State and Tribal Response
Program Highlights
IRA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities
REGION I
VERMONT - The City of Montpelier, located in central Vermont,
launched an aggressive redevelopment strategy to improve the
economic vitality of its downtown and riverfront areas. A large
component of the effort was the redevelopment of a large state-
owned derelict rail yard in the heart of downtown along the
Winooski River. Between 1894 and 1973, the property was owned
by various railroad companies. A portion of the property included
a railway turntable, a device for turning locomotives so that they
can be moved back in the direction from which they came. After
construction completed in 1915, the Turntable facility discontinued
operations between 1957. The property also includes a former salt
shed that served as road salt storage until the 1980s. Environmental
assessments overseen by the New Hampshire Department of
Environmental Services determined that the property was filled
with waste from surrounding granite businesses in existence during
the early 20th century. A coal shed, engine house and machine
shop constructed near the turntable may have also contributed to
contamination. Cleanup efforts included excavation and removal
of hazardous materials as well as the installation of indicator fabric
and monitoring wells. Today, the unique Turntable Park celebrates
Montpelier's rail industry heritage by retaining the turntable itself as a
central focus around which salvaged granite blocks are repurposed
as seating. The salt shed was redeveloped into a new office building.
The redevelopment also includes the connection of pedestrian and
bike paths to the downtown from the riverfront. After nearly a century
of industrial use occupying the riverfront, residents are able to gather
to eat, shop, enjoy the riverfront and appreciate the city's heritage.
REGION 2
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS (USVI) - The former Brugal Rum Distillery
property located northeast of downtown Frederiksted on the western
coast of the island of St. Croix has been vacant since 2007. The
11-acre property served as the Brugal Rum Company's distillery and
bottling operation for 25 years. Since its abandonment, bats have
occupied the main distillery building. USVI now owns the building
and conducted a Phase I environmental assessment in 2012. The
results of the Phase I indicate that additional investigation is required
to determine if a release of oil or hazardous materials has occurred
at the properties. In addition, a number of aboveground storage tanks
of unknown contents were observed throughout the property. USVI
is in the process of scheduling a Phase II assessment, developing a
cleanup plan, and is planning to reuse the property as a warehouse
and office space. In addition, USVI plans to use a portion of the
structure to develop a Bat Sanctuary. The redevelopment project
will be funded through a U.S Fish and Wildlife Services grant for the
Island of St. Croix Building project division.
REGION 3
WEST VIRGINIA- In April 2013, West Virginia adopted the West
Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation Act to address the key
risks to brownfields revitalization: uncertainty, delay and liability
risks. The new Act, that came into effect on July 12, 2013, creates
a special purpose nonprofit corporation, the West Virginia Land
Stewardship Corporation, which can give much-needed certainty
to developers of rehabilitated contaminated properties. The
corporation must establish a Voluntary Land Stewardship Program
and a voluntary state-certified sites program, and may establish
a voluntary land bank program. The Voluntary Land Stewardship
Program is a critical innovation that gives developers of rehabilitated
contaminated properties certainty by taking on their long-term liability
risk for a fixed fee. Owners of properties that have been officially
"remediated" under a state or federal environmental program (e.g.,
former brownfields, underground storage tank sites, closed landfills,
hazardous waste sites and mining sites), will be able to pay the Land
Stewardship Corporation to accept their long-term site maintenance
and remediation obligations. The Corporation will assume long-term
duties, such as groundwater monitoring or landfill cap maintenance,
required under an environmental remediation program, while allowing
site owners to retain ownership and development rights.
Turntable Park celebrates Montpelier's rail industry heritage.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
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REGION 4
TENNESSEE - The Greater Memphis Greenline in Shelby County,
a non-profit organization devoted to creating and promoting an
integrated multi-use trail network throughout Memphis, transformed
a 13.3-mile stretch using an EPA Section 104(k) Brownfields
Assessment grant and Section 128(a) Response Program funding.
The hazardous substance Assessment grant, awarded in 2008,
was used to assess a stretch of 100-foot wide abandoned railroad
corridor running from Cordova to Memphis. The area around this
corridor became a dumping ground for household and industrial
debris over the last several decades. The Tennessee Department
of Environmental Conservation then used Section 128(a) Response
Program funding to provide oversight of cleanup activities. The
corridor was redeveloped as a rails-to-trails greenspace for residents
to use for walking, bicycling and other recreational activities.
WISCONSIN - On April 3, 2013, the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources (DNR) Remediation and Redevelopment
(RR) Program hosted a full-day conference in Stevens Point for
environmental consultants on trending topics in brownfields and
important programmatic and technical issues specific to Wisconsin
remediation. Planning for the conference was a considerable
outreach effort by the RR Program and was guided by input
from external environmental consultants as well as internal DNR
staff. Nearly 200 consultants and state employees involved in
environmental remediation attended the event. Topics included:
• Vapor intrusion investigation and outreach
• Methods for determining and evaluating soil cleanup standards
• Quality case closure submittals and the new RR process for
closures
• Cost effective and sustainable remediation practices
• Infiltration and injection
• Arsenic background levels
• Due diligence, acquisition, liability and funding
• Asbestos, lead and PCB management in decommissioning
• Remediation and Redevelopment Program Rules Update
In addition to formal presentations, consultants had a chance to talk
with experts on the various topics presented during the afternoon
"Topic Tables" session. Vapor Intrusion, Meet the Project Managers
and Quality Closure were the three most popular tables. All-day Topic
Tables featuring the RR Program's searchable database, the Bureau
for Remediation and Redevelopment Tracking System (BRRTS), and
calculation of soil cleanup levels using EPA's Web-Calculator were
also available, as were several planned networking breaks.
Attendees at Wisconsin DNR's RR Program Consultants Day conference.
REGION 6
NEW MEXICO - Formerly a motel with a classic tourist motor court
on Route 66, the Luna Lodge is now providing affordable housing.
Luna Lodge was built in 1950 during the golden age of Route 66
tourism. The 28-room lodge was built in the typical motor court style
of the time and is largely unaltered. It was placed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 1998. Luna Lodge has been vacant for
several years and is in an area that has been targeted by the City of
Albuquerque for significant revival. An environmental site assessment
revealed that the building contained asbestos and the New Mexico
Environment Department oversaw the asbestos abatement activities.
New Life Homes, a nonprofit agency that provides permanent
housing for clients with special needs and other disabilities, has
rehabilitated Luna Lodge into a 30-unit apartment complex. The
facility includes a community room and a training kitchen that will
serve as a small business incubator and a resource for residents
looking to learn food industry skills. The restoration project preserves
the historical significance and Pueblo Revival style architecture
of Luna Lodge. In addition, the rehabilitation project achieved
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum
certification for its energy efficiency.
REGION 7
SAC AND FOX TRIBE - The Sac and Fox Tribe is conducting
a comprehensive inventory of contaminated properties on
its reservation and conducting public outreach to encourage
participation in the brownfields process. When first receiving Section
128(a) Response Program funding, the tribe drew upon experience
from the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa in nearby Region 8,
and relied on technical expertise from EPA's Region 7 office. These
partnerships allowed the Sac and Fox Tribe to develop its own
successful program. The Sac and Fox Tribe has also worked with
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
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Kansas State University—which provides technical assistance to
EPA Brownfields Program grant communities—to develop several
outreach fact sheets and other materials. The tribe uses the fact
sheets and other materials for outreach to community members who
play an important role in identifying brownfields. Building partnerships
within the community has encouraged people to share information
about potential properties with the tribe's Environmental Department,
leading to the identification of eight brownfields. Many properties on
the tribe's lands are undeveloped and have become illegal dumping
areas. The brownfields inventory lists property characteristics,
geographic information system information, known or suspected
contamination and the status of investigations. The tribe also signed
a cooperative agreement with the Kansas Department of Health
and Environment to enable coordinated brownfields cleanups on its
reservation.
REGION 8
TURTLE MOUNTAIN BAND OF CHIPPEWA- Located on the
Turtle Mountain Reservation, the 30,000-square-foot Old Tribal
Administration Building suffered from a serious water infiltration
problem that resulted in widespread damage to the drywall
component of the building and a subsequent buildup of mold
conditions. Turtle Mountain used Section 128(a) Response Program
funding to provide oversight of the assessment and cleanup process.
In 2011, a Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) documented
extensive mold contamination, two rooms with abandoned
incompatible chemicals, numerous light ballasts and fluorescent light
fixtures, and abandoned computers and other electronic equipment
wastes. The Turtle Mountain Brownfields Tribal Response Program
received a Brownfields Cleanup grant for remediation of the Old
Administration Building in 2012. The tribe issued a Request for
Proposals (RFP) and solicited bids from qualified consultants to
provide remediation, demolition, recycling and/or disposal services.
All of the bids received came in over the amount of the cleanup grant.
This necessitated significant coordination between the selected
contractor and the various tribal departments involved in the cleanup.
Through maximizing the recycling of building material and negotiating
reduced disposal costs at the tribal transfer station, the project was
successfully completed within the grant budget. Cleanup activities
were concluded in the fall of 2013; confirmation samples will be taken
in the spring of 2014. No institutional controls are required as all of
the contamination was removed; thus creating prime commercial
property that is ready for reuse along a state highway that runs
through the reservation.
REGION 9
NEVADA- Since 2009, the Nevada Brownfields program has
assisted with several environmental assessments with the Truckee
River Flood Project and helped the Flood Project acquire land
adjacent to the river. The Truckee River Flood Project is a joint effort
formed by inter-local agreement among Washoe County and the
Cities of Reno and Sparks and in partnership with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers. The purpose of the Flood Project is to reduce
the impact of flooding in the Truckee Meadows, restore the Truckee
River ecosystem and improve recreational opportunities along the
river. The Nevada Brownfields program conducted assessments
on contiguous parcels in Reno that had previously been occupied
by a variety of commercial tenants, including auto repair shops, a
photo developer, construction companies, machine shops, a granite
counter top manufacturer, a painter and multiple restaurants for
over 30 years. The assessments determined that there were no
significant environmental impacts to the properties and that the
Flood Project could proceed with property acquisition and its planned
restoration activities of the properties without special management
considerations to disturbed soil. All structures were subsequently
demolished leaving only concrete building pads and asphalt paved
parking areas in place pending future redevelopment.
REGION 10
NATIVE VILLAGE OF TAZLINA- The Native Village of Tazlina in
Alaska celebrated a long-sought cleanup of a burned out school
when the EPA completed a Time Critical Removal Action at the Old
Copper Valley School in October 2013. The Native Village of Tazlina
used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to provide oversight
of the assessment and cleanup process. The school, built in 1954,
was operated by the Archdiocese of Anchorage to board students
from remote areas of Alaska; it was closed in 1971. Although the
building was destroyed by fire in 1976, the property was used as
a gathering place by the alumni. In 2009, the Alaska Native Health
Consortium along with the Copper River Native Village Association
identified the property as a priority and requested "Vision-to-Action"
assistance from EPA. In response, EPA coordinated with the Native
Village of Tazlina and the Alaska Department of Environmental
Conservation (ADEC) to conduct an initial assessment, followed
by an EPA Targeted Brownfield Assessment that included an
asbestos survey. EPA's Emergency Removal program worked with
the Archdiocese of Anchorage to successfully remove asbestos
contaminated materials. In addition, the Archdiocese cleaned up the
entire 160-acre site, including removal of non-hazardous materials,
as well as demolition and disposal of all remaining structural debris.
The community, which sees this site as a positive part of local history,
would like to reuse the property for outdoor environmental education
and subsistence activities for the public and the future Native leaders
of Alaska.
United States
Environmental Protection
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding
November/December 2013
EPA-560-F-I4-007
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