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| Brownfields Weekly |
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January 17, 2002 THIS WEEK:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit BrownfieldSites.com, our international partner and Europe's first point of reference for brownfields redevelopment: http://www.BrownfieldSites.com If you're a part of a complete or in-progress brownfields site "success story," we'd like to hear about it. Send a brief synopsis of your project to: Editors@Brownfields.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brownfields Reform Bill Signed by President Bush WASHINGTON, DC - A bill to reform the laws governing redevelopment of brownfields was signed last Thursday by President George W. Bush. The Brownfields Reform and Small Business Liability Relief Act is intended to encourage the cleanup and redevelopment of lightly contaminated old industrial properties known as brownfields. The EPA estimates that between 500,000 and one million brownfields lie abandoned in communities across America. The new law reforms one of the major hindrances to brownfields cleanup - the federal Superfund law. The bill provides liability protection for prospective purchasers, contiguous property owners, and innocent landowners, and authorizes increased funding for state and local programs that assess and clean up brownfields. President Bush said, "This bill was passed because of the work of both Republicans and Democrats. It's an example of what can happen when people put partisanship aside, and focus on what's best for America. It's a great accomplishment." The legislation also provides relief from Superfund liability for small business owners who sent waste or trash to waste sites, protecting small businesses while ensuring that polluted sites continue to be cleaned up by those most responsible for the contamination. Bush chose to sign the brownfields bill at the Millennium office complex in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the 1000th brownfield site to be cleaned up through Pennsylvania's Land Recycling Program. "A hundred years ago, Pennsylvania led the industrial revolution in America," said Pennsylvania Governor Mark Schweiker. "But we paid a price for that leadership - hundreds of abandoned industrial sites." "The site where we meet today, the Millennium complex, was used for steel and plastics from 1906 until its abandonment. But today it is transforming," Schweiker added. "Where there were broken down buildings, there will be bike paths and boathouses. Where there was an empty shell, there will be high-tech office space. Where once there was waste and runoff, there will be opportunity and growth." (ENS, Staff Reports)
Wyoming, BP Reach Cleanup Agreement on Refinery Pollution CASPER, Wyoming - Officials from BP, formerly Amoco, Corp. and the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality reached a final cleanup agreement on January 10 for the polluted Amoco refinery properties in the Casper area. The deal was inked in a formal signing ceremony on Thursday following a 3-year collaborative process between WDEQ, BP and members of the public. Reuse plans for the properties include a championship golf course, business park and a river kayak course. BP Western Region President Bob Malone told the audience Thursday that the agreement also fulfills the conditions of a 1998 Amoco Reuse Agreement signed by the city of Casper, Natrona County and Amoco Corp. The Reuse Agreement states that should Amoco and WDEQ reach final agreement within three years, the city and county would receive a reuse package worth an estimated $60 million in cash and infrastructure over ten years. Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer said at Thursday's signing ceremony that Casper and Wyoming have set a benchmark that will be noticed around the country. The agreement marks a major shift from cleanup to redevelopment of the refinery, which ceased operations in 1991. Casper-area citizens filed a lawsuit against Amoco in 1996 alleging the refinery site posed an "imminent and substantial endangerment" to human health and the environment. Federal Judge Clarence Brimmer issued a preliminary injunction in 1998 ordering the company to undertake cleanup actions. Amoco and DEQ then negotiated a Consent Decree, which was approved by Brimmer, setting up a collaborative process to reach remedy agreements on the refinery properties. The final agreement reached last Thursday is actually a series of Remedy Decision documents signed for three individual Amoco properties plus a Remedy Agreement that will serve as the legal authority for the Remedy Decisions. Remedy Decision No. 1, which was signed by WDEQ and BP in September, covers the 350-acre refinery property located east of downtown Casper along the south bank of the North Platte River. Remedy Decision No. 2 signed Thursday deals with the North Platte River as well as a tank farm and old refinery waste storage areas north of the river. Remedy Decision No. 3, also signed Thursday, covers the cleanup of Soda Lake - an artificial lake north of Casper where the company diverted its refinery wastewater from the river starting in 1957 and which was maintained from 1991 until last year as a wildlife refuge. BP Environmental Business Manager Joe Deschamp said the first annual cash installments of the company's reuse package to the city and county would come within 30 days after Brimmer approves the cleanup agreements and dismisses the 1998 Consent Decree. Senior Assistant Wyoming Attorney General said the agreements would come before Brimmer in the next one or two months.
Brownfields 2002 and the Phoenix Awards - Charlotte, NC Announcing Brownfields 2002, a forum on brownfields redevelopment for all stakeholder groups. The Annual Brownfields Conference provides an opportunity to learn about successful brownfields redevelopment and to share your experiences with other stakeholders. Program sessions will be offered for beginning, intermediate, and seasoned stakeholders. Please mark your calendars for November 13 - 15, 2002. For more information on Brownfields
2002 and the 2002 Phoenix Awards, please visit:
Bacteria Breaks Down PCBs in Baltimore Harbor BALTIMORE, Maryland - Researchers have discovered a strain of bacteria capable of breaking down toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which contaminate soil and sediments near many industrial sites. The bacterium breaks down tough chlorine bonds in PCBs in river and harbor sediments. The discovery of the bacterium is reported in the current issue of the journal "Environmental Microbiology" by scientists with the University of Maryland Biotechnology (UMBI). In experiments using bottom sediments from Baltimore Harbor, researchers of UMBI's Center of Marine Biotechnology (COMB) and the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), discovered the PCB degrading bacterium using a rapid DNA screening method. For several decades, environmentalists and regulators have been trying to deal with tons of banned PCBs in the environment, released by industries for over 70 years. Beginning in the 19th century, PCBs were made from petroleum as insulators for electrical equipment and other electronics. In 1979, the federal government banned them because of possible environment and human health hazards. But all over the world, PCBs are still bound to bottom sediments of many rivers, harbors and bays. "Particles of PCBs persist after many years, because they don't dissolve well in water. They attach to sediment and get covered over," said Kevin Sowers, research microbiologist at COMB. "Unless there is some turnover, a lot of PCBs stay hidden." "This first identification of a PCB dechlorinating, anaerobic [without oxygen] bacterium is important for bioremediation efforts and for developing molecular probes to monitor PCB degrading where they are found," said Sowers. The report concludes that the UMBI method could be used to identify additional PCB degrading microbes.
Old Quarry Dump Becomes Spectacular Oceanside Golf Course Widow's Walk Golf Course was the first "Environmental Demonstration Project Golf Course" in the United States. The golf course was planned, built and operated with the cooperation and advice of various environmental representatives, who dealt with wetlands, habitat, land reclamation, town water supply protection, affordability and accessibility for public golf. The 120 acre site had been a sand and gravel quarry. After it was mined out it became an illegal dumping ground for everything unwanted, and a very impoverished habitat for wildlife. On the positive side, it had a collection of high ridges and mining spoil piles that offered great off-site views of the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cod Bay and the tidal North River. While built with a modest budget, it received the abundant assistance and support of environmentalists. The first step in the project was to assemble a team of environmental experts to assess and map the site for environmental resource areas such as endangered plants or animals, regulated lands, and serious environmental threats. Then, the golf course architects routed a golf course on the site that tried to avoid all of the identified resource areas. Since these areas of special concern took up over 50 percent of the site, avoidance was impossible. A rational approach to compromise and mitigation had to be devised. Resource areas were prioritized as were areas for mitigation to produce the best total land use for the environment and golf. The overall objective was to produce a corridor of mixed habitats to support the greatest variety of plants and animals as possible. This included open water ponds, wetlands, vegetated streams, woods, open grassy areas, vernal pools, and many lesser habitats. A town well for drinking water was located in the center of this very sandy site, so groundwater protection was paramount. Zones of contribution or influence were established around the town well, which allowed varying degrees of impact and activity. Zone I allowed absolutely no fertilization or pesticide of any kind, and monitoring wells were established to ensure this protection. Zone II allowed reduced levels of fertilizers and pesticides but with appropriate water quality monitoring. Zone III, outside the well recharge areas, was unregulated. Water for irrigating the golf course came from reopened and previously abandoned drinking wells that no longer met EPA purity standards. The water quality was fine for golf course turf grass use, and when applied to the turf, it became sufficiently filtered to become an acceptable contributor to the town well. In essence, the golf course became a bio-filter to improve the unpotable water to a suitable drinking water standard. One stated goal of the development team was to use only 50 percent of the water, fertilizer, pesticide and fossil fuel required for maintenance at other golf courses in the area. This required selecting drought and disease resistant grasses that require little fertilizer. The golf course has met those reduced input goals, but only with the understanding and support of golfers who don't demand lush green turf grass all year long. The golf course turns more brown than green during drought years, but not at the expense of an exciting round of golf. During the construction of the golf course efforts were made to recycle everything possible. Wood chips and sawdust were made into compost to substitute for a lack of topsoil, ground up asphalt debris was used for cart paths, and even carpet scraps were used to make bunker faces. Experiments on various types of green construction for cost effectiveness were installed, as were meters for measuring water use, soil moisture and temperature. After the course was opened the management team initiated efforts to work closely with universities to encourage research on the facility and with the Massachusetts Audubon Society to better manage habitat areas. Both activities are continuing with great success. Several research projects have been started, many habitat areas have been given appropriate nesting supplies, and more than 75 species of birds have been sighted on the golf course. For more information on the
redevelopment of closed landfill and other brownfields sites as golf courses,
please visit: |