Reuse and the Benefit to Community
Vertac, Inc. Superfund Site
Executive Summary
In Jacksonville, Arkansas, the community and
EPA have come together in a remarkable
partnership that has led to the cleanup and
successful reuse of the Vertac, Inc. Superfund
site. Working together, parties developed a
remedy that protected human health and the
environment and enabled the reuse of this
former chemical manufacturing facility. The
City of Jacksonville recognized that the 193-
acre site could provide space to address
multiple local government priorities, including
the need for a new recycling center, a fire
department training facility, a driver training
pad, a police firing range, new space for the
Jacksonville Street Department, a recycling
education park, a picnic area, and a police
station. EPA worked with the community to
ensure the compatibility of the site's remedy
with these land uses.
Today, following the site's cleanup, most of these land uses are in place and construction is now underway for a
new police and fire training center, City of Jacksonville Police Department facilities and a public safety building.
This case study explores the site's cleanup and reuse, illustrating the opportunities, benefits and impacts of
Superfund redevelopment in action.
Positive Impacts
•	The city's new recycling center serves 10,000 residents and is the area's only such facility. In total,
1.5 million pounds of materials are recycled each year. By diverting these materials from a landfill,
the recycling center saves the city an estimated $50,000 annually. The center currently employs 20
people, providing annual employment income of about $760,000.
•	The city's new Street Department facility also currently employs 20 people, providing annual
employment income of about $1 million.
•	Local police officers and agents from surrounding jurisdictions use the site's 2-acre firing range for
training.
•	New fire and police training facilities will help improve the city's International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) rating, yielding lower insurance rates for the community. Three classrooms
will provide training opportunities for the city's 64 full-time firefighters and 79 police officers and
services for surrounding jurisdictions.
Figure 1: Jacksonville's Recycling Education Park pavilion
at the Vertac, Inc. Superfund site
• The new community safety room will be able to shelter 594 local residents in the event of severe
weather.

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Introduction
Superfund site remediation results in restored value to site properties and surrounding communities. Once a site
property is ready for reuse, it can revitalize a local economy with jobs, new businesses, tax revenues and local
spending. This case study captures the on-site and community impacts of new development at the Vertac, inc.
Superfund site.
The site is located in central Jacksonville in Pulaski County, Arkansas, about 15 miles northeast of Little Rock.
Residential areas border the site to the south and east. An industrial area is located west of the site. Little Rock
Air Force Base borders the site to the north. According to 2010 Census data, Jacksonville has a population of
28,364.
"
Figure 2: The site's location in Jacksonville, Pulaski County, Arkansas
Site History
The federal government built the first industrial facilities at the site during the 1930s and 1940s as part of a
sprawling munitions complex. Over the next four decades, various chemical manufacturing facilities produced
insecticides and herbicides on site. Vertac, Inc. operated its facilities until January 1987, when the company
became insolvent and abandoned site operations. Decades of improper waste disposal and production control
practices led to widespread contamination at the site.1
Site investigations found that exposure to drummed wastes, contaminated buildings and utilities, and affected
soil, ground water, surface water and sediments posed unacceptable human health risks. Primary contaminants
of concern included dioxin-related wastes, chlorinated benzenes, phenols and other herbicide production
wastes.
The site consists of two parcels of land, Parcel 1 and Parcel 2. Parcel 1 is about 93 acres in size. It is located on
the southern part of the site. Parcel 1 was the location of the central processing area; prior to cleanup, it had
been in use nearly continuously since 1948. Parcel 1 includes a ground water treatment system and a hazardous
waste landfill and sedimentation vault, which contain contaminated materials from the site's cleanup. Fences
and locked gates currently restrict access to the area. Parcel 2 is about 100 acres in size and is located on the
1 For more information on the site's history, please see the site's 2008 Five-Year Review Report, available online at;
http://www.epa.gov/region6/6sf/arkansas/vertac/ar vertac 3rd-5vr review.pdf.
Jacksonville,
Arkansas
Jacksonville
^Vertac, Inc.
^Superfund Site
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northern part of the site. Vertac, Inc. purchased Parcel 2 in 1978. Although herbicide formulation operations
were never located on Parcel 2, improper storage and disposal of waste and materials contaminated the area.
Today, Parcel 2 hosts the site's reuses. EPA listed the site on the Superfund program's National Priorities List in
September 1983.
Property Cleanup and Transformation
Cleanup activities at the site began in June 1984. In the
early stages of cleanup, the City of Jacksonville identified
that reusing Parcel 2 provided a unique opportunity to
expand their recycling department. In 2002, the city used
pilot funding from EPA's Superfund Redevelopment
Initiative to evaluate potential reuse options for the site
and then reported its findings to EPA. The Agency
considered the city's findings during the selection and
design of the site's remedy.
The remedy chosen by EPA enabled the site's cleanup.
Cleanup activities included the demolition of on-site
buildings and equipment, the consolidation and disposal
of waste and debris in an on-site hazardous waste landfill,
and the excavation and disposal of approximately 20,000
cubic yards of dioxin-contaminated soils. Ground water
cleanup and treatment actions included putting in
extraction wells to control the movement of
contaminated ground water and deed restrictions to
prohibit drilling of water supply wells.
As part of the site's cleanup, EPA built several drum
storage sheds and other structures. Following the use of
these structures during cleanup, EPA determined in
August 1998 that they were safe for public use and
officially released them for reuse. Shortly thereafter, the
City of Jacksonville acquired Parcel 2 and began using
several of the structures to house the local government's
recycling center and the Street Department. The
structures provided the city with ready-made cover for
department equipment and vehicles, protecting them
from the elements and ultimately extending the usable
life of the equipment. The city indicated that building
new structures similar to those already on site would
have been cost prohibitive. As Former Jacksonville Mayor
Tommy Swaim stated, it also "seemed fitting to use a
Superfund site as the city's new place to recycle."
i Driving Pad I Burn Tower
Street Dept Building
Police Firing Range
1 Public Safety
Building
*
i?
Recycling
__ 		Eduction
City Storage Drive-Through Pari< .
Recycling
Center
HilIRd
- jp.
Figure 3: Map highlighting site reuses
Throughout the site's cleanup, EPA staff met regularly
with state and city officials to share information and to
Figure 4: Drive-through recycling center and storage sheds
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incorporate reuse ideas into the Superfund process. EPA also held public information sessions to update the
community on site activities. The EPA-led meetings served as forums for sharing community questions, concerns
and priorities about the site's cleanup and reuse. The open communication of the forums and transparent
information sharing built community trust and strengthened working relationships. As the site's cleanup
progressed, community support for its reuse grew as well. Today, site reuses are widely valued community
assets.
Site surface cleanup activities are now complete and the threats posed by dioxin-contaminated media have
been successfully eliminated. Ground water extraction and treatment is ongoing, with routine site maintenance
performed to ensure the continued effectiveness of the site's remedy. By integrating reuse considerations as
part of the site's cleanup, EPA and the community were able to protect human health and the environment and
support the site's successful redevelopment.
Local Impacts
Drive-Through Recycling Center
The city's drive-through recycling center is located in structures
initially built by EPA for use as a drum storage area. The center
accepts paper, cardboard, paper and plastic bags, aluminum cans,
and plastic bottles for recycling. Its "Green Station" recycles used
oil, gasoline, anti-freeze and compact fluorescent lights. The
center also hosts electronics recycling for computers, copiers,
printers, televisions, VCRs, phones, microwaves and ovens.
Facilities for tire disposal and construction and demolition debris
drop-off are also provided.
The new center serves 10,000 residents and is the area's only
recycling center. The city moved its operations onto the site in
2001, providing much-needed new facilities in an easily accessible
location. In total, 1.5 million pounds of materials are recycled
each year. In addition to providing local residents and
surrounding communities with the opportunity to recycle, the city
saves an estimated $50,000 each year in landfill tipping fees.
The new center currently employs 20 people, providing annual
employment income of approximately $760,000. Jacksonville
Public Works Director Jimmy Oakley stated that "none of this (the
new center) would have been possible without the ability to reuse
the site. The cost for the city to purchase the 40 acres needed for
the project elsewhere, and with such infrastructure already in
place, would have been cost prohibitive."
"Where others saw a contaminated
property, we saw an opportunity to
expand our recycling department
Former Jacksonville
Mayor Tommy Swaim
Figure 5: The drive-through recycling center
Figure 6: The recycling drop-off area
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Recycling Education Park
The site's reuse has transformed the area between the
recycling center and Marshall Road into Jacksonville's
Recycling Education Park. Trees, flowers and grass serve as the
backdrop to an interactive recycling exhibit. A path leads
visitors through the green space and past information displays
that illustrate different methods of recycling and recyclable
materials. School field trips from local and surrounding areas
often tour the park.
Colorful sculptures fashioned from recycled materials decorate
the park. The city formed a partnership with the Keep America
Beautiful organization that included several grants to help the
city purchase some of the recycled artwork. The city also
installed charcoal grills and picnic tables in a new pavilion. In
addition, the area includes a new disk golf recreation area.
Jacksonville City Street Department
Another structure built by EPA during the site's cleanup is now
home to Jacksonville's Street Department. The facility provides
office space, supply storage areas, a kitchen, a central meeting
space, a sign-making room, a traffic signal testing area and a
large covered parking area for department vehicles and
equipment. The new facility currently employs 20 individuals,
providing annual employment income of approximately $1
million.
Police Firing Range
Vacant land along the western edge of the site is now a 2-acre
firing range for the Jacksonville Police Department. The range
is divided into two sections. The marksmanship section is
equipped with stationary targets. The adjacent section is
equipped with moving targets and props for officers'
participation in active simulations. A climate-controlled
observation room where targets can be automatically
controlled and reset overlooks both sections. The range offers
cutting-edge training opportunities for the city's force of 79
sworn police officers, 19 civilian personnel and 10 auxiliary
officers, as well as officers and agents from surrounding
jurisdictions.
Figure 8: Street Department storage shed
Figure 10: Firing range

Figure 7: The interactive recycling education park
Figure 9: Firing range controi room
"It (the range) is great. It is so far advanced from what
we're used to. It's something our officers have that they can
be proud of for years to come."
Captain Kenny Boyd, Police Patrol Division
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Burn Tower
The city's new 3,004-square-foot burn tower stands four
stories tall above the site. The city's fire and police
departments as well as departments from surrounding
jurisdictions use it for training and demonstration purposes.
The tower helps train firefighters using simulations that closely
resemble actual firefighting situations. Training simulation
settings include apartment buildings, shopping centers and
single-family homes. The police department also uses the
tower to practice advanced SWAT team maneuvers such as
rappelling. Prior to its construction, the nearest fire training
facility was located over two hours away in Camden, Arkansas.
The proximity of the tower saves localities both money and
time. The tower's construction, in conjunction with improved
water services/records and the construction of the new fire
and police training facility, also helped the city move from a
Level 3 ISO rating to a level 2 ISO rating. The rating change
translates into a 3 to 4 percent reduction in insurance rates for
property owners in the community.
The community benefits of the new burn tower are twofold.
Jacksonville firefighters and police officers can now train in
realistic, real-time simulations. Community members benefit
from highly trained emergency responders and lower insurance
rates available because of the improved ISO rating.
Figure 12: City fire department vehicle
Figure 11; Burn tower
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) collects information on municipal fire
protection efforts in communities throughout the United States. In each community, ISO analyzes
relevant data using its Fire Suppression Rating Schedule (FSRS). Each fire department is assigned a
Public Protection Classification (PPC) from 1 to 10. Class 1 generally represents superior property
fire protection; Class 10 indicates that an area's fire-suppression program does not meet ISO's
minimum criteria. The PPC program provides incentives and rewards for communities that improve
their firefighting services. Having a lower ISO score directly translates into lower fire insurance
premiums for communities.
Source: htto://www.isomitiaation.com/ooc/0000/ooc0001.html#.T6akdtWCc7d
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Public Safety Building
The soon-to-be centerpiece of the city's public safety
infrastructure, and the newest addition to the site's
redevelopment, is currently under construction. Through a
collaborative effort between the City of Jacksonville, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the
Jacksonville Citizen's Police Academy Alumni and a local
hardware store, a large part of the site will soon be home
to Jacksonville's new public safety building. The 37,000-
square-foot building wiil house the city's police
department, an emergency operations center, training
rooms for police and firefighters, and a community safe
room designed to shelter residents during severe weather.
The project broke ground on October 4, 2011, with
completion scheduled for late 2012.
Funding for this project came from a variety of sources. A
one-time city sales tax increase generated $4 million. FEMA
awarded the city a $600,000 grant to build the community
safe room. A grant awarded by the local hardware store to
the Jacksonville Citizen's Police Academy Alumni funded the
kitchen in the new facility.
Figure 13: Public safety building under construction
"We're very proud of what's been
accomplished at the site. It is a success story
for our community. \Ne turned lemons into
lemonade."
Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher
The training center will include three classrooms and provide training opportunities for the city's 64 full-time
firefighters and 79 sworn police officers, as well as provide services to neighboring jurisdictions. The training
center will also serve as a base of operations for several community groups, including the Citizen's Police
Academy, the Junior Citizen's Police Academy and the local community Crime Watch program. The center will
also host Criminal Justice Institute classes.
The emergency operations center will be equipped with the Arkansas Wireless information Network (AWIN)
digital radio system. The state-of-the-art system enables city-wide and state-wide communication.
The City of Jacksonville's new police department will replace an outdated and underequipped facility. The new
department will be equipped with a climate-controlled evidence storage room, state-of-the-art interviewing
rooms and a computer system that will allow the public to submit police reports.
The community safety room will have the capacity to shelter 594 local residents in the event of severe weather.
The room will also double as a meeting space.
Future Site Use
A small section of the site on the east side of Marshall Road next to a residential neighborhood is currently a
grassy field. The Federal Fjighway Administration recently awarded the city a $100,000 "Sidewalk Grant" for
improvements along Marshall Road. Future plans for the area include community green space with sidewalks
and picnic tables.
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Conclusion
In Jacksonville, Arkansas, local entities, state agencies, community members, partnering organizations and EPA
came together to share resources, collaborate and coordinate closely to clean up and redevelop the Vertac, Inc.
Superfund site. The site's comprehensive cleanup minimized potential liability concerns, making the property
more suitable for redevelopment at a critical time when affordable developable land was in high demand in the
area.
Today, site reuses provide vital community services and have strengthened area infrastructure, providing
recycling services and education opportunities for area residents, state-of-the-art training opportunities for law
enforcement and firefighters, and a safe haven for community members in times of severe weather. EPA
continues to coordinate with the community, ensuring the protectiveness of the site's remedy over the long
term. This cooperative effort by EPA and its federal, state and local partners has provided positive, lasting
benefits to the local economy, the environment and the region.
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