SEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Emergency and
Remedial Response
(5201 G)
July 2000
Superfund Redevelopment
Pilots
Tennessee Products
Chattanooga, TN
EPA's Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (SRI) is a nationally coordinated effort to facilitate the return of Superfund
sites to productive use by selecting response actions consistent with anticipated use. The SRI Pilots are intended to
help local governments enhance their involvement in the Superfund decision-making process by assisting EPA in
predicting future land uses for Superfund sites. Under the Pilot Program, EPA will provide up to $100,000 in financial
assistance and/or services to local governments for specified activities. Applicants are offered several types of program
assistance, including funding through a cooperative agreement, access to facilitation services, and/or the availability of
personnel under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA).
BACKGROUND
EPA selected the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a
Superfund Redevelopment Pilot. Alton Park, a low-
income, urban, and industrial area alongside
Chattanooga Creek in south Chattanooga, is home to
the Tennessee Products Superfund site. Since 1917,
coal-tar wastes and process wastewater from coal
processing were dumped and discharged to
Chattanooga Creek. During WWII, the U.S. Government
purchased the Tennessee Products facility and operated
it as part of the war effort. Coal production doubled
during these years of operation. Coal-tar deposits were
found in a one-mile segment of Chattanooga Creek
between Hamill Road and 38th Street. Contaminants in
the creek are mainly polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs), pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),
and metals. The site is separated from the
neighborhood by barbed wire fences and warning signs.
In January 1994, EPA added it to its list of hazardous
waste sites needing cleanup. The City of Chattanooga
has also been granted a Brownfields Pilot.
OBJECTIVES
Chattanooga's goals are to return Chattanooga Creek to
its status as a neighborhood landmark, accessed and
enjoyed by area residents; reverse the decline of Alton
Park to draw people back to the neighborhoods;
increase property values; and find a use for the site
that supports the neighborhood's vision. Pilot funds will
be used to identify recreational use options for the
creek area, and commercial use options forthe plant
area.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Nashville

UjSBS

Tennessee

Products
Applicant Name: Chattanooga, TN
Site Name: Tennessee Products
Date of Selection: July 2000
Anticipated Award: Cooperative Agreement
($100,000)
Profile: The community will identify
recreational reuse options forthe Chattanooga
Creek area and commercial options for the
plant.
Contacts:
Mark Fite
U.S. EPA Region 4
(404) 562-8927
fite.mark@epa.gov
Superfund Hotline:
(800) 424-9346 or
(703) 412-9810 (DC Metro Area)
reuse.info@epa.gov
Visit the EPA Superfund Redevelopment Web site
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/pilot.htm

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