State and Tribal Response eERI\ ¦ United States Program H ighIights ~4n,aip°ec n EPA Funding Provided to States and Tribes to Address Contaminated Land in their Communities REGION I VERMONT—From 1950 to 1995, a 0.5-acre property in the Town of Hartford served as a gas station and auto repair shop. In 2005, the gas station shut down and the Vermont Department of Environmental Control (DEC) oversaw the removal of several underground storage tanks. After sitting vacant for many years, in 2020, the Vermont DEC used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to conduct an environmental assessment at the property and oversee contaminated soil removal. In 2022, the non-profit Twin Pines Housing organization purchased the property and redeveloped the site with four (4) affordable housing units. Twin Pines Housing was formed in 1990 to develop and provide affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families in the Upper Valley, with a service area that spans northern Windsor and southeastern Orange Counties in Vermont and southern Grafton and northern Sullivan Counties in New Hampshire. REGION 2 NEW YORK—A new sports arena situated along the southern bank of the original Erie Canal, now Oriskany Street, recently opened in downtown Utica. One of the oldest mixed-use districts in the City of Utica, the canal corridor was historically characterized by a vibrant mix of residential and small manufacturing facilities. The 5.3-acre former Mele Manufacturing site gently slopes south to north, from Erie Street to Oriskany Street. The remains of railroad bed and limestone blocks suggest that the site's northern boundary consisted of the Erie Canal wall. After many years of sitting idle and contributing to blight, vacancy, and disinvestment in the neighborhood, the New York State Department of Environmental Control used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to conduct assessment and cleanup activities at the property in 2019. The cleanup included the removal of contaminated soil from the historic uses. In 2022, the Utica University Nexus Center opened its doors. The sports complex attracts nearly 400,000 visitors annually for amateur ice hockey, soccer, and lacrosse tournaments, as well as a variety of concerts and other events. The state-of-the-art venue also serves as a practice and training facility for the American Hockey League's Utica Comets and hosts the Utica University women's and Utica Junior Comets hockey teams. The Utica University Nexus Center. REGION 3 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA—From 1828 to 1968 a property in Northeast Washington DC operated as the St. Vincent's Orphanage for Girls. When the orphanage closed in 1968, it was the oldest institution of its kind in Washington. The building was demolished shortly after its closure. For several decades the property sat vacant before becoming home to the Rhode Island Center, a shopping mall that housed several big box stores, in the 1980s. Through the years, many of the stores in the center went out of business and it once again sat vacant. In 2017, the District Department of Energy and Environmental used Section Redeveloped Bryant Street (mixed use redevelopment). CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding January/February/March 2023 ------- 128(a) Response Program funding to conduct an environmental assessment and oversee the demolition and cleanup up of the property. After cleanup activities were completed, Bryant Street, a mixed-use, LEED Certified, transit-oriented development adjacent to the Rhode Island Metro Station open in 2021. The first phase of the project includes two wood frame buildings with 334 multifamily units, a 9-screen cinema, and nearly 40,000 square feet ground floor retail. The surrounding area is a mix of townhomes and single-family houses to the west, high rise multifamily to the north, and commercial and industrial to the south and east. The new buildings pay homage to the industrial era that helped shape this neighborhood. REGION 4 MISSISSIPPI—The former Team Motors site in the City of Louisville operated as an automotive body shop, petroleum distribution facility, and most recently as commercial retail property since the 1950s. The commercial retailer closed in 2013 and the property sat vacant for several years. In 2019, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to conduct an environmental assessment. The site assessment identified asbestos containing materials, solid wastes, chlorinated solvents, and petroleum hydrocarbons in the subsurface. In 2020, the Mississippi DEQ oversaw the removal of contaminated materials and soil. After cleanup was completed in 2022, the property was redeveloped into Jack's Family Restaurant. REGION 5 INDIANA—A 60,000 square foot office building in downtown Fort Wayne was built in 1917 and served as the corporate headquarters of the S.F. Bowser Company, which manufactured gas pumps. Manufacturing at the site stopped in 1961. In 1965, the McMillen Foundation purchased the Bowser building and leased it to the Phelps Dodge Company for approximately 30 years. The City of Fort Wayne's Police Department then operated out of the Bowser headquarters until 2012. In 2016, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to conduct an environmental assessment on the property and the headquarters office building. The assessment revealed asbestos and some lead-based paint. After cleanup was completed, the building was deconstructed. The deconstruction salvaged everything from office furniture to building materials, including all the exterior bricks, which saved demolition costs and allowed the majority of the material to be reused instead of being sent to a landfill. Since the work was done gradually, it took over a year to conduct. After the site was cleared, the property was planted with grass seed. In 2022, the McMillen Foundation transferred ownership of the property to the YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne, which will use it for outdoor recreation activities. The history of the Bowser buildings and the Bowser Company will be memorialized with two historical markers placed in Bowser Park, located at the corner of Reed and Fisher streets. REGION 6 ARKANSAS—From 1956 to 2009, a gasoline service station operated at a corner lot in downtown Pine Bluff. After going out of business, the city purchased property and demolished the onsite structures. In 2016, the city worked with the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to conduct an assessment on the property. In 2018, the Arkansas DEQ used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to remove four (4) underground storage tanks and contaminated soil from the property. After the cleanup of the property, the site was redeveloped into an urban plaza which is covered with a concrete cap. The City of Pine Bluff is responsible for maintaining the cap, and the site has deed restrictions which restrict the use to commercial or industrial only and prohibits the use of groundwater for any purpose. The urban plaza is located across the street from the Pine Bluff public library and is used by residents and visitors. The city holds programed events in the plaza during the summer. REGION 7 KANSAS—Nearly 73 acres of land for the El Dorado Industrial Park was purchased by the City of El Dorado in the mid 1980's. The first major tenant of the park was Pioneer Balloon, and since then seven more large companies and property owners have established themselves in the industrial park. Adjacent to the original El Dorado Industrial Park property, and across Kansas Highway 254, is an additional 100 acres of land that El Dorado purchased to expand the industrial park footprint. The newly acquired land has a historic use as agriculture and oil and gas production. In 2020, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to conduct multiple environmental assessments on the property. The northern two thirds of the property did not reveal contamination; however, the southern third of the property revealed contamination from the oil and gas production operations on the property. The property is zoned as light industrial, and the northern portion of the property is currently being marketed for expansion of the industrial park. The southern portion is currently being monitored and may require deed restrictions. CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding January/February/March 2023 ------- REGION 8 WYOMING—From 1927 to the late 1960s, a 0.55-acre property in the Town of Lusk was used as a National Guard armory. In 1969, the armory was no longer in use and that National Guard leased the building to the Niobrara Historical Society. The historical society used the property for many years; however, in 2018, they worked with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality to use Section 128(a) Response Program funding to conduct an environmental assessment on the property. The assessment revealed that there were no recognized environmental conditions at the property. The Niobrara Historical Society continued to use the property for the Stagecoach Museum. The museum features an authentic stagecoach from the Cheyenne-Black Hills Stage and Express Line as well as numerous 19th and 20th century relics from the area's early cattle ranching and homesteading days. A second building houses everything from bathtubs to buggies to medical supplies and includes a recreated homesteader kitchen. Also on the grounds are a one-room schoolhouse and an old-time store. Lusk Stagecoach Museum REGION 9 NEVADA—In 1878, a Prussian immigrant and entrepreneur, Adolph Sutro built a drainage tunnel to efficiently drain the water from the Comstock Mines near Virginia City. The Sutro Tunnel reduced transportation costs, ventilated the mines, and protected the miners' lives. The tunnel connected to the mines on July 8,1878, and by June 30,1879, the tunnel connected to all mines in the area and the first water was released. The nearly 4-mile tunnel runs from Dayton to Virginia City. The mining and tunnel operated until 1986. Since that time, the property and tunnel has been vacant. In 2021, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources used Section 128(a) Response Program funding to conduct an assessment on the administration building at the site. The assessment revealed that no cleanup is required. Now, the Friends of Sutro Tunnel are working to preserve this significant part of Nevada's mining history by restoring the Sutro Tunnel and Site. The goal of the project is to not only preserve the site's historical integrity, but to also make it safe and accessible for visitors to tour the reopened Sutro Tunnel. The Sutro Tunnel YUKON RIVER INTER-TRIBAL WATERSHED COUNCIL- The former City of Scammon Bay gymnasium was built in the early 1980s and used by the community for sports leagues, games, camps, and events for several decades. In the early 2010s, the use of the property diminished, and the building fell into disrepair. In 2018, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council used Section 128(a) Response Program to conduct an assessment and remove asbestos containing material from the building. The building was then demolished and the City of Scammon Bay is in the process of constructing a new city hall on the property. &EPA United states CERCLA Section 128(a) State and Tribal Response Program Funding January/February/March 2023 EPA S60-F-23-347 Environmental Protection Agency ------- |