Return to Use Initiative
2004 Demonstration Project
Arlington Blending & Packaging:
Arlington,TN
THE SITE: The 2.3-acre Arlington Blending & Packaging site in
the town of Arlington, Tennessee was once home to a pesticide
formulation and packaging facility. During its seven-year operation,
pesticide spills and leaks at the facility gradually led to soil, sediment,
and ground water contamination. In 1996, cleanup activities included
excavation, stockpiling,treatment, and backfilling of over 41,000 tons of
contaminated soil over most of the site;today the site is revegetated and
ready for recreational use. Use of ground water is prohibited by Shelby
County well rules and regulations; however, ground water monitoring
continues to ensure that any lingering contaminants in the ground
water do not pose a threat to human health and the environment.
THE OPPORTUNITY: Though the site is cleaned up, the Arlington
Blending & Packaging site has been vacant for many years since cleanup
activities concluded. For years, neighbors and passersby have been
barred entrance to the site—the open space has been idle in an area
where a neighborhood park would be welcomed and appreciated.
THE BARRIER: As part of the Return to Use Initiative, EPA worked with
local stakeholders to determine what was preventing the site from
returning to use. Together,they determined that the stigma associated
with the property as a Superfund site was the site's primary barrier to
reuse.
Barriers:
Superfund site stigma; liability
concerns
Solution:
EPA issued a comfort letter to
address liability issues and an RfR
Determination to address stigma
THE SOLUTION: In order to combat the negative associations with
the site's Superfund history, EPA worked with local stakeholders to
create documents that will inform the Arlington community of the
site's status. In July 2004, EPA issued a Comfort Letter to the Town of
Arlington, detailing the liability statutes that will protect the Town's
interests when it takes ownership of the property because of unpaid
back taxes. To further reassure Arlington residents of the site's safety,
EPA has declared the site ready for recreational use in a Ready for Reuse
(RfR) Determination. This RfR Determination, the first in Region 4, was
signed on October 16,2004.
THE PARK: EPA Region 4 has agreed to work with the Town of
Arlington as town officials develop remedy-friendly schematics for a
Before:
Cleaned up pesticide facility; 2.3-
acre vacant grass field
After:
Neighborhood park that is acces-
sible to all Arlington residents
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
updated. December 2005

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neighborhood park for the 2.3-acre site. This park, accessible to all residents of the surrounding residential
communities, will include a playground, field space, walking and biking trails, exercise stations, and a half-
court basketball court. EPA participation in the park planning process will ensure that construction activities
to install playground equipment and other features will not affect the site's remedy in any way. On February
25,2005, Helena Chemical Company donated an adjacent 0.6-acre parcel to the Town of Arlington, increasing
the size of the future park by 30 percent.The Town of Arlington now has a clear title to the land, and has also
secured a $300,000 community development block grant to fund construction of the park at the site. In a few
short months, the collaborative efforts of EPA and the Arlington community will come to fruition and the park
will be open for all Arlington residents to enjoy.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Bill Denman, Region 4 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator at
404.562.8939 or denman.bill@epa.gov.
Schematic remedy-friendly
design developed for the
future Mary Alice Park
MARY ALICE PARK
Conceptual Design
October 2004 - Ea Inc.
1 I Monitoring Woll (II
E! Monitoring Wall (atwve ground • existing)
Shrub +
Perennial
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
updated December 2005

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