FLAT BRANCH PARK at-a-glance Columbia, MO Cleanup Grant Former Bulk Oil Terminal Returns as a Center of Community Activity ADDRESS: 400 Locust Street Columbia, MO 65201 PROPERTY SIZE: 2.5 acres FORMER USES: Market square, Bulk oil terminal crossed by tracks CURRENT USE: City park EPA GRANT RECIPIENT: The City of Columbia received a $200,000 EPA Brownfields Petroleum Cleanup grant in 2003. PROJECT PARTNERS: Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Flat Branch Park Committee Columbia • MISSOURI For additional data and geographic information for this and other Brownfields Grants, please visit EPA's Cleanups in My Community: http://iaspub.epa.gov/Cleanups/ PROJECT BACKGROUND: In the early nineteenth century, the property served as the market square for the City of Columbia. From 1908-1968, it was utilized as a bulk oil terminal for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad (MKT). In 1977, the MKT abandoned the section of track and the City of Columbia converted the land into a hiking, biking, and fitness trail with a National Rails-to-Trails Conversion grant—one of the first awarded in the United States. In 1997, the city received a $40,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to remove a dilapidated building on the property. After demolition of the abandoned petroleum facility, soil contamination was found and the city applied for an EPA Brownfields grant to assist with the cleanup. The Cleanup grant was awarded in 2003. Throughout the cleanup process, over 7,500 cubic yards of oil-contaminated soil were removed from the property, as well as 12,000 gallons of contaminated water. Flat Branch Park has revitalized the heart of the Columbia business district. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: • Secured $200,000 in funding from EPA to assist with the cleanup of I. I I acres of contaminated land, which was completed in less than a year. • Leveraged $427,352 in local funding; $321,587 in donations; and a $149,850 Land and Water Conservation Fund Grant for a total of approximately $900,000. • Removed 7,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 12,000 gallons of contaminated water. • Revitalized an area in the heart of the business district that serves as an example of how public and private funding can result in success. • Honored by the Midwestern chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture for the project's landscaping and tree planting. OUTCOME: Flat Branch Park now serves as a center of community activity with a playground, spraygrounds, benches, a stormwater rain garden, an amphitheater, sculptures by a local artist and a gazebo that may be reserved for special events. The landscaping at the park received the Gold Leaf Award from the Midwestern Chapter of the International Society of Arborculture (ISA). This award is given annually to an individual or community that has used landscaping to enhance environmental protection, conservation and beautification. In June 2008, the park hosted the Twilight Festival and offered a variety of activities for families and kids each Thursday night. In addition to the activities, the park serves as a trailhead for the MKT Nature and Fitness Trail which extends over eight miles and connects many of Columbia's parks. The trail is also part of the American Discovery Trail which extends from Delaware to California and passes through towns and cities, highlighting cultures, heritages and landscapes. FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit the EPA Brownfields Web site at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ or call EPA Region Tat (913) 551-7003 ------- |