Flexible shoreline armoring (riprap revetments): In
general, the use of rip rap to prevent shoreline erosion
is preferable to a bulkhead because the rip rap provides
habitat for crabs, shrimp, snails and oysters.
Hard structures combined with "bioengineered
shorelines": In some cases, a bulkhead landward of the
"mean low water" limit may be more helpful for water-
way health than rip rap because it may impact less wet-
lands and other habitat. If you do use hardened shoreline
structures, such as groins, jetties, and bulkheads, consider
combining them with softer, bioengineered shoreline pro-
Art, gardening and history are more normal edu-
cation goals at the Hermitage Foundation Mu-
seum, but in 2006 the private museum took on
a new role: as a premiere demonstration site on
the Elizabeth River for "living shorelines," a way
to halt erosion using natural methods instead of
bulkheads.
The Elizabeth River Project helped the museum
and partners including the City of Norfolk obtain
grant funding for this innovation, now being pro-
moted throughout the bay. The Hermitage wanted
to address an eroding historic wall along the shore,
as well as poor habitat in an isolated tidal pool and
the invasive foreign reed, "phragmites."
Jfter excavating the reed, partners and volun-
rs removed old rubble, re-graded and planted
b,aOO wetland plants of various native species. A
"marsh sill" of riprap stones at the farthest edge of
the wetland was installed to help protect it and the
wall from waves. The half-acre living shoreline is
now the feature of ongoing museum and City edu-
cation on wetlands and shoreline erosion.
tection methods to provide ecologically friendly shore-
line stabilization and access.
MINIMIZE DREDGING:
THE BOTTOM OF THE RIVER
IS ALSO CRITICAL WILDLIFE
HABITAT
Here's a little known fact: about a sixth of all life
can be found on the bottom of a waterway (the
benthos). In fact, this "benthic" community of
clams, mussels, worms, oysters, mud-burrowing fish and
the like is considered a critical link in. the food chain for
a river ecosystem. So generally, we would just as soon
you dredge as little of the river bottom as you can. As
-------
with preserving shoreline habitat, consider ways to part-
ner with adjacent facilities to reduce the need to dredge
for navigation access.
While sometimes dredging can have positive effects on
the environment, as when the dredging removes sedi-
ments which contain harmful contamination, harmful
impacts can include the removal of bottom dwelling or-
ganisms and the creation of a deeper water habitat which
may have lower dissolved oxygen levels.
Shallow water provides critical habitat for many marine
organisms and is highly productive. In addition, sedi-
ment suspended during dredging can change water qual-
ity through increased turbidity and the possible release of
organic matter, nutrients or contaminants. Settlement of
these suspended sediments can result in the smothering
of bottom and or nearbv inter-tidal communities.
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT
HALT EROSION WITH A
"LIVING SHORELINE"
Living shorelines employ natural means to prevent
shoreline erosion. Typically, wetland grasses and
a line of shrubs and trees hold the soil in place. In
areas subject to boat wakes and high winds, the wetlands
may need the additional protection of an off-shore struc-
ture such as rip rap or an oyster reef to dissipate wave
energy. Living shorelines should be designed to maintain
or minimally disrupt normal coastal processes (such as
the movement of sediment along the shoreline) and pro-
tection and restoration of wetlands.
If you have a failing bulkhead or erosion behind a
stone wall, think about a living shoreline before you
replace these structures with similar ones. The Chesa-
Ht't/>ir- A \\-ctltiiul at the Hcrmihi^c Museum in .\nrfolk. \'.\ iri/.v croiliiii;. thmitt'iiini; the histi>rif mill and providing .vcrc/Vy degraded luihitnt.
-------
After- Community partners restored the wetland, and in one \car's time. the marsh trn.r thriving. Walter Priest. NOAA Restoration Center.
peake Bay Foundation offers excellent guidance at
www.cbf.org/livingshorelines including this list of
benefits of the living shoreline:
• Improves water quality by settling sediments and
filtering pollution;
Provides shoreline access to wildlife such as nesting
turtles, horseshoe crabs, river otters and shore birds:
Provides shade to keep water temperatures cool, help-
ing increase oxygen levels for fish;
• Absorbs wave energy so that reflected waves do not
scour the sub-tidal zone and hamper growth of under-
water grasses;
• Is often less costly than bulkheads and rock walls;
• Looks natural rather than man-made and artificial.
There are regulatory permitting requirements for
the creation of a living shoreline; houe\er. it is
fast becoming the preferred method of shoreline
stabilization because it provides far greater overall envi-
ronmental benefits than traditional "hard" stabilization
methods.
Many environmental consultants are familiar with
living shorelines as an alternative for control of erosion.
Typically we recommend that our waterfront industries
work with these experts to plan such a project, including
providing cost estimates, assistance with permits, and
construction and timing of plantings.
In some cases, fill needs to be brought into a site to
create an area with the appropriate elevation for tidal
marsh plants. At other sites, the existing beach can be
contoured to the appropriate elevation. The amount of
fetch (wave action due to wind) and boat wake (wave ac-
tion due to boats) needs to be considered to determine if
-------
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT
something like a low rip rap or oyster shell sill is required
to protect the new tidal marsh. The low sill is not in-
tended to provide significant shoreline erosion protection;
instead, it protects the marsh that protects the shoreline.
Low wave energy areas may not need a sill at all.
CREATE A BIOENGINEERED
SHORELINE
Bioengineering approaches use natural materials
and plants to stabili/e the shoreline. The first
step towards using bioengineering techniques for
shoreline stnbili/ation is to create a stable slope for veg-
etation to grow : typically 3:1 slopes. "Serrated slopes"
or terraces can also be created to stabili/e slopes and cre-
ate benches for the bioengineering materials. Lxamples
of bioengineering techniques include:
\iilnnieers inMtill coconut fiber log* ulont; a shore at Hotllci (.'reck
\\ildHfi' f-'oiintlulion lo reduce crosiiw. The /(ly.v \\-crc pluiucil \\~itli
\\dland -.jmiso li>r added liahiltil \alne as well «.s />;v>v/
-------
CHAPTI
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT
lishment of aquatic vegetation, which is continually
enhanced by trapped sediment and nutrients. Many
types of plants can be used in biologs, creating an
aesthetically pleasing shoreline stabilization applica-
tion. Vegetated biologs benefit ecology by providing
food, cover, and substrate for a variety of organisms.
They tend to be less expensive and easier to install
compared to bulkheads and rip rap.
CONSERVE OR RESTORE
WETLANDS
Everyone knows that a rain forest is an amazingly
productive ecosystem. Not as many people real-
i/e that a tidal wetland is even more productive,
based on the variety of species that depend on wetlands
for food and shelter. You can think of tidal wetlands as
the grocery store of the marine world. Yet in urban areas
like ours, wetlands for centuries have been destroyed as a
matter of routine to make way for development, often un-
necessarily. On the Elizabeth Ri\er. we work with indus-
tries and the community to bring back wetlands wherever
practical, and to protect existing wetlands through long-
term conservation agreements.
BKNKHTS OF \\1TI.ANDS
There are two basic types of wetlands: tidal and
non-tidal. Tidal wetlands provide vital nursery
habitat for fish, crabs, shrimp and other aquatic-
life, as well as buffering shorelines from erosive waves
and polluted runoff. Non-tidal wetlands provide flood
buffering capacity, habitat for various plant and animal
species, filter stormwater and absorb nutrients. A benefit
of both types of wetlands that is often overlooked is the
aesthetic improvement of shorelines and green space that
the wetlands provide.
Industries in the Elizabeth River watershed have found
additional benefits in creating, enhancing, or protect-
ing wetlands on their facilities. Such "green" corporate
policy lifts employee morale, especially when volunteer
Elizabeth River Terminals agreed to a two-acre wetland restoration
along it\ shore in an area not needed for operations. Here, contrac-
tors visit the site to hid on design.
planting and maintenance activities are included. Busi-
nesses may be able to use created wetland areas to meet
open space and stormwater management requirements.
Areas overlooking wetlands also provide aesthetically
pleasing break areas for employees. And conservation
tax credits may be available for long-term preservation of
larger wetland areas.
FACTORS FOR Sl'CCFSSFM.
TIDAL \VKTI \M) RFSTORATION
T
here are three things to remember when consider-
ing a tidal wetland restoration or enhancement
project: Location, location, location!
The ideal tidal wetland restoration site is directly
adjacent to tidal water, is already relatively low in
elevation (to minimize the amount of excavation and
grading), has tidal wetlands in the near vicinity, and
is not an area planned for future development or use.
Your city or county probably has a wetland represen-
tative who can visit your site to see if conditions are
right for wetland enhancement.
-------
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT
RADVA. a nuiniiftieiiirer nj puekavint;. adtled native plants /<> create a three-nere "buffer" tilont; its ParHiiioiitli .\/i«rc.
ti\e. and disposing of the excavated material presents
additional concerns.
Other methods of restoring wetlands:
Ifconditions appear favorable, we generally recom-
mend professional assistance including an environ-
mental consultant for proper design including plant
lists, cost estimates and permitting, and use of a con-
struction firm specializing in shorelines to excavate
and plant the wetland.
Two criteria for a successful wetland restoration are
daily tidal inundation (restoration elevations will
need to fall between "Mean Low Water" and "Mean
High Water") and protection from erosion. If \ou
ha\ e to excavate a channel to bring the tide to your
site, you will need to consider the amount of flow
that is needed to ensure that the \\ater can come in
and get out. This may require help from an engineer
or a hydrologist.
Another consideration is the amount of excavation
that has to be completed to get the planting area
between Mean Low Water and Mean High Water.
Excessive excavation can make a site cost prohibi-
Remove invashe species where practical.
Remove debris that has floated or been dumped
into the wetland area.
Protect the existing marsh with a low riprap or
oyster shell sill.
C ease mowing or lea\e an un-mowed buffer be-
t\\ een the upland and the wetland.
Enhance the area with additional plantings.
If you ha\e a site that is technically feasible
(has water, not too high in elevation), but there
are future use concerns, consider modifying the
use. For instance, if you need access to the \\ ater
for a future use, do you really need a bulkhead
along the entire shoreline, or would a pier suffice.
thereby allowing wetland restoration along the
remainder of the shoreline?
-------
I
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT
ADD OR PROTECT A VEGETATED
BUFFER
A "Vegetated Buffer" Is So Important That for Us,
It's the Law. Because of the critical role that trees and
shrubs play in filtering pollution along shorelines, in
Virginia there's a law - the Chesapeake Bay Preservation
Act - that says the shore must be conserved with vegeta-
tion (trees preferred) for 100 feet back from the water.
In some urban areas, a designation of "Intensely Dc\ el-
oped Area" allows developers an exemption from this
guidance. Encroachments into the buffer zone are also
allowed for water-dependent features such as boat rumps.
But the ecosystem will still benefit from any effort to
keep the shore green. For questions in Virginia, contact
your city or county's planning department.
LANDSCAPE WITH NATIVE
PLANTS
One of the most effective steps for restoring lost
habitat in any ecosystem is to increase native
plants in the landscape. In each region, a set
of native plants has developed to live in harmony with
each other to provide the wildlife specific to that region
with food and shelter in the season it is needed. But the
benefits of native plants are not just for the birds. Your
company is likely to save costs on water, fertilizer and
pesticides if you landscape with native plants. The native
plants of your region have adapted to your climate. Once
established, they need little human intervention.
And establishing your native plant habitat gives you an
opportunity for employee volunteerism. Many industrial
\\orkers enjoy spending a Saturday morning with their
family, planting a song bird or butterfly habitat in ex-
change for T-shirts and pizza.
Designing the Native Plant Landscape. Plants are
considered native to a specific area if they occurred there
before the arrival of European colonists. Plants are not
native if they were introduced into a region, intentionally
or unintentionally, from distant countries or from another
region of our country. Native plants are adapted to live
in a particular geographic area according to the climate,
soils, rainfall, and availability of pollinators and seed
dispersers. and other influential components. Due to the
fact that native plants are indigenous to a certain region,
the level of maintenance is usually less, and they contrib-
ute to wildlife habitat and ecosystem stability. A good
resource for helping businesses from across the country
establish wildlife habitat and earn public recognition is
the Wildlife Habitat Council, www.wildlifehc.org.
To identify native plants specific to your region,
visit USDA's National Resource Conservation
Service, http://plants.usda.gov. The National
Wildlife Federation offers resources and planting guides
on a backyard level, http://www.nwf.org/gardenforwildlife.
The local extension service can also offer assistance in
identifying plants and trees that are best for your loca-
tion. For example, trees for special situations can be
found at the Virginia Cooperative Extension web site:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Docs.woa/wa/
getcat?cat=ir-cgnl-tsls.
Native Plants Can Offer a Complete Bird Habi-
tat. Planting a variety of native plants that collectively
provide a year-round source of berries and other food
is the best way to provide for songbirds. A variety of
native plants not only creates a reliable food source, but
also forms the basis of habitat by providing places for the
birds to carry out their daily activities. Birdfeeders are
fine, but most species of songbirds won't feed at feeders.
and the birds that do cannot survive on these handouts
alone. They need trees and shrubs not only to supply ber-
ries and insects, but also to provide shelter from preda-
tors, safe roosting at night, limbs for nests, and a perches
for singing.
Invasive Plants -A Threat to Native Flora. Invasive
plants and animals are fast becoming one of the leading
causes of habitat loss. Since the arrival of European set-
tlers to North America. European and Asiatic plants have
been introduced for a variety of human purposes, includ-
-------
CHAPTER 2 -WILDLIFE HABITAT
ing agriculture, horticulture, erosion control and e\en
wildlife habitat enhancement. Of the 4.000 non-native
plants introduced to the United States that escaped cul-
tivation, approximately 400. or 10 percent are invasive.
meaning they are capable of invading and threatening
native plant communities. Of these 400 invasives. half
were introduced for horticultural interests.
Invasive plant species defeat native flora due to lack
of natural controls such as insects and competitor plants.
Some invasives are so prolific that they threaten entire
plant communities, resulting in a loss of biodiversity.
Even species native to other regions of the country can
be invasive if placed in a different region. Saltmarsh
cordgrass (Spunimi altcrnifiora). the dominant and
beneficial plant of Elizabeth River's tidal wetlands and
native to the coastal wetlands of the Hast and (lull'coasts.
became invasive \\hen used for wetland restoration on
the West Coast.
Because invasives are widespread and have a
strong hold, you cannot assume that natural areas
on your property consist of native plants, nor
that areas left to turn into wildlife habitat will sprout a
healthy configuration of native flora. Instead, you may
end up with troublesome species such as China-berry
(Melia a-ederacli). Tree-of-heaven (Ailantlws tiltixsimu).
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), English ivy
(Hcdcrci hcli.\). Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora), Au-
tumn olive (Elacxniix umhellata). Russian olive (Elae-
X>ni\ uii^iistifoliii), or Crown vetch (Coronilla varui).
which smother or crowd out nativ e flora. These plants
are just a few of the invasive alien species introduced to
the U.S.
I he must effective way to control invasives is through
prevention. Don't include them in your landscape design
to begin with. If you find them on your site, identify and
control them before they take over.
looms covered much at the Main Stem of the Hli:aheth River in Ian- summer 2007. Excessive niiiirenis often come from fertilizer im
ami lead to nit-tie hlooms. which in turn deplete dissolved oxygen that is needed for tu/iuiin' life to thrive. Sto\ e Karley. The Virginian-Pilot.
•
-------
Kinder A/crv.;/! SiniiheuM terminal* Ijonnerh E\.\i>nMnhil Refining
and .Vw/i/i/yl ;>i.v/ior\ have made n drunuitie eoinebuek on the
Kasi Coast.
REDUCE PESTICIDES AND
FERTILIZERS
Natural Pest Control. Insects provide many
beneficial uses including pollination. However,
some are considered pests. Pick a pest and you
can usually find a natural control for it; one that won't
poison you or your employees. Natural pest control is
less expensive than buying and applying pesticides, and
it's safer for your habitat and the environment.
The easiest way to control nuisance insects on your
property is to discourage them from coming in the first
place. In other words, a healthy habitat is the best de-
fense.
• Pull out and dispose of any weak plants, as they may
be infected. If allowed to remain, they will attract
predators.
• Build healthy, organic soil by using natural compost-
ing methods, mulching, or topping your soil with
compost or natural fertilizer is the best way to de-
velop strong, vigorous plants.
Seaweed mulch or spray contains trace elements such
as iron. zinc, barium, calcium, sulfur and magnesium.
which promote health\ development in plants. Sea-
weed fertilizer in mulch or spray form will enhance
growth and give plants the strength to withstand
disease and it also repels slugs.
Minimize nuisance insect habitat by keeping the area
clear of debris and weeds which are breeding places
for insects. Use clean mulch.
Water early so foliage will be dry for most of the day.
Wet foliage encourages insect and fungal damage to
your plants.
Disinfect your tools if you've boon working with
infested plants.
Use Nature's Fertilizer. By composting, you can
recycle vegetative scraps, generate rich fertilizer, and
reduce your dependence on chemical fertilizers. Com-
post is created when bacteria, fungi, protozoans, centi-
pedes, earthworms and other organisms break down plant
material. The finished product looks and feels like fertile
garden soil - dark, cool, crumbly, and earthy-smelling.
Compost can be spread over the top of planting beds or
worked into existing soil where it will naturally provide
plants with plenty of essential nutrients. You can recycle
yard waste by using it as mulch.
Mulch enriches the soil by decomposing in the same
manner as compost. Good mulching materials include
pine straw, shredded dry leaves, grass clippings, straw.
wood chips, or shredded hardwood mulch. Mulching
with stones has a number of draw backs. Stones are not
as cool for plants during the summer as other mulches.
Also, stones do not decompose or hold moisture, so you
miss out on the benefit of soil enrichment.
Applying mulch in planting beds and around trees has
several benefits. Because mulch covers otherwise ex-
posed soil, it reduces erosion and runoff of soil. Mulch
also slows evaporation of important moisture needed by
plants.
•L^Ujk
BHf.'
30
-------
CONSIDER HABITAT NEEDS
SPECIFIC TO OUR AREA
Helping Bring Back the Oyster and the Osprey. On
the Elizabeth River, a tidal estuary of the Chesapeake
Bay, the Eastern oyster (Cmssostrca vir^inica) was once
so abundant that the reefs were navigational hazards.
Their filter-feeding ability is so great that the oyster
population once filtered the entire volume of water in the
bay in a few days. Early settlers reported oysters the size
of dinner plates, and the "Norfolk oyster" was a celebrat-
ed delicacy. Today disease and over-harvesting have
reduced Virginia oyster population by 99 percent but
our River Star industries arc in the forefront of restoring
manmadc reefs, seeded with tiny oysters, to bring them
back. Our Ri\cr Stars are also putting up osprey nesting
platforms to help bring back this majestic fishing rap-
tor: nearly decimated by the 1970s before the ban of the
pesticide DDT. Call environmental groups in your area
to find out about habitat needs specific to your waterway.
Resources for Oyster Growing. In Virginia, informa-
tion on how to create an oyster reef is available from
the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in Newport
News, 757-247-2200. Information on oyster gardening.
or growing young oysters in floats, is available through-
out the Chesapeake Bay from the Chesapeake Bay Foun-
dation (Norfolk office. 757-622-1964).
Further South on the Elizabeth River, workers at
the Kinder-Morgan Terminals oil transfer station
now focus one of their security cameras on a wel-
come visitor - one they built a wooden platform to
attract.
To do their part as a River Star industry creating
habitat, Kinder Morgan installed an osprey plat-
form offshore.
Now the staff in the headquarters building enjoy
their own "Osprey Cam," each spring watching a
pair of osprey hatch their eggs on the platform.
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT
River Star industries such as Lyon Shipyard on
the Elizabeth River are helping reverse the decline
in the native oyster here, caused by disease and
over-harvesting.
Many waterfront industries do what Lyon did;
participate in a four-hour "oyster gardening work-
shop" with The Elizabeth River Project and Ches-
apeake Bay Foundation.
Participants receive thumbnail-sized "seed" oys-
ters and build a floating "cage" to protect them
while they grow. The oyster floats are suspended
from the participant's dock for about a year, and
then the participant has the opportunity to help
transplant them onto a restored reef in the river.
Tom Beacham, Environmental Manager of Lyon
Shipyard, expanded the education benefits of be-
coming the first shipyard on the Elizabeth to partic-
ipate in oyster gardening by including a quiz about
the Eastern oyster in paychecks distributed to all
employees.
•
Building an Osprey Platform. Ospreys will readily
nest in dead trees (called snags) as well as man-made
structures such as channel markers, power poles, duck
blinds, and lighthouses. A properly constructed osprey
platform can relocate ospreys away from human distur-
bance or man-made structures with conflicting purposes.
Osprey platforms should be located near favored fishing
areas and with good visibility (if placed near the shore
it should be taller than the surrounding vegetation). A
permit is often required.
Contact your local planning department. Osprey plat-
form designs and a comprehensive guide to native plants
and their wildlife benefits in Southeastern Virginia is pro-
vided in The Elizabeth River Project's 142-page Wildlife
Habitat Guide for Restoration and Landscaping in the
Elizabeth River Watershed (757-399-7487).
31
-------
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT
CONSERVE YOUR HABITAT FOR
THE LONG-TERM
Conservation Easements Provide Tax Benefits.
Conservation easements are legal documents
that landowners use to voluntarily place restric-
tions on their property that will legally bind the actions
of present and future landowners of the property. They
are one of the most powerful and effective tools available
for the conservation of private lands and are often used to
protect large tracts of lands from development. The high
sensitivity/value of urban waterfront property creates an
opportunity for much smaller parcels to be protected that
may be just as valuable to wildlife.
Depending on the specific characteristics of the site.
the em ironmental benefits may include protecting \\ a-
ter quality, conserving wildlife habitat, preserving open
space, buffering public lands, and maintaining landscapes
for tourism.
Benefits to the property owner start \\ ith federal tax
deductions for easements granted in perpetuity. For ex-
ample, subject to a few limitations, individuals and cor-
porations may deduct the full fair market value of their
gifts of land or easements to a non-profit on their federal
income tax returns.
Alternatively, the Internal Revenue Service allows es-
tate tax exclusions. Additional state tax deductions vary.
In Virginia, a generous state tax-credit program provides
for state income tax credits of up to 40 percent of the fair
market \alue of the donation up to SIOO.OOO. As with the
federal tax benefits, the unused portion of the credit may
be carried forward for a maximum of five consecutive
tax years. Consult your tax advisor for recommendations
specific to your situation.
Southern States Cooperative-Chesapeake Fertilizer Plain agreed to lon^-tenn consen'alion oj lf> acres of pristine wetlands in support of
river conservation. The plant was recognized as n Model Level River Star.
-------
CHAPTER 2 - WILDLIFE HABITAT
To protect land with a conservation easement, a quali-
fied third party must hold the easement for conservation
purposes. The holder may be a state agency, local gov-
ernment, land trust, or conservation organization (The
Elizabeth River Project offers this service for our wa-
tershed). Since a conservation easement is a real-estate
transaction, the deed of easement must be recorded in the
court of the locality where the property is located. Be-
cause a conservation easement affects the land in perpe-
tuity, it is important for the landowner to consult a lawyer
while working with the holder on the terms of an ease-
ment. More information about easements can be found at
www.lta.org/conserve. Information pertaining to Virginia
is u\ailable at www.virginiaoutdoorsfoundation.org and at
www.dcr.virginia.gov/land conservation.
Land Conservation Understandings-A Non-Bind-
ing Alternative. Despite the tax benefits of conservation
easements, many facilities are unable to place land in
such a legally binding long-term agreement because of
foreign parent companies, legal obstacles and uncertainty
regarding future plans. With the Elizabeth River Proj-
ect, River Star industries have the alternative of signing
a "Land Conservation Understanding," a non-binding
gentleman's agreement to leave undeveloped land in its
natural state for five years. So far no River Star signing
the agreement has had to reverse it.
The Elizabeth River Project's
Land Conservation Understanding for "River Star" Industries
[Name of facility] and The Elizabeth River Project wish to state an understanding in which the [descrip-
tion of facility] intends to set aside [# of acres] acres of natural habitat [description of habitat, i.e. wetlands.
riparian buffer] located along [geographic landmarks or water body], for a minimum of five years for the
purpose of promoting and supporting The Elizabeth River Project's efforts to restore the environmental
quality of the Elizabeth River.
This understanding is memorialized between The Elizabeth River Project and [Name of facility] for the
period from [date] to [date], renewable every five years thereafter.
During the period indicated, [Name of facility] intends to maintain the property in native vegetation through
active conservation and stewardship. The [description of facility] intends to make no structural improve-
ments in the conservation area, other than any which may be recommended by The Elizabeth River Proj-
ect for conservation enhancements.
This understanding is not intended to represent a legally binding obligation on either party. Abiding by
the terms of the understanding entitles [Name of facility] to ongoing public recognition by The Elizabeth
River Project as a participating River Star "doin' right by the river," so long as other criteria of the River
Stars program are also met.
Signed and dated by The Elizabeth River Project and the facility.
33
-------
Storm water Runoff
The Big Payoff
Marjorie Mayfield Jackson was caught in a rain-
storm on her bicycle one Sunday afternoon.
riding home from the gym. Although she'd
been Executive Director of The Elizabeth River Project
for a decade, not until then did she really experience
first-hand how something as innocent as rainwater can
have become the No. 1 source of pollution in America's
waterways.
The storm had been underway only a few minutes
be tore she was steering the bike through water over her
;mkles. The Norfolk four-lane highway had been trans-
formed into a virtual river itself, a strong current diverted
only by storm drains. She watched the rain water seethe
and chum against culverts she knew would dispatch an
instant "toxic soup" straight into the Elizabeth River
with no filtering of the oils, grease and metals absorbed
by the rain from the street; the chemical fertilizers and
pesticides applied to her neighbors' lawns; and the stray
liquids and process materials on nearby industrial pave-
ments.
"You don't really understand the sheer volume of
stormwater that's not being absorbed because of paving
until you are sloshing through it without the separation of
a nice dry car: up close and personal on a city street," she
said.
The amount of hard, or "impervious." surface your
site presents to the rain - roof, sidewalk, park-
ing lot, road, tank or other structure - is directly
related to the amount of stormwater runoff likely to head
for your local river or bay. picking up pollution along the
way. Before development, your site absorbed and filtered
most of this rain. That was when it was covered with na-
ti\ e trees, shrubs and grasses.
A site solely consisting of natural ground cover will al-
low 50 percent of the stormwater to absorb into the soil.
Another 40 percent will evaporate, leaving 10 percent to
In urhtin cities like Norfolk, mi'st Monti drains send untreated runoff
directly to wuierhodies like the Eli-aheth River, with no filtering of
the IOMC WIN/' ot pollution collected oft streets ami oilier virtuces.
here, consultant Kill Hunt. North Carolina Stale University, takes a
close-up view of the situation.
run off. Conversely, a site consisting of almost all imper-
vious cover will allow only 15 percent of the stormwater
to soak in. while 30 percent evaporates and 55 percent
runs off.
Traditional stormwater approaches may not get to
win-win with your waterfront site. The old "pipe it to
a retention basin" approach can be costly and less effi-
cient than emerging approaches. This chapter provides a
34
-------
Education ;'.v one \\\i\ In hlem of polluted runoff. A
student at Old nonunion I ni\ersil\ iihirks
-------
•
CHAPTER 3 - STORMWATER RUNOFF
Limit soil disturbance. During development, your
construction equipment could compact your soils,
reducing their ability to absorb runoff. Limit distur-
bance and construction traffic where possible. When
it is not possible to limit clearing, grading, or con-
struction traffic, enhance the soils after construction
by tilling and incorporating sand, compost, and other
organic sources.
Slow down and dissipate the storimvater. Slow the
rate at which the stormuatcr will Mow across your
site, maximi/ing the time it has to infiltrate into the
soils. Grade for minimal slopes with just enough
vertical angle to carry water away from buildings and
other site elements.
E/i:tihclh River Project staff install a rain garden with the City
(if Portsmouth to filter an acre tif runoff into Paradise Ore (.
Plamini; projects like this one can he fun volunteer outings for
industry employees.
Direct storimvater to existing or enhanced natural
filters, such as vegetated groundcover. forested areas,
leaf litter/ naturalized areas, and wetlands.
Eliminate curbs and gutters to allow runoff to flow
naturally into grassy areas, while saving construction
costs. Some local codes still do not allow this basic
sustainable development approach, but more and
more localities are modifying codes to promote more
natural stormwater treatments.
• Re-use stormwater with rain barrels and cisterns.
The world is experiencing a crisis in Ihe shortage of
fresh water - yet Americans still design their sites
to get rid of rain water as quickly as possible. Rain
barrels and cisterns are simple \sa\> to capture runoff
from your roof making it available for re-use for ir-
rigation of your landscaping, reducing your water bill
and your stormwater treatment costs.
• Analyze your site holistically to plan your storm-
water management in relation to your specific
conditions and development plans. Important
factors will include the depth of your water table,
the topography, soil characteristics, available land,
potential contamination and existing natural features.
In our region, a shallow water table makes it difficult
to have treatments units of any depth.
MENU OF EFFECTIVE PRACTICES
FOR RUNOFF CONTROL
• Consider the lovely "rain garden."
Prettier and more important for the ecosystem than the
traditional stagnant stormwater pond, the rain garden
looks like a landscaping amenity. It's a shallow depres-
sion planted with native plants in soil amended with
gravel, sand or other components to absorb and filter
stormwater. Also called "biofiltration" or "bioretention
basins," rain gardens can be sited in medians, parking lot
islands, at edges of parking lots, and adjacent to existing
drainage swales.
(inn el typically is placed at the bottom of a basin to
allow for a larger storage volume of water. The pit is
tilled with an amended soil mixture designed to be highly
permeable and supportive of native plants, which also
pro\ ide wildlife habitat. Soils should have a sandy loam,
loamy sand, or loam texture. An outlet, usually in the
form of a pipe, can be placed near the boundary between
the soil amendment layer and the gravel layer. The outlet
allows water to pass out of the system in large storms.
-------
Plantings should consist of a diverse mixture of native
trees, shnibs, and herbaceous ground cover.
• "V ain gardens can provide phosphorus removal cl-
1-^ ficiency of 50-65 percent (Virginia Stormwater
_i_ XJiandbook, Virginia Department of Conservation
and Recreation). The level of removal is dictated by the
surface area and storage capacity. Rain gardens are also
effective for treating total suspended solids, as they are
effective a capturing the important "first flush" of pollut-
ants that occurring in the first few minutes.
• If you have room, incorporate a stormwater wet-
land - and watch your landscape come alive.
CHAPTER 3 - STORMWATER RUNOFF
This beautiful ecosystem can be an effective storm-
water control and a more \ ibrant addition to your land-
scape, but it does need more space than a retention pond.
Wetlands come alive with aquatic birds and fish and can
include flowering wetland plants.
Typically, a constructed stormwater wetland has three
main components, high marsh, low marsh, and deep
pools. The phosphorus removal efficiency is estimated
at about 30 percent (Virginia Stormwater Handbook).
When combined with additional elements such as "aquat-
ic benches" (see Take the Traditional Stormwater Pond
to Another Level, below), the wetland is an especially ef-
fective way to treat water quality as well as provide flood
storage capacity.
Trees arc super-stars nl runoff control, ahsorhini; nitrogen til a lo\\rr CUM than artificially constructed devices. At the Chesapeake .\rho-
ri'tnm in the Kli:ahelh River \valerslied. thick-forests on hotli sides up the irealmenl value of u stormwater conveyance recicviiif; nnwftroin
I.2(HI acres of residential and commercial areas.
37
-------
CHAPTER 3 - STORMWATER RUNOFF
When \ii\al Medical Center Portsmouth decided in replace traditional sidewalks and access roads \\illi "pen-ions " pavement to reduci
runoff into the Kli:ahclli River the creative design included a "slur" pattern. Space hetwecn the paving stones allows rain lo seep into the
t;nHind fi>r filter! ni;.
• Restore or conserve a strip of vegetation along
your shoreline.
Consider a "buffer strip" or linear strip of vegeta-
tion positioned just in front of the water body
being protected. A strip of vegetation from 15
feet to several hundred feet wide should consist of trees,
shrubs and perennials. Non-concentrated, sheet flow
through the filter strip is essential for maximum effec-
tiveness. Vegetated buffers or filter strips can provide
approximately 10 percent phosphorus removal efficiency
(Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook) when
constructed properly. In many cases, filter strips can be
enhanced by the addition of compost amended soils. By
amending the soils, storage capacity, groundwater re-
charge and pollutant removal efficiency are increased.
• Use paving material that allows water to trickle
through.
Known as "permeable" pavement, these modern ap-
proaches reduce stormwater runoff while providing treat-
ment through either porous surface for water to infiltrate
across the entire surface of the material (grass and gravel
surfaces, porous concrete and porous asphalt), or imper-
meable blocks separated by spaces and joints through
which the water can drain. Permeable pavement does not
require "new" space to be made available: it can replace
existing or planned pavement, if vehicular use is light.
infrequent or absent.
• Combine several practices in a "treatment train."
A treatment train combines practices to channel and
filter the stormwater as much as possible before it reaches
a protected body of water. On its way. stormwater is
slowed down to allow time for pollutants to drop out as
well as to reduce potential for erosion, and processed for
a variety of pollutants. This method distributes the water
and pollutant loads over greater areas, in contrast with
the dated practice of piping all of the site's stormwater to
a costly detention/retention facility.
• incorporate grassed "swales," or grassy natural
channels for the rain.
Install a grassed swale, an extremely shallow ditch
planted in turf, to gently collect and direct stormwater to
-------
CHAPTER 3 - STORMWATER RUNOFF
other downstream treatments. This almost unnoticeable
component in the landscape will direct water but still
allow for other activities. Grassed swales can be used to
connect multiple treatment practices together, making up
the treatment train described above, or to direct runoff
to relief flow locations during larger storm events. The
turf will help to filter and retain larger pollutant particles
before they are carried too far down the treatment train.
Turf should be allowed to grow to several inches prior to
being cut. This will enhance its ability to filter particles,
allow the root system to extend deeper into the soil, and
will cut back on lawn maintenance costs. The phospho-
rus removal efficiency of grassed swales is approximately
15 percent (Virginia Stormwater Management Hand-
book) when constructed properly.
• Slow the flow with "level spreaders."
These constructed elements, made of wood, concrete.
masonry or plastic, are strategically placed in areas where
water is expected to concentrate. The level spreader is
long and installed so the top is perfectly level. The water
spills evenly over this element, dispersing its energy and
slowing its velocity.
TAKE THE TRADITIONAL STORM-
WATER POND TO A MORE EFFEC-
TIVE LEVEL
Sometimes space or design constraints will still
indicate the need for a traditional "retention ba-
sin." or pond, to collect and filter runoff. Take the
basin to another level of effectiveness by enhancing it as
a stormwater wetland, described earlier, and/or by add-
ing enhancements such as "aquatic benches." "sediment
forebays" and the planting of a vegetated buffer around
the perimeter.
Use Aquatic Benches to Create Vegetated Areas of
the Pond. One common method of enhancing pollutant
removal in retention basins is to create aquatic benches or
wetlands along the perimeter of the basin, or benches and
islands within the basin where aquatic plants can grow.
The vegetation on the bench increases the filtering and
settling of sediments and biological uptake of nutrients.
Aquatic benches are often planted with select vegetation
to provide a diverse plant community, but the planting of
aquatic benches for large basins using plugs and con-
tainer plants can be prohibitively expensive. For large
basins, it may be practical to seed some aquatic benches
with emergent plant mixes instead of planting with plugs
and container plants.
Try Sediment Forebays to Mimic Nature. Sediment
forebays, or settling basins generally located where the
runoff enters the pond, are generally included in reten-
tion basins to promote settling of pollution and capture
of trash and debris. The location near the pond entry
provides maintenance access. Forebays provide effective
pretreatment. removing the more easily settled particu-
lates and solids and allowing the remainder of the basin
to focus on removing finer particulates and dissolved nu-
trients. Creating aquatic benches or wetlands in sediment
forebays may be more practical than creating wetlands
throughout the basin, since the volume and area in fore-
bays are only a fraction of the total basin area. In nature.
wetlands exist in the headwaters and fringes of tidal and
\(irt'nlk Environmental Cmnmissitui used vt>litnteer.\ in intull this
attractive pattern i>jbricks for its pcrnu-fihle. or rain-absnrbin\>.
sidenulks iirouiul the Ernie Morgan Environmental Action Center.
39
-------
CHAPTER 3 - STORMWATER RUNOFF
.-1 plastic container i.\ r< in led :o collect ruin water at-
\<>\ \\ Atlantic Marine Center in \orfolk. Rain barrels
are a preventive measure nut on/s for runoff pollution, hut
tor \\ xlabal issue.
non-tidal water bodies, \\here they ser\e a similar func-
tion to the forebay. By creating \\etlands in the forebays,
the basins mimic nature in form and function.
Plant and Manage Negetation Along Pond Edges.
"Vegetated riparian buffers." or plantings on the perim-
eter of basins, can enhance storrmvater runoff quality by
filtering pollution before the runoff reaches the basin.
The vegetation also helps to stabilize the banks and pro-
tect them from erosion. Riparian buffers provide habitat
for a diversity of wildlife, while reducing the attracti\e-
ness of the basin to nuisance species, such as resident
Canada geese that prefer cleared banks with open views
of approaching predators. Note that vegetated riparian
buffers can pose some risk for other storm water struc-
tures included in the treatment area, but the risk can be
managed. If the basin is created by an earthen embank-
ment. then woody material should not be allowed to grow
on the embankment or at the abutments, where it could
lead to premature failure of the dam. While the vegeta-
tion can control shoreline erosion, it may also attract bur-
rowing animals that can destabilize the banks, and falling
trees and shrubs along the shoreline can also cause bank
erosion. Debris and deadfall from the buffer can block
hydraulic control structures, as can beaver activity within
and around the pond. Many of the negatives resulting
from vegetated riparian buffers can be addressed through
periodic maintenance to remove fallen debris and dead-
tall, keep hydraulic .structures clean, and repair bank ero-
sion caused by burrowing animals and fallen trees. Like
wetlands created in foreba> s. riparian buffers can help
ponds fit in with the natural environment. They need not
be used around the entire shoreline, and can be designed
to accommodate passive recreational uses and access to
the basin for recreation as well as maintenance.
Southern States Cooperative, Chesapeake
Fertilizer Plant on the Elizabeth River collects
about 150,000 gallons of stormwater a year
and reuses it in its processes. The rainwater is
pumped from the stormwater pond to a converted
rail car that acts as a rain barrel. This reuse saves
the plant money from not having to buy water and
reduces the amount of nutrients it must add to the
fertilizer. This reuse also helps the river, since vir-
tually no stormwater runoff leaves the site.
CONSIDER MECHANICAL DEVICES
TO SOLVE URBAN CHALLENGES
The urban waterfront presents special challenges
such as limited land and elevated risks from oil
and grease in runoff. Under these circumstances,
the following approaches should be considered.
• Oil/water separators are devices used to remove oils
and greases (and sometimes solids) from stormwater
and can be important for sites with a high volume of
paving and vehicle traffic. There are several styles to
separate oil from water including gia\ ity separation.
filters, coagulation/flocculation. and flotation.
• Sand filters take up little space and can be used on
highly developed sites and sites with steep slopes.
A typical sand filter system consists of two or three
chambers or basins. The first is the sedimentation
chamber, which removes floating debris and heavy
sediments. The second is the filtration chamber of
sand, which removes additional pollutants. The third
40
-------
CHAPTER 3 - STORMWATER RUNOFF
Beach Marine Service.'!' oil \\'titfr \eptirciior ni>t only proiecis the
river, bill also houses irccfroi;*.
is the discharge chamber, either through an under-
drain system, to a storm drainage system, or directly
to surface waters.
• Proprietary ultra-urban devices have become a
popular means of stormwater treatment in dense
urban areas due to tight space constraints. Several
technologies are employed to remove sediment and
other debris from stormwater runoff, including filtra-
tion and separation.
BIG IDEAS THAT COULD CHANGE
THE WORLD
Harvest Your Runoff for Reuse. Experts say a
world-wide fresh water crisis is coming that will
soon equal the crisis over oil. "The world is run-
ning out of fresh water, and the fight to control it has be-
gun." wrote William Finnegan ("Leasing the Rain," The
New Yorker. April 8. 2002). "There's \\ater everywhere.
of course, but less than three percent of it is fresh, and
most of that is locked up in polar ice caps and glaciers,
unrecoverable for practical purposes. Water demand,
on the other hand has been growing rapidly—it tripled
worldwide between 1950 and 1990—and water use in
many areas already exceeds nature's ability to recharge
supplies. Meanwhile, more than a billion people have no
access to clean drinking water. There are businessmen in
Alaska who believe that the state's earnings from fresh
water will eventually dwarf its earnings from oil."
Yet daily, we throw fresh water away through our storm
systems. Consider the stormwater approach of the future:
capture and store your runoff for later use in irrigation
and other activities. The practice of rainwater harvest-
ing is gaining increasing momentum as its application
continues to decrease the demand on the potable water
supply. On-lot cisterns and rain barrels not only reduce
your costs of stormwater controls, but provide a source of
water for irrigating your landscaping, or for fountains and
other water features.
Install a Rain Barrel System. If you have a roof
with exterior gutters, you can use a rain barrel system to
collect and re-use the rain. The Elizabeth River Project
offers a how-to guide: Everybody needs a rain barrel,
downloadable from our website, www.elizabethriver.org.
The basic elements of connecting a rain barrel system to
a roof include:
o A barrel, cistern or tank
o Gutters
o Gutter screens for keeping out leaves
o Downspouts from the gutter into the tank
Some other elements that may be needed:
Hardware to connect spout to tank (elbows,
pipes, PVC cement)
o A tank overflow pipe to direct water away from
your foundation
o A faucet for the bottom of the tank
o A tight-fitting removable cover to keep mosqui-
toes out and allow access for cleaning
Hose to get water from faucet to wherever it is
needed
Convert Your Roof into a Garden, or "Green Roof."
A green roof is planted in vegetation to absorb runoff.
extend the life of the roof and reduce energy costs. A
green roof can capture and retain up to 75 percent of the
stormwater that otherwise would run off. This presents
41
-------
CHAPTER 3 - STORMWATER RUNOFF
Succulent plants and engineered soils now filter runoff and ex-
tend the life of roofs on several of its smaller buildings at NOAA
Marine Operations Center Atlantic in Norfolk. \'A. Here. Pam
Bontwrighi. River Stars program manager, and Doug Smith.
NOAA work with volunteers on installation day.
a tremendous benefit to the overall site plan because it
reduces the amount of stormwater to be treated at ground
level.
At 10 square acres, the largest successful green
roof in the United States is on the Ford Motor
Company's Dearborn River Rouge plant. How-
ever, green roofs have proven successful in every climate
in the United States at a variety of sizes, from residential
homes in Miami to Chicago's City Hall.
Components of a green roof include plants, a growing
medium, a drainage component, and a membrane that
separates the building from this system. Some systems
can be installed on rooftops never intended to support
plant material, while other systems rely on architects and
structural engineers to complete the design with a green
roof in mind.
Spin Off Benefits of a Green Roof. A properly in-
stalled green roof can extend the life of a roof by protect-
ing it from the elements. In urban areas, the heat island
effect is reduced by minimizing surface area that absorbs
and radiates the sun's heat. The vegetated layer acts like
a layer of insulation to reduce energy costs. The water
that does make its way through the roof drainage system
can be diverted to cisterns where it can be reused for
irrigation. This application will reduce or eliminate the
costs associated with tapping into municipal water sup-
plies for irrigation needs.
Newer Designs are as Light as a Normal Roof.
There are two kinds of green roofs: extensive and inten-
sive. Intensive roofs are generally grass on top of a thick
bed of dirt that requires beefed-up building structure.
while extensive roots, a more recent invention, are gener-
ally sedum type plants in a two-inch deep bed of dirt that
is no heavier than the typical dead load to which struc-
tural engineers currently design. Nearly all green roofs
currently built are the more economical and successful
extensive type.
In the Elizabeth River watershed, the first gr<
roof was installed on the office of Hanbury Ev-
ans Wright and Vllatas. Architects Although
the four-story building was originally built in 1891,
it was retrofitted in 2004 with a 4,300-square-foot
green roof that cost $98,000 but will reduce the
urban heat island effect and save building energy
costs in addition to capturing and treating storm-
water.
Soon after. NOAA Marine Operations Center
Atlantic, a Model Level River Star, used volunteer
labor to install two green roofs on several of its
smaller buildings as a pilot project to promote the
practice.
Now Earl Industries and Old Dominion Uni-
versity, two more River Stars, have committed to
install green roofs in the Elizabeth River water-
shed.
-------
Redeveloping
The Contaminated Site
The urban industrial waterfront probably presents
less likelihood for pristine land than anywhere
else you could chose to locate in America. While
this has its advantages, you can expect that your urban
waterfront site probably has been used before, maybe
heavily, and probably before any regulations or practices
were in place to control pollution.
Welcome to the world of the "brownfield." previously
used manufacturing, industrial, commercial, petroleum
storage, or retail sites with real or perceived contamina-
tion issues.
Benefits Are Tantalizing. A brownfield often otters
many redevelopment benefits:
• Typically, brownfields are the largest, least expensive
sites available for purchase on an intensely developed
Often the <>nl\ available waterfront in an urban area is also a
" brownfield." posing cleanup challenges aloni; with redevelopment
potential. Here, developer chose to pursue Kelharbour Station.
proposing tipsi-iilc condiniunu. a manna and retail stores, for re-use
of the shoreline after addressing residual contamination.
urban waterfront such as the Elizabeth River water-
front.
• Brownfields may mean lower costs of infrastructure
and utility construction, as these may already be in
place.
• Land costs may be lower due to perceived contamina-
tion issues.
Returning the land to productive use will increase the
tax base for the municipality or county, which in turn
may otter incentives to encourage you to redevelop
the property.
• Building on a previously developed site reduces
urban sprawl, preserving your urban watershed's van-
ishing greenspace and farmland.
• Redevelopment of previously contaminated land
reduces public exposure to potential health risks.
• Redevelopment and reuse will create employment op-
portunities for residents in local communities.
• Federal and state funds and assitance are available to
help address environmental contamination on brown-
field sites.
Environmental Studies Are an Essential Up
Front Investment. When considering redevel-
opment of a brownfield. the only prudent way to
steer clear of regulatory, environmental and human health
quagmires is to be sure you start with a clear understand-
ing of the extent of contamination and are prepared to
take steps to protect future users of the site, to not excac-
erbate the problem caused by the contamination, to cover
the cost of appropriate cleanup, and/or remediation. As
the potential purchaser, we advise you ALWAYS to spend
the money up front to complete environmental studies
-------
CHART
CHAPTER 4 - REDEVELOPING THE CONTAMINATED SITE
that will determine these issues for you, potentially of-
fering some level of protection against future regulatory'
liability.
The federal Comprehensive Environmental Response.
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) outlines
studies and approaches that can help limit the environ-
mental liability of a potential purchaser, beginning with
Phase 1 and. if indicated. Phase II "Environmental Site
Assessments."
CONDUCT "ALL APPROPRIATE
INQUIRY" TO REDUCE YOUR
LIABILITY
Often, a brownfield has been abandoned for many
years due to perceived contamination issues and
related fear of regulatory liability. In 2006. EPA
instituted a rule for how to conduct Environmental Site
Assessments that have the potential to limit the future lia-
bility of a brownfields buyer. If your studies comply with
the EPA rule, then you have completed "All Appropriate
Inquiry" into the history of the property, and have some
A legacy of creosote tanks from a former operation created a chal-
lenge to revitali:ation of the Money Point peninsula on the Elizabeth
River. EPA stepped in to excute soils saturated with the creosote.
allowing the revittilization to move fonvard.
protection under CERCLA lau tor future actions related
to any contamination existing prior to your purchase of a
site. In addition to helping to limit a buyer's site liability
by meeting "All Appropriate Inquiry." these initial stud-
ies can help quantify the amount of soil or groundwater
contamination on a site, identify costs and approaches for
remediation, and help in the decision making process of
whether a proposed use for a site is appropriate given the
le\el of existing contamination.
We recommend you hire a qualified environmental
consulting firm to conduct your assessment in compli-
ance with the federal rule, as well as consult with your
attorney.
TASKS OF A TYPICAL PHASE]
ENVIRONMENTAL SITE ASSESSMENT:
• Perform a site reconnaissance of the property to look
for surface indications of past and present ha/ard-
ous substances and petroleum products use and/or
storage. Inspect for evidence of dumping or mate-
rial stockpiling and for use or storage of hazardous
substances or petroleum products.
• Make inquiries with selected State and Federal
regulatory agencies to collect data concerning past
or present environmental concerns on the subject site
or on adjoining properties. Federal databases typi-
cally reviewed include Federal. State, and local lists
of environmental items such as Superfund sites or
registered underground storage tanks.
• Rev ievv all available fire insurance maps of the site.
• Perform a reconnaissance of selected areas around the
subject site to verify the location of listed facilities
that handle hazardous substances. The studies should
evaluate the potential for environmental impact on
the site based on readily visible nearby land uses.
• Review background and historical information. A
review of available aerial photographs and public
-------
records helps to identify historical uses of a site that
may have used or stored hazardous materials or pe-
troleum products.
• Review title binders regarding the chain of property
ownership of the subject site for at least 60 years
(although industrial use in many parts of the country.
especially the East Coast, can go back much further),
as well as a listing of any liens or encumbrances on a
site.
Interview selected individuals who may have knowl-
edge of past of present environmental concerns asso-
ciated with the subject site or adjacent property, such
as the property owner(s), occupant!s). and or the key
site manager! s).
• Summarize observations, findings, and conclusions.
I fa Phase I Environmental Site Assessment identifies
"Recognized Environmental Conditions" that ap-
pear to have the potential for impairment to the soil
or groundwater on the subject site, recommendations are
typically made for further assessment through the com-
pletion of a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment.
The Phase II Environmental Site Assessment consists
of sampling soil and/or groundwater for suspected con-
taminants based on the former uses, spills, or dumping on
the site.
CLEAN UP TO LEVELS
APPROPRIATE FOR YOUR USE
Requirements Vary By Intended Use. Once you
kno\\ what, if an\. contamination a previously
used site may ha\e. you need to determine what
the appropriate level of remediation will be for your pro-
posed use. For instance, if you are purchasing a former
dry cleaner facility that has solvent contaminated soil and
groundwater, and you are planning to use the site as a
day-care facility with a playground, the legally required
CHAPTER 4 - REDEVELOPING THE CONTAMINATED SITE
level of remediation is likely to be higher than if \ou
were proposing to use the site as a commercial ware-
house. Your environmental consultant should be able
to help determine the appropriate level of remediation
required by relevant environmental regulatory agencies.
and related costs.
Some Regulatory Programs Provide Funding As-
sistance. In Virginia, unless the site is being overseen by
the Environmental Protection Agency as a "Superfund"
site, three programs address contaminated land: Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) closures. Petro-
leum Program, and the Voluntary Remediation Program.
RCRA closures are completed to reuse sites that have had
RCRA permitted activities on the site. An example is the
redevelopment of a site in Hampton, Virginia that was
formerly a RCRA-pennilted chrome plating facility.
Soil and groundwater contamination are undergoing
remedial activities at the site, so that the facility can
be reused for another commercial operation not related
to the chrome plating. Sites closed in this fashion can
receive a closure letter from the Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality stating that no further remedial
activity is warranted.
M<>iu-\ Point /'cniiiMild n'vitiili:
-------
I
CHAPTER 4 - REDEVELOPING THE CONTAMINATED SITE
The second program addresses all things related to pe-
troleum, including spills, underground and aboveground
storage tanks, and soil and groundwater with petroleum
contamination. In Virginia, the Petroleum Storage Tank
Fund provides money to site owners for assessing and
remediating petroleum contaminated soil and ground-
water related to leaks from petroleum storage tanks or
supply lines. Petroleum contaminated sites are typically
less expensive to remediate than sites contaminated with
hazardous materials, and have the added bonus of the
potential of reimbursement for some of the remediation
costs.
Third is Virginia's Voluntary Remediation Program.
overseeing cleanup of contamination that is not
otherwise regulated. Typical are sites contami-
nated \\ ith heavy metals or solvents. Cleanup activities
are voluntary: however, on satisfactory completion, the
state will consider issuing a letter indicating completion
of satisfactory remediation.
At the federal level, the EPA Brovvnfields Program and
other land rev italization programs prov ide funding and
technical assistance for assessment, cleanup and redevel-
Hess planted native poplars to lake up PAH contamination through
ihi- natural /inn-ess of "phyloremediaiion " on the Elizabeth River at
Money Point.
opment. More information about EPA's technical assis-
tance and funding opportunities is available at www.epa.
gov/brownfields.
Look for Synergy. Consider whether you have the
opportunity to address contamination while achiev ing
another redevelopment goal at your site. For instance.
if you must excavate contaminated soils from an area.
you may consider placing your stormvv ater management
pond in that location if all of the contamination is to be
removed, as you may need to excavate a pond for storm-
vv ater management anyway. You may consider paving a
portion of your site as a cap to the underlying contami-
nants to prevent exposure to occupants or visitors to the
site. A risk assessment is helpful in determining which
contaminated areas need to be removed and which can be
left on the site.
TRY PUTTING PLANTS TO WORK
PHYTORMEDIATION
Phytoremediation involves the use of plants to clean
up pollution in the environment by removing
harmful chemicals from the ground as their roots
take in water and nutrients from polluted soil, streams
and groundwater. Once inside the plant, chemicals can
be stored in the roots, stems, or leaves or changed into
less harmful chemicals within the plant. Grasses used
for phytoremediation may need to be extracted and
disposed of: however the volume of hazardous material
for disposal is likely to be much lower than the volume
of contaminated soil prior to remediation. Phytoremedia-
tion takes advantage of natural plant processes, requires
less equipment and labor, can make a site more attractive,
and can be significantly less expensive than mechani-
cal cleanup methods. One challenge can be the time
required - phytoremediation can take significantly longer.
Indian Mustard is being used to remove heavy metals.
such as lead and cadmium, in New Jersey, and Duckweed
and Parrot Feather are being used to remediate explosive
wastes in Tennessee groundwater. EPA has used ferns to
remove arsenic in soil at a site in Virginia.
-------
CHAPTER 4 - REDEVELOPING THE CONTAMINATED SITE
After the I'S \n\\' niul. \tlnntic \\'<>od removed contamination from a
luifiHiii and transformed it into a minimi wetland. scientists caught
multifile species offish from the restored urea. Kelow: Close up of
the catch.
Faced with a site impacted with dark creosote
from prior operations as a wood treatment facility,
Hess Corporation, current owner, began experi-
menting with native poplar and other trees to draw
up the pollution through the roots.
The facility on the Elizabeth River's Southern
Branch found the "phytoremediation" practice so
effective with a test plot that it went on to plant
1,200 trees. The trees began removing PAH lad-
en groundwater from the site in 2005-2006, signifi-
cantly reducing the risk of contaminated ground-
water and contaminated runoff discharging to the
Elizabeth River.
The trees provide an inexpensive, low-tech com-
ponent of a comprehensive, voluntary remediation
effort that snared River Star recognition for Hess
from The Elizabeth River Project. Hess has also
removed over 90,000 gallons of creosote from the
groundwater in one well.
rr
-------
Green Buildings
for Global Sustainability
"The aim of sustainable design is to support
contemporary needs without compromising
resources for the future."
- Nancy Rottle, American Society of
Landscape Architects
If you have chosen to build on the waterfront, your
investment will be first in line for risks from rising
sea levels. The mainstream scientific community
now accepts the reality of sea levels on the rise across the
planet from global warming. In our region, the Chesa-
peake Bay watershed, sea levels have already increased
a foot in the last 100 years, swamping islands and eating
up prime shore property: with an expected increase to at
least two more feet by 2100 11 niversity of Maryland).
To help keep your site from disappearing under wa-
ter in coming decades and help prevent other predicted
disasters, consider being part of the solution. "Green
buildings" use technologies that, among other environ-
mentally sustainable approaches, reduce greenhouse
gases associated w ith global warming by improving
Old Dominion University built Virginia's first LEED (Leadership in Energy umi Environmental Design) certified higher education building.
housing Engineering and Computational Sciences. The building mtiximizes natural daylight. Office lights turn on and offb\ motion .\fn.\or.\.
48
-------
CHAPTER 5 - GREEN BUILDINGS
energy efficiency. Another "\vin-\vin" benefit: your util-
ity bills also go down. EPA has a number of programs
that provide resources where you can learn more about
the components of green building and how to incorporate
green building concepts into different types of buildings.
Green building information is available at www.epa.gov/
greenbuilding.
Phoebe Crisman, our adv isor at the l.'ni\ersity of
Virginia School of Architecture, tells us the one
area where building owners spend money most
needlessly invokes energy efficiency. "This is usu-
ally because inefficient, ineffective heating, cooling and
lighting systems are less expensive in up-front costs and
engineering." says C'risman. But over the life cycle of
the building, "enormous amounts of energy and sums
of cash are used up" by these inefficient decisions, she
says. For example, providing windows to give work-
ers the benefit of daylight is more expensive up front
than fluorescent lights, but the windows will more than
In 2007, Earl Industries began final design of a
"green" office building on the Scotts Creek tribu-
tary to the Elizabeth River. The Model Level River
Star plans to construct the largest green roof (see
stormwater chapter) in the Norfolk area, 9,100
square feet, to absorb runoff from this building.
The new office will also feature a series of sus-
tainable practices to conserve energy and water,
including glazed, double paned glass, integrated
roller window shades, zero to low VOC paints, wa-
terless urinals, low-flow toilets and automated fau-
cet controls.
Elevators will be energy efficient through elec-
tric traction. Parking lots will feature rain gardens.
Wetlands plantings will be incorporated into the
stormwater retention basin.
pay for themselves. Crisman has won numerous awards
for her work at the university and with building design
to incorporate sustainable principles. She and Michael
Petrus. her partner in the architectural firm of Crisman +
Petnis in Charlottesville, Virginia, served as our technical
advisors for guidance provided in this chapter.
Building Placement: Work with Sun and Wind to Cool
Your Building.
• To reduce cooling costs, place your building to avoid
exposure to the hot mid-afternoon sun. The long
direction of the building should be east-west, tipped
10 to 12 degrees east to avoid overheating in the
afternoon.
• Orient the building to allow bree/es to flow through
the building during temperate months. Check NOAA
data to show the direction of prevailing winds by
month.
The least cost-effective approach to designing a
green building is to pick a few well-meaning,
energy efficient features simply because they fit a
line-item budget. More effective for your wallet will be
designing the building as an integrated system of features
that work together to optimi/c energy and water use. yet
provide a comfortable, well-lit em iromnent for a com-
pany to operate.
Here's an example. Designed as a system, a green
building may include high performance, operable win-
dow s that are more expensive than ordinary units. Yet
the building may be less expensive overall because these
windows make possible the use of lower capacity heat-
ing and cooling units and reduce costs of energy to run
them. Similarly, a green roof (covered with living plants
to absorb runoff; see chapter on stormwater) is more
expensive to install than an ordinary roof. However, the
green roof reduces or eliminates the costs of stormwater
systems and provides insulation to reduce energy costs.
49
-------
CHAPTER 5 - GREEN BUILDINGS
Ktirl Imiuslrics plans ,'/« » r<>. (!n en n><>/.\ are plantediii vegetation
tt> iih\nrh runoff while reducing; energy i CAW timl lenyliciiini; the life
I't llh
The U.S. Green Building Council has established a
relatively easy wav for building owners to understand
and control the process of constructing a green build-
ing. The LEED rating system (Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design), provides a checklist-based
tool for evaluating whole building environmental perfor-
mance over a building life cycle. It provides an owner
with a menu of choices of how green to make a building.
from bronze (basic), to silver (moderate) and platinum.
Achieving a silver rating involves costs similar to con-
ventional building. Meeting platinum standards involves
using technologies beyond ordinary construction, such
as solar panels, but is cost-effective over the building life
cycle.
EarthCraft House provides guidelines for constructing
energy efficient, earth friendly housing (both single
family and multiple family) specifically applicable to
our climate. How ev er. many of these guidelines are
applicable to any construction project. They also give
one-day training for builders interested in learning
more about earth friendly construction. Technical
guidelines and information on training sessions can
be found on the EarthCraft of Virginia web site http://
www.earthcrafthouseva-sf.org/index.html. Habitat for
Humanity is committed to using EarthCraft construction
practices. South Hampton Roads Habitat for Humanities
Virginia Beach Covenant built the first EarthCraft
certified house in Virginia in the Spring 2
For true global sustainability. every material that is
brought to a building site should be considered in
larger terms. Is it toxic? Were toxins made in its
production'.' What happens to it when we're finished with
it?
Toxic end products versus toxic by-products. While
many building materials are relatively sate or inert in
their final state, the making of those materials at a factory
may involve the production of dangerous by-products.
Choosing materials that are ecological!) safe in their pro-
duction leads to sustainable building at a global level.
Ecological footprint, embodied energy, or what
does it cost our planet to build a new warehouse?
Although that sounds like a daunting question, thinking
simply and intelligently about the source of each mate-
rial that goes into a building goes a long \vay towards
minimizing the impact of construction at both local and
global levels. When you order building materials, such
as plywood, think about how much energy is expended
for plywood to arm e at \ our site. How much oil does it
take tor plywood to arrive from foreign countries ver-
sus South Carolina? Plywood from foreign countries
might be less expensive to you. but it has cost the planet
more in terms of green house gas from burning fossil
fuel. Also consider the effects of your new building on
how land is treated far away from your site. How much
mining goes into your building or does your \vood come
from new growth or old growth forests? Substituting fly
ash for newly mined materials for concrete, for example.
has become a popular and inexpensive practice, while
demand for new -growth forest lumber has become the
norm. Green construction practices are catching on as
conscientious builders force the marketplace to supply
sensible materials.
50
-------
CHAPTER 5 - GREEN BUILDINGS
Thinking from the ground up. the following build-
ing materials are inexpensive or no-cost, easily
available alternatives to conventional, less sus-
tainable materials. Where additional costs are involved,
payback times are very short - eight years or less.
Foundation. Concrete: The substitution of fly ash for
20 to 35 percent of Portland ready-mixed cement has
become a common practice in the past few years. The
environmental advantages of using this byproduct of coal
combustion are diversion of materials from the waste
stream and reduction of virgin, mined material. Fly ash
also offers the benefit of improved concrete performance.
A longer discussion of this topic can be found at: http://
www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/Flyash.html.
Concrete Fornwork. Two possibilities that reduce
waste and improve insulating performance are wall-form
materials made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) that
remain in place after the foundation is poured and re-use-
able rubber formwork. Both of these offer the advantage
of eliminating waste disposal of plywood formwork. The
insulative value of the wall-form materials will also aug-
ment energy use over the life of the building and easily
pay for itself.
As with all building products, a powerful ecologi-
cal benefit can be reali/ed by making sure that
wood products are sourced as close to the build-
ing site as possible. Buying trusses from a local supplier
who also receives his materials locally avoids the envi-
ronmental impact of burning fossil fuels in long-distance
shipping. However, it is worth making sure that your
supplier is using locally grown resources.
Many pressure treated lumber products used over the
past decades have proved to be highly toxic, both in
their production and on site. Chromated copper arsen-
ate (CCA) has been used extensively in this country as a
wood preservative. CCA is composed of copper, which
acts as a fungicide; arsenate, a form of arsenic, which is
an insecticide; and chromium, which binds the ingredi-
ents to the wood. These toxins and endocrine disruptors
are particularly dangerous to children and those who
spend more time on the ground. These chemicals are
leached into the ground, particularly by sawdust gener-
ated during construction.
Alternatives to CCA treated lumber include:
Plastic "lumber" made from recycled products. Plas-
tic lumber, which is most frequently composed of
high density polyethylene (HDPE), does not release
hazardous materials into the ground. An additional
benefit of using this material is that it is often manu-
factured with recycled plastic. Therefore, using plas-
tic lumber conserves natural resources. In addition,
plastic lumber usually requires less maintenance.
• Composite lumber is wood and plastic combined
into one lumber product. Wood-plastic composites
generally exhibit low moisture absorption and high
resistance to decay, insect, and UV ray damage. The
wood component provides the composite with greater
dimensional stability than plastic lumber, but not as
much as wooden lumber. Like plastic-only lumber,
wood/plastic composite lumber is often made with
recycled materials.
• Lumber pressure-treated with non-arsenic wood
preservatives is available in the marketplace. Many
of these wood preservatives are copper-based such as
ACQ compound (ammoniacal copper quaternary) or
CA (copper a/ole). A simpler process uses Berates to
treat lumber.
Insulation. Insulation materials play a primary role in
achieving high energy efficiencies in buildings. There
has been concern over the health impacts of the material
constituents of insulation ever since the problems asso-
ciated with asbestos became apparent, followed by the
banning of urea formaldehyde based insulation.
Cellulose insulation is made from recycled newsprint.
A large amount of newpaper is diverted from a landfill
by using cellulose insulation to insulate a home. The
51
-------
CHAPTER 5 - GREEN BUILDINGS
amount of energy needed to produce cellulose insulation
is many times less than required for fiberglass or rock
wool insulation. Many report (e.g.. www.greenbuilder.
com) that cellulose insulation contains printers' inks.
which can possibly outgas formaldehyde into a home.
(ireenbuilder.com states that if there is any release ol 'gas
from inks, it should fall well below lex els irritating most
people.
However, an environmentally-sensitive person should
be careful in selecting cellulose and install a \apor retard-
er between the insulation and the living space. (\ole that
the vapor retarder can exacerbate mildew problems if hu-
midity levels in the house are high.) Homepower.com re-
ports that most researchers have concluded that cellulose
insulation does not pose a health risk to the occupants of
a home (http://www.homepower.com/view/?file=HP111
pg44 Anderson)
Rigid board insulations employed as sheathing on
homes ha\e played an important role in achiev-
ing high R-values. However, the use ol'CTX's
in many of these materials has caused increased release
of chlorine molecules into the atmosphere, contributing
to o/one depletion. I K'K's outgas a lesser amount of
chlorine molecules, however the severity of the o/one de-
pletion situation has led to the recommendation to a\oid
both types of insulation blowing agent. Alternatives in
rigid board insulation are available that do not use CT'Cs.
Cementitious insulation material is a cement-based
foam used as sprayed-foam or foamed-in-placed
insulation. One type of Cementitious, spray-foam
insulation is known as Air-Krele. It contains magnesium
silicate and has an R-value of about .V) per inch. With
an initial consistency similar to sha\ ing cream. Air-
Krete is pumped into closed cavities. Alter curing.
it's similar to a thick pudding. C'emcnlilious loam
costs about as much as polyurethanc loam. It's also
nontoxic and nonflammable. Cementitious foam is
made from minerals (like magnesium oxide) extracted
from seawater. (See http://www.eere.energy.gov/
consumer/your home/insulation airsealing/index.cfm/
mytopic=11510). This type of insulation is considered
very benign from an indoor air quality standpoint.
Perlite insulation is in a loose form suitable to fill the
cavities in building block. Perlite can be bound into
other materials and used in sheet form. It is commonly
used in commercial roofing material and can be used
as an aggregate in concrete. It is non-flammable, light-
weight and chemical!} inert.
Although rock woo I insulation is considered an
old-fashioned alternative, it is worth including
in this list. Roekwool is recycled steel slag (a
landfill waste material). It is available as blow-on wall
insulation (a starch binder is used) and as loose blow-in
attic insulation. It offers very good energv performance.
will not burn, and is chemically inert.
Deckin" and sheathing. While you might imagine
that there might he pKwood made from recycled \\ood
products, there are none in the marketplace. There arc
pi v woods made with bamboo, a more renewable resource
than pine, although it tends to he a finish grade rather
than sheathing grade. There are also plywoods made
with non-formaldehyde based glues, but at the moment
are difficult to find. This will change in the future, but
the moment, the best sustainable plywood and sheathing
practice is to he sure that your sheathing is manufactured
from local Iv sourced wood. Ifvour supplier is unsure
of the plywood's origin, see if it has an A PA (American
Plywood Association) stamp. All A PA rated plywood is
manufactured in the United Stales and can he traced In
codes in the stamp.
Kxterior finish materials. For industrial or commer-
cial buildings, concrete planks are hard to heat for econ-
omy and ecological sustamability. Steel siding possesses
a high rate of embodied energy and requires repainting
which has ecological problems of its own. Terra cotla
plank systems are becoming more popular for commer-
cial buildings, and ha\c fairly low embodied energy.
although they are fairly expensive compared to concrete.
In residential construction, an example of the build-
ing industry gravitating toward sustainable mate-
rials is the use of Cementitious siding, one of the
most ecologicalh sustaining siding materials available
today. It also happens to be very economical and low-
52
-------
CHAPTER 5 - GREEN BUILDINGS
maintenance. While vinyl, steel and aluminum siding
are terrible for the environment due to mining or toxins
released in production, cementitious siding production is
non-toxic and has a low non-renewable resource impact.
Although it is sourced from some non-renewable ma-
terials (sand, cement), its life span is much greater than
renewable siding materials such as wood.
Kiofing. Whether the roof material chosen is as-
ihalt. rubber, wood, plastic (shingles), clay tile or
late, the lightest possible color should be chosen
for two related reasons. Dark roofs absorb solar radiation
and heat up adjacent interior spaces, increasing air con-
ditioning loads, and act as frying pans that contribute to
the urban heat island effect. The heat island effect may
not be much at the scale of one house, but when 1,000
house roofs are cooking in the sun. the effect on the local
climate is high. Flat-roofed industrial or commercial
buildings can also avoid internal solar heating and the ur-
ban heat island effect by using white rubber roofs instead
of black, or light colored gra\el \\hen a ballasted roof is
desired.
Flooring. When carpet is used, ask the same ques-
tions as you would about paints: "What toxins are
Atlantic Awn -itiics insitilli'il ii t,vtr/i roof on it* nlfict' building in
ilowiittwn \lk.
in manufacture, and what materials are going to off-gas
after installation?" Many carpet companies are aware that
they need to produce carpets that reduce indoor air pollu-
tion, and have adjusted their manufacturing processes to
meet this need. Search them out. For wood floors, many
sustainable choices arc now available at costs competi-
tive with non-sustainable woods. An internet search will
turn up countless locally sourced renewable resource
woods. One of the most renewable choices is bamboo.
purpose-grown and rapidly replenished.
Interior finishes. Like carpets, paints and wall cover-
ings can off-gas toxins years after their installation. Safe
interior finish materials cost little and manufacturers are
aware of the market demand for safer products. It is no
longer difficult to find these products. All it takes on the
architect's or builder's part is to spend the time research-
ing this aspect of performance, just as they would for
durability.
Energy and Equipment choices. Use EnergyStar cer-
tified equipment whenever available. The following are
also low or no cost alternatives to conventional systems:
• Heating and cooling
With the rising price of carbon-based fuels, en-
ergy use is no longer only an ecological issue but an
economic one for building and home owners as well.
The way a building is insulated and the combination
of insulation and vapor barriers used is very specific
to \arious climates. Great care should be taken to tai-
lor the exterior envelope to the climate. Proper venti-
lation, by means of fans and vents, should change the
air in a building frequently for health reasons.
c In the case of large volume buildings such as
warehouses or manufacturing buildings, much of the
building does not really need to be heated at all. It's
the people working inside that do. Recent innova-
tions in heating manufacturing buildings include the
targeting of populated areas of large volume build-
ings, where heated or cooled air is directed by duets
or blowers only to where the building is occupied.
This is an example of how teamwork on the part of
all consultants can provide an optimum level of com-
fort while making economic and ecological sense.
53
-------
CHAPTER 5 - GREEN BUILDINGS
o Alternative, energy efficient heating and cooling
strategies should be explored. These might include
heat pumps, thermal floor systems, ground source
heating and cooling loops, passi\e solar gain, or
natural ventilation strategies for temperate seasons.
None of these systems is expensive, hut they need to
he thought out \v ith care to he effecli\e.
Lighting. Recently there has been a great deal of
media attention on low wattage light bulbs, an im-
portant consideration. More importantly. ho\\e\er.
daylighting buildings with \\indo\\s so that no elec-
tric lighting is needed during the day can be easily ac-
complished by careful consideration of window si/e.
placement and orientation to the sun.
Kitchen and bathroom fixtures. The average
American home uses 300 to 400 gallons of potable
water per day. The largest water savings to which a
builder can contribute is in lo\\ uater usage fixtures.
such as 1.5 gallon per flush toilets, are no\\ common
and practical, and 2.5 gallon per minute showerheads
have become the norm.
Water conservation outside the building: Rain
water from roofs can be harvested for the irrigation of
plant material in above or belo\\-ground cisterns (see
stonrmater chapter for these and oilier stormwater
controls).
Water Conservation inside the building:
Capture, filter and re-use of water used in manu-
facturing processes
Use low flow (1.5 gal flush) toilets
Include waterless urinals, a proven technology
Use infrared sensors at bathroom hand sinks
• Incorporate composting toilets
Explore dry-pipe options for tire protection
(sprinkler) systems.
54
-------
Case Study 1
Earl Industries: A Shipyard Conserves the Shore and
Models Modern Stormwater Controls
"There is much that is both unusual and commend-
able about the cooperation taking place on the banks of
Portsmouth's Scotts Creek... Everyone - even the river
• comes out ahead."
-Editorial, The Virginian-Pilot (\2/6/2006)
The dense trees went on for more than a mile of
shore, just around the bend from downtown
Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia. In fact, the
site represented the largest undeveloped land left on the
downtown harbor of the Eli/abeth River. "I want to do
the right thing for the ri\er." said the new owner. Jerry
Miller, president of Earl Industries, lie also wanted to
redevelop the 22 acres into condominiums and office
high-rises, complimenting a large naval repair yard and
pleasure boat marina he had also purchased on an adja-
cent 68 acres.
The challenge to find "win-win" in this plan seemed
unusually daunting. The front porches and backyards of
hundreds of homes looked across the water to the peace-
ful shoreline about to be redeveloped along Scotts Creek,
a tributary to the Elizabeth. The neighborhoods had
struggled with City Hall and prior would-be developers
for decades regarding the future of this land.
Earl enlisted The Kli:ahcth Project and the community to develop a
Master Plan to not onlv preserve the forested shore shown here, hut
also model state-of-thc-arl practices for reducing pollution.
fa
Lessons Learned:
1. The commitment of the developer, from the
top, is key.
2. If a proposed redevelopment will significantly
affect residential and environmental interests,
bring these stakeholders to the table early
and give them meaningful roles in the plan-
ning process (really listen to them, don't just
invite them for show).
3. A steering committee of key interests can be
a useful way to discover a development plan
that works for all - residential, environmental
and developer. Such a plan then is easier to
implement than one that creates opposition.
4. Find the funds to invest in the best available
technical help. We benefited from both cut-
ting-edge engineering and an architect savvy
on land-use planning.
"We need some expert help here." we responded to Mr.
Miller. Within six months. The Elizabeth River Project
and Earl Industries had landed a S40.000 grant from
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation to
use the site as a model for Low Impact Development ap-
proaches to stormwater control. Earl committed to match
the grant 1:1 with implementation of the recommenda-
tions. The Elizabeth River Project invited the neighbor-
hoods, the City, the developer and other interests to sit on
a Steering Committee for the project, and hired two advi-
sors: Williamsburg Environmental Group, a specialist in
emerging stormwater strategies, and Phoebe Crisman.
who specializes in sustainable urban design at the Uni-
versity of Virginia. School of Architecture.
Fast-forward two years. Now when Earl Industries
customers from across the East Coast arrive at the ship-
fa fa
-------
CASE STUDY 1 - EARL INDUSTRIES
One of Earl's first projects wu\ this rain garden or bioretention area
that is landscaping that filters and reduces stormwater runoff at the
shipyard's headqutiicrs.
yard headquarters building on Scotts Creek, the welcome
sign is a diagram of the native trees and shrubs, biofiltra-
tion elements, swales and a rain barrel that were installed
around the building to absorb and filter runoff. Three
more of the Lou Impact Development approaches have
been implmented. The blueprint for the planned office
high-rise includes the largest "green roof." a roof planted
in vegetation to absorb runoff (see stormwater chapter).
in Southeastern Virginia. And the forested shore? It's
there to stay. Residents of the condominiums will view
the creek by looking over the trees from their second and
third stories. They will have the benefit of a hiking trail
along the shore.
Ed Giles, whose house laces this shoreline from across
Scotts Creek in Portsmouth's West Park View neighbor-
hood, for years had put off improvements to his front
porch, for fear the peaceful panorama would be ruined
when a developer finally purchased the forest. Once
Earl Industries agreed to the Master Plan. Giles at last
invested in his porch; confident his quality of life would
be protected by a responsible industrial neighbor. That's
win-win.
A DIVERSE COMMITTEE AGREES
ON GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The Eli/abeth River Project facilitated a Steer-
ing Committee of about 15 members in reaching
consensus on "guiding principles" for how the
SO waterfront acres purchased bv l-'arl Industries should
be redeveloped in a wav that would be acceptable to the
community, the developer and the environment. The
Steering Committee included representatives of Shea
Terrace; West Park View and Park View neighborhoods;
as \\ell as the umbrella group. Friends of Scotts Creek.
Miller as CEO and other lead staff for Earl Industries:
t\\o staff from Elizabeth River Project; representatives of
the City of Portsmouth and the Virginia Department of
Conservation and Recreation.
Scons Creek from the \\est Park Mew neittlihorhood.
-------
CASE STUDY 1 - EARL INDUSTRIES
Agreement on the Guiding Principles provided the
win-win breakthrough. The technical team fleshed out a
Master Plan of concepts in keeping with the principles.
The Elizabeth River Project held two Community Listen-
ing Sessions, with a professional facilitator, to present
the approach to the community and obtain further input.
Earl began implementing the concepts during the plan-
ning year and continues today to pursue elements, most
recently completing architectural designs for a "green
roof on its proposed office building.
Guiding Principles for Win-Win
Redevelopment,
North Shore of Scotts Creek
H\ consensus of Elizabeth River Project's
Scotts Creek Low Impact Development Steering
Committee
Win-Win in the 22 Undeveloped Acres
The western portion of the 80-acre site included 22
acres of forested shore and open meadow.
• Preserve a 100-foot vegetated buffer along the full
length of the undeveloped shoreline.
o Preserve the stand of trees currently along the
shore (possibly thin out invasi\e>).
o Enhance the trees within the 100-foot buffer where
practical with native, mostly low-growing, non-de-
ciduous (evergreen) trees and shrubs. This allows
for an unobstructed view over (low) trees from
upper stories of any new homes businesses, while
screening new development from neighbors on the
opposite shore ( W. Park View etc ). It also filters
runoff and pro\ ides vital habitat.
Consider creating a low-impact bike path through
the buffer.
o Consider a Conservation Covenant with any future
occupants to ensure that conservation objectives
for the buffer are valued and honored (preserv-
ing the trees, keeping vegetation native, not using
pesticides/fertilizers.)
Consider a common pier for residents, with access
limited to one or two common boardwalks through
the forested butter.
Retrofit in progress til I'.ai'l Industries.
• Consider commercial space facing Harper Avenue.
Immediately behind, consider a compact plan of
two and three story condos, preserving open space
and providing for parking between the condos and
the commercial space, as well as a possible office
complex further east between the condos and the
shipyard. (If and when construction resources be-
come available, and to the extent practical given soil/
contamination 'zoning constrictions.)
o Seek zoning change from heavy industry to mixed
use.
o Second and third stories offer the advantage of
a water view that does not require removing the
forested buffer.
o Conduct a marketing survey to determine viabil-
ity of commercial /residential mix.
• Implement Low Impact Development strategies
prescribed by Williamsburg Environmental Group
and Crisman+Petrus Architects to limit polluted run-
off and sedimentation from reaching Scotts Creek (as
redevelopment projects are constructed).
Win-Win in the 58 Partially Developed Acres
The remainder of the site included an existing repair yard
for naval ships and an existing marina, with plans for one
or more new office buildings.
• Implement Low Impact Development (LID) strat-
egies throughout the site (shipyard, office complex,
marina), as prescribed by Williamsburg Environmen-
tal Group/Crisman+Petrus Architects, to reduce pol-
/ft
-------
CASE STUDY 1 - EARL INDUSTRIES
Volunteer* of till mum' in'i's and shrub* to further enhance the buffered shoreline nloni; Scott* Creek.
once worried that Earl would industrialize the shore, but Earl committed to preserving the forested ripurian hi<
luted runotTand sedimentation from reaching Scotts
Creek — as resources become axailable.
Kudos to Earl Industries for committing S40.000
to implement a large demonstration of LID
practices around Earl's headquarters building on
Scotts Creek! The LID was designed by \\il-
liamsburg Environmental through a grant to The
Elizabeth River Project and will have educational
signage to explain benefits to Earl's visitors from
across the Eastern Seaboard.
THE CONTROVERSIAL
UNDEVELOPED 22 ACRES
What Earl Industries did with the existing ship-
yard was of much less concern to all involved
than what would be built on the long stretch of
open shore, the target of redevelopment dreams in Ports-
mouth for decades. The win-win concept came from the
two architects advising the project. Phoebe Crisman and
-------
5TRIES
her partner, Michael Petrus, sketched the basic concept:
upscale condos and commercial buildings should cluster
along the road, leaving room tor the trees.
The water view would still be there if the buildings
were multi-story. Says Crisman: "Although the continu-
ous, 100-foot wide riparian buffer along the river's edge
functions as a planted water and pollution filter to reduce
the flow of excess nitrogen, phosphorous and other pol-
lutants into Scotts Creek, it is incorporated into the strate-
gic plan as a linear park, open to the public with walking
and bicycle trails that may connect this neighborhood to
the opposite side of Scotts Creek in the future."
Assuming rezoning for mixed-use, the plan proposes
a rich mix of uses. Three building types across the
22 acres promote the idea that this is a busy neighbor-
hood with residents and working people occupying the
area at all hours:
• Five, four-floor multi-family residential buildings
with comer store retail create a strong street edge and
distinct identity for the site. Each apartment receives
natural light and ventilation from at least two direc-
tions, thanks to the narrow building width. Onsite
parking (11/2-2 spaces) is provided for each unit per
the City of Portsmouth requirements, and the corner-
store retail has on-street parking. The proposed plan
provides 125 dwellings, 45 of which are single-fami-
ly houses.
• Four, 4-floor buildings contain 112,000 square feet of
commercial office space and light retail, such as small
restaurants and corner stores. The two easternmost
CASE STUDY 1 - EARL INDUSTRIES
buildings provide parking on ground level with some
retail, and four floors of office above. The 450 park-
ing spaces meet city requirements.
Two-story, single-family or duplex dwellings along
the buffer relate to the smaller scale of the creek
and preserve views for the higher buildings along
the street. Parking (two per dwelling) is located in
planted courtyards defined by the higher buildings
The strategy includes these general concepts:
Preserve/enhance a continuous 100-foot wide riparian
buffer protected by conservation covenant
Incorporate a bike path/trail system into 'linear park'
Create more street use by adding retail and commer-
cial uses
Maximize views by increasing building heights adja-
cent to Scotts Creek
Orient narrow-footprint buildings to prevailing winds
for natural cooling in summer
Collect rainwater for landscape watering or on-grade
filtration and release into the river
Provide a habitat for all species: human, animal and
plant
Create a "neighborhood" with rich mix of uses and
building types (not a "development").
*See page f>0 for a summar\ of strategies in progress at Earl Industries.
/ ,JJ / Jn
J| AJW
-------
CASE STUDY 1 - EARL INDUSTRIES
ADDRESSING STORMWATER:
LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
While the architects concentrated on the open land, Williamsburg Environmental Group took the lead in
developing recommendations for Low Impact Development (LID) strategies (a relatively new approach
to absorb rain where it falls rather than creating runoff) for Earl to implement as the opportunity arose
throughout the 80-acre site.
Location on Earl Site
22-Acre Open Land
Planned Office
Building/Parking
Area 2:
Administration Building
Piers 1 & 2
Area 3:
Paint and Blast Facility
Strategy & Implementation Progress
Strategy: As mixed-use development proceeds, implement soil amend-
ments, biofilters, tree box biofilters, pocket wetlands, and buffer
preservation/revegetation to absorb runoff.
Progress: Tree planting conducted December 2005; mixed-use devel-
opment not yet underway.
Strategy: Green roof; treatment pockets; tree box biofilters.
Progress: Earl is in final design (2007) for a "green" office building
with a 9,100 square foot vegetated green roof. The building will also
feature glazed, double pane glass, integrated roller window shades,
zero to low VOC paints, waterless urinals, low-flow toilets and auto
mated faucet controls. Elevators will be energy efficient through
electric traction. Parking lots will feature rain gardens and wetlands
plantings will be incorporated into the stormwater retention basin.
Strategy: Filter strips; bioretention; amended soils; tree box biofilters;
rain barrel.
Progress: Implemented Summer 2006 - showcase LID landscape in
eludes rain garden with bioengineered filtration, native plants through
out, rain barrel, and educational signage.
Strategy: Install biofilters at the foot of each pier for water treatment
and for stabilization of shoreline
Progress: Implemented Spring 2008 - LID includes bioretention with
native landscaping.
Strategy: Wetland pocket; buffer re-vegetation; stream stabilization.
Progress: Implemented Spring 2008 - LID includes a "wet land ditch"
that will be landscaped with native plants.
ft
-------
Case Study 2
APM Terminals Virginia:
Seeking Sustainability on a Mega Scale
Few projects have challenged the "win-win" prin-
ciple of balancing economy and environment on
the Elizabeth River more than a proposal by APM
Terminals Virginia (APM) to build the largest privately-
owned container terminal in the U.S.
The Danish-based subsidiary chose the largest parcel
of undeveloped land left on this industrialized river: its
600-acre shore an oasis of sandy beach, wetlands and
rare Atlantic White cedars, its offshore shallows harbor-
ing some of the Eli/abeth's healthiest and most produc-
tive bottom populations of clams, fish and other species.
However, at upwards of S400 million, the development
would be the largest private investment in the history
of the region and provide a windfall for economically
stressed Portsmouth. Virginia.
APM's staie-of-the-an slonnwater system collects runoff from the
wharf in this trench where it is then sent through oil-water separa-
tors. tlctcniif'ii ponds that are aerated and finally over a level spread-
er for final polish before discharging to the river.
/to
Over the course of five years. The Elizabeth River
Project, APM. regulators and many other stakeholders
struggled to find the balance of win-win for the environ-
ment and industry.
A month after APM Terminals Virginia opened at the
site in 2007, Ron Babski, the terminal's general manager
for safety, security and environment, gave The Elizabeth
River Project a tour. "We have a zero tolerance mind-
set when it comes to environmental mishaps." Babski
said. Everyone who gets a permanent badge for entry
to his terminal - vendor, client, and employee - must sit
through his hour-long training, ending with the instruc-
tion to call him and security at the number on the back of
the badge the moment they see any questionable environ-
mental risk.
\\ in-win at this mega site has turned out to include
a combination of precedent-setting regulatory mitiga-
tion, aggressive stormwater controls, a new standard for
operation efficiencies that also prevent pollution and a
pro-active on-going commitment to environmental stew-
ardship.
THE PRECEDENT-SETTING
REGULATORY MITIGATION
To provide today's mega ships with deep-water
access to the terminal, APM Terminals Virginia
proposed to dredge 10 million cubic yards of sedi-
ment from the bottom of the Elizabeth River - the largest
dredging project in Virginia history.
Meanwhile. The Elizabeth River Project, in a plan
adopted by the Commonwealth of Virginia, had identified
restoring healthy river bottom as the highest priority need
for the Elizabeth River. Much of the rest of the river
floor is laced with contamination, reducing the health and
diversity of life at the bottom of the food chain. But the
bottom sediments off-shore of the APM site were rela-
/to /to
-------
CASE STUDY 2 - ARM TERMINALS VIRGINIA
This ni'\\ port is selling \\-iirUi-cluas standards for it's efficiency and environmental Stewardship including electric gantries that reduce air
emissions and precedent-selling mitigation.
-------
CASE STUDY 2 - ARM TERMINALS VIRGINIA
Lessons Learned:
1. Any developer can identify win-win for the en-
vironment and the economy, if both interests
cooperate and are willing to think outside the
box.
2. Large impacts to a healthy river bottom mat-
ter, and can be offset.
3. Operations efficiency can equal pollution pre-
vention.
4. Leadership commitment is essential.
lively healthy, as well as shallow, the most productive
kind of bottom habitat. Scientists on a seining trip there
caught large fish feeding off this important "benthic" or
bottom community. The dredging would convert this to
deep-water habitat, a permanent loss of shallow water
habitat.
Nonetheless, no regulatory precedent existed for requir-
ing the company to "mitigate" or replace this loss of river
bottom habitat. Dredging damages are a hidden envi-
ronmental cost occurring out of the public eye. How to
offset them presented a considerable challenge.
This is the win-win proposed by The Elizabeth
River Project, accepted by the developer and the
regulators and now underway: APM could not cre-
ate new river bottom at its site to replace the loss, but the
company could set aside enough funds to pay for clean-
up of one of the most polluted areas of the river, a few
miles away.
APM Terminals Virginia placed $5.3 million in a trust
as mitigation for impacts to river bottom habitat from
dredging. The Elizabeth River Project set up a trust fund,
the Living River Restoration Trust, to manage the funds.
The Trust's projects and spending are overseen by the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Virginia Depart-
ment of Environmental Quality. While the dredging
was underway, the first $300,000 was spent in 2005 for
a 13-acre oyster reef at the mouth of Scotts Creek on the
Elizabeth to help restore the native oyster. The remain-
ing $5 million is being used by the Trust to clean up
sediments contaminated from a wood treatment plant that
operated at Money Point in the early 1900's, about seven
miles upstream from APM, in Chesapeake. Returning
this non-functioning river bottom to life is intended to
offset the dredging impacts.
To mitigate for wetland impacts (a more routine
regulatory requirement), APM created 17 acres of tidal
wetlands at four locations surrounding the facility, hand-
planted more than 199,000 plants, and purchased over
13 acres of non-tidal wetlands credit from a wetlands
bank. In addition, APM placed over one million native
clams in a broodstock sanctuary to offset potential im-
pacts to shellfish resources associated with dredging and
placed a 110-acre forest and associated non-tidal wet-
lands in permanent conservation.
AGGRESSIVE STORMWATER
CONTROLS
The new terminal called for 291 acres of new
pavement traveled by a high volume of industrial
trucks, with the potential for large water qual-
ity impacts from contaminated runoff. An aggressive
stormwater design at the site seeks to capture and treat all
runoff except in major storms and along a small margin
of the 4,000-foot wharf. Paved areas slope away from
the river, so that stormwater drains backward, not over
the wharf edge and into the river but into three trenches
running parallel to the wharf. From here, the stormwater
must navigate a long system that includes three oil/water
separator/grit removal chambers (see stormwater chap-
ter on mechanical devices) to remove oils; two retention
ponds enhanced with wetland benches; and a last scrub
system in a small natural lake, before runoff is delivered
to the Elizabeth.
As shown on the diagram (on page 64), Trenches A and
B empty into the North pond, which releases into Trench
ft fa /ft
-------
Trench A
Trench B
rench C
Power
Equipment
aintenance
prevent flow
in case of a spill (one
in trench drain one in
APM Terminals Virginia Site Drainage Map
May 2007
Figure 2-1
-------
C and the South pond to allow additional treatment time
before all flow is consolidated to a single discharge point
into Lake Kingman, before release into the Elizabeth. At
the final discharge point, a "level spreader" (see storm-
water chapter) slows and disperses the water a final time.
then sends it through rocks for more aeration and final
pollution removal. A fourth oil/water separator, near the
container inspection dock and heavy equipment wash
rack, discharges contaminated stormwater to the sanitary
sewer system. The overall system is designed to handle
drainage from relatively large "25-year" storms, versus
the more typical 10-year storm design le\el.
"RAISING THE BAR" -
OPERATION EFFICIENCIES THAT
ALSO PREVENT POLLUTION
The Portsmouth facility is setting the standard for
terminal efficiency, reported The Journal of Com-
merce (September 2007). "The automation that
APM has built into its new terminal could increase pres-
sure on other U.S. terminals to adopt similar efficiencies.
'The opening of the APM terminal has raised the bar.'
says Bill Coffey. a port consultant."
Efficiency equals less waste: equals less pollution in the
Elizabeth River.
The APM Terminals Virginia facility achieves this
through technological advances that minimi/e air emis-
sions and minimize the footprint of the development.
• The terminal uses all electric ship-to-shore cranes
(six of them) and rail mounted gantries (30 of them
on site), eliminating diesel emissions. The savings in
air emissions is estimated at up to 45 tons per year of
nitrogen oxides - a precursor to smog compared to
diesel cranes and gantries.
• Truck emissions are also minimized because APM is
the first port terminal anywhere to combine four spe-
cific technologies that maximize efficiency of cargo
movements, minimizing truck queue and idle times.
CASE STUDY 2 • APM TERMINALS VIRGINIA
The technologies: "Radio Frequency Identification"
window stickers identify in-bound trucks as soon as
they enter the terminal gate. "Optical Character Rec-
ognition" technology allows longshoreman to track
the trucks and cargo from computer screens inside
terminal headquarters. Specially designed shuttle
trucks, and the electric rail-mounted gantry cranes,
provide a streamlined tracking system to get the right
cargo container headed for the right truck (or ship)
as quickly as possible. "As the systems mature, we
expect a substantial reduction in the amount of time
it historically has taken for trucks to go from gate-in
to gate-out." Babski said regarding the time trucks
remain on the vast site. Speed and efficiency on a
cargo container terminal not only reduce emissions,
but minimize the land footprint needed to handle a
high container volume.
In addition, all 62 off-road vehicles meet the stricter
emission standards for on-road vehicles.
A PRO-ACTIVE COMMITMENT TO
STAYING CLEAN
Every vehicle - even a pickup - at APMT VA carries
a "spill kit," to respond immediately to any spill of any
size. Stationary 65-gallon spill kits are located in seven
IIA
North pond of APM's slormwaler system also failures aeration.
-------
CASE STUDY 2 - APM TERMINALS VIRGINIA
different places across the site. In a related move. Bab-
ski's cell phone, as environmental and safety manager, is
on the back of every ID badge on the site.
APM also incorporated building energy efficien-
cies. Office needs are consolidated into a single
three-ston building. Floor-to ceiling windows
allow natural light, and revolving doors minimize the
amount of climate-controlled air that escapes as people
enter and exit the building. Motion-sensors turn out
lights when they are not needed. The company even
handed out fluorescent bulbs to employees to encourage
them to take their commitment to environmental prac-
tices home.
/ft
* Jf^m
-------
Case Study 3
Southern Branch Corridor, Elizabeth River:
Seeking Synergy Across Multiple Sites
As The Elizabeth River Project considered pos-
sible case studies tor this guidebook, we reali/ed
that nowhere on our waterfront could we hope
to make more of a difference for the environment and
the economy than along the Elizabeth's Southern Branch
corridor -- a hot-bed of contamination, pending big-dollar
cleanup efforts and uncoordinated, often competing rede-
velopment plans.
Could our "win-win" approach be applied successfully
to more than a do/en sites at once. c\ en when the more
than 500 acres included the most controversial private
redevelopment projects of the day. as well as a heavily-
contaminated Supertund cleanup site'.'
Our answer so far is a qualified yes. The effort
focused our attention where it was most needed.
resulting in important environmental protection
of critical areas of the Elizabeth River. But with mul-
tiple developers and interests involved, the work was so
resource-intensive that a small non-profit like ours was at
times stretched too thin to develop the relationships and
the out-of-the-box solutions needed to achieve the other
half of win-win: an economic development project that
was balanced enough to move forward.
A locality might be in a better position to \\ork with
multiple sites in what amounts to forward-thinking land-
use planning. \Ve still have hopes that the economic and
environmental revitali/ation potential of this section of
the Eli/abeth River, some 750 acres of available land
\\ ith rare deep-water access to a major port, will be more
effectively tapped when the cities of Portsmouth and
Chesapeake. Virginia, agree to a common plan for mar-
keting available waterfront, uitli complimentary zoning.
land-use planning and environmental standards.
So far our contribution has been a set of guiding prin-
ciples for the Southern Branch Corridor, agreed on by a
stakeholder steering committee: and intensive recommen-
dations for four specific sites there:
Lessons Learned:
1. Stakeholders can set influential guidelines
for sustainable redevelopment of an urban
waterfront. Developers may find it easier to
obtain permits when they are willing to work
within these guidelines.
2. Often an urban watershed will offer multiple,
nearby sites with similar redevelopment chal-
lenges and opportunities. Working on them
as a whole offers the best opportunity for win-
win.
3. Working with multiple sites at the same time
can be unwieldy and resource intensive, di-
luting the depth of effort that can be devoted
to achieve the difficult challenge of win-win.
4. Redevelopment opportunities that cross mul-
tiple jurisdictions can clash unless a regional
approach is found.
Atlantic Wood, a 4X-acre wood treatment facility
designated a Supertund cleanup site by the EPA since
[990;
International Biofuels Virginia's proposal to build one
of the world's largest ethanol distilleries on 97 acres
less than a mile south of Atlantic Wood:
Smiling Earth's proposal to build a large biodiesel
facility across the river from International Biofuels
Virginia (IBE), and
Belharbour Station, a $200 million condominium
development proposed adjacent to the Smiling I anh
site.
67
-------
PORTSMOUTH
Cradock
Neighborhood
SPSA
Iron &Metal
Norfolk
Naval
Shipyard
Elizabeth River
Southern Branch
Allied
Site
Elm Street
Dixon
• AWI West i AWI East
».» rf W __««
Vr.»-M:—ai
School Board^
of Portsmouth
US Navy Landfills Wildlife area
Norfolk
Naval
Shtpyard
Marine
Paradise
Creek
NaturePark
KGiant
Cement
Vane
Oyster
7( Accurate
Marine
Proposed Ethanol Facility
Conceptual Design Recommendations for the Green Corridor
Prepared for the Eluabelh River Project • Sustainable Development Steering Committee
^t
Oyster
Reef
Proposed
Belharbour
Station
Elizabeth
'River Park
South
Norfolk
Neighborhood
Proposed
Biodiesel
Facility
CHESAPEAKE
X
i
Pedestrian + Bicycle Path
Planted Buffer
Planted Buffer with Trees
Park or Greenspace
Riparian Buffer
Industnal Use
US Navy Property
River Star Model Level
River Star Commitment Level
Cn»man»Petru« Architects 8107
Williamsburg Environmental Group
riiit- Committee for the 750-ucrc Atlantic Wood corridor agreed on general guiding principle* im Imliiii;. />ln/fr\. niii\iiin.i-
xtiirniwtter tinilpollution ini'ii\iirc\. anil crciile a />oMlnc »iew of environment amiinduMn:
-------
3
C
Conceptual Design Recommendations for the Green Corridor
Prepared lor the Eiijabeit> : tale Develop
Crisman + Pelrus Architects 8107
Williamsburg Environmental Group
Suggestions j«r Atltint!, U, W include: mlcvclo/iint; ilic \\cMcni pan <>J the />n>/>cm
-------
ASE STUDY 3 - SOUTHERN BRANCH CORRIDOR
Each developer's responsiveness to the guiding
principles proved to be pivotal in determining
whether the planned project moved forward or
was stalled by public opposition.
STAKEHOLDER GUIDING
PRINCIPLES: A PIVOTAL STEP
It's our experience that win-win can be found only
when the chief competing interests are at the table to
discover it. The Steering Committee for this guide-
book, listed in the back of the book. has been our attempt
to pro\ ide such a win-win forum for sites in the Southern
Branch corridor, as well as for proof-testing the guide-
book's more general recommendations. The commit-
tee included representati\es of environmental advocacy
groups and developers: economic and environmental
protection arms of local governments, as well as our team
of technical experts.
The two other case studies in the guidebook. Earl
Industries and ARM Terminals Virginia, were single sites
where The Elizabeth River Project had completed most
of its work in seeking win-win with the developers prior
to beginning the guidebook. The Southern Branch cor-
ridor, in contrast, presented an open book to the Steering
Committee with large redevelopment projects still in
early formulation.
Over several meetings in 2007. the Steering Commit-
tee agreed on general guiding principles it considered
appropriate for the rede\elopment of all properties in the
750-acre stretch. In addition to the four sites mentioned.
other properties included:
• the Dixon property - \ \ acres; owner actively pursu-
ing redevelopment:
• the Allied site - 16.5 acres;
• Paradise Creek Nature Park - 40 acres, envisioned as
an education center for the win-win principle of mar-
ry ing industry and environment:
• Peck Iron and Metal 33 acres. PCB contamination
and:
• St. Julian's Creek 4S4 acres. Navy site slated for
redevelopment.
Nearby facilities not slated for redevelopment but
participating in The Elizabeth River Project's River Stars
program for industrial stewardship were asked to do their
part with achieving the guiding principles for the South-
ern Branch corridor. These included the Norfolk Naval
Shipyard, Giant Cement. RADVA Corp.. and South-
eastern Public Service Authority's Refuse Derived Fuel
Plant.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES -
SOUTHERN BRANCH CORRIDOR
• Plant trees as hedges along edges of roads to
provide connected habitat, aesthetics and a screen
for industrial activity. Giant Cement committed to
planting native trees such as Eastern Red Cedar and
\Va.\ Myrtles along the half mile entrance to the plant;
the Naval Shipyard is considering a buffer planted
along Elm Avenue: SPSA is considering a signifi-
cant planting along its Victory Boulevard property:
and the proposed IBE ethanol facility proposed to
enhance the line of trees between its site and Giant
Cement.
• Protect and enhance 100-foot buffers of vegetation
between development and the river. The IBE facility
proposed to conserve its 1 (10-foot buffer.
• Create a positive merge of environment and indus-
try. This is the heart of the plan.
• Maximize storimvater treatment at all sites
• Maximize developable property
• Maximize cleanup. Where prior contamination was
suspected. The Elizabeth River Project recommended
/ft /ft
-------
CASE STUDY 3 - SOUTHERN BRANCH CORRIDOR
comprehensive environmental study and maximum
cleanup.
• Adopt aggressive pollution control measures. The
Elizabeth River Project provided extensive recom-
mendations to IBE for controlling pollution at its
proposed ethanol facility, anticipated to be a major
source of air emissions.
• Provide an odor free environment. The Elizabeth
River Project also focused on recommendations to
IBE for control and objective measurement of odor at
the proposed ethanol facility.
• Improve traffic access. How to impro\e access
was a topic of much discussion, via the aging Jordon
Undue and bottleneck, narrou roads such as Burton's
Point Road.
• Seek better connection between of the two cities
and the neighborhoods. Bike paths and mass transit
were proposed along with improvements or replace-
ment to the Jordan Bridge, an aging, two-lane infra-
structure crossing the Elizabeth River between the
proposed Belharbour site in Chesapeake and Atlantic
Wood/Allied sites in Portsmouth.
Minimize carbon footprint.
Identify all possible incentives.
Consider making this corridor an Enterprise
Zone.
Coin an identity for the corridor - Southern Cor-
ridor, Elizabeth River, was suggested.
Share consolidated water access ports - The IBE
concept demonstrated this, with plans to share port
facilities with adjacent Giant Cement. A similar
concept is recommended where possible with other
facilities.
Consider collective parking and down the road,
mass transit.
Use greenways that connect the river to habitat
This is the key concept developed by the technical
team for the Atlantic Wood site.
Minimi/e footprint on the land.
The Belharbour Station shore will soon he a living shoreline with
wetlands tunl <>\\i, r.\.
Belharbour Station is a proposed S200 million
mixed-use development in the South Norfolk
neighborhood of Chesapeake, to include as many
as 600 upscale condos and a manna. The previously con-
taminated site was originally /oned for industrial use. In
meetings with The Elizabeth River Project. Truxton De-
velopment representatives incorporated several sustain-
able redevelopment concepts into the plans, including:
• A commitment to incorporate Low Impact Develop-
ment strategies to treat stormwater runoff close to the
source. Bioretention, or rain gardens, were incorpo-
rated in the landscape design to augment treatment.
allowing for a less extensive, less expensive storm-
water pond
71
-------
I
CASE STUDY 3 - SOUTHERN BRANCH CORRIDOR
• The near-shore edge of the marina was moved further
away from the shore into deeper water and boat slip
locations were shifted to reduce the amount of dredg-
ing required, saving costs and shallow-water habitat.
• A "living shoreline" is planned (see habitat chapter)
in the shallow water area to include oyster shells as a
berm.
• In the vicinity of an existing oyster reef restored by
the Elizabeth River Project in 2004, the developer
plans to place pilings at a relatively close spacing to
present boats from approaching the reef.
• Signage on the pilings and or the floating dock mas
also provide an educational opportunits about the liv-
ing shoreline, ovster reef. etc.
As of the end of 2007. the project has been approved to
mose forward by the Cits of Chesapeake, and the envi-
ronmental clean-up of the development site has begun.
APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES:
SMILING EARTH PROPOSED
BIODIESEL SITE
A California developer. Smiling Earth Energy.
/\ proposed a large biodiesel facility on a 44-acre
-/ \brow ntield site along the Southern Branch, svithin
sight of Atlantic Wood across the river. The S532 mil-
lion facility would produce 320 million gallons of biod-
iesel per year, which would make it the largest biodiesel
facilitv in the United States. The Eli/abeth River Project
offered recommendations for sustainable development.
The majoritv were agreed to verballv bv the deseloper
and mans were included as stipulations in a conditional
use permit granted by the City of Chesapeake.
After meetings with The Elizabeth River Project, the
des eloper agreed to these recommendations:
1. Conduct a detailed assessment of environmental and
community impacts of this development, and identify
comprehensne measures and objective standards that
will be employed to minimi/e impacts.
2. Reduce encroachment into the Chesapeake Bay buf-
fer. Original development plans included structures.
tanks and roads within a few feet of the shore. The
developer agreed to pull development out of the im-
mediate shoreline for 50 feet.
3. Delineate and consen e restore wetlands. After origi-
nally finding no \\etlands on the site, the developer
eventually agreed to place a two-acre wetland site
under a long-term conser\ation easement.
4. Conduct an in\estimation and. as needed, clean up
of likely upland contamination from prior use. The
developer completed initial investigations.
5. Minimi/e impenious surfaces and provide maximum
stormwater treatment.
6. Incorporate the highest level of pollution prevention
on site.
7. Use native plants in all landscaping.
In October 2007, the project was approved by the City of
Chesapeake: however, financing difficulties have pre-
cluded moving forward.
Proposed c
<;/'
-------
APPLING THE PRINCIPLES:
IBE PROPOSED ETHANOL SITE
In the same vicinity. IBE proposed the largest ethanol
facility in the world, a 216 million gallon facility im-
mediately south of Elizabeth River Project's Paradise
Creek Nature Park. Giant Cement and the Cradock neigh-
borhood of Portsmouth. Through the summer and fall
of 2007. IBE drew headlines and angry crowds at public
meetings, from a community fearful of impacts similar to
those of an ethanol plant that was shut down in St. Paul
for odor, as well as ethanol plants inspiring EPA concerns
for air emissions in the early 2000s. Most ethanol facili-
ties have been located in rural areas because of potential
impacts on citi/ens.
The Elizabeth River Project sought to dexclop recom-
mendations for the de\ eloper and Cit\ of Chesapeake in
keeping with the guiding principles for the Southern Cor-
ridor. Additional concerns included the in-direct effect
of an anticipated increase in com farming on the Chesa-
peake Bay to supply the ethanol facility. Corn farming
is a leading source of nitrogen runoff, the No. 1 prob-
lem with the health of the bay. In November 2007. the
Chesapeake City Council denied a conditional use permit
for the facility, citing community concerns to shelve the
project.
T
hese were some of The Elizabeth River Project's
key recommendations:
1. Prepare a comprehensive analysis of environmental
and human health risks for the benefit of decision-
makers, at a level of detail that would be required of a
project of this magnitude under federal scrutiny.
2. Meet the highest criteria for minimi/ing air emissions
and impacts to human health and the environment.
and offset unavoidable impacts. The developer incor-
porated some state-of-the-art controls into designs but
discussions remained unresolved regarding appropri-
ate technologies and emission limits.
3. Maximize stormwater treatment. The developer
made a verbal commitment to consider Low Impact
Development strategies.
4. Reduce the use of fresh water by planning and re-use
of sewage treatment plant effluent. The plant was
proposed to use 1.4 million to 2.1 million gallons of
fresh water per day. the equivalent of a small city.
5. Guarantee 95 percent-plus efficiency in the control
of odor and noise, and bench-test untried technology.
Olfactory meters are available that provide objective
odor measurement and other localities have devel-
oped standards. The Elizabeth River Project recom-
mended modeling of the impact area, daily moni-
toring and a compliance level of 1 odor unit above
ambient conditions. Debate continued over whether
an appropriate compliance level and monitoring
could be established.
6. Purchase corn only from distributors who require
farmers to document recommended conservation
practices. Help fund conservation education and
cost-share incentives for farmers to get started with
these practices. The unprecedented demand for corn
as raw material for the ethanol could pose grave risks
to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and other waters.
unless farm conservation practices are required of
suppliers. The Elizabeth River Project recommended
that the developer, at a minimum, provide funding
to help the bay states pay for incentive programs for
farmer to use conservation tillage, winter cover crops,
nutrient management and restoration of riparian buf-
fers. The developer responded that these approaches
were impractical.
7. Implement additional maximum pollution prevention
practices to limit risks of deuistation from the spill
of large volumes of flammable and or toxic materials.
especially during hurricanes.
8. Document financial stability and environmental com-
pliance.
9. Maximize conservation of the shoreline buffer area,
incorporate native plants and complement adjacent
-------
CASE STUDY 3 - SOUTHERN BRANCH CORRIDOR
public park area. The developer agreed to protect the
100-foot buffer, in one of the more positive environ-
mental approaches at the site.
The City of Chesapeake's Planning Department
incorporated some of these recommendation*
into a long list of proposed stipulations for IBE
more than three times the amount of stipulations e\ or
proposed by the department for a developer. In Novem-
ber 200". the conditional use permit was denied by City
Council due to concerns from the surrounding residential
neighborhoods and the adjacent City of Portsmouth on
the potential for significant impacts and the uncertainty
surrounding the de\ eloper's proposals to mitigate those
impacts.
APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES: AT-
LANTIC WOOD SUPERFUND SITE
A small fish, the mummichog. exhibits as much
/ \ 65 percent pre-cancerous lesions alongside the
A. A48-acre Atlantic Wood Industries facility. Loca-
tion of a former wood-treatment facility, the site has been
listed since 1990 on the EPA's "Superfund" or National
Priorities List of the nation's most serious uncontrolled
or abandoned hazardous waste sites. From 1926 to ll>l>2.
a wood-treating facility operated at the site using both
creosote and pentachlorophenol (PCP). The site was
contaminated from the treatment operation, storage of
treated wood and disposal of wastes. Sediments in the
Elizabeth River contain visible creosote.
The ground \\ater and soil at the site are also hea\ ilv
contaminated with creosote. Creosote contamination
previously migrated into a storm sewer and discharged
to an inlet of the Elizabeth River at the northeast corner
of the site near the Jordan Bridge. Polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs). PCP. dioxins and metals contami-
nation (mainly arsenic, chromium, copper, lead and zinc)
have been detected in soils, ground water and sediments.
A number of these compounds have also been detected
in stormwater runoff from the site. Currently. Atlantic
Wood operates a pre-stressed concrete products manufac-
turing facility at the site.
In 2004. Atlantic Wood, the adjacent Norfolk Naval
Shipyard. The Elizabeth River Project and other partners
received White House recognition for a breakthrough
clean-up of an inland area of the site, resulting in a re-
stored wetland (Coastal America Aw ard). In 2006-2007.
the EPA began serious planning for remediation of the
off-shore contaminated sediments, resulting in a Decem-
ber 2007 Record of Decision that describes the clean-up
actions.
The Steering Committee tor the guidebook, vv ith
help from the technical team, focused on potential
redevelopment of the Atlantic Wood site as a cata-
lyst for sustainable development of neighboring proper-
ties. Recommendations included:
Master Plan for Atlantic NVood Redevelopment
While the Atlantic Wood site is currently zoned for
heavy industrial use. the Steering Committee sug-
gested redeveloping the western part of the property
as a small industrial park to support the surrounding
industries while also promoting the redevelopment of
other brovvnfields in the vicinity of the site.
• A continuous vegetated buffer was suggested along
Elm Street (between Jordan Bridge and SPSAcon-
veyor) to provide a physical barrier and to screen the
Atlantic \\iitnl und .\orfolk \nvnl Shipyard restored a toxic dump
into a thriving wetland.
/ft
-------
CASE STUDY 3 - SOUTHERN BRANCH CORRIDOR
Paradise Creek Mature Park will be the 40-acrc ke\sti>ne of tin- corridor, featuring mi education center, mature forest and n \lored wetlands.
,i\ HI II n\ jiermetihle I'liviiix. "rain gardens." canoe and knyak launch, iind nver twn mile* <>/ trail*.
that do not contain high levels of contamination. A
plus for reducing impervious areas results in less area
needed to treat the stormwater runoff.
Design infrastructure and parcel dimensions at
Atlantic Wood and nearby sites to accommodate
light industrial and associated office or storage uses.
Encourage tenants to use marine shipping and/or rail
and limit heavy truck traffic to reduce air pollution
and traffic congestion.
Recommend green roofs (see stormwater chapter) to
significantly reduce stormwater \olume and reduce
urban heat island effects (when cities produce their
own weather because of the amount of heat radiating
from the impervious surfaces). Most impervious, or
hard, surfaces trap heat and give it off over long peri-
ods of time. If green roofs are not determined fea-
sible, then roof rainwater collection systems should
be suggested.
Encourage sustainable building practices (see Green
Buildings chapter), such as locating structures to opti-
mize solar orientation, passive ventilation and natural
day lighting.
Atlantic Wood site consisting of a wax imrtle hedge
and American Elms. This buffer would he one of the
largest \egetated areas along the corridor and pro-
vide more habitat connectivity in the industrialized
landscape for wildlife movements. The buffer would
not only provide much need habitat to the area but it
would reduce traffic speed.
Provide a continuous sidewalk integrated with storm-
water management practices and vegetated buffer
along Elm Street and Victor)' Boulevard from the
Jordan Bridge to the Paradise Creek Park. There was
some discussion of connecting with the existing side-
walk on the North side of the Jordan Bridge: howe\er
there was no consensus that biking across the bridge
would be safe.
Grass pavers or vegetated storage areas for a por-
tion of the materials storage areas at Atlantic Wood
(dependant on access, types of materials, loads, etc.)
would help to reduce large amounts of stormwater
runoff by allow ing stormwater to be absorbed by the
native soils. Although the remedial options for the
site call for a semi permeable cap. these pervious
areas could be strategically placed in areas of the site
/ft
/ft /ft
-------
I
CASE STUDY 3 - SOUTHERN BRANCH CORRIDOR
Wetlands as Green Space and Stormwater Treatment
• The Southern Corridor concept includes creating
a powerful central green space to provide multiple
functions including organizing the future industrial
park on the western Atlantic Wood parcel, controlling
runoff, and providing a beautiful habitat connection
to the river (in alignment with existing Atlantic Wood
Industries east tidal wetland). This habitat would
support vegetation that is reliant on both fresh and
brackish waters. The vegetation in the headwaters
would consist mostly of freshwater wetland species.
They would filter out stormwater runoff from the
site while also providing wading bird and fish habi-
tat. The central design of this wetland and storm-
water treatment tram would minimi/e the volume of
stormwater ponds needed for the site while providing
high quality habitat linked to the river. This wetland
would also extend into the eastern portion of the site.
and this part of the wetland would feature more tidal
vegetation. The design calls for a forebay to collect
and hold sediments in the stormwater runoff. The
forebay would be placed at a location easily acces-
sible for maintenance. Note that further geotechnical
analysis is needed to determine the most functional
practical treatment method for the "wetland forebay".
Connect the central wetland forebay with a network
of distributed stormwater practices that work in
concert w ith new access roads. North South swales
are suggested to convev water along Burton's Point
Road, along with detention retention basins collecting
water at the North and South edges of the site. If this
element is not constructed, the existing wetland may
fill in from sediment transport and allow invasion of
Phragmites australis. a non native reed grass.
Observe a minimum 50' (100' preferred) building
setback along the river and wetland areas. This area
pro\ ides critical transitional habitat from water to up-
lands. The trees and bushes in these areas will filter
out sediments and contaminates before they enter the
river.
Add native hardwood tree> to enhance the eastern
area of the Atlantic Wood site, adjacent 10 the recent-
Iv restored wetland area (w inner. C'oastal America
award) for at least 50 feet landward to provide a
vigorous butler for the wetland. The buffer would
pro\ ide a natural limit for site operations to prevent
negative impacts on the restored wetland. This buf-
fer would also add a positive aesthetic backdrop for
workers. Trees and bushes should be considered that
might provide phyto-remediation of PAH contami-
nated soils. At nearby Hess, poplar trees proved suc-
cessful with reducing PAH contamination in the soils.
/ft /ft
/ft /ft
-------
Resources
General
The Elizabeth River Project, vmw.elizabethriver.org, 757-399-7487 - River Star program for industries, Wildlife
Habitat Guide, Everybody Needs a Rain Barrel. Education materials are free to the public, but The Elizabeth River
Project only provides site-specific assistance to industries in the Elizabeth River watershed with a significant potential
to reduce environmental impacts.
Chapter 1 - Preventing Pollution, The Basic "Win-Win"
National Pollution Prevention Roundtable - http://www.p2.org/
EPA Energy Star - http://www.energystar.gov/
Business for the Bay - vtfww.acb-online.org/b4b/index.cfm
Chapter 2 - Wildlife Habitat, Making Room on the Urban Waterfront
Native Plant References
eNature - http://www.enature.com/native.Jnvasive/
Shoreline Restoration
Shoreline Erosion Advisory Services, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation -
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/soiL&_water/seas.shtml
Virginia Marine Resources Commission - http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/
NOAA Restoration Center - http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/restoration/
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Guide to Living Shorelines - http://www.cbf.org/landscaping
Conservation Easements
Land Trust Alliance - http://www.lta.org/conserve
Conservation Science at The Nature Conservancy - http://www.nature.org/tncscience/7srcsl10
Conservation Easements in Virginia
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation - http://www.virginiaoutdoorsfoundation.org
Virginia Dept of Conservation and Restoration, Office of Land Conservation -
http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/land conservation
Chapter 3 - Stormwater Runoff, The Big Payoff
Green Roof Resources
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities - http://www.greenroofs.net/index.php
EPA Heat Island Effect - http://www.epa.gov/hiri/strategies/greenroofs.html
Center for Green Roof Research at Penn State - httpy/hortweb.cas.psu.edu/research/greenroofcenter/
77
-------
RESOURCES
Low Impact Development Center - httpyAvww.lid-stormwater.net/greenroofs_home.htm
Greenroofs 101 - httpyAvww.greenroofs.com/Greenroofs101/index.html
International Green Roof Association - httpyAvww.igra-world.com/home/index.html
Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans for Construction Activities -
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/swppp.cfm
Chapter 4 - Redeveloping the Contaminated Site
EPA Brownfields - httpyAvww.epa.gov/brownfields/
EPA Land Revitalization - http://www.epa.gov/landrevitalization/index.htm
Chapter 5 - "Green Buildings" for Global Sustainability
Sustainable Urban Development and Architecture
EPA Green Communities - httpyAvww.epa.gov/greenkit
EPA Smart Growth - httpyAvww.epa.gov/livability
EPA publication called "Using Smart Growth Techniques as Stormwater Best Management Practices." at -
httpyAvww.epa.gov/livability/pdf/sg Stormwater BMP.pdf
Smart Communities Network - httpyAvww.smartcommunities.ncat.org/
National Center for Appropriate Technology focused on "Helping People by championing small-scale, local, and
sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy communities, and protect natural resources." Good
links to other useful sources.
EPA Green Buildings - httpy/www.epa.gov/greenbuilding
Whole Building Design Guide - httpyAvww.wbdg.org/
The National Institute of Building Sciences website: a Gateway to Up-To-Date Information on Integrated 'Whole
Building' Design Techniques and Technologies.
U.S. Green Building Council - httpyAvww.usgbc.org
"The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is the nation's foremost coalition of leaders from across the build
ing industry working to promote buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places
to live and work. Council members work together to develop LEEDS" products and resources, the Greenbuild
annual International Conference and Expo, policy guidance, and educational and marketing tools that support
the adoption of sustainable building. Members also forge strategic alliances with key industry and research
organizations and federal, state and local government agencies to transform the built environment." The US
GBC has a local chapters, such as:
Virginia's James River Green Building Council - httpyAvww.jrgbc.org/
Virginia Sustainable Building Network (VSBN) - httpyAvww.vsbn.org
VSBN is "the only statewide organization that brings together representatives from diverse sectors who are inter
ested in building healthy, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly buildings and sustainable communities."
78
-------
Acknowledgments
This project was made possible through a contract with
The Elizabeth River Project from the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency. Special thanks to project manager
Randy Sturgeon, Region 3, EPA. Very special thanks
also to the many industrial partners whose examples of
stewardship on the Elizabeth River are cited throughout
this guidebook, most especially River Star industries and
case study sites: Earl Industries, APM Terminals Virginia
and industrial partners on the Southern Branch Corridor
Elizabeth River. The Guidebook Steering Committee
provided invaluable input with coordination by Barbara
Bodenstein, Elizabeth River Project. Efforts of the Tech-
nical Team were often above and beyond compensation
provided. Special thanks for early review and editing by
The Elizabeth River Project Board Members: Capt. Mike
Nickelsburg (USN Ret); Diana Bailey, (USACOE Ret.);
and Mike Host.
Guidebook Steering Committee, Elizabeth River
Project:
• Art Kirkby, Virginia Department of Conservation and
Recreation
• Brewer Moore, Portsmouth Citizen
• Brian Ballard, City of Chesapeake Planning
• Charles Wilson, U.S. Navy Chesapeake Bay Program.
• Chris Moore, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Christy Everett, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Dave Harper, Atlantic Wood Industries
• Dwight Dixon, landowner
• Ed Giles, Friends of Scotts Creek
• George Brisbin, City of Portsmouth Planning
• Heather Mantz, Virginia Port Authority
• John Blandin, Wetlands Watch
• John Deuel, Norfolk Environmental Commission
• John Ponton, TetraTech
• Ken Bailey, TetraTech
• Kristie Fragoso, Giant Cement of Virginia
• Landon Wellford, City of Portsmouth Planning
• Mike Nickelsburg, Elizabeth River Project
• Mujde Etal Unal, Old Dominion University School of
Engineering
• Paylor Spruill, Belharbour Station
• Randy Sturgeon, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency
• Richard Broad, City of Chesapeake Public Works
• Ron Ritter, Earl Industries
• Ross Worsham, Atlantic Wood Industries
• Thomas Reese, Portsmouth Economic Development
Technical Team:
• Bay Environmental, Inc.
Crisman+Petrus Architects
• The Elizabeth River Project
• Williamsburg Environmental Group, Inc.
• WPL Landscape Architects, Land Surveyors and
Civil Engineers
79
-------
River Stars 2008
River Stars 2008, The Elizabeth River Project
The Elizabeth River Project's River Stars program recognizes facilities that voluntarily prevent pollution or increase
wildlife habitat in the Elizabeth River watershed ~ and document their success by peer review. The program offers
three levels of recognition.
X *w Model Level
Exceptional pollution prevention and wildlife habitat results while mentoring others as community leaders in
environmental stewardship.
APM Terminals Virginia
BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair*
Dominion Virginia Power, Chesapeake Energy Center*
Earl Industries, LLC
• Giant Cement of Virginia, Inc. *
HRSD
• Hermitage Foundation
Hoffler Creek Wildlife Refuge
• Mitsubishi Chemical America, Inc.
• Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth*
• Naval Station Norfolk
NOAA Marine Operations Center - Atlantic
Norfolk Environmental Commission*
• Norfolk Naval Shipyard*
• Old Dominion University
• Southern States Cooperative - Chesapeake Fertilizer Plant
• SPSA - Waste to Energy Facilities, Refuse Derived Fuel Plant
Tidewater Community College
US Coast Guard, ISC Portsmouth
• Virginia Port Authority*
^-^-Achievement Level
Significant results in pollution prevention and wildlife habitat, relative to size and nature of organization.
• Accurate Marine Environmental
• BASF Corporation
Beach Marine Services
• Chesapeake Arboretum
• Christian Broadcasting Network
Citgo Petroleum Corp.
*Honored for Sustained Distinguished Performance. Represents completion of a significant new initiative by the
River Star.
80
-------
RIVER STARS 2008
Hampton Roads Regional Jail
Hampton Roads Rowing Club
Izaak Walton League of America-Norfolk Chapter
Kinder Morgan Southeast Terminals
Larchmont Branch Library
Lyon Shipyard
Metro Machine Corp.
PETA
Portsmouth-Stormwater Division*
RADVA Corp.
SIMS Metal Chesapeake
Skanska USA Civil
U.S. Maritime Administration, South Atlantic Region
Commitment Level
Significant results in either pollution prevention or wildlife habitat enhancement.
• Atlantic Associates
Amerada Hess Corp. - Chesapeake Terminal
Cape Henry Audubon Society - Weyanoke Wildlife Sanctuary
Christ and St. Luke's Church
• Colonna's Shipyard
Dismal Swamp Canal Trail - City of Chesapeake
• Elizabeth River Terminals, LLC
• Great Bridge Lock Park
• Hampton Roads Behavioral Health
Island Properties/Island Estates
Lafarge North America Cement - Chesapeake Plant
• Marine Repair Services - Container Maintenance Corp.
McLean Contracting
Norfolk's Business Partners for Clean Water
Peck Land Co.
• Perdue, Inc.
• Portsmouth Boating Center
• Sadler Materials Corp.
• Saint Paul's Episcopal Church
• Southern Aggregates, LLC
• Virginia Beach - Eastern Branch Greenway
• Virginia Zoological Park
• Volvo Penta of the Americas, Inc.
• Waterway Recycling
*Honored for Sustained Distinguished Performance. Represents completion of a significant new initiative by the
River Star.
81
-------
State of the Elizabeth River 2008
Hoaltti of
thertw
Restoration
Wtiatrves
Good
Marginal
Degraded
Severely
degraded
*
River Stars
Oyster
restoration
Wetland
restoration
the Elizabetti River in Southeastern
Virginia is severely degraded, but
industries known as River Stars are
voluntarily leading the way to
environmental recovery.
Sediment
cleanup site
. Naval Station
Nortofc
Norfo* international
CHESAF;
Cnenx*
Comnxrrty Cofcgf
PRMARY DATA SOuRCC Vf^u Oeoartment o* Enwonmenul QuaMy
------- |