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Cape Charles /
Northampton County, Virginia
BROWNFIELDS are abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real
orperceived contamination. In May 1997, Vice PresidentGoreannouncedaBrownfields National Partnership tobring together the resources of more than
15 federal agencies to address local cleanup and reuse issues in a more coordinated manner. This multi-agency partnership has pledged support to 16
"Brownfields Showcase Communities"—models demonstrating the benefits of collaborativeactivity on brownfields. The designated Brownfields Showcase
Communities are distributed across the country andvaryby size, resources, and community type. Awide range of support will be leveraged, depending
on the particular needs of each Showcase Community.
PURPOSE
The Cape Charles/Northampton County, Virginia Pilot is
working with multiple partners to revitalize the area's
brownfields. Collectively, the Pilot has established more
than 90 partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies,
as well as private organizations and has leveraged more
than $8 million in cleanup and redevelopment funding.
BACKGROUND
The Brownfields National Partnership selected the Town of
Cape Charles and Northampton County, Virginia as a
Brownfields Showcase Community in 2000. In 1993, the
Northampton County Board of Supervisors appointed a
Sustainable Development Task Force to manage the
Sustainable Development Initiative in Cape Charles. The
award of the EPA Brownfields Showcase Community
designation assisted in the development and implementation
of the Initiative. By preserving greenspace, building eco-
efficient infrastructure, and providing updated commercial
and office space, the Cape Charles/Northampton County
project is working to stimulate economic and environmental
renewal in one of the nation's most impoverished areas.
The poorest county within the Commonwealth of Virginia,
20 percent of its 13,000 residents live in poverty. Along
with multiple economic incentives from the area, the county
was named as an Enterprise Community by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
The Pilot's activities focus on four key projects throughout
the county: the Sustainable Technology Industrial Park
(STIP) and Cape Charles harbor area, the Seaside Park
near Oyster, the Center Chevrolet property in Exmore, and
the Webster Canning or KMC Plant in Cheriton. Each
property has a unique redevelopment plan aimed toward
meeting the needs of the community. Redevelopment plans
include: an innovative eco-park and sustainable technology
facility; a regional-scale coastal park with recreational
amenities; a community Boys and Girls Club and town park;
and a potential renewable energy project.
CURRENT ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
The Cape Charles/Northampton County Showcase Pilot
has achieved multiple redevelopment successes throughout
Northampton County. The Sustainable Technology Park at
Cape Charles was targeted by the EPA Showcase
Community Pilot for assessment and cleanup and is
designed as a world class research/development and
manufacturing center, encouraging green businesses,
products, and processes. The environmental assessment
involved evaluation of an abandoned 25-acre town dump
and harbor front, with minimal cleanup completed. Building
One, featuring many advanced design features, is open for
business with 31,000 square feet of commercial,
manufacturing, office and meeting space. The STIP
property is one of four national eco-industrial park
demonstration proj ects and features pollution-prevention
efforts.
Just north of Oyster Harbor and the town of Oyster, the
county resolved to reuse the former Northampton County
landfill into a safe and popular public amenity and coastal
park with passive and active recreation. The new Seaside
Park will provide relief for a shortage of recreational
facilities in the area, including soccer and recreational fields,
a golf course, a skateboard park, a pool, and trails and
boardwalks. The county successfully leveraged the
necessary funding for initial construction. The
environmental assessment findings indicate that much of the
property is ready for reuse. Phase II environmental
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sampling was completed, with the Phase II study to
determine whether any cleanup is needed or whether the
county master plan requires revising.
The Phase I environmental assessment on the former
Center Chevrolet property in Exmore, Virginia is complete.
A sampling program is proposed to further evaluate
whether soil and groundwater contamination exists, and if
so, whether it presents potential health risks to construction
workers and future users of the park. The property
redevelopment plans include a Boys and Girls Club and a
town park, which is part of the town's Main Street
revitilization.
Finally, cleanup was completed at the KMC Plant located
just outside of Cheriton, Virginia, and redevelopment
activities are underway. The property used Targeted
Brownfields Assessment (TEA) funding to conduct an
initial assessment, with the Virginia Department of
Environmental Quality (DEQ) assisting with additional
assessment and cleanup. The property has had commercial
use in the past, but the town is considering new sustainable
uses, which could include incorporating an innovative
solution such as the construction of abiofuels plant, an
agricultural plastic recycling location, or a waste-to-energy
facility.
SHOWCASE COMMUNITY OBJECTIVES AND
PLANNED ACTIVITIES
The Brownfields Showcase Community designation has
provided outreach, advice, and assessment in support of
multiple revitalization efforts throughout the Northampton
County community, as well as a liaison to regulators and
funding sources. Projects in the Cape Charles/
Northampton County Pilot meet multiple environmental
obj ectives while continuing to bring blighted properties back
to safe and productive use. Several kinds of energy
efficiency and renewable energy projects are under
development at multiple brownfields in the county.
The Sustainable Technology Park at Cape Charles is
currently for sale. With a projected leveraging of 1,500
jobs, this former brownfield is an example of a successful
economic and environmental restoration effort. In addition,
the work on the other three projects in Cape Charles/
Northampton County continues to bring blighted properties
back to safe and productive use.
Contacts
Showcase Community Coordinator
757-678-0413
U.S. EPA - Region 3
(215)814-3132
Brownfields Fact Sheet
Cape Charles/Northampton
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)
EPA560-F-04-250
August 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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