State and Tribal Response
Program Highlights
EPA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities
REGION I
PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBE - The Passamaquoddy Tribe is using
Section 128(a) Response Program funding to inventory contaminated
properties on its lands. The tribe occupies two separate locations in
Maine, Perry and Princeton, which are commonly referred to as the
Pleasant Point and Indian Township Reservations, respectively. The
tribe is conducting an inventory of properties on the Pleasant Point
Reservation. Through its inventory efforts, the tribe has identified and
begun work on several contaminated properties. An assessment is
currently underway at the former Gates building, a former upholstery
manufacturing building with suspected soil contamination resulting
from previous manufacturing activities. The tribe is also planning to
conduct an assessment on a privately owned junk yard and create an
ordinance that prevents private landowners from operating dumps on
the reservation in the future. The tribe conducted Phase I and Phase
II assessments at a former museum, where a leaking underground
storage tank was identified and contaminated soil was removed
and replaced. Additionally, Phase I and Phase II assessments were
completed on a private property adjacent to the reservation. It is
expected that this property will be the future home of a new tribal
elementary school.
Phase II activities at the Passamaquoddy Public Works Garage property.
REGION 2
NEW JERSEY - The New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection (NJDEP) uses Section 128(a) Response Program funding
to oversee environmental assessments and cleanups of properties.
Working closely with NJDEP, the Town of Princeton assessed
and cleaned up a former brownfield and redeveloped it into a new
public library. NJDEP has worked diligently with cities and towns
to restore this and other properties across the state that were once
contaminated with industrial wastes. Today, the library presents
an opportunity for intellectual and cultural growth, through the
educational opportunities that it provides to the Princeton Borough
and Princeton Township communities.
-__ jgifli-a ;/<*::*
H l ' •>1';Bli,- ;:' ^S
^ h^:;\''- ^ /'
Artist rendition of the new Town of Princeton public library.
REGION 3
VIRGINIA- The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to host the
Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) Outreach Conference on
June 12, 2012 at the DEQ Central Office in Richmond. Over 100
participants were educated on internal and external VRP processes
and procedures to help improve the quality of project submissions
and the timeliness of projects. Program participants and their
representatives were given an internal checklist to increase their
understanding of the technical requirements for a property, which
will help them complete the program as expeditiously as possible.
The DEQ staff also strongly recommended upfront meetings with
program participants at the time that eligibility is established in order
to discuss issues the project may face and to provide a detailed
discussion of the conceptual redevelopment plan. DEQ feels
that more meetings and work sessions will save time in the long
run and eliminate repeated cycles of comments and responses.
The conference also included presentations from successful and
innovative projects, and an overview and process discussion
regarding the steps for risk assessment. The participants provided
positive feedback and the entire program was posted on the VRP
website for future reference.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
May/June 2012
-------
REGION
MISSISSIPPI - The former Gautier Oil Brownfield site was utilized
by the railroad and its lessees since 1870. Past uses include wood
treating (creosote) operations, waste oil recovery. Following a period
of inactivity, in 1985, the railroad removed above-ground structures,
storage and process tanks, drums and piles of sludge, sand filter
beds, and excavated and backfilled the surface impoundment south
of the railroad trestle near the West Pascagoula River. Since that
time, CSX Transportation (CSXT) has been working closely with the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) —a Section
128(a) Response Program grantee—to evaluate environmental
impacts associated with the property and adjacent River and Bayou
Pierre. Affected environmental media include soil, ground water and
near shore sediments of the River and Bayou. The Mississippi DEQ
has provided oversight of the removal and disposal of approximately
16,000 tons of impacted soil and 7,000 tons of sediment; removal,
storage and replanting of 25,000 wetland plants; and the restoration
of approximately three acres of fringe wetlands. To date, CSXT has
spent over $15 million to remediate the property. CSXT is planning
to partner with the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain to
establish a conservation easement on the entire site. It is CSXT's
goal to restore the site to its natural habitat, which will promote
wildlife use. In addition to the conservation easement, CSXT plans to
apply for site certification in 2012 through the Wildlife Habitat Council.
Replanted wetland grasses at the former Gautier Oil Brownfield site.
REGION 5
NOTTAWASEPPI HURON BAND -As part of the Nottawaseppi
Huron Band of the Potawatomi's Brownfields Program, the tribe
is using Section 128(a) Response Program funding to develop
an Environmental Response Program that can help prevent
environmental incidents and appropriately address properties with
pre-existing environmental degradation. The program includes
conducting an inventory of brownfields associated with tribal lands
and Phase I Environmental Site Assessments prior to new land
acquisitions. The tribe is currently developing its soil quality cleanup
standards and the prerequisite Quality Assurance Project Plan
(QAPP), in addition to a hazardous waste management plan. The
tribe also initiated a waste minimization program in connection
with its General Assistance Program funding. An interdepartmental
Recycling Advisory Team initiated multi-stream recycling, composting
and universal waste collection programs, and is working on better
waste minimization outreach and education for the tribal community.
REGION 6
TEXAS - Crestview Station in Austin was a former chemical research
facility that processed components for soaps, foams and glues from
1949 until 2005. The property was identified as a prime location for
a high-density, mixed use project and transit-oriented development.
The property applied to the Texas Voluntary Cleanup Program-
funded by a Section 128(a) Response Program grant—to facilitate
the assessment and cleanup of known and suspected areas where
waste materials were buried. Cleanup consisted of the excavation
and disposal of approximately 20,000 cubic yards of buried waste
products and impacted soils; ground water monitoring; and the
implementation of an institutional control to address a benzene plume
in one small area of the property. The 71-acre Crestview Station
redevelopment project includes over 500 single-family homes, 600
apartments, recreational fields and 150,000-square feet of retail and
office space built around a Capitol Metro rail stop. Property values
have increased significantly and several new jobs were created as a
result of the redevelopment. Crestview Station is a key component
to the city's plan to connect Austin through future expansion of the
public transportation system.
WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA-The Winnebago
Environmental Protection Department (EPD) used Section 128(a)
Response Program funding to develop a newsletter to promote
its programs and introduce its staff and inform the public about
environmental issues. The newsletter contains articles about local
environmental such as Earth Day, spring and fall Cleanup, and
Public and Legal Notices. The newsletter also presents success
stories about site-specific environmental activities. The Winnebago
also used funding to conduct Phase I and Phase II Environmental
Site Assessments at the St. Augustine Water Boiler Plant property
located on the reservation. The cinderblock buildings on the property
were constructed in the early 1950s and the property contained
seven aboveground storage tanks that used sand filtration media
to filter water to tribal entities and heat the buildings. The tribe is
in the process of applying for an EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant
to complete the work on the property. The goal of the project is to
restore the dilapidated property to commercial or residential reuse.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
May/June 2012
-------
REGION 8
COLORADO - The Urban Land Conservancy (ULC) is a nonprofit
organization committed to using real estate as a tool to benefit urban
communities. In much the same way that a land trust preserves
open space for future generations, ULC preserves real estate assets
in urban areas to ensure their continued community benefit. Blake
Street Transportation Oriented Development (TOD), located in
Denver, is one property that was acquired to help accomplish their
mission. The Blake Street TOD property is located directly across
from the Blake Station on the East Corridor Commuter Rail line
running between downtown Denver and Denver International Airport.
The line is under construction with a preliminary opening scheduled
for late 2015. When ULC acquired the site, it had been foreclosed
upon and exhibited significant blight. The Colorado Division of Oil
and Public Safety (OPS) worked with ULC to provide a Targeted
Brownfields Assessment (TBA). The OPS TBAfunding comes from
an interagency agreement funded by the Colorado Department of
Public Health and Environment's Section 128(a) Response Program
grant. Assessment activities included the removal of two petroleum
underground storage tanks and the collection of samples and
evaluation of soil under the tanks. This information was critical in
preparation for site design and engineering parameters in order to
respect environmental health and produce responsible development.
Subsequent to the assessment and tank removal, ULC began the
demolition process and is now conducting design and engineering
planning. Their goal is to return this underutilized, 1.4-acre property
assemblage to a community asset and create a model of healthy
neighborhood growth through the removal of blight and construction
of a mixed use development including affordable, workforce housing
near transit.
TOHONO O'ODHAM NATION - The Tohono O'odham Nation
(Nation) is evaluating renewable energy development for a previously
disturbed mine-scarred area known as the ASARCO Mission Mine
Tailings. Located in the San Xavier District near Tucson, Arizona,
the proposed property is a former brownfield on "disturbed land"
that was degraded in support of mining. The surrounding local area
is currently zoned for active mining; however, the lease with the
Nation expired in 2009. In 2010, the Nation's Brownfields Program
worked with EPA's RE-Powering America's Land Program and with
the Abandoned Mine Lands Team to provide documentation for
"Renewable Energy Development Opportunities, ASARCO Mission Mine
Tailings Area for Planning a Potential Renewable Energy Project on a 280-
Acre Portion of Mine Tailings" and the "Summary of Geotechnical Analysis
Work Performed on ASARCO Mission Mine Tailings Area, San Xavier
District, Tohono O'odham Nation" reports. In January 2012, the Nation
conducted a geotechnical stability assessment to determine the
physical viability of a solar photovoltaic facility on this site; results of
the study are pending. The Nation is using Section 128(a) Response
Program funding to provide oversight of these continuing activities.
Geotechnical stability assessment activities at the Tohono O'odham Nation reservation.
REGION 10
ALASKA- In June 2012, the Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation (ADEC) Reuse and Redevelopment Program and an
EPAAIaska Brownfield Project Manager met with Section 128(a)
Response Program funded tribes. These tribes are managed by the
Kuskokwim River Watershed Council (KRWC) and the Orutsararmiut
Native Council (ONC)—both based in Bethel, a "hub" community
for the region's smaller villages—and the Native Village of Tununak
(Nelson Island Consortium (NIC)). The three programs have some
overlap in the communities they serve and are working to strengthen
their partnership to make their programs more effective in the region.
KRWC serves 56 Alaska Native villages in the Kuskokwim River
watershed, including the seven NIC communities. ONC is in its
first year of Section 128(a) Response Program funding and mainly
covers Bethel. The communities served by the three programs have
many types of environmental concerns in common, including old
fuel-storage tank farms, abandoned school sites and open dumps,
all complicated by increased rates of erosion to rapid changes
in the region's climate. As part of the meeting, the group toured
several potential brownfields in Bethel, presented information on
their programs, and discussed possible resources for brownfields
revitalization and approaches for collaborating on rural community
outreach.
An ADEC Reuse and Redevelopment Program and an EPA Brownfield Project Manager
met with several Section 128(a) funded tribes.
United States
Environmental Protection
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding
May/June 2012 EPA-560-F-12-184
------- |