Reuse Success Story
Superfund Site Becomes a
Flying Field for AMA Club
Left to right: A club member flying on part of the FMC Corp. site; members of the Minneapolis Piston Poppers club; a club member observing a fellow aeromodeler
The average passerby would not look twice at an ordi-
nary-looking, vacant field with skeletal soccer goals and
a weed-ridden baseball diamond, especially one on a property
that topped the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)
list of the most contaminated sites in the country. However, a
dedicated group of aeromodelers in Fridley, Minnesota, saw the
vacant field at the cleaned-up FMC Corp. Superfund site as an
opportunity. The Piston Poppers aeromodeling club now flies
model airplanes at the site, a turn of events that represents the
first successful example of EPA's partnership with the Academy
of Model Aeronautics (AMA).
Jeff Wei liver is the only remaining original member of the Min-
neapolis Piston Poppers aeromodeling club, which was founded
in 1960. After the Piston Poppers' agreement with the site owner
of their previous flying field ended in September 2005, the club
was desperate to find a new site. At a club meeting, one member
mentioned the open field on the old FMC Corp. Superfund
site in Fridley. After researching the open field, Mr. Welliver
discovered it was an uncontaminated "buffer area" on part of
a cleaned-up Superfund site that was once contaminated with
industrial solvents.
At the time, the newly-formed partnership between EPA and
AMA was beginning to receive some press, so Mr. Welliver
began working through AMA's organizational structure to
learn more about AMA's partnership with EPA. Eventually,
Mr. Welliver was referred to Joe Beshar, the AMA flying sites
eastern division coordinator. Mr. Beshar provided Mr. Welliver
with an AMA site program information package, which contains
materials that AMA members might find useful when seeking
a new flying field. Mr. Beshar also
put Mr. Welliver in touch with
Tom Bloom, EPA's Superfund
Redevelopment Coordinator the
Great Lakes Region. Mr. Bloom
happened to be a former project
manager for the FMC Corp. site,
so bis familiarity with the site and
key stakeholders helped Mr. Welliver in his quest to use the site
as a flying field.
Fridley,
Minnesota
After hearing Mr, Welliver's pro-
posal, Mr. Bloom made sure that
aeromodeling would be an ac-
ceptable site use and would not
interfere with the remedy that
protects human health and the
environment. Mr. Bloom also got
in touch with the Minnesota Pol-
lution Control Agency to let them
know that a local AMA club was
interested in using the site. Mr.
Bloom knew the site owner from
his prior work at the site, and
talked to him about the Piston
Poppers' interest. The site owner
put Mr. Bloom in touch with Bill
Greger of CDC Inc., a commercial
development firm that was prepar-
ing to purchase the site from BAE
FMC Corp. Site History
•	1941-1964 Naval Ordinance
manufacturing complex
operated on the site.
•	1945-1969 A tract of land
south of the manufacturing
complex was used for burn-
ing and disposing wastes.
•	1981 Site investigation
reveals contamination and
history of waste disposal.
•	1983 Cleanup of the site
began. Site listed on the
National Priorities List.
•	1992 Construction of the
site's remedy completed.
•	2005 The Minneapolis
Piston Poppers Club begins
using a portion of the site as
a flying field.
Reuse Success Story

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Systems Inc. Mr. Greger gave an enthusiastic reception to the
idea of an AMA club using the site, and agreed to begin formal
discussions with Mr. Welliver and the Piston Poppers.
Before discussions began, Mr. Welliver researched local noise
ordinances to mahe sure that any noise generated from model
airplanes would not violate local laws or disturb nearby residents.
Mr. Welliver received help with his research from the local Parks
and Recreation director and the local police chief. As agreed
during their initial conversation, Mr. Welliver sent Mr. Greger
specific information about the Piston Poppers' proposal, includ-
ing details about which part of the site the club proposed to use,
what maintenance services the club would provide in return for
using the site, information about the club, a summary of AMA's
mandatory club member insurance policy, and a copy of the
club's agreement with the owner of their previous flying site.
In April 2006, Mr. Welliver and Mr. Greger met to discuss the
club's proposal and visit the site to examine it first-hand. After
discussing terms, Mr. Greger agreed to let the Piston Poppers
use the site for as long as the open space was available. Mr. Gre-
ger explained that the site would eventually be developed, and
future buyers or tenants might not choose to allow aeromodel-
ing on their portion
of the development.
However, Mr. Greger
said he would inform
future buyers or ten-
ants of the various
benefits of continuing
the agreement with the
Piston Poppers for as long as the field remains undeveloped. In
return for receiving access to the site any day of the week, the
Piston Poppers agreed to keep the field clean and neat, and mow
the grass regularly. The Piston Poppers also provided Mr, Greger
with a Certificate of Insurance that protects the siteowner from
liability and ensures that club members will meet safety standards
when using the flying field.
The partnership between CDC Inc. and the Piston Poppers is
a natural fit for many reasons, the first of which is the types of
planes that the club flies. Unlike the majority of AMA clubs, the
Piston Poppers are a control line flying club. Control line planes
are attached to thin steel cables up to 70 ft, long, which are con-
From left to right: Lynn Leach of CDC Inc., Jeff Welliver, and Bill
Greger on the flying field
nected to a handle that the pilot holds to maneuver the plane
and perform tricks. Control line planes are controlled directly by
the pilot, rather than using remote controls; thus making them
more responsive and less likely to go astray. Control line planes
also require less flying space than remote-controlled planes. Since
the buffer area at the FMC Corp. site is relatively small, it was
perfectly suited for control line planes.
In addition to keeping the site in good condition, Mr. Greger
cites extra benefits of allowing the Piston Poppers to fly planes
on the site, including keeping trespassers off the site and help-
ing to combat Superfund site stigma. Mr. Greger feels strongly
that the Piston Poppers are providing a positive community
service by using the site. On May 17, 2006, the Piston Poppers
cleared debris and old recreational equipment from the site and
established two flying circles so that two pilots could simultane-
ously fly planes. The Piston Poppers have permission to use the
site until January 2, 2007, at which point their agreement will
be re-evaluated. Provided that development has not yet begun
at the site, the club could potentially use the site again for the
next flying season. Until then, members of the Piston Poppers
club can enjoy flying planes in the sky above the FMC Corp.
site during the long Minnesota summer days,
Tom Bloom
BPA Region 5 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator
(312) 886-1967
bloom. thomas@epa,gov
For more Information on the EPA/AMA Partnership go to: http:/ /
www.epa.gov/superfund/ programs/recycle / news / modelair.htm
"I've got a good steward of the land
here."
-Bill Greger of CDC Inc., speaking about
Jeff Welliver and the Minneapolis Piston
Poppers' plan to use part of the FMC
Corp. Superfund site as a flying field for
model airplanes.
Reuse Success Story

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