QUICK FACTS:
Success Stories - Siting Renewable Energy on Contaminated Land
Frontier Fertilizer - Davis, CA
Photovoltaic Panels Power a Ground Water Treatment System
Site Description
Located near the eastern border of Davis, California, the
Frontier Fertilizer Superfund site encompasses nearly 18 acres
of land. Since 1995, EPA has been operating a ground-water
extraction and treatment system on the property. The
Agency's remediation efforts also include the use of electrical
energy to heat the most contaminated areas to reduce the
toxicity of the ground water. The site has a triangular shape
with its southern border parallel to Interstate 80. There are two
development projects just north of the site; one adjacent field
is being redeveloped as a light industrial/business park, while
residential units were recently constructed approximately 600
feet north of the Frontier site's boundary. The California
Department of Toxic Substances Control and the Frontier
Fertilizer Superfund Oversight Group provide oversight.
Property History
Until 1948 the site was farmland, at which point it was sold to
the C. Bruce Mace Ranch Company to be developed as a
farming operation's headquarters. In 1970, Anderson Farms,
Inc. bought the property. Two firms used the site for fertilizer
and pesticide storage, sales, and application from 1972 to
1987: the Barber and Rowland Company from 1972 to 1982,
and the Frontier Fertilizer Company from 1982 to 1987. These
companies disposed of unused pesticides and fertilizer in a
4,000-cubic-foot basin in the site's northwest corner. Soil and
ground water became contaminated when rinse water from
tanks and containers was dumped into the basin and on the
surrounding ground. Major contaminants confirmed on the site
include the pesticides.
To address these issues, Frontier Fertilizer excavated about
1,100 cubic yards of contaminated soil in 1985. The
underground and above-ground tanks, as well as most of the
site's structures, were removed in 2000. The only remaining
building is a warehouse that contains the ground water
treatment system.
Renewable Energy Development
To offset the energy consumed by ongoing ground water
treatment, a solar photovoltaic (PV) system was installed on
the roof of the site's remaining building. This 5.7 kilowatt PV
system was designed and installed by CH2MHill and
Roseville Solar Electric (RSE) on December 2007 and
consists of 30 Evergreen ES-190-RL and 190 Watt solar
modules arranged into ten three-module panels. Over the
course of a year, the PV system is expected to produce approximately 8,500 to 9,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity—
offsetting up to 5% of the site's annual electricity use for Pump & Treat system operations, and saving energy costs of
approximately $1,500 per year. The State of California has a 10% cost share for the installation of the solar panels.
EPA plans to add additional panels to the roof in FY 2009.
Location:
Property Size:
Site Ownership:
Former Use:
Contaminants:
Project Type:
Type of RE:
Project Cost:
Key Partners:
Current Status:
EPA Region 9, Yolo County, CA
18 acres
8 acres owned by a developer; 10
acres privately owned but under U.S.
EPA Superfund Program oversight
Farmland, fertilizer and pesticide
storage and sales
Pesticides, VOCs
Superfund
Solar
$35,000
California Department of Toxic
Substances Control, Frontier
Fertilizer Superfund Oversight Group
Installation complete
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS:
Surrounding properties are being developed for
residential and commercial uses.
The 5.7 kW PV system will produce 8,500 to 9,000
kWh of electricity annually.
PV system saves about $1,500 per year in energy
costs
CONTACT: President, Frontier Fertilizer Superfund Oversight Group, Pam Nieberg: (530) 756-6856
EPA Site Manager, Bonnie Arthur: (415) 972-3030; Arthur.bonnie@epa.gov
To learn more siting renewable energy on contaminated land, visit: www.epa.gov/renewableenergyland
------- |