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Program Highlights ^™enta
ERA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities
REGION 2
ST. REGIS MOHAWK TRIBE - Representatives from the
St. Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT)—located in Akwesasne,
NY—traveled to New York City in November 2011 to meet
with EPA Region 2 staff to discuss its Section 128(a) funded
Tribal Response Program, other environmental programs and
potential new EPA grant opportunities. The SRMT program is
creating a database of its brownfields inventory, developing
an oversight and enforcement program and conducting
public outreach. At the meeting with EPA Region 2, SRMT
presented some of its work, including the demonstration
of a touch-screen kiosk presentation that is being used for
public outreach in various locations of the reservation. In
addition, SRMT showed a map to display the brownfields and
specific contamination areas— for example, areas with trash,
junk cars, old drums, gas cylinders, old dumps and other
environmental concerns—found on its reservation. SRMT
plans to expand its program by continuing outreach efforts
that include additional public meetings, radio shows and
activities, such as a brownfields logo and slogan contest. A
brownfields training day for the SRMT community and other
groups is also being planned at the reservation.
REGION 3
Two EPA Region 3 grantees recently used Section 128(a)
Response Program funding to host brownfields conferences.
PENNSYLVANIA - The Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection, in partnership with the Engineers'
Society of Western Pennsylvania, hosted its annual
Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference on September 27-
28, 2011 at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona.
The Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalizations Deputy
Director, Gail Cooper participated in the conference.
The PA Brownfield conference is the largest statewide
brownfields event in Pennsylvania and this year focused on
the redevelopment of smaller sites. A "Brownfield Basics"
course provided new attendees with the fundamental
concepts of brownfields redevelopment, while other sessions
challenged the more seasoned brownfields practitioners.
Sessions focused on planning and financing innovations to
advance brownfields projects. The conference also included
an informative field trip where attendees saw first-hand the
impressive results of Altoona's downtown revitalization as well
as a more traditional brownfields redevelopment, a former rail
car shop in Hollidaysburg.
WEST VIRGINIA - The Sixth Annual West Virginia
Brownfields Conference was held in Morgantown on
September 14-15, 2011 with approximately 160 attendees. The
conference brought together individuals and organizations
from a broad spectrum, including community and development
authorities; attorneys; banking and real estate; consulting and
remediation firms; and all levels of government representing
municipalities, counties, state and federal entities. The
conference topics and forum showcased the value the
West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Centers (http://www.
wvbrownfields.org) provide to West Virginia's citizens and
communities through West Virginia's premiere education
centers at West Virginia and Marshall Universities. The
collaborative partnerships that develop through the centers
continue to produce impacts that will be felt throughout the
state.
REGION 4
MISSISSIPPI - In the spring of 2011, Elevance Renewable
Sciences Inc.—creator of high-performance renewable
specialty chemicals for use in personal care products,
detergents, plastics and lubricants—acquired the former
Delta Biofuels facility in Natchez with the assistance of the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)
and the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA). Through
the Mississippi Industry Incentives Financing Revolving
Fund, MDA provided a $25 million loan to Elevance. In
addition, MDEQ reached a brownfield agreement with Delta
Biofuels that addressed liability concerns related to a legacy
of environmental conditions at the facility. MDEQ also used
Section 128(a) Response Program funding to facilitate
discussions between representatives of Delta Biofuels and
Elevance to explain the benefits of its Brownfield Program,
including liability protection and income tax credits. Elevance
is converting the facility into a biorefinery and derivatives
operation that will involve an investment of more than $225
million and will create 165 full-time jobs over the next five
years. Elevance has bridged renewable energy with the
petrochemical industry using a core technology that received
the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
September/October 201 I
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REGION 5
WISCONSIN - The City of Kenosha is in the process of
cleaning up and redeveloping the former 107-acre Chrysler
Engine Plant property located in the heart of the city. The
plant first opened for automobile production in 1902, housing
Nash Motors, and has been part of Kenosha's long-standing
history in auto manufacturing. The facility produced a number
of famous vehicles and their parts, including Nash Ramblers,
Dodge Diplomats and AMC engines used in Jeeps. After a
resurgence in engine building at the plant in the late 1990s
and early 2000s, the plant was a casualty of the recent
recession after the Chrysler Corporation declared bankruptcy.
However, after the Chrysler bankruptcy proceedings were
finalized, the plant was shut down in the fall of 2010. The
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is using
Section 128(a) Response Program funding to work with the
city to develop a plan for assessing and cleaning up the
property. In October of 2011, the city and its partners signed
an agreement with the property owners, allowing the property
to transfer ownership to the city in the next 12-18 months.
With this transfer, the city will be able to access $10 million in
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds and begin the
cleanup of the property.
REGION
TEXAS - The City of Austin is redeveloping three former
vacant properties to address affordable housing needs in
the eastern part of the city. The properties were historically
used as a dry cleaning operation and were subject to
illegal dumping after it closed. The Texas Commission on
Environmental Quality (TCEQ) used Section 128(a) Response
Program funding to perform the environmental assessment
and cleanup activities at the property. After the cleanup
activities were completed, the properties received certificates
of completion in August 2011. The City of Austin worked with
the community and determined that the most appropriate
future use of the properties is affordable housing for the
elderly. Construction is anticipated to start at the end of 2011.
REGION 7
NEBRASKA - The Nebraska Department of Environmental
Quality (NDEQ) used Section 128(a) Response Program
funding to kick off its newest public outreach effort on insti-
tutional controls (ICs) in Nebraska. Contaminated ground
water plumes can be up to four miles long in this state. Often,
ground water well drillers are not aware of these exception-
ally long plumes or ICs related to the plumes. Thus, NDEQ
is targeting this public outreach towards increasing knowl-
edge of ICs among well drillers in the state. NDEQ gave a
presentation in January 2011 to over 100 well driller industry
professionals at the Nebraska Well Drillers Association
Short Course in Kearney. In addition, NDEQ partnered with
the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NDNR) to
incorporate ICs into their existing interactive mapping system.
NDNR's mapping service is used by ground water well drillers
for researching other existing ground water wells in the area
prior to drilling a new well. These proactive outreach efforts
will bring awareness to Nebraska's 1C procedures and reduce
the risk to human health and the environment.
REGION 8
STANDING ROCK SIOUX - The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
recently completed the cleanup of the former "Old Teachers'
Quarters," originally constructed in the 1930s by the Bureau
of Indian Affairs. After many years of use, the property was
abandoned in 1990 due to its uninhabitable condition, and in
2008 the building was destroyed by a fire leaving behind a de-
bris pile and foundation contaminated with lead, arsenic and
asbestos. Located in the center of town between an elemen-
tary school and the Missouri River, the property has remained
an eyesore, a safety and health threat and an environmental
risk. To address this problem, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's Re-
sponse Program—a Section 128(a) Response Program grant
recipient—worked with EPA to conduct a Targeted Brown-
fields Assessment (TBA) to characterize the contamination
and develop cleanup options and cost estimates. Standing
Rock was also the successful recipient of an EPA Brownfields
Cleanup Grant used to excavate and haul the contaminated
debris for disposal and recycling, bring in clean fill and reveg-
etate. The building's cement foundation was crushed and will
be reused by the Tribal Roads department. The Tribe plans to
reuse the prime location for new park space and eventually
new teacher housing.
Former "Old Teachers'Quarters" after the completion of cleanup activities.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
September/October 201 I
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REGION 9
GUAM - Guam's Harmon Loop Transition Site, in the
municipality of Dededo, consisted of several acres of
undeveloped land covered with vegetation. After Super
Typhoon Pongsona in December of 2002, the Government of
Guam set up several temporary collection stations, including
the Harmon Loop Transition Site, where residents could
bring white goods, construction debris and green wastes.
Unfortunately, some residents discarded unauthorized wastes
to the transitions sites, causing potential contamination that
needed to be assessed before the properties are redeveloped.
Using Section 128(a) Response Program funding, the Guam
Environmental Protection Agency conducted an environmental
assessment that revealed that all suspected contaminants
were below the residential screening levels, and the property
was cleared for development. The Departments of Parks
and Recreation, along with the Guam Housing and Urban
Renewal Authority, redeveloped the property into a multi-
sports complex and a waterpark. Completion of the baseball
fields, walking/jogging trail with exercise stations and
waterpark concluded with a grand opening on December 1,
2010. Through this joint partnership of Government of Guam
agencies, this redevelopment project created jobs, contributes
tax revenue and promotes fitness and fun activities for the
community.
REGION 10
WASHINGTON -The Washington Department of Ecology
used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to hold its
Brownfields and Land Revitalization Conference on May
12-13, 2011 in Spokane. "Turning Liabilities into Assets in
the Inland Northwest" was the first gathering of its kind
in the Spokane area to focus on brownfields issues. The
conference attracted community and economic development
professionals; consulting firms; and local, state, tribal and
federal government officials. The conference agenda reflected
current areas of interest such as sustainable redevelopment,
renewable energy on contaminated tribal lands and financial
transaction opportunities in challenging economic times.
There were over 200 participants from Washington, Oregon
and Idaho. A highlight of the conference was a tour of Kendall
Yards, a 78-acre, $1 billion development which boast 1,100
residential units and 720,000 square feet of commercial
and retail space, which benefited from a $3.4 million EPA
Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) loan in 2004.The
redeveloped old rail yard is now Spokane's first Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Neighborhood
Development-certified community.
The redeveloped multi-sports complex and a waterpark at the former
Harmon Loop Transition site.
United States
Environmental Protection
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding
September/October 201 I EPA-560-F-1 I -067
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