State and Tribal Response
Program Highlights
EPA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities
REGION I
MAINE - The Town of Lisbon is located along the banks of the
Sabattus and Androscoggin Rivers which supported the town's
early industry and farming. In 2009 the town began researching
possibilities for the reuse of a former schoolhouse property which
had been unoccupied for seven years. The Brunswick Housing
Authority, a nonprofit agency, whose goal is to provide safe, quality
and affordable housing for eligible persons in need of assistance,
was approached about redeveloping this property into housing.
The town submitted a Brownfields Assessment application to the
Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MEDEP). Through
this program, Phase I and Phase II environmental assessments
were completed with funding from an American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant. The results of the investigations
determined that asbestos, lead based paint and numerous
containers of chemicals were located throughout the building. After
the assessment phase was completed, the property was entered
into the MEDEP Voluntary Response Action Program (VRAP)
and MEDEP provided cleanup funding through its Section 128(a)
Response Program grant to remove the hazardous materials from
the property. Through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program
the town secured $2.4 million to assist in the construction and
redevelopment of the building. The building will be redeveloped into
a 12-unit senior housing facility with two community rooms and a
laundry room while keeping the historic nature of the building..
REGION 2
NEW JERSEY - The Town of Harrison in Hudson County took a
huge step toward its revitalization goals with the opening of the
Red Bull Arena. This world-class soccer venue was made possible
in large part by the efforts of the New Jersey Department of
Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The 25,000-seat Red Bull Arena
is the cornerstone of a massive commercial, retail and residential
waterfront redevelopment project that is being coordinated with the
help of the NJDEP's Brownfield Development Area program, which
is funded through its Section 128(a) Response Program grant. The
Harrison waterfront was once home to industry along the Passaic
River, but over the decades the waterfront disintegrated into a
collapsing collection of abandoned factories and warehouses. With
help from NJDEP, the structures were demolished and contaminated
soil was removed, clearing the way for one of the largest mixed-
use redevelopments projects in New Jersey. NJDEP engaged
various stakeholders, including owners of contaminated properties,
potentially responsible parties, developers, community groups, and
local governments to participate in developing the cleanup and
revitalization strategies.
Artisfs rendition of the Red Bull Soccer Arena.
REGION 3
WASHINGTON D.C. - How often do over forty thousand people
and the President of the United States attend the grand opening of
a completed voluntary cleanup project? It happened at the opening
day ceremonies for the 2008 Washington Nationals baseball season
on March 30, 2008. Nationals Park, the nation's first Leadership in
Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certified professional
sports stadium, is the largest voluntary cleanup project in the District
of Columbia. With oversight from the District Department of the
Environment (DDOE), a Section 128(a) Response Program grantee,
over 350,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed from
the former industrial area. Ground water filtration and treatment
will continue into the future through a state-of-the-art ground water
collection system operating beneath the stadium.
March 30, 2008 - Opening Day Ceremonies at Natbnals Park.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
May/June 2010
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REGION 4
REGION
GEORGIA - Located in the heart of Midtown Atlanta, the Loews
Atlanta Hotel opened April 1, 2010 as the anchor of the 12th and
Midtown urban mixed-use development project. The property
underwent environmental investigation through Georgia's Section
128(a) Response Program and was certified to be in compliance
with residential risk reduction standards. The $1.2 billion 12th and
Midtown project was assembled from numerous individual parcels,
many of which are also enrolled in Georgia's Brownf ields Program.
According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, opening of the Loews
Atlanta Hotel created 220 jobs. Loews Atlanta Hotel is within walking
distance to many of the city's Fortune 500 companies, leading law
firms and world-renowned cultural venues including the Woodruff
Arts Center, the High Museum of Art, the Fox Theatre, Atlanta
Botanical Gardens and Piedmont Park. Loews Atlanta Hotel features
414 guest rooms, more than 25,000 square feet of meeting space,
and a spa and fitness center.
The Loews Atlanta Hotel, the anchor of the 12th and Midtown mixed-use redevelopment project.
REGION 5
RED LAKE BAND OF CHIPPEWA INDIANS - The Red Lake
Band of Chippewa Indians used Section 128(a) Response Program
grant funds to provide Hazardous Materials Technician training to
approximately 20 tribal responders from June 28 - July 2, 2010.
The tribe hosted the training for environmental, fire, emergency
medical services, and police staff from Red Lake and three other
EPA Region 5 tribes. Tribes realize that when their reservation is
located far from emergency response resources they need more
local staff trained and ready to act in the face of a spill or release
incident. The course involved two exercises focused on stopping
leaks and emergency containment. The Center for Labor Education
and Research/Workplace Safety Training Program at Jefferson
State Community College delivered the training under a grant from
the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in
partnership with the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society.
TEXAS - Crestview Station in Austin was a former chemical
research facility that processed components for soaps, foams and
glues from 1949 until 2005. The property was identified as a prime
location for a high-density, mixed use project and transit-oriented
development. In 2005, the property applied to Texas' Voluntary
Cleanup Program—funded by a Section 128(a) Response Program
grant—to facilitate the assessment and cleanup of known and
suspected areas where waste materials were buried. Cleanup
consisted of the excavation and disposal of approximately 20,000
cubic yards of buried waste products and impacted soils, and ground
water monitoring and an institutional control addressed a benzene
plume in one small area of the property. The 71-acre Crestview
Station redevelopment project includes over 500 single-family
homes, 600 apartments, recreational fields, and 150,000 square
feet of retail and office space built around a Capitol Metro rail stop.
Property values have increased significantly and several new jobs
were created as a result of the redevelopment. Crestview Station is
a key component to the city's plan to connect Austin through future
expansion of the public transportation system.
The Crestview Statbn redevebpment project and the adjacent Capitol Metro rail stop.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
May/June 2010
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REGION 7
IOWA - The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) developed
an innovative and valuable database of historic aerial photos of the
entire state, designed to assist potential purchasers, developers and
others interested in past site activities and the environmental history
of properties. Historic aerial photos are an extremely valuable key to
understanding what potential environmental conditions may exist at
a property. Beginning in 2004, DNR used Section 128(a) Response
Program grant funding to begin acquiring copies of aerial photos
from known sources including accessing scattered collections in
state and federal archives. DNR then converted the photos into
electronic images, rectifying the electronic images for accurate
inclusion in geographic information systems (GIS), and loading the
converted electronic photomaps into an easy-to-use, web-based,
publicly accessible GIS. DNR completed the photo conversion and
integration of more than 12,000 historic prints, creating a complete
mosaic of GIS images of the state of Iowa. The historic aerial
photo database is an integral part of environmental due diligence
research in Iowa and notably improved the public's ability to find and
access records of value for environmental assessment and cleanup
decision making, particularly in small, rural and environmental justice
communities.
REGION 8
WIND RIVER RESERVATION - Over the last three years, the
Wind River Environmental Quality Commission (WREQC) used
Section 128(a) Response Program grant funding to develop an
Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan (ISWMP) and a Solid
Waste Management Regulation (SWMR). WREQC worked with
tribal environmental programs to create supporting regulations
and with tribal councils (Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho
Tribes) to receive approval. The Midwest Assistance Program (MAP)
provided technical assistance and support for the development of the
technical documents. In addition, a Penalty Matrix and enforcement
procedures are being considered and the tribe is working to ensure
that the Tribal ISWMP and SWMR can be used collaboratively within
the Reservation boundaries to manage waste concerns.
REGION 9
YUROK TRIBE - The Yurok Tribe Environmental Program (YTEP)
is creating capacity to perform Phase I environmental assessments
using tribal staff. Prior to 2010, YTEP lacked the capacity to
conduct and write assessment reports for its own lands, and relied
on outside environmental contractors to perform assessments.
During 2009, YTEP used an environmental contractor to conduct
four Phase I assessments on the Yurok Reservation. As part of
that contract, YTEP received training and professional expertise
on how to conduct Phase I assessments using American Society
for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. YTEP used Section
128(a) Response Program grant funding to attend and complete
the ASTM International training class: Phase l-ll Environmental Site
Assessments for Commercial Real Estate. During the course, YTEP
staff met and networked with other environmental professionals.
YTEP used these network resources during the development and
review process of it first Phase I assessment, which is currently
under review by EPA Region 9 staff.
REGION 10
IDAHO - The Cascade Mill employed 72 full-time workers on the
120-acre property until it was closed in 2001. The mill closure was an
economic blow to Cascade, a scenic west central Idaho community,
nestled among mountains, Cascade Lake and the Payette River.
Thanks to the efforts of the Idaho Department of Environmental
Quality's (IDEQ) response program, Cascade Mill is now home to
a Whitewater park and interpretive museum. In 2004, IDEQ used
Section 128(a) Response Program grant funding to collect samples
to determine if there were measurable levels of contamination on
the property. The sample results indicated that the contamination
was below maximum concentration levels and it was determined that
environmental cleanup was not required as long as shallow ground
water was not used for drinking water. IDEQ provided technical
assistance to complete the assessment and timely oversight to
complete the project. IDEQ received a public commendation from
the Governor's office for its work on this property.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding
May/June 2010
EPA-560-F-IO-234
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