State and Tribal Response
Program Highlights
EPA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities
REGION I
MAINE - The Sammis property is located in the coastal Town of
Hancock, and consists of a single Quonset-hut style building and
a historic rail line. The former railroad operations at the property
left behind contamination concerns and the Quonset-hut became a
target of frequent vandalism. In 2008, the Crabtree Neck Land Trust
acquired the property and entered it into the Maine Department
of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Brownfields Program. DEP
used funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
to perform Phase I and Phase II assessments on the property. The
assessments identified containers in the Quonset-hut, a small oil-
filled transformer (non-PCB), an onsite septic tank, and small areas
of coal-ash associated with the old rail line. DEP used Section 128(a)
Response Program funding to complete the cleanup and resolve
public health and safety issues. The rail line is now used as a public
recreational and water access trail to the rich tidal flats of Young's
Bay, where locals continue the shellfish and bloodworm harvesting
heritage. In addition, area Eagle Scouts have completed projects
improving the trail-head parking area, the trail and the rail-bridge over
Young's Bay, thereby helping to preserve this coastal treasure for
future generations.
REGION 2
NEW YORK - Using resources from federal, state and local
programs, the Village of Greenport redeveloped a 3.2-acre waterfront
parcel that was contaminated by a marina, shipyard and oyster
harvesting activities. The village acquired the property after the
previous owner went bankrupt. Nine petroleum underground storage
tanks were removed along with hundreds of cubic yards of petroleum
and arsenic contaminated soil. The New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation used Section 128(a) Response Program
funding to provide oversight during the assessment and cleanup of
the property. The redeveloped property now contains a public park,
including an amphitheater, historic carousel, harbor walk, seasonal
ice rink, and splash park.
REGION 3
WEST VIRGINIA- The Brownfield Assistance Centers (BACs)
at Marshall University and West Virginia University continue their
outreach and assistance to West Virginia communities as illustrated
by hosting the West Virginia Brownfields Conference held on
September 8-9, 2010 in Charleston. The West Virginia Department
of Environmental Protection used Section 128(a) Response Program
funding to assist the BACs with the conference. Approximately
215 people attended the conference, which was highlighted by
the presentation by Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capita and
Benedum Foundation Program Officer Mary Hunt-Lieving of $48,000
in Benedum Foundation Program grants to four FOCUS WV projects.
Keynote speaker, State Senator Brooks McCabe, encouraged
audience members to use brownfields revitalization as an opportunity
to prepare for future growth and development in their communities.
REGION 4
FLORIDA-The Florida Department of Environmental Protection
used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to assist the City
of St. Pete Beach by conducting a supplemental assessment at
the former Misener Marine property. After the assessment, the city
entered the property into a Brownfield Site Rehabilitation Agreement
under the Florida Brownfields Program to complete assessment
and cleanup activities. The city addressed petroleum and arsenic
contamination on the property and transformed the former marine
construction facility into a community waterfront park. In addition,
the development of this park increased critically needed waterfront
access and provided passive recreational opportunities to city
residents. The project also expanded greenspace within the city and
substantially improved stormwater treatment prior to discharge into
Boca Ciega Bay.
REGION 5
ONEIDATRIBE - Oneida's Tribal Environmental Response Program
(TERP) used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to host an
Oneida Household Clean Sweep event on September 17, 2010. The
TERP partnered and received additional support from the Oneida
Recycling Program, Brown County, and the Oneida Environmental,
Health and Safety Division staff. The TERP developed a "Handbook
of Household Hazardous Chemicals and Non-Toxic Solutions"
that was provided to all members and promoted the event through
Items collected during the Oneida Household Clean Sweep event.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
September/October 2010
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its education and outreach efforts. Brown County and tribal staff
collected, categorized the waste, and recycled or disposed of the
waste properly. The event attracted approximately 240 enrolled
Oneida Tribal members and collected:
• Scrap Metal/Appliances: 8,300 pounds
• Electronics: 17,437 pounds
• Household Hazardous Waste: 13,017 pounds
• Used Tires: 4,000 pounds
• Lamps/PCB Ballasts/CFLs: 345 pieces
• Mercury Thermometers: 12 pieces
The numbers from this effort will be used by TERP to gauge the
effectiveness of the outreach and education campaign, by the
Healthy Homes Program to increase awareness about and reduce
household chemical hazards, by the Recycling Program to measure
recycling rates, and by the Water Quality Program to increase
awareness about mercury in the environment.
LOUISIANA- The cleanup of the Mid City Redevelopment
Alliance (MCRA) Headquarters was a partnership of the Louisiana
Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), the City-Parish of East
Baton Rouge, and the EPA Region 6 Brownfield Program. The goal
was not only to clean up the environmental issues at the property,
but to enable enhanced and expanded uses of the headquarters
property. MCRA is a nonprofit organization created by the General
Health System whose sole mission is the renewal of the heart of
Baton Rouge—the Mid City Community. The property was a former
moss and cotton gin that operated from the late 1800s until the
1920s. From the early 1930s until 1980, a series of auto dealers and
auto service companies occupied the property. Environmental issues
at the property included asbestos and lead paint in the building, and
soil and ground water contamination from sumps and hydraulic lifts
associated with the auto repair and service activities. In 2009, LDEQ
provided Section 128(a) Response Program funding for cleanup and
oversight. The City-Parish completed the abatement of the asbestos
and lead paint and removal of the sumps, hydraulic lifts, and
associated contamination by early summer 2010.
REGION 7
MISSOURI -The Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program (BVCP) used Section
128(a) Response Program funding to host its 6th Annual Brownfields
Conference in conjunction with the Missouri Waste Control Coalition
38th Annual Environmental Conference on June 21, 2010. The
Brownfields Conference provided a platform to celebrate the positive
effects—economic, environmental and aesthetic—the BVCP has
provided to Missouri and the continued positive effects the program
will have in the future after successfully completing 500 brownfield
cleanups in Missouri. Almost 200 participants from seven states
attended the conference. The attendees included city and community
representatives, consultants, state and federal agency staff, and
other stakeholders. The conference focused on providing essential
information on the identification, remediation and redevelopment of
contaminated properties in Missouri.
Attendees at Missouri's 6th Annual Brownfields Conference.
REGION 8
CHEYENNE RIVER SIOUX TRIBE - In August 2010 EPAs
Emergency Response Unit conducted a removal action to clean
up asbestos released from a dilapidated administrative building in
Eagle Butte, South Dakota. The Old Prosecutor Building removal
was triggered by continued vandalism and arson attempts, coupled
with the fact that the building is located in close proximity to several
residences. Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe's (CRST) Department of
Environment and Natural Resources personnel were instrumental in
the initial identification of the hazard and worked closely with EPAs
On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) in the planning and execution of the
removal. CRST used Section 128(a) Response Program funding
to provide onsite coordination and support. The close coordination
between tribal personnel and EPAs OSC during the removal action
provided valuable insight into the cleanup process and the lessons
learned will be transferable to subsequent brownfields projects
conducted by CRST.
Emergency response activities at the Old Prosecutor Building.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
September/October 2010
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REGION 9
CALIFORNIA- The City of Sacramento used a Targeted Site
Investigation (TSI) grant—funded with California's Section 128(a)
Response Program funding—to assess a 0.96 acre property located
directly south of a Salvation Army facility. The property was originally
purchased in 1989 to be part of an affordable housing or transitional
housing project for the Housing Authority. The Housing Authority and
the Salvation Army both conducted Phase II assessments on the
property; however, there were discrepancies with the results. The
Phase II conducted by the Salvation Army indicated that the cleanup
costs would exceed $1 million. The TSI determined the amount of
soil contamination and re-evaluated the previous cleanup estimates.
Based on the prior assessments' and the TSI investigation's soil
sample results, the report provided a cost estimate under $400,000
to excavate and properly dispose of the contaminated soil. The lower
cost estimate will allow the Salvation Army to relocate their entrance
away from a busy corner and improve the aesthetics of the area. The
remediation will also clean up a key gateway corner into the River
District and Downtown Sacramento.
REGION 10
SHOSHONE-BANNOCK TRIBE - Over the last year the Shoshone-
Bannock Tribes' Environmental Waste Program Manager used
Section 128(a) Response Program funding to hold "Brownfields'
Days" in each district of the 815-square mile reservation in southeast
Idaho. The program created presentations, newsletters and
brochures to provide outreach and address a legacy of pesticide,
lead and asbestos contamination from agriculture, industry, mining,
and illegal dumping. The most visible project that was an outcome
of "Brownfields' Days" is a former railroad station where the cleanup
of lead and asbestos contamination in the building made it ready for
re-use as a tribal veterans center. In addition, the tribe is partnering
with Idaho State University on plans to transform an old hospital into
an environmental education center. Some brownfields properties on
the reservation have also undergone ecological restoration, and three
properties are being studied as possible locations for a wind farm or
a waste-to-energy plant.
View of the comer property located directly south of a Salvation Army facility.
United States
Environmental Protection
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding September/October 2010
EPA-560-F-IO-OI2
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