w5 Brownfields 1998 Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet Shenandoah, VA EPA Brownfields Initiative EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Background EPA has selected the Town of Shenandoah for a Brownfields Pilot. The Town is located on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in Page County, Virginia. The Town built its heritage as an iron-based industrial center and railroad transportation hub. The decline of the iron industry and the decreased rail traffic due to the advent of diesel engines led to an economic downturn for Shenandoah. The Big Gem Cast Iron Furnace, once the principal producer of iron in the area, was dismantled and later donated to the Town by Bethlehem Steel. Although several small factories have since opened, the economy has remained severely depressed, with an unemployment rate of 10.4% and a poverty rate of 13.1%. In addition, there is very little land available for commercial or industrial enterprise. Shenandoah plans to target the large Big Gem Furnace tract, which is located in the center of the Town, for cleanup and redevelopment. Although buildings are no longer present and the site is forested, there is still concern about residual contamination. The Town aims to eventually develop a recreational center and establish the Big Gem Furnace Historical Park on the site. The Town believes this redevelopment will attract a significant amount of tourism and create needed area jobs, thereby increasing the quality of life for area residents. Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 07/15/1998 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets the former Big Gem Cast Iron Furnace tract located in the center of the Town for cleanup and redevelopment. Contacts For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields Web site (http ://www .epa.gov/brownfields). EPA Region 3 Brownfields Team (215)814-3129 EPA Region 3 Brownfields Web site (http ://www .epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bf-lr) Grant Recipient: Shenandoah, VA (540)652-8164 Objectives Shenandoah's primary objective is to clean up and redevelop the Big Gem Furnace site, which will stimulate the local economy and return the area to its former level of prosperity. The Pilot plans to assist in these efforts by conducting environmental assessments and developing a cost- effective cleanup and redevelopment plan for the target site. In addition, the Pilot will evaluate financing alternatives for the project and conduct community outreach activities. Activities Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Determining the type, extent, and magnitude of any contamination present in the soil or groundwater at the target site through Phase I environmental assessments; • Creating a cleanup and redevelopment plan for the target site and determining future steps required to abate pollution; United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 500-F-98-187 Jul 98 ------- • Conducting community outreach programs such as public forums and seminars to explain technical project information to the public; and • Forming partnerships with surrounding small towns and universities to gain support, expertise, and added insights during the project term. The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agreement for the grant has not yet been negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 and Emergency Response (5105T) Solid Waste EPA 500-F-98-187 Jul 98 ------- /!T^. Brownfields 1998 Supplemental Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet %( Town of Shenandoah, VA Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 03/01/2000 Amount: $100,000 $50,000 for Greenspace Profile: Town of Shenandoah, VA. The Pilot targets the Big Gem Furnace Tract, including two greenspace properties, and up to three additional sites for assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment. Contacts For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields Web site (http ://www .epa.gov/brownfields). EPA Region 3 Brownfields Team (215)814-3129 EPA Region 3 Brownfields Web site (http ://www .epa.gov/reg3hwmd/bf-lr) Grant Recipient: Town of Shenandoah, VA (540)650-8164 EPA Brownfields Initiative EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Background EPA awarded the Town of Shenandoah supplemental assistance for its Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot and additional funding for assessments at brownfields properties to be used for greenspace purposes. The town of Shenandoah is located on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River in Page County, Virginia. The Town built its heritage as an iron-based industrial center and railroad transportation hub. The decline of the iron industry and the decreased rail traffic due to the advent of diesel engines led to an economic downturn for Shenandoah. In an area known as the Big Gem Furnace Tract, located in the center of the Town, the Big Gem Cast Iron Furnace, once the principal producer of iron in the area, was dismantled and later donated to the town by Bethlehem Steel. Although several small factories have since opened, the economy has remained severely depressed, with an unemployment rate of 10.4 percent and a poverty rate of 13.1 percent. In addition, there is very little land available for commercial or industrial enterprise. Shenandoah targets the 66.8-acre Big Gen Furnace Tract and up to three additional brownfields sites for assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment. The supplemental project will leverage the partnershipsand consensus fostered by EPA's Brownfields Facilitation Objectives Shenandoah's primary objective is to use the supplemental assistance to enhance and complement the existing Pilot project by facilitating the reuse the Big Gem Furnace Tract and other targeted brownfields sites in the community. Specifically, the town plans to redevelop the Big Gem Furnace Tract into a multi-use commercial and historical recreational park. To meet this goal, the Pilot will conduct consensus building, promote community awareness, and develop partnerships. The Pilot plans to conduct environmental assessments and develop cost-effective cleanup and redevelopment plans. The Pilot will use the greenspace funding to target the former municipal dump located on the Big Gem Furnace Tract and two acres of privately owned land located just north of the dump for greenspace redevelopment. The Pilot plans to incorporate these United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 500-F-00-046 nil- a ancl Emergency . __ Protection Agency Response (5105*0 Apr°° Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- Pilot support and is the focal point of a larger community revitalization effort to capture the rising heritage tourism industry in the Shenandoah Valley through small business and greenway development. The town aims to eventually develop a recreational center and establish the Big Gem Furnace Historical Park on the Big Gem Furnace Tract. The town believes this redevelopment will attract a significant amount of tourism and create needed jobs, thereby increasing the quality of life for area residents. properties into redevelopment of the Big Gem Furnace Tract as a recreational park with a multiuse trail connecting adjacent neighborhoods, the Shenandoah River, and possibly the Shenandoah National Park. To accomplish these objectives, the Pilot plans to: • Establish a list of candidate sites for assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment; • Develop criteria for identifying and ranking sites; • Prioritize and select targeted sites; • Conduct Phase I and Phase II assessments at the targeted sites; • Identify cleanup alternatives and develop a cleanup plan; • Conduct various outreach and community involvement efforts for the targeted projects; • Facilitate the development of the Big Gem Furnace Tract into the multiuse recreational park; and • Conduct Phase I and II assessments on the greenspace properties. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. The information presented in this fact sheet comes from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. The cooperative agreement for the grant has not yet been negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 500-F-00-046 _ . . and Emergency . __ Protection Agency Response (5105*0 Apr°° Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- |