State and Tribal Response Program Highlights EPA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities

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EPA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities

REGION I

CONNECTICUT—A former manufacturing complex in South
Norwalk has been cleaned up and is now a park with walking
paths and open space along the banks of the Norwalk River. The
property and surrounding area were once mud flats and marsh
lands associated with the nearby Norwalk Harbor until the area
was filled and developed in the early 1900s. Over the years, the
property served as a rubber manufacturer, a machine shop, a
chemical company, and a junk yard. By the 1950s, most of the
large industrial buildings were demolished, and only residential
and commercial properties remained. By 1991, all former site
buildings were removed, and an open space was created.
Flooding frequently plagued the area, however, with the most
severe damage associated with Super Storm Sandy in October of
2012. As a part of an overall area cleanup effort, the Connecticut
Department of Energy & Environmental Protection used Section
128(a) Response Program funding to conduct an environmental
assessment that revealed elevated levels of polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), petroleum
compounds, and metals. By 2019, the cleanup was completed
by removing over 10,000 tons of contaminants and constructing
a soil cap. In 2021, Ryan Park opened and boasts a renewed
landscaping, ample lighting, two new playgrounds, an open
field area, walking paths, a splash pad, basketball courts, a
picnic/gathering area, event pavilion, and a sculpture garden.
The new park is an asset to the community and part of the
city's revitalization initiative that focuses on climate resiliency,
improving neighborhoods, and meeting community needs.

Ryan Park in South Norwalk

REGION 2

ST REGIS MOHAWK—The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe's
Brownfields Program continues to move forward with the
demolition of abandoned homes and structures in Akwesasne.
The Program is picking up where it left off in 2019, when
several tribal programs worked together to safely demolish and
remove three of 25 unsafe structures previously identified in
the community. The Tribe's Brownfield Program was planning to
continue work in 2020 before the COVID-19 Pandemic postponed
efforts. In 2021, the tribe resumed the work and used Section
128(a) Response Program funding activities to conduct cleanup
activities to remove mold and lead-based paint on two properties
before demolition. The demolition of the remaining 20 structures
is expected to last more than one year. The Tribal Brownfields
Program will then use Section 128(a) funding to conduct
assessments on the estimated 150 additional old structures
located throughout the community. These are structures that
pose safety hazards, have environmental concerns, and are
susceptible to pests, mold, illegal trespassing, drug use, arson, as
well as an eyesore for the developing tourism industry. Removing
all the concerns associated with unsafe structures is a benefit,
but an even greater benefit is that the property owners may use
their newly cleared areas for building a new home, developing a
business, planting a garden or trees, or for selling the property.

REGION 3

VIRGINIA—A former three-story grocery warehouse building
constructed in the early 1920s was a cornerstone of downtown
Pulaski for over eight decades. After closing in the early 2000s,
the building remained vacant for many years. In 2015, the Virginia
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) used Section 128(a)
Response Program funding to conduct an assessment on the
property. In 2017, the Virginia DEQ provided oversight of the
removal of asbestos, lead-based paint, and an underground oil
storage tank and contaminated soil. In 2019, the property was
transformed into the Jackson Park Inn, a boutique 32 guest
room hotel and conference center that also includes a bar and
restaurant with outdoor seating on Peak Creek. As a historic
preservation project, the renovation respected many of the
building's original features, including aged brick, exposed post
and beam timbers, and wide plank wood floors are showcased
throughout the hotel. A domino effect is happening in Pulaski.
The Jackson Park Inn is attracting more tourists and developers

CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding

July/August/September 2022

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are now taking notice of the area and the opportunities. The
revitalization of vacant and contaminated properties has provided
Pulaski with the opportunity to increase its tax base, provide jobs,
and offer recreational amenities to their residents.

Redeveloped Jackson Park Inn.

REGION 4

ALABAMA—The former American Red Cross headquarters
building was constructed in 1940 in downtown Birmingham. It
served the city and the region for nearly 60 years before becoming
vacant when the Red Cross moved into a new building in 1999.
After sitting vacant for more than 20 years, the building was
purchased by a private investor, in 2021, the Alabama Department
of Environmental Management used Section 128(a) Response
Program funding to oversee the assessment and cleanup of the
property. The redevelopment of the 140,000 square foot building
began in the summer of 2022 and will reopen with 192 new units of
workforce housing and 4,000 square feet of retail space. Woman-
owned businesses are providing about 11% of the labor on the
project, while minority-owned businesses enterprises are providing
approximately 24% of the labor. And as part of the project, seven
students from Tuskegee University's Taylor School of Architecture
and Construction Science Program interned onsite, learning the
development process while working with the Birmingham Public
Library to design a mobile library resource.

REGION 5

INDIANA—The Bottleworks Hotel in downtown Indianapolis
opened its doors in late 2020. The hotel is the first big milestone
in the massive mixed-use development at the former Coca-Cola
bottling plant on Massachusetts Avenue. The original bottling
plant was built in 1931. By 1950, the plant more than doubled
in size and the facility was the largest bottling operation in the
world, producing more than 2 million bottles of Coca-Cola per

week. When Coca-Cola moved its operations in the late 1960s,
the building was owned and used by the Indianapolis Public
Schools for about two decades. It was then home to the IPS
Service Center until 2016. In 2018, the Indiana Department
of Environmental Management (IDEM) used Section 128(a)
Response program funding to conduct an environmental
assessment on the property. In 2019, IDEM provided oversight
of the removal of three underground storage tanks. After
renovations, the hotel opened in 2020 and highlights the
building's nearly 90-year history and emphasizes support for local
businesses throughout the Indianapolis area. Another major part
of the Bottleworks District is preparing to welcome its first guests.
The Garage food hall, which will feature a variety of local food
and beverage options, is set to open next month.

Revitalized Bottleworks Hotel In downtown Indianapolis.

REGION 6

TEXAS—Built in 1938, the former historic Kress Department
Store served downtown El Paso for nearly 60 years before it
closed in 1997. Throughout the years, the building was used for
other businesses, but has sat idle and vacant for the last several
years. In 2021, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to provide
oversight of an environmental assessment that revealed limited
contamination. The building is currently being redeveloped into El
Paso's first food hall and will feature twelve local food venders,
each in separate stations, interspersed with local retail venders
with no national franchised brands. A key feature of the food hall
will be the revitalization of the historic lunch counter with a soda
fountain. The redevelopment will also include a second-floor
events center and basement spa connected by a tunnel to the
next-door Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park. The project partners are
currently applying for federal and state historical tax credits. The
project is expected to be completed in mid-2023.

CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding

July/August/September 2022

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REGION 7

KANSAS—The Redbud Trail is an 11-mile trail system that follows
the former BNSF railroad line through and around the City of
Wichita. The railroad was once the lifeblood of the growing city
and played a crucial role in the development of the region. The
city is currently implementing a plan to expand the trail system
to reach more areas of the community. As a part of the plan, in
2021, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE)
used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to conduct an
environmental assessment on a former railroad property adjacent
to the trail system. The assessment revealed elevated level of
arsenic, cadmium, and lead, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAHs) in the soil. KDHE worked with the city and provided
oversight of the soil excavation on the property. After cleanup
activities, the city capped a portion of the property with a concrete
bike path and parking area. This portion of the trail connects the
Canal Route path to the Wichita State University area and expands
the trail system for walking, jogging, biking, and dog-walking.

REGION 8

SOUTH DAKOTA— Starting in 2018, the Rapid City Economic
Development Foundation (RCEDF) reached out to the South
Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR)
to assess the proposed location of their new Ascent Innovation
Center near the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
In early 2019, the South Dakota DANR used Section 128(a)
Response Program funding to conduct environmental assessments
of the area. The property was once used as a gas station and a
storage facility. The South Dakota DANR also provided oversight of
the removal of two underground storage tanks and the excavation
of petroleum contaminated soil, in March 2022, the 40,000 square
foot Ascent Innovation Center opened. The building design
highlights major features of the area, such as Rapid Creek, the
Black Hills, and South Dakota Mines' M-Hill. The new facility will be
able to house anywhere from five to 25 different projects, ranging
from a multitude of innovative scientific and technological ideas.
The center benefits Rapid City and the university by assisting
in growing research capacity, creating job opportunities, and
supporting economic development of the area.

REGION 9

ARIZONA—The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
(SRPMIC) turned a former Brownfield property into an
Environmental Education Demonstration Garden. The property was
originally used as the Beeline Gravel Pit before turning into a motor
raceway. After the raceway was no longer used, illegal dumping took
place on the property for many years. In 2018, the SRPMIC used
Section 128(a) Response Program funding to conduct assessment
and cleanup activities on the property. The Environmental Education

Demonstration Garden was inspired by the idea of having a
new green space to teach SRPMIC Community members about
the importance of protecting and taking care of the land and its
resources. SRPMIC began the site transformation with Community
education in mind. In 2019, the first event was a grassroots ground-
breaking with students and teachers from Salt River High School
helping SRPMIC staff plant 30 plants, dig out a pond for rainwater
harvesting, and construct small gullies for erosion control. The
students planted the seeds that helped the Environmental Education
Demonstration Garden become what the Community envisioned, but
they also learned the history of the site, proper planting techniques,
rainwater harvesting methods, and the importance of erosion
control. The Environmental Education Demonstration Garden now
hosts SRPMIC schools, Community government departments, and
Community members to provide a lab for the Community to learn
how to be good environmental stewards.

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community's Environmental Education Demonstration Garden.

REGION 10

ALASKA—Big Lake, located in the City of Holy Cross, occupies
approximately 4 to 5 acres of land. Big Lake was historically used
for recreational swimming and fishing. However, in the 1960s
a sawmill was built and operated adjacent to the lake. After the
sawmill ceased operations in the 1970s the area was then used as
a quarry for several years. The property was then used as a landfill
for the last 20 years and the lake was reduced in size through
backfilling. The city is now working with the Alaska Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) to address the contamination.
In 2021, the Alaska DEC used Section 128(a) Response Program
funding to conduct an assessment of the lake and surrounding
area. The city is working to develop a cleanup plan and path
forward with revitalization efforts. The reuse objective for Big
Lake is to restore it such that the lake and surrounding area can
be used for recreational activities such as swimming, ice skating,
fishing, picnicking, and walking.

united states CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding July/August/September 2022 EPA S60-F-23-0I2

Environmental Protection
Agency

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