RETURN TO USE INITIATIVE 2012 Demonstration Project YELLOW WATER ROAD: Baldwin, Florida THE SITE: The 14-acre Yeliow Water Road Superfund site (the Site) is located in a rural residential and commercial area, one mile south of the City of Baldwin, Florida. Dairy farming took place at the Site until 1981, when commercial land use development began. The owner collected liquids, transformers and other equipment contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (RGBs) on the Site with the intention of removing the PCB-contaminated fluids and salvaging the transformers. The property owner was unable to get a permit to operate a RGB incinerator and plans for RGB fluid removal soon dissolved. During an attempt in 1982 to salvage valuable metals, such as copper, from the transformers, over 150,000 gallons of PCB-contaminated liquids were estimated to have spilled on the property. The spill and continued storage of the contaminated equipment at the Site resulted in soil contamination. EPA ordered responsible parties to perform cleanup activities to address site contamination. Under EPA oversight, the responsible parties excavated impacted soils, treated them and consolidated them in a monolith (a solid structure formed by mixing stabilized contaminants with cement) on a portion of the Site. Responsible parties continue to perform routine maintenance of the monolith area. THE OPPORTUNITY: Sitewide remediation is complete and site zoning supports commercial and industrial use. The Site lies in an excellent location for commercial or industrial land uses, with close proximity to U.S. Interstate 10 and railroad lines. Surrounding properties support extensive warehousing business operations and companies that support the local transportation industry. The Site is well-situated to help grow the existing local economy and could easily accommodate a commercial or industrial park. The City of Baldwin has already expressed its support for this type of reuse. PICTURED: The entrance to Yeliow Welter Road Superfund site, (source: EPA) BARRIER: Lack of communication about appropriate potential reuse at the Site. SOLUTION: Issue information to the public that clarifies appropriate reuse opportunities for the Site. Place a restrictive covenant on the property defining use restrictions needed to protect human health and the environment at the Site. PICTURED: Cleared area on the site property, ready for reuse, (source: EPA) BEFORE: Abandoned salvage yard full of contaminated equipment. AFTER: Fully-remediated property located in an excellent location for industrial or commercial use and available for redevelopment. United States Environmental Protection Superfund Redevelopment Initiative 1—J § m Agency kAgency June 2012 1 ------- BARRIERS: The current owner purchased the property without knowing the full history of the Site. The lack of early communication and ciarity about the Site's Superfund status and appropriate iand uses made it difficult to market to the property to prospective purchasers. THE SOLUTION: In an effort to clarify appropriate land uses and to ensure the long-term future protectiveness of the remedy, the Site owner worked with Duval County, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and EPA to implement detailed zoning requirements for the property. EPA has prepared a draft restrictive covenant, which implements institutional controls at the Site and identifies types of reuses that are not compatible for the Site. The restrictive covenant also outlines the actions that need to be taken to ensure continued protectiveness of the remedy. Three distinct areas are identified in the restrictive covenant. There are no land use restrictions for the largest of the three areas. The remaining two areas contain use restrictions compatible with the Site remedy, including restrictions on the use of the on-site monolith area, which requires prior approval by the EPA and FDEP. While the covenant limits a small area in the northwestern corner of the Site to commercial and industrial land uses, the vast majority of the Site is free from any contamination; therefore, land use restrictions are not required in those areas. The draft restrictive covenant is currently being reviewed by the EPA, the site owner, the potentially responsible parties and FDEP and is anticipated to be signed and recorded in 2012. THE SITE NOW: Portions of the Site are currently being used for cattle grazing. The property owner has begun marketing the property for sale and several companies have already shown interest in the Site. Because the Site is in an easily accessible location and has adequate zoning to allow for a wide range of reuses, sale and reuse of the property is anticipated for the near future. PICTURED: (left and right) Fenced cattle grazing areas on the Site, (source: EPA) FOR MORE INFORMA ION, PLEASE CON AC PeterThorpe, Remedial Project Manager, at thorpe.peter@epa.aov or (404) 562-9688; or Bill Denman, Region 4 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator, at denman.blll@epa.gov or (404) 562-8939. oEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Redevelopment Initiative June 2012 2 ------- |