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VT Completed The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed a $1 million cleanup at the former TLR Mill Complex in Bellows Falls, VT. The historic mill buildings were contaminated with friable asbestos and other hazardous materials. Attempts to save the historic papermaking machine failed, however, portions of the machine were preserved and delivered to the town for historic preservation. Operated as a paper manufacturing facility from 1872 to 1986, the mill complex contained widespread contamination, including high concentrations of friable asbestos in multiple building locations as well as tanks, drums and containers. Some containers were found to have toxic solvents, including tetrachlorethane corrosive liquids and corrosive sludges. In total, 164 truckloads of material, 141 bags, 5 fiber drums, and 40 drums and smaller containers were shipped offsite for safe disposal. Older portions of the mill complex are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Remnants of the nation’s first transportation canal, constructed from 1792 to 1802, were found in the basement. Discovery of an additional, possibly original, canal eyebolt was found during the cleanup. Items of historical interest were given to the town for safekeeping. The work was done in consultation with the Vermont Division of Historic Preservation and the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. Work was also coordinated with the village of Bellow Falls and the town of Rockingham, which took joint ownership of the buildings and one-acre property in 1991 in lieu of unpaid taxes and fees. For more information, contact Alice Kaufman, EPA Community Involvement
Office, at (617) 918-1064.
Over the past 12 years, Coralville’s City Council has worked to revitalize 157-acre dilapidated industrial park that stood at the city’s gateway. Understanding that assessing and cleaning up contamination at the industrial park was key to revitalizing the area, the City Council developed the First Avenue Revitalization Plan, which called for a new convention center/exhibit hall and a hotel. In 1997, a First Avenue Corridor Study identified $125.4 million in roadway improvements needed to provide necessary access to the industrial park. Funded by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) with matching funds from city bonds, Phase I of these improvements – sidewalk repair and construction to improve pedestrian access to the Iowa River – was completed in 2001. In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded a $200,000 Brownfields Assessment Pilot grant to the city of Coralville with supplemental awards of $100,000 in 2000 and 2002. The pilot funded an assessment and cleanup of the former Hawkeye Truck Stop site, removing two underground storage tanks (USTs), and approximately 6 feet of standing mixed petroleum contamination. The city also demolished a gas station and restaurant on the site and purchased the property. The second site to be assessed and cleaned up under the Brownfields pilot was the Crandic Railroad property, where a 50-year old, 13-acre coal pile once visible from the interstate was removed. The University of Iowa, which leased the property from Alliant Energy, removed the coal, as well as a layer of asphalt, and funded $225,000 of the cleanup. Although the soil and coal removed were not toxic, the levels of cadmium in the groundwater were monitored until June 2003. The city purchased the site for $1.8 million, $500,000 of which came from the Iowa Department of Economic Development, and will use it for future mixed-use development and open space. The Clear Creek property was the third assessment conducted with pilot funds. This assessment was a high priority due to the property's creek side location and its former use as a municipal dump. Assessment results on the Clear Creek property found ethelbenzene in the groundwater, which the city plans to clean up using a technique called airsparging. In this method, compressed air is pumped through water, separating the contaminants for removal. A combination of private and city funding will finance the cleanup. Development of an Urban Renewal Plan enabled Coralville to issue municipal bonds to fund the $58 million convention center and 200-room hotel complex. The city anticipates that construction on the project will begin in the summer of 2003 and that the convention center/complex will be open in 2004. These two projects alone are expected to generate more than 2,000 jobs. For more information, contact U.S. EPA Region 7 at (913) 551-7414. Former RCA Victor Building Redeveloped as Luxury Apartments The Victor luxury apartment building gives new life to the old RCA Victor Building on the Camden, NJ waterfront. With 550,000 square feet of new space, the site offers 341 apartments with an impressive array of amenities, including a restaurant and a spa with a 360° view. The size and location of the former RCA Victor Building attracted developer Carl Dranoff who invested over $60 million, including $7 million for environmental remediation, to build Camden’s first market rate housing in over 40 years. The property was re-christened as The Victor Building, honoring its status as a registered historic landmark. A local treasure was saved when the famous “Nipper” Tower was rescued from the wrecking ball. The tower will house a dramatic three-story fitness center with 360° panoramic views. The property also offers state-of-the-art luxury loft apartments, an exquisite lobby with 24-hour concierge service, a clubroom, private parking garage, and 27,000 square feet of retail space. The completed project began leasing in May 2003, with new residents set to move in by fall 2003. The voluntary remediation and redevelopment were performed concurrently. Key collaborative public sector financing partners included the Cooper’s Ferry Development Association (CFDA), the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), multiple state agencies including the Office of the Governor, Casino Redevelopment Authority (CRDA), Economic Development Authority (EDA), Department of Community Affairs (DCA), and City of Camden’s Office of the Mayor. New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) established a technical team with the experience and ability to identify real problems and concerns and to create innovative final solutions that allowed the redevelopment of the site in a productive manner. DEP approved remedies including using surfactants and/or scarification to remove PCBs from contaminated concrete floors and walls within the Nipper Tower. DEP approved the “entombment” of residual PCBs in concrete and the establishment of deed restrictions. As an additional safety measure, DEP required pre- and post-indoor air monitoring within the basement area to address any human health concerns related to residential occupancy. DEP also required that all sources to groundwater contamination be removed from the site, the installation of an underground barrier wall, the injection of a compound to address the residual soil and groundwater contamination, and the establishment of a Classification Exception Area with ongoing groundwater monitoring. Finally, the Assistant Commissioner provided letters to interested parties, including lending institutions, to address any questions concerning the remediation. To view “before” and “after” photos of this project, visit http://www.nj.gov/dep/srp/brownfields/success/victor.htm From Abandoned Gas Station to Community Park On June 20, 2003, Silver Lake town officials conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new park as part of the town’s summer festival. The site where the new “Memory Park” now stands had been a gas station since at least the 1920s. It was a prominent feature of the town, but it slowly developed into an eyesore and a public health threat – a typical brownfield. Past efforts to redevelop this abandoned gas station had not been successful. However, through the determination of local officials and funding from a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) through Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), cleanup efforts resulted in a beautiful park in which town residents may take pride and satisfaction. In August 2000, the town of Silver Lake began the removal and cleanup of underground storage tanks at the abandoned gas station. Seven tanks were removed and disposed of, and more than 300 tons of contaminated backfill were taken to a landfill. The town of Silver Lake utilized SEP monies, as well as technical and legal assistance from IDEM staff, to assess and remediate the brownfield property. A SEP is an environmentally beneficial project that an environmental violator voluntarily agrees to perform as part of a settlement of an enforcement action instead of paying cash penalties to the state. The violator performs the SEP at a site in the community where the project is not required by statute or rule, but would help protect human health and the environment. Once the Silver Lake property was remediated, the town then transformed the area into a park. Local businesses donated materials for a gazebo and landscaping. The property was named “Memory Park” by a sixth grader as part of a school contest to name the park. The Memory Park project demonstrates a critical element in successful brownfield projects. The town of Silver Lake does not have a brownfields coordinator or environmental compliance staff. Yet under the leadership and persistence of Craig Hollopeter, the Silver Lake Town Marshall, the project was successfully completed. Marshall Hollopeter proved that despite the lack of resources and experienced personnel common to brownfields programs in larger cities, a small community could successfully remediate and redevelop contaminated property. It doesn’t take an environmental expert, but it does take someone who is willing to bring interested parties together, to help with communication, and to provide the necessary leadership to see the project to completion. To view photographs of the site, visit http://www.in.gov/idem/land/brownfields/bulletin/bb4qtr03.pdf Waterfront Redevelopment in San Francisco Brings New Flavor to Rincon Park In the shadow of San Francisco's Bay Bridge and less than 25 feet from the water's edge is a half-acre lot used for storing construction equipment. Over the past century, the site has been home to saloons and restaurants, boarding houses, stables, storage and warehouse facilities, manufacturing and repair facilities, a vehicle depot, and railroad tracks associated with wharf traffic. With community momentum behind it and the Environment Protection Agency's (EPA) site assessment support, the Port of San Francisco is now working to transform this property into two restaurants that will create up to 100 jobs and leverage more than $8 million in redevelopment funding. The 0.45-acre brownfields project, known as Rincon Park, is part of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency's Rincon Point-South Beach Redevelopment Plan. The surrounding waterfront area already home to a marina, residential developments, and commercial enterprises, includes a new office building for Gap, Inc. The plan calls for redevelopment of this brownfields parcel into two new restaurants. Through the Rincon Point-South Beach Citizens Advisory Committee, community members have been actively involved in the design and implementation of the park and restaurant projects. The brownfields restoration project was aided by EPA's Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) program. In early 1999, EPA and Port of San Francisco representatives discussed assessment of the half-acre site, and EPA Region 9 provided the Port with approximately $40,000 in assessment assistance. While the assessment revealed some contamination, it also presented no surprises to Port officials. Although cleanup planning of the restaurant area is still underway and final cleanup costs have not been determined, developers have agreed to pay for the site's cleanup. Planned development for the property is now estimated at $8 million for two 7,000-square foot restaurants that are expected to provide 75-100 new jobs. Completion of the restaurant construction is expected by the spring of 2005. As an additional benefit to the area, Gap provided approximately $2 million to support the transformation of two adjacent acres into a community park. For more information, contact Thomas Mix at (415) 972-3248. |
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