SEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency FEDERAL FACILITY SUPERFUND PROGRAM National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Awards 2020 Award Winners Comprehensive Cleanup Enables Prairie Restoration, Community Education and Recreation Sustainable Mixed-Use Development Provides Jobs, Homes, Parks and Public Services Weldon Spring | St. Charles, Missouri This site supported explosives manufacturing during World War II and uranium metals-processing during the Cold War. Today, after cleanup, the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Legacy Management ensures the continued protectiveness of the site's remedy, monitors groundwater and surface water, continues ecological restoration efforts, and shares information with the public, The 228-acre area, located about 25 miles west of St. Louis, now hosts a community education center and recreation opportunities. The Weldon Spring Site Interpretive Center helps the public learn about the site's historic legacy as well as long-term stewardship efforts that protect public health and the environment. Today, the center hosts more than 25,000 visitors each year. Other reuse highlights include Howell Prairie, a restored 150-acre native prairie, and a plant garden that provides habitat, hosts more than 200 species of native plants, and promotes wildlife conservation. Hiking and biking trails, including an old haul road repurposed into the 6-mile Hamburg Trail, also crisscross the site, Finally, the remedy - an engineered containment cell for contaminated soils - is part of the site's reuse, A viewing platform on the cell allows visitors to enjoy views from the highest publicly accessible elevation in the county. Former Naval Training Center Orlando | Orlando, Honda This U.S. Army and U.S. Navy training facility operated from the 1940s to the late 1990s. The base closure and redevelopment planning process relied on a community-based, proactive planning approach built on the principles of sustainable development and traditional neighborhood design, The city of Orlando partnered with federal, state and local stakeholders to return the 2,000-acre area to use as a vibrant mixed-use community, industrial hub and recreation resource, The main base area is now Baldwin Park, a master-planned community with over 4,300 residential units. It also features parks and green space, shopping, medical facilities, and new schools, More recent development has included a training facility and horse barn for the Orlando Police Department, a city of Orlando traffic management center, and millions of square feet of warehouse and industrial space at Air Commerce Park, Community space at Lake Druid Park features a mountain bike track, a dog park and a community garden. EPA's National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Awards These awards recognize the innovative thinking and cooperation among federal agencies, states, tribes, local partners arid developers that have led to noteworthy restoration and reuse of federal facility sites. "The Weldon Spring site has been transformed,,, It is truly an amazing transformation and a tremendous asset to the community." Ken Starr, Weldon Spring Site Manager To learn more about the awards and to explore nominating a site for a future award, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/fedfac. VELDONSPRI Interpretive Cer U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) December 2020 EPA 505/F-22/001 ------- Community Engagement and Local Leadership Enable Large-Scale Mixed-Use Redevelopment Fort Ord | Monterey County, California Closure and cleanup of this former U.S. Army training facility in 1994 created an opportunity to repurpose the 28,000- acre base. Extensive community engagement laid a strong foundation for reuse efforts. Local, state and federal grants funded building removal, infrastructure improvements and collaborative redevelopment projects, At full buildout, Fort Ord will be home to 37,000 residents, host 18,000 jobs and offer 3 million square feet of public service and commercial space. To date: Over 5,000 homes have been built or restored; more than 17,000 people live on site. More than 660,000 square feet of commercial space have been completed; about 6,000 people work on site. A veterans medical clinic, higher-education institutions, a shopping center, federal agency offices, housing complexes, the Monterey Bay campus of California State University, the California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery, a hotel and movie theater, and other businesses have opened their doors. Fort Ord National Monument and Fort Ord Dunes State Park provide open space and recreation areas. Future redevelopment on site will include a resort, golf courses, mixed-use projects and more housing, Dollars and Cents: Economic Impacts of Reuse at Fort Ord (2020) Number of Businesses: 141 ™ Annual Sales: $262,818,489 Jobs: 3,188 ^ Annual Employment Income: $191,825,192 Data Source: FFRRO Economic Analysis Cleanup Provides Access to Nationally Significant Historic Landscape, Wildlife Habitat and Trails Valley Forge Asbestos Release Site | Valley Forge, Pennsylvania This 112-acre area is in the center of Valley Forge National Historical Park, An asbestos insulation manufacturing plant had contaminated the site. In 2017, the National Park Service completed a long-term cleanup, removing contaminated soil and sediment so the site could be reopened, Today, the park is open to the public, conserving and interpreting the land associated with the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army under General George Washington. After a six-month encampment and successful training program, the once tired, cold and ill-equipped army emerged and successfully engaged with the British army at the Battle of Monmouth in New Jersey. By making the investment in environmental cleanup, the National Park Service has provided public access to a nationally significant historical landscape in the center of the park's forests, meadows and trails. Visitors can see restored and rebuilt structures and monuments and learn about Valley Forge. In addition to the park's historical significance, its 28 miles of trails give hikers, bicyclists, horseback riders and wildlife watchers opportunities to exercise, view wildlife and learn about local geology. About 2,4 million people visit the park each year. "This project is an excellent demonstration of the power of partnerships and the Park Service's commitment to protect the important resources we hold in trust for park visitors, We're proud of being able to reopen these formerly impaired lands to over 2.4 million annual visitors - providing enhanced recreational opportunities, expanding bicycle commuter options and improving visitor access with greener travel patterns." David Vela, Deputy Director, National Park Service U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Federal Facilities Restoration and Reuse Office (FFRRO) December 2020 EPA 505/F-22/001 ------- |