State and Tribal Response
Program Highlights
EPA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities
REGION I
NEW HAMSPHIRE - In August 2011, the New Hampshire
Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) used
Section 128(a) Response Program funding to complete
Phase I and Phase II environmental assessments at the
Richelson Building in Plymouth on behalf of the Grafton
County Economic Development Council (Council). The
assessment efforts allow the Council to receive U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
funding to purchase the property. The Council and the
University of New Hampshire at Plymouth Business School
will renovate the building to operate a small business
resource center.
In addition, using Section 128(a) Response Program funding,
NHDES completed assessment work and historical resources
assessment work at the Kemp Property in Hillsborough in
August 2011. The property marks the site of the inauguration
of President Franklin Pierce and includes the historic fire
pit. The Town of Hillsborough acquired the property for
the extension of a waterfront park. Park development
includes the town demolition of a two-story dwelling and the
preservation of a waterfront cider mill, an historic cottage,
and the inauguration fire pit structure.
REGION 2
NEW JERSEY - In the Town of Kearny, a new park in
the Elm Street neighborhood serves as an asset to its
community as a result of the assessment and cleanup
of an abandoned tool and dye shop. The New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection used Section 128(a)
Response Program
funding to oversee the
assessment and cleanup
of the property. The
transformation of this
property was completed =.
through an open process
that engaged various
stakeholders and
required teamwork to
address technical issues
and to obtain resources
to see this project to a
successful completion.
The new park in the Elm Street neighborhood of Kearny, NJ.
REGION 3
MARYLAND - The Maryland Department of the Environment
(MDE) used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to
conduct land use control (LUC) inspections of 107 completed
Voluntary Cleanup Program properties. The inspections
included site visits and a review of the land records using
the Maryland State Archives' website (MDLandrec.net). The
inspections identified two properties where follow-up was
needed and land owners provided MDE with documentation
demonstrating that they complied with the LUC requirements.
KENTUCKY-The Kentucky Brownfields Redevelopment
Program utilized Section 128(a) Response Program funding
to facilitate free visioning sessions for towns that received, or
are interested in applying for, EPA Brownfields grants. This
unique opportunity is based on the "Vision-to-Action" approach
developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The model
allows for the attendees to sketch their individual visions for the
future of their neighborhoods. Stock sketches of community
activities, people and places including park scenes, farmers'
markets and other outdoor activities are presented, which
then allows participants to attach their own visions to posters,
surrounding their pictures with small vignettes of other related,
sketched visions. A landscape architect participates in these
sessions to create a preliminary sketch for the community to
approve using the visions.
An architectural rendering from the "Vision-to-Action" session.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
November/December 201 I
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REGION
MINNESOTA-The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
(MPCA) Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup (VIC) Program
under their Section 128(a) Response Program grant
performed a Phase I environmental assessment (2004) and
a Phase II environmental assessment (2007) on the Tracy
Lead Battery Site. The property consists of three parcels -
361 South 4th Street, 380 South 4th Street, and the former
Central Livestock yard in Tracy. The Phase II environmental
assessment revealed several risks to human health and the
environment, including exposed battery casing chips and high
concentrations of lead in the soil. MPCA requested cleanup
assistance from Region 5 in the form of a time-critical removal
action. In April 2008, EPA removed the lead-impacted soils. A
total of 20,187 tons of lead-impacted soil were excavated and
disposed off-site, and a total of 12,560 cubic yards of clean fill
was backfilled into the excavations. The property was restored
by replacing the excavated areas with grass and trees, as well
as concrete and asphalt areas including sidewalks. While no
additional redevelopment has occurred on the three properties,
there is also no further immediate risk to human health and the
environment.
REGION 6
OKLAHOMA-The Oklahoma Corporation Commission
through their shared use of the Section 128(a) Response
Program grant funding with Oklahoma Department of the
Environment addressed contamination on a 1.5-acre former
steel manufacturing facility. The property also served as
storage for horse carriages and equipment. The funding was
used to remove contaminated soil left by abandoned oil wells
and underground storage tanks. Additional activity at the
property included breaking down the old building and recycling
the materials. In September 2011, Fire Station 6 opened on the
property. The station is the Oklahoma City's first Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified building.
Features of the station include individual sleeping quarters,
an advanced alerting system designed to reduce firefighter's
response time, a decontamination area, a built-in sprinkler
system, and a countdown timer between each rig room door.
Energy saving features include: salvaged brick pavers in the
foyer; a hydronic heating system in the rig room; a roof that
reflects heat rather than absorbs it; and energy and water
saving features that could save the city $30,000 over the next
20 years. The building used $2.9 million from the 2000 General
Obligation Bond Issue and Capital Use Project Taxes. The
station primarily serves all of downtown, Bricktown, the Capitol
Complex, Deep Deuce, the Medical Business District, and the
Oklahoma River.
REGION 7
KANSAS - To support the expansion of the Hunter Health
Clinic, a network of community health centers providing
medical, dental and mental health services to medically
underserved patients in Wichita, the Kansas Department of
Health and the Environment (KDHE) used Section 128(a)
Response Program funding to conduct Phase I and Phase
II environmental assessments on an adjacent property. The
property, located near the Hunter Health Clinic, was a former
filling station and dry cleaners. Site assessments indicated
high levels of dry cleaning solvents in the ground water. KDHE
informed the Clinic of potential for vapor intrusion issues in
order to modify the building development plans. The property
was enrolled in the Kansas Dry Cleaning Program and is
scheduled for cleanup.
REGION 8
UTAH - In Murray, a new $80 million transit oriented
development gave new use to 20 acres of former industrial
property. The former Simpson Steel property was assessed
and cleaned up under the Utah Department of Environmental
Quality's Voluntary Cleanup Program, a Section 128(a)
Response Program funding grantee. In 2008, property
sampling identified several areas of metals and petroleum
impacted soils, as well as slag material and sediments in Big
Cottonwood Creek, which also contained elevated metals. In
2009, the property owner removed all impacted materials that
exceeded site-specific cleanup levels. The redevelopment
project was initiated in 2011 with the construction of a new
overpass for site access and 400 apartments within 15
buildings. This first phase is expected to be completed in spring
2012 and will be followed by the construction of 268 low-income
units as well as retail, restaurant and office space—all of which
will be less than a five minute walk to a light rail station.
Mist rendering of the southern end of the completed redevebpment project.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
November/December 201 I
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REGION 9
ARIZONA - The Arizona Department of Environmental
Quality (AZDEQ) is working with the City of Winslow and
the owner of a former wood treatment facility to support
redevelopment of the property. In May 2010, AZDEQ under
their Section 128(a) Response Program grant conducted
Phase I and Phase II environmental assessment on behalf
of the City of Winslow. The assessment identified levels of
arsenic above Arizona's soil remediation levels. The City of
Winslow intends to work with the current landowner to clean
up and redevelop the three-acre property as a vocational
training facility specializing in welding. The redeveloped
property will provide vital job training to the citizens of
Winslow.
REGION 10
JAMESTOWN S'KLALLAM TRIBE - The Jamestown S'Klallam
Tribe as a Section 128(a) Tribal Response Program grantee
increased the tribal program's capacity to identify, investigate,
inventory and prioritize potentially contaminated properties.
Specific activities conducted by the tribe's Brownfields
Program include the review, coordination and oversight of
projects. This support may include gathering information,
conducting community engagement activities, and increasing
environmental education. Additionally, the tribe's Natural
Resources Program staff conducts inspections of tribal
properties where there is known or suspected environmental
contamination. Common contaminants include a site release
or unexplained stains on the ground, asbestos or lead in
buildings, containers of unknown substances, or chemical
odors. One property inspection included a trailer on Blackstone
properties near the River Center, where site environmental
contamination will be addressed and the trailer demolished.
The property will be available for use as part of the Dungeness
River Audubon Center's environmental education program.
United States
Environmental Protection
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding
November/December 201 I
EPA-560-F-I2-OOI
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