EPA Grants Fuel the Redevelopment
of Petroleum-Contaminated
Brownfields
A,
Petroleum Theme
.cross the nation, there are a great number of former gas
pump and service station properties that lay idle for years because of
perceived or actual contamination. Often their owners do not know the
extent of the contamination (if any), and are unable to sell the property
to a redeveloper because of liability concerns. Many of these properties
contain underground storage tanks (USTs) that may not have been
properly sealed and are leaking into the surrounding soils.
In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields
Revitalization Act was passed, making properties with petroleum
contamination eligible for EPA Brownfields funding. Since then,
more than 450 EPA grants have been awarded to states, regional
governments, and local municipalities for the assessment and cleanup of
petroleum brownfields. Across the country, abandoned gas stations are
being converted into new uses such as restaurants, community gardens,
residences, and municipal facilities such as police or fire stations.
Escambia County, Florida
For more than 25 years, D&D Cycles has been a widely recognized
motorcycle sales and service center throughout the southeast, providing
repairs and service for European motorcycles. Founded in the early
1980's by a father and son team, D&D Cycles has grown from a
simple repair shop behind their house to a commercial property. As
business has grown in recent years, the company looked to expand
their showroom and repair shop, and identified an adjacent property—a
former gas station and auto repair facility with potential environmental
contamination. Known as the Old Fairfield Street property, the half acre
property in Pensacola was located within the Englewood Community
Redevelopment Area and had been designated a brownfield by
Escambia County in September 2006. This designation led to an EPA
Brownfields Program grant that funded environmental assessments on
the half-acre property.
In December 2006, three USTs were removed from the property using
funds from an Escambia County Community Development Block Grant.
A subsequent UST Closure Assessment Report found no evidence of
significant release of petroleum. By June 2007, cleanup on the property
was complete and ownership transferred from a local citizen to D&D
Cycles. In August 2008, the Escambia Board of County Commissioners
approved a Commercial Facade, Landscape, and Infrastructure Grant
Program Funding Agreement that granted D&D Cycles $10,000
Vent pipes from the UST prior to removal at Swifty Serve
gas station in Moss Point, Mississippi.
JUST THE FACTS:
• D&D Cycles leveraged more than
$60,000 in funding from EPA
Brownfields grants and Community
Development Block Grants.
The planned parking lot for the
Mississippi Pelican Landing
Convention Center will use pervious
pavement materials to protect the
nearby bayou from contaminant
runoff.
More than 450 EPA grants
have been awarded
to states, regional
governments, and local
municipalities for the
assessment and cleanup
of petroleum brownfields.
continued
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for parking lot expansion onto the adjacent lot. By the end of 2008, D&D Cycles had completed their
expansion which included improved driveway access for vehicles with trailers, a larger repair
shop, and more showroom space. This has given them the opportunity to service more
bikes as well as hold a larger inventory of bike parts, accessories and apparel.
Rochester, New York
For 70 years, the property at 935 West Broad Street in Rochester, New York
operated as a gas and service station. In 1994, the Caribbean Service Station
and Auto Body Shop closed and in the fall of 2003, the city acquired the
property through tax foreclosure. Due to the property's history, petroleum
contamination was suspected and the city removed all USTs, piping, waste
containers, and structures on the property.
CONTACTS:
For more information visit the EPA
Brownfields Web site at:
www.epa.gov/brownfields
In 2005, the City of Rochester conducted environmental assessments on the
property that revealed Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) in the groundwater
exceeding New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC) standards.
Later that year, the city applied for and was awarded a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Petroleum
Cleanup grant to remediate the property. In February 2007, the city acquired the services of LaBella
Associates, PC to perform the cleanup. Cleanup of the property involved the removal of contaminated
soils and the installation of dissolved oxygen groundwater remediation. The former gas station has been
redeveloped into a much-needed parking lot to serve spectators attending the 13,000 seat Rochester
Rhino's Stadium built in 2006. The stadium is home to the Rochester Rhinos' First Division USL Soccer
Men's and Women's Teams.
Moss Point, Mississippi
Sitting on the Pascagoula River in the southeastern corner of Mississippi,
the City of Moss Point is in the midst of a transformation. At the turn of
the millennium, the city built the Pelican Landing Convention Center, a
stepping stone toward its future as an eco-tourism destination—aimed at
attracting visitors to the river community of 20,000 people.
In 2002, the city—in accord with its Waterfront Plan—purchased
a former gas station property adjacent to the Convention Center. In
2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the former gas station building,
which allowed the city to request funds from the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) to aid in redevelopment. The city
ultimately received $285,000 from FEMA for this purpose. In 2007,
the Mayor of Moss Point, Xavier Bishop, requested additional financial
assistance—in the form of Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TEA) funding—from the Mississippi
Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). This funding allowed the city to determine that the
property's USTs were empty, but not properly capped; the city then selected a contractor to remove these
tanks and associated piping, and "cap" the property with clean fill to ensure future safety.
Today, Moss Point's Pelican Landing Conference Center has been retrofitted as a Leadership in Energy
and Environmental Design (LEED®)-certified building. A new parking lot for the Center is now in place
on the former gas station property, providing enough space for 100 cars. According to [now former] Mayor
Bishop, the MDEQ TEA Program provided critical funding that allowed the city to focus its limited
resources on other areas of redevelopment within its Waterfront Plan.
The Pelican Landing Conference Center in Moss Point, Mississippi.
Brownfields Success Story - Petroleum Theme
EPA Grants Fuel the Redevelopment
of Petroleum-Contaminated Brownfields
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA 560-F-10-213
June 2010
www. epa. gov/brownfields/
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