State and Tribal Response
Program Highlights
SEPA
United States
Environmental Protec
Agency
EPA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities
REGION I
RHODE ISLAND - The newly redeveloped Festival Pier is located
on the Blackstone/Pawtucket River in the City of Pawtucket. From
1922 through 1977, this former brownfield was the location of
a petroleum storage terminal, which was dismantled and later
donated to the City of Pawtucket. The undeveloped pier remained
vacant for decades with a poorly paved parking lot and no
improvements. The Rhode Island Department of Environmental
Management (RIDEM) used Section 128(a) Response Program
funding to conduct assessment and cleanup activities. Releases
of petroleum had resulted in petroleum-related contamination in
the soil and groundwater. RIDEM completed cleanup activities
in spring 2015, which included removing contaminated soil,
capping the entire property to prevent direct exposure to residual
contamination, and planting hybrid poplar trees to remediate
subsurface soils and groundwater. Redevelopment includes a
public recreation area on the riverfront with access for fishing, a
greenway with picnic areas, and a new boat ramp and a canoe/
kayak launch. With these improvements, the community can use
the Festival Pier park for events, including the annual Dragon
Boat Races, and can advance its long-term plan to redevelop the
waterfront and promote economic viability to the area.
Festival Pier Master Plan.
REGION 2
NEW YORK - The Greyston Bakery has produced gourmet
desserts in the City of Yonkers for more than 20 years. The bakery
recently expanded its operations by cleaning up an adjacent
manufactured gas plant near the Hudson River. The New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) used
Section 128(a) Response Program funding to provide assessment
and cleanup activity oversight. Remediation included the design
and installation of a soil vapor extraction system under the building
and the installation of a coal tar recovery system. In addition, the
bakery capped the entire property to prevent contamination of the
groundwater and, ultimately, the Hudson River. To accommodate
this, the bakery designed the mechanical systems and components
to run overhead instead of underground. Following cleanup, the
bakery constructed a new $9 million facility, which more than
tripled the bakery's capacity and allowed the company to expand
its existing 50-person staff. Today, the bakery actively recruits and
hires employees who have had difficulties finding employment in
the past, and uses profits to support the Greyston Foundation's
other community projects. The bakery is a focal point for the
community, located next to the downtown area where most
employees can walk to work or use mass transit.
REGION 3
WEST VIRGINIA-The former Shepherdstown Municipal Dump,
located in Jefferson County, was used as the town dump until
the 1960s, after which it became overgrown with underbrush and
trees. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection
(WVDEP) used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to
provide oversight of assessment and cleanup activities at the
property. Assessments revealed lead, arsenic, and pesticides in
the soil and groundwater. The town removed contaminated soil
in accordance with the soil remediation standards of the WVDEP.
As part of the certificate of successful cleanup completion issued
by WVDEP, institutional controls were put in place to restrict
groundwater use and to maintain non-residential use of the
property. Beginning in 2015, the town started developing the
property into the Shepherdstown Public Library. The new 12,000
square foot library will include a community room to host receptions
and feature local artisans; a second floor dedicated to children's
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
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learning and activities; a reader's garden; and expanded computer
work stations. In addition, the library will contain solar panels on the
rooftop combined with a section of living roof. The modern library
will increase downtown Shepherdstown's walkable area.
Artist rendering of the new Shepherdstown library.
REGION 4
TENNESSEE - The Tennessee Section 128(a) State Response
Program collaborated with the Center for Creative Land Recycling
(CCLR), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region
4, and Memphis BioWorks to host a full-day Brownfields 101
Redevelopment workshop in Memphis. Attendees heard from the
EPA, the Tennessee Section 128(a) State Response Program,
CCLR, private sector environmental consultants and lawyers, and a
successful Brownfields grantee, the City of Knoxville. The attendees
learned about case studies, environmental assessment and
cleanup, All Appropriate Inquiries, legal and regulatory requirements,
liability, and resources at the federal, regional, and state levels.
This workshop was held at no cost to attendees and had 59 people
attending. Memphis BioWorks, an EPA Environmental Workforce
and Job Training Grantee, provided the meeting space near
downtown Memphis.
REGION 5
WISCONSIN -A4.25-acre property near the capital building in
Madison was in industrial and commercial use since the early
1900s. Historically, the property was used for manufacturing leather
products before transitioning in the middle of the century to auto
sales and service, a machine shop and a gas station. The City of
Madison purchased the property in 2011 to remediate and redevelop
this highly visible Gateway property. The Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources (WDNR) used Section 128(a) Response Program
funding to provide oversight of the assessment and cleanup of the
property. Soil analytical results showed that the entire block consisted
of soil and fill materials containing widespread petroleum and metals
contamination associated with industrial use and 16 underground
storage tanks (USTs). The city removed the USTs and contaminated
soil. In June 2013, the city sold the property to a developer to
construct a $65 million, 10-story mixed-use project anchored by a
50,000 square-foot grocery store with a rooftop garden. In 2015,
the city initiated the redevelopment that also includes 175 to 240
residential units - including 45 units for lower-income residents. A
second phase will provide 22 owner-occupied residences and 65,000
square feet of retail and commercial and office space. Construction is
well underway and area residents are eagerly awaiting its completion.
Construction at the Gateway redevebpment project.
REGION 6
NEW MEXICO - In 1950, the Luna Lodge was built in Albuquerque
during the golden age of Route 66 tourism. The 28-room lodge is a
typical motor court style of the time and remains largely unaltered.
The National Register of Historic Places listed the Lodge in 1998.
Luna Lodge was vacant for several years and is in an area that
the City of Albuquerque targeted for revival. The New Mexico
Department of the Environment used Section 128(a) Response
Program funding to conduct an assessment on the property that
revealed no contamination. New Life Homes, a nonprofit agency that
provides permanent housing for clients with special needs and other
disabilities, rehabilitated Luna Lodge into affordable apartment units.
The facility includes a community room and a training kitchen that
serves as a small business incubator and a resource for residents
looking to learn food industry skills. The restoration project, completed
in 2014, preserves the historical significance and Pueblo Revival style
architecture of Luna Lodge. The redeveloped site features a 30-unit
apartment complex that provides affordable housing.
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Fundin
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REGION 7
SANTEE SIOUX TRIBE OF NEBRASKA-The Santee Sioux Tribe
of Nebraska is using the Section 128(a) Response Program funding
to continue the development of their Tribal Response Program.
The tribe is developing an inventory of properties and a public
record, obtaining technical training for staff members, and
conducting outreach and education to engage the community
in environmental and brownfields issues. The tribe developed a
Preliminary Environmental Site Assessment form to assist with
the development of the inventory. The tribe is also in the process
of conducting Phase I assessments on 16 potential brownfield
properties listed on the inventory. To increase public awareness
and public interest, the Santee Sioux Tribal Office of Environmental
Protection (OEP) developed a communications plan, a website
fwww.santeeoep.com). a Santee Sioux OEP Facebook Page
f\Santee Sioux Office of Environmental Protection), and a twitter
account (@SanteeSiouxOEP).
REGION 8
COLORADO - Since April 2014, with assistance of the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment's (CDPHE's) Section
128(a) Response Program funding, Re:Vision International has been
working to acquire and redevelop a former brownfields in southwest
Denver, with the goal of creating the Westwood Food Hub. Re:Vision
is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to "work with
people in marginalized neighborhoods to develop leaders, cultivate
community food systems, and grow resilient local economies." Their
main focus is to "increase the access to healthy food in low-income
neighborhoods by helping residents build a community food system
that increases local food production, distribution, and processing."
CDPHE performed an asbestos and lead-based paint hazard
assessment survey, and installed temporary ground water wells with
soil and groundwater sampling. While CDPHE found asbestos and
lead-based paint building materials, sampling results showed no soil
or groundwater contamination above standards. The redevelopment
of the property into the Westwood Food Hub will create the first
development of its kind in Colorado and includes many public
benefits. The Food Hub will give community members in this low
income, food desert neighborhood access to locally grown, organic
produce at an affordable price. In addition, the food hub will provide
jobs in the neighborhood.
REGION 9
AMERICAN SAMOA- Built in 1963 on government land in the
Village of Utulei, the Rainmaker Hotel was a thriving hotel until
the late 1990s when it eventually went out of business. The two-
story hotel contained 225 rooms along with five bungalows on the
beach. In 2009, the American Samoa Environmental Protection
Agency (AS-EPA) responded to a complaint regarding public
health concerns on the abandoned property. Scattered debris
was found inside and outside the hotel structure, and the outdoor
pool was used as a dumpsite for household trash. AS-EPA used
Section 128(a) Response Program funding to oversee assessment
and cleanup activities. Assessment activities revealed that the
building was contaminated with asbestos. In September 2015,
AS-EPA oversaw the removal and proper disposal of over 30 cubic
yards of asbestos-containing waste material. After the cleanup
was completed, AS-EPA reviewed and approved the demolition
application for the Rainmaker Hotel. The total area of the site is
6.82 acres, which when remediated, will be redeveloped into a
community park, a relocation site for American Samoa's Jean P.
Haydon Museum, and a Samoan Cultural Center.
REGION 10
IDAHO - The owners of a homegrown Idaho company, Einstein's
Oilery, purchased a commercial property in Nampa that had a
historic use as a retail fueling station. The Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality (IDEO) used Section 128(a) Response
Program funding to conduct assessment activities that revealed
extensive petroleum contamination. Einstein's Oilery is implementing
a soils management plan with oversight from IDEQ. The property
requires, excavation in several areas, removal of petroleum-
contaminated soil, and an oil/water/sediment separator for the
stormwater collection system. The company is also integrating a soils
management plan into an environmental covenant that has been
developed for the property. The covenant restricts future land uses to
non-residential and contains an excavation restriction. The company
is still developing final redevelopment plans with assistance from
the community. While it is important to identify environmental issues
prior to acquiring property, this project shows how development can
occur when contamination is discovered, using tools such as an
environmental covenant.
United States
Environmental Protection
CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding
April/May/June 2015 EPA-560-F-15-193
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