Renewable Energy Reuse Assessments EPA Region 5 Superfund Redevelopment Initiative


RENE
REU
EPA Region 5 Superfund Redevelopment Intiative
NOVEMBER 2013
RENEWABLE ENERGY ASSESSMENTS
For over 10 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative has been supporting communities
nationwide to return Superfund sites to beneficial uses. As part of this
program, EPA Region 5 has provided resources to evaluate potential for
renewable energy generation at select Superfund sites.
In 2012-201 3, EPA Region 5 sponsored five renewable energy assessments
to support local governments and regulatory agencies in evaluating
renewable energy opportunities. Each of the five assessments was tailored
to the site's context and stakeholder reuse goals and integrated the
renewable energy assessment services listed to the right.
This briefing document provides a brief summary of the following
renewable energy reuse assessments.
Resource Availability Screening
Former GM Lansing Plants
Lansing, Ml
On-Site Renewable Energy Use
Ott/Story/Cordova Chemical Co. Site
Muskegon County, Ml
Prairie View Landfill / Joliet Army Ammunitions Plant
Will County, IL
Utility-Scale Solar
Butterworth Landfill
Grand Rapids, Ml
Yeoman Creek Landfill
Waukegan, IL
TION
For additional information regarding Region 5
Renewable Energy Assessments, contact:
Tom Bloom, EPA Region 5, Reuse Coordinator
3 12-886-1967 / bloom.thomas@epa.gov
Region 5 2013
Renewable Energy Assessments
RENEWABLE ENERGY
ASSESSMENT SERVICES
Resource Screening
Through review of resource availability data
provided by the U.S. Department of Energy and
the National Renewable Energy Laboratory,
resource screenings can be accomplished with
a low level of effort and enable stakeholders to
quickly identify the renewable energy sources
best suited to a particular site. Typical resource
screenings include evaluations of solar, wind and
biomass resources.
Site Suitability Analysis
Mapping and analysis of a site's physical features,
existing or planned remedial components,
ownership, infrastructure and surrounding land
use considerations provides a next level of
anaiysis.The site suitability analysis integrates
site remedy compatibility and renewable energy
technology considerations into reuse suitability
maps to assist site owners, responsible parties
and regulatory agencies reach agreement on
portions of a site that may be suitable for on-
site renewable energy generation. Additional
suitability analysis outcomes include: site-specific
remedy compatibility considerations, potential
facility size options and high level capital and
periodic cost estimates.
Preliminary Financial
Assessment
Preliminary comparative financial assessments
provide financial payback approximations that can
help site owners and municipalities understand
the financial benefits and limitations for a range
of renewable energy project ownership and
development scenarios tailored to stakeholder
goals and site suitability.

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Resource Availabi lity Screening
FORMER LANSING PLANTS - Lansing and Lansing Township, Ml
During 20 i 2-201 3, EPA Region 5 sponsored a reuse framework
for the former General Motors Plants 2, 3 and 6 located in Lansing
Township and the City of Lansing, Michigan. Since the closure of
the three plants in 2006, the City of Lansing (Plant 6) and Lansing
Township (Plants 2 and 3) have conducted independent planning
efforts for the former GM plants that outline goals for green
industry and mixed-use development.
The EPA-funded reuse planning effort provided an opportunity
to bring together municipalities, the RACER Trust and regulatory
agencies, integrate planning goals into a unified redevelopment
framework and conduct a renewable energy screening to help align
cleanup and future use planning.
•	The site suitability and future land use framework provide a
mixed-use redevelopment concept to accommodate multiple
stakeholder goals and development types.
•	Site infrastructure and available land could support a biomass
processing and packaging facility as part of a green technology
park.
•	Site offers potential to integrate small-scale solar or wind
facilities for on-site use.
The GM Lansing plants reuse framework demonstrates how a
resource availability screening can be integrated into a broader
reuse planning effort to help align sustainable energy opportunities
with site redevelopment.
SIZE:
240 acres
ASSESSMENT TYPE:
Resource availability screening
RESOURCES EVALUATED:
Biomass, solar and wind.
OUTCOMES:
The future land use framework provides a mixed-
use redevelopment concept that could potentially
accommodate a biomass processing and packaging
facility as part of a green technology park and
opportunities to integrate small-scale solar or wind
facilities for on-site use.
Assessment Findings
BIOMASS: The greater Lansing
area has average availability of
biomass feedstocks compared to other
areas of the state.
SOLAR: Michigan and the greater
Lansing area have relatively good
solar energy resources as measured
by irradiance level (4kWh/m2/day).
Irradiance levels of 6kWhlm2lday and
higher are considered excellent.
WIND: The wind resource available within
the greater Lansing area falls within the Class
I to 2 category, which suggests a poor to fair
wind resource relative to other areas of the
state. Classes 3 to 7 are considered suitable
for utility-scale wind power development.
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EPA Region 5 Renewable Energy Assessments

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On-Site Renewable Energy Use
OTT/STORY/CORDOVA CHEMICAL CO. SITE - Muskegon County, Ml
At the Ott/Story/Cordova Chemical Co. Superfund Site (site)
in Dalton Township, Michigan, EPA and Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality have completed cleanup to address soil
and sediment contamination, and ground water remediation is
underway.
The renewable energy assessment evaluated remedy compatibility
and the potential financial impact of on-site renewable energy use
to offset electric and thermal energy demand for the site's Ground
Water Treatment Plant. (GWTP).
Assessment Findings
' Suitability analysis identified areas suitable for reuse based on
remedy components, institutional controls and County reuse
goals.
•	20 acres adjacent to the GWTP could potentially support on-
site renewable energy facilities.
•	On-site solar or wind could potentially off-set more than 30
percent, of the GWTP electricity usage with wind or solar PV
systems ranging from 1 -1.9 MW.
•	A geothermal heat pump installed at the GWTP utilizing
treated ground water could help off-set thermal heating and
cooling demand for the facility's buildings.
PRAIRIE VIEW LANDFILL / JOLIET ARMY AMMUNITIONS PLANT - Will County, IL
The Prairie View Landfill is an active non-hazardous waste landfill
located on a portion of the former Joliet Army Ammunitions Plant
site owned by Will County, IL. Waste Management operates the
landfill and a 4.8 MW gas-to-energy plant at the site.The Prairie
View Landfill renewable energy assessment prioritized solar as the
most viable renewable energy resource at the site and evaluated
the landfill's compatibility and financial considerations for a set of
pilot innovation projects to advance hybrid gas-to-energy and solar
PV generation at the site.
Assessment Findings
•	Suitability analysis identified areas suitable for solar PV based
on landfill phasing, remedy components and reuse goals.
•	Areas outside of the future landfill footprint could potentially
accommodate a 2 MW utility-scale solar PV system.
•	Pilot demonstration project could utilize mobile solar
PV arrays on the surface of closed landfill cells to test
compatibility and feasibility of integrating active landfill
operations, gas-to-energy and solar PV systems.
•	Small-scale rooftop solar PV system could provide electricity
to landfill office or maintenance buildings
SIZE:
220 acres
ASSESSMENTTYPE:
Resource availability screening
Site Suitability Analysis
Financial Analysis
RESOURCES EVALUATED:
Solar, wind and geothermal.
OUTCOMES:
EPA and MDEQ will continue technical and
financial feasibility evaluations and are considering
government-owned and public-private partnership
development scenarios to locate the appropriate
renewable energy technologies at the site.
SIZE:
222 acres
ASSESSMENTTYPE:
Resource availability screening
Site Suitability Analysis
Financial Analysis
RESOURCES EVALUATED:
Solar and wind.
OUTCOMES:
Will County and Waste Management are working in
coordination with the Joliet Arsenal Development
Authority to prioritize short and long-term solar
projects for the site.

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Utility-Scale Solar PV
BUTTERWORTH LANDFILL - Grand Rapids, MI
The City of Grand Rapids has set a target to source 30 percent
of municipal electricity demands from renewable energy sources
(hydro, wind and solar) by 201 3 and 100 percent by 2020. At the
Butterworth Landfill site, 140 acres of City-owned land offers
the potential for utility-scale solar generation to offset municipal
electricity demands.The solar reuse assessment evaluated I) site
suitability for solar PV based on remedy components, grades,
ownership and infrastructure; 2) identified the benefits and
limitations of seven potential solar project ownership options; and
3) provided a comparative analysis of financial impacts for three
solar project ownership scenarios prioritized by the City.
Assessment Findings
•	Suitability analysis evaluated potential for solar PV based on
ownership, reuse goals, remedy components and site features.
•	38 acres suitable for solar PV with potential to support 5-10
MW solar PV system as part of a mixed-use renewable energy/
recreational reuse approach.
•	Potential direct-use solar PV system to supply electricity to a
nearby City-owned waste water treatment plant.
•	Opportunity to partner with local utility and third party
developers to locate utlity-scale solar PV at the site.
SIZE:
190 acres
ASSESSMENTTYPE:
Site Suitability Analysis
Financial Analysis
RESOURCES EVALUATED:
Solar
OUTCOMES:
The City intends to build on this renewable energy
assessment through briefings with key decision
makers, soliciting proposals from solar developers
and refining project design and feasibility analysis.
YEOMAN CREEK LANDFILL -Waukegan, IIIIIL
At the Yeoman Creek Landfill Site, the site owner, City of
Waukegan School District, and the site's responsible parties are
evaluating the site's utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) generation
potential.
The solar reuse assessment I) evaluated site suitability for solar
PV; 2) identified the benefits and limitations of seven potential
solar project ownership scenarios; and 3) provided a comparative
analysis of financial impacts for three different ownership scenarios
prioritized by the City ofWaukegan School District.
Assessment Findings
•	Suitability analysis identified remedy compatibility
considerations to help prioritize site suitability and phasing
options for advancing solar PV across different landfill units.
•	45 acres suitable for solar PV.
•	Potential to support 6 MW solar PV system in two phases of
renewable energy development.
•	Financial assessment assisted local government in prioritizing a
land lease arrangement as the most viable way to host a solar
PV project at the site.
SIZE:
72 acres
ASSESSMENTTYPE:
Site Suitability Analysis
Financial Analysis
RESOURCES EVALUATED:
Solar
OUTCOMES:
Building on the solar reuse assessment, the City of
Waukegan School District plans to solicit proposals
from solar renewable energy developers.
Developed by Skeo Solutions

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