RETURN TO USE INITIATIVE 2014 Demonstration Project MARTIN-MARIETTA, SODYECO, INC.: Charlotte, North Carolina THE SITE: Between 1936 and 2005, the 1,500-acre Martin-Marietta, Sodyeco, Inc. Superfund site (the Site) was home to various chemical dye manufacturing and specialty chemical production companies. Site operations, including improper disposal of untreated chemical manufacturing wastes and landfilled materials, resulted in contaminated soils and ground water. Following the discovery of site contamination in 1982, EPA placed the Site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in December 1982. Between 1987 and 2011, EPA developed and amended cleanup plans for the Site. The final remedy included capping some contaminated soil in place, disposing of waste materials and other contaminated soil off site, treating contaminated ground water and implementing land use restrictions. Clariant, the primary potentially responsible party, funded and performed all cleanup activities, with oversight provided by EPA and the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (NCDENR). Following the completion of Superfund cleanup activities, EPA deleted the Site from the NPL in February 2012. HE OPPOR T UNI The Site is the largest area of underused industrial land in Mecklenburg County, so site stakeholders were eager to return it to productive use. Additionally, extensive site infrastructure could support a wide range of reuse options. Existing infrastructure includes rail and interstate access, a wastewater treatment facility, 300,000 square feet of industrial space, utility substations and transmission lines, and a 360-million-gallon containment pond. PO EN IAL BARRIER: The complexity and large area of the Site could be daunting to prospective developers. Due to the nature of the site contamination, not all areas of the Site would be acceptable for all types of reuse following cleanup. PICTURED: The Site is located along the Catawba River. (Source: EPA) BARRIER: The complexity arid large area of the Site could be daunting to prospective developers. Due to the nature of site contamination, not all areas of the Site would be acceptable for all types of reuse following cleanup. SOLUTION: Cooperation and open communication between EPA and site stakeholders made clear what areas of the Site wouid be acceptable for different types of reuse. In August 2011, the Site's owner put land use controls in place permitting only commercial and industrial land uses across cleaned-up areas of the Site and restricting other land uses that are incompatible with the site remedy. PICTURED: The main ReVenture Park entrance. (Source: EPA) BEFORE: A large area of underused industrial land with extensive existing infrastructure. AFTER: Site redevelopment helps preserve local habitats and wildlife and uses renewable resources to generate electricity. In addition, construction of ReVenture Park is underway. SEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Redevelopment Initiative November 2014 1 ------- THE SOLUTION: EPA's Superfund and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) programs agreed to work closely with the Site's owner and the community to make sure any potential site reuse plans were compatible with the Site's cleanup. This cooperation and open communication between EPA and site stakeholders made clear what areas of the Site would be acceptable for different types of reuse. In August 2011, the Site's owner put land use controls in place permitting only commercial and industrial land uses across cleaned-up areas of the Site and restricting other land uses that are incompatible with the site remedy. When a local development company Forsite Development, came forward hoping to reuse site property as the Region's first eco-industrial area called ReVenture Park, site stakeholders were open to reuse and proactive about reviewing the plans. Forsite Development's vision focused on uncontaminated areas of the Site, which included 667 acres along the Catawba River. THE SITE NOW: Today, by reclaiming, restoring and reinventing this industrial area, ReVenture Park is becoming a national model for innovative redevelopment and one of the most dynamic and multi- faceted renewable energy projects on a Superfund site in the United States. The Site's redevelopment will breathe new life into the Site by reusing the Site's extensive existing infrastructure to create a platform for large-scale renewable energy and alternative fuel projects. When finished, ReVenture is estimated to generate over $900 million in new investment and create over 1,000 "green collar" jobs. As part of the initial phase of the park construction, Forsite Development has begun developing a 30-megawatt waste-to-energy biomass power plant. The project involves turning duckweed grass, grown on site, and virgin sawdust created during the lumber manufacturing process, into a renewable gas, similar to natural gas. This process generates clean renewable energy while generating only a small fraction of emissions produced by traditional coal-fired power plants. A few of the other projects planned for the park include a photovoltaic solar field to be developed on a closed 25-acre landfill, a regional wastewater treatment facility that changes bio-solids into a renewable energy resource, a business park focused on energy efficiency, renewable energy and environmental technology, and office space for community organizations. In late 2013, following the completion of on- site building renovations, Forsite Development began recruiting new and emerging recycling projects, as well as alternative fuels and renewable energy technologies businesses to the Site. Ten start-up companies and pilot projects are already operating at ReVenture Park. "It's becoming an entrepreneurial incubator," said Tom McKittrick, president of Forsite Development. "Our goal from the beginning was to take a shuttered manufacturing plant that has very heavy infrastructure and reposition the buildings to create recycling-based projects." On-site projects range from creating a lightweight, ballistic armor made from organic material to developing the first highway-ready, light-duty electric pickup truck. Environmental stewardship is also an integral part of site redevelopment plans. The Site's natural resources are enhanced by a 185-acre conservation easement with wildlife habitat projects, stream restoration and a trail system connecting the regional Carolina Thread Trail across the Site to the nearby U.S. National Whitewater Center. In August 2014, EPA Region 4 presented Forsite Development with an "Excellence in Site Reuse" award to recognize the developer's commitment to safely and sustainably reuse the Site. The site owner continues to maintain the Site's remedy. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Michael Townsend, Remedial Project Manager, at townsend.michael@epa.gov or (404) 562-8813; or Bill Denman, Region 4 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator, at denman.bill@epa.gov or (404) 562-8939. &EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Redevelopment Initiative November 2014 2 ------- |