SEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Emergency and Remedial Response (5201 G) July 2000 Superfund Redevelopment Pilots Metal Bank Philadelphia, PA 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 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for a Superfund Redevelopment Pilot. Tacony, an industrial area in northeast Philadelphia by the Delaware River, is home to the one-acre Metal Bank Superfund site. From 1968 to 1972, Metal Bank of America, Inc., drained oil from used transformers to reclaim copper parts. In 1972, the U.S. Coast Guard traced oil slicks in the river to the Metal Bank property. A 1978 study by the Coast Guard showed that 20,000 gallons of PCB-contaminated oil was in groundwater and would eventually leak into the Delaware River. In September 1983, EPA added the site to its list of hazardous waste sites needing cleanup. The site is in an economically disadvantaged community and is near a Brownfields Pilot. OBJECTIVES The presence of the Metal Bank site and other derelict land parcels in the Tacony section of Philadelphia blighted the neighborhood and greatly decreased the safety and economic vitality of Tacony. The Philadelphia Commerce Department will determine the viable reuse options for the site by convening a steering committee of residents, businesses, and government representatives. The city's goal is to use this site's redevelopment as a springboard to reversing the neighborhood's misfortunes. The city, in conjunction with the steering committee, will use the process of redeveloping the site as a guide when preparing a comprehensive plan to revitalize the riverfront area. PILOT SNAPSHOT Harrisburg Metal Bank Applicant Name: Philadelphia, PA Site Name: Metal Bank Date of Selection: July 2000 Anticipated Award: Cooperative Agreement ($100,000) Profile: The city will create a plan for reusing the site, which will serve as a springboard for revitalizing the neighborhood's riverfront area. Contacts: Linda Dietz Superfund Hotline: U.S. EPA Region 3 (800) 424-9346 or (215) 814-3195 (703) 412-9810 (DC Metro Area) dietz.linda@epa.gov reuse.info@epa.gov Visit the EPA Superfund Redevelopment Web site http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/pilot.htm ------- |