LAND REVITALIZATION FACT SHEET
REVITALIZATIDN ALONG
HISTORIC HIGHWAYS
^Wiere are about 200,000 brownfields
I with petroleum contamination issues
I across the U.S. Abandoned gas
stations and other petroleum-impacted
properties typically are small and widely
dispersed sites throughout communi-
ties. These properties present unique
challenges that often require tailored
approaches to overcome the economic
and environmental conditions that limit
their cleanup and revitalization.
In 2008, EPA adopted a Petroleum Brown-
fields Action Plan that lists four initiatives
and 1 7 specific actions that promote
the Agency's enhanced commitment
to the cleanup and reuse of petroleum
brownfields. EPA's petroleum brownfields
program is jointly managed by the Office
of Brownfields and Land Revitalization,
which oversees the Brownfields program,
and the Office of Underground Storage
Tanks, which promotes the cleanup of
leaking underground storage tank sites.
Under the Petroleum Brownfields Action
Plan, EPA supports targeted projects
to redevelop petroleum brownfields
in defined geographic areas or corri-
dors. These corridor initiatives focus on
economic development areas, environ-
mental justice communities, and other
areas of special need that would benefit
from enhanced revitalization of petro-
leum brownfields. EPA provides technical
assistance to help with site identification,
assessment, cleanup, redevelopment
planning, community outreach, or other
NEW ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS
EPA's land revitalization initiatives are producing significant environmental
benefits and helping to transform communities into more sustainable and
livable places. The strategy of encouraging market-driven redevelopment of
brownfields and other contaminated sites for economic reuse is proving to be
a successful approach at many sites. However, challenging real estate markets
and economic realities can leave some formerly contaminated properties
unused, possibly for a long time. New approaches are needed to revitalize
these sites and protect human health and the environment.
EPA's Land Revitalization Team is working with communities, states, other federal
agencies, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector
to develop and test new approaches that recognize valuable reuse alterna-
tives for formerly contaminated properties. Building green infrastructure to help
manage stormwater runoff and floods, promoting safe soil management to
support urban agriculture, and siting renewable energy on contaminated sites
can bring environmental, ecological, and social benefits to communities. Unlock-
ing the potential value of these underused properties often requires creativity
and close collaboration with many public and private partners. These projects
can help stabilize communities and spur economic development.
needs identified by the communities and
organizations impacted by these sites.
Several of these corridor projects focus
on revitalization along historic highways
that once were vibrant transportation
arteries. Current corridor projects span
the country, from the Tamiami Trail (US
Highway 41) in Florida and the Historic
Voting Rights Trail in Alabama, through
the nation's mid-section along the
old Lincoln Highway and Route 66, to
California's Highway 99 and Washing-
ton's Tacoma Way petroleum brownfields
revitalization corridor.
The goal is to inventory petroleum
brownfields and bring new life to these
abandoned properties. EPA headquarters
and Regional offices are partnering with
states and federal and private-sector
partners to ensure that redevelopment
and reuse of these sites is realized.
These projects demonstrate what can
be accomplished when coordinated
remediation and revitalization efforts by
public and private partners are applied
to a defined geographic area, such as a
transportation route or corridor.
PLANNING FOR REVITALIZATION OF PETROLEUM BROWNFIELDS ALONG THE
SELMA TO MONTGOMERY NATIONAL HISTORIC VOTING RIGHTS TRAIL
Since 2009, EPA and Alabama's
Department of Environmental
Management (ADEM) have engaged
local communities in planning for
revitalization of numerous former gas
stations and petroleum-contaminated
brownfields along the Selma to
Montgomery National Historic Voting
Rights Trail in Alabama. The 54-mile
trail commemorates events, people,
and the route of the 1965 Voting Rights
March. It begins in Selma and contin-
ues along U.S. Highway 80 to the State
Capitol in Montgomery.
Many active and former gasoline
stations along the trail have the poten-
tial to cause contamination from petro-
leum releases. The goal of the Historic
Voting Rights Trail project is to assess,
clean up, and implement community
revitalization plans for these sites that
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are consistent with community needs
and national historic site goals. EPA
Region 4 provided 18 Targeted Brown-
fields Assessments for sites along the
trail. In 2010, EPA awarded a Brown-
fields petroleum assessment grant to
ADEM to continue assessment of former
industrial and commercial sites along
the trail. Developing green jobs also is
an important part of the effort.
Community engagement is at the
heart of this project. Combining
community desires with leveraged
federal and state resources, ADEM
and EPA are facilitating community-
based revitalization, environmental
benefits, and economic development
activities along the trail. Since spring
2010, EPA, ADEM, and other federal
partners (including the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers, National Park Service,
Department of Housing and Urban
Development, Department of Agriculture,
Federal Highway Administration, the U.S.
Geological Survey, and Maxwell Air Force
Base) have been meeting with local
communities to offer technical assistance
and share information. With funding
from EPA's Land Revitalization program,
Region 4 and ADEM conducted outreach
meetings to gather input from community
groups on their visions for redevelop-
ment and revitalization in Hayneville,
West Montgomery, Selma, and Selmont.
In fall 2010, EPA sponsored a sustain-
ability conference in Selma that
brought together representatives from
ten federal agencies and stakeholders
from many of the communities along
the trail. These sessions were a positive
experience that allowed citizens to
work together with local, state, and
federal agencies to identify recycling
programs, reuse options, and plans
for the affected communities. Stake-
holders continue to work together on
other development projects in many
communities, including improvements
to water resources, transportation, and
education.
Rendering of proposed Civil Rights
Museum in Hayneville, AL
AREA-WIDE PLANNING FOR REVITALIZATION OF ABANDONED
GAS STATION AND NEARBY BROWNFIELDS DGDEN, IOWA
EPA, in partnership with the Iowa
Department of Natural Resources
(IDNR), is providing redevelopment
planning support to the City of Ogden
for revitalization of its downtown,
including three centrally located
properties and the abandoned gas
station that sits at the gateway to
downtown.
With funding from the Office of Brown-
fields and Land Revitalization, EPA's
assistance supports the preparation
of a market analysis and needs study,
development of a project web portal,
and conducting a design charette to
engage the community in planning for
reuse of the sites. EPA also provided
training on the brownfields assessment
and cleanup process and on how to
promote expanded partnerships with
other state and federal agencies.
The project began a few years ago with
EPA Region 7's Historic Highways Initia-
tive, which includes the identification of
abandoned gas stations. The initiative
focuses on identifying barriers to redevel-
opment of abandoned gas stations
along the former Route 66 in Missouri and
Kansas, and along the former Lincoln
Highway in Iowa and Nebraska. Region
7 currently is working with a number of
communities, including Ogden, under
its Historic Highways Initiative.
In Ogden, the city purchased vacant
properties from current owners. This gave
the city greater control over planning for
downtown redevelopment. Ownership
also enabled the city to receive additional
support from IDNR for assessment and
cleanup work on each of the brownfield
properties. Once the properties were
assessed and cleaned up, the city demol-
ished the three vacant buildings and
graded the sites for redevelopment.
Using support from EPA's Land Revitaliza-
tion Program, the city sought commu-
nity input on property reuse and an
overall vision for the revitalization of
downtown Ogden. As a result, city
leaders will move forward to ensure
downtown Ogden meets the needs of
the community and becomes a desti-
nation for those in the area.
EPA delivered its recommendations
to the city in December 2010. EPA's
report to the city includes redevelop-
ment concepts based on market data,
community needs, and site condi-
tions. City officials will be able to use
these products to move forward with
marketing new business opportunities
and promoting the revitalization of
downtown Ogden.
MORE INFORMATION:
EPA's Petroleum Brownfields Action Plan: http://www.epa.gov/oust/pubs/petrobfactionplan2vear.pdf
EPA Land Revitalization Program: http://www.epa.gov/landrevitalization/
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-11-018
April 2011
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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