So, You ve Got a Superfund Site in Your Town!

Transcription

1 So, You ve Got a Superfund Site in Your Town! American Public Works Association September 13, :30 PM Minneapolis, Minnesota You re Not Alone EPA estimates as many as 350,000 hazardous waste sites will require cleanup over the next 30 years States and the private sector will be responsible for approximately half There are currently 1,604 Superfund Sites 603 in remedial cleanup phase 638 sites are Construction Complete 299 sites have been Deleted The numbers in this graphic are estimates. Just Around the Corner 120 million people live within 4 miles of sites that are currently on NPL or have been deleted from NPL; 40 million people live within 2.5 miles of NPL sites There are more than 800 NPL sites with nearby populations between 10,000 and 100,000 people There are more than 200 NPL sites with nearby populations over 100,000 people

2 Why Does EPA Care About the Reuse of Sites? Developing and understanding a site s reasonably anticipated future land uses informs the entire remedial process: Remedial Action Objectives Remedy selection Remedy design and implementation Long-term protectiveness Remediation underway at the Golden Strip Septic Tank site in South Carolina Protecting Remedies: Remedial & Long-Term Stewardship Benefits Discourages inappropriate activities such as: Vandalism Dumping Trespassing Activities that could damage a landfill cap Ensures the implementation of appropriate and effective institutional controls Encourages responsible stewardship Evidence of vagrants and trespassers in an abandoned building at a Superfund site in Florida Growing Smarter: Environmental & Social Benefits of Reuse Protects greenfields Minimizes infrastructure investments Encourages infill development and open space preservation

3 Providing Opportunity: Local Economic Benefits of Reuse Approximately 375 sites with actual or planned reuse 32,000 on-site jobs $1.35 billion in income Over 42,500 acres created, preserved, and restored for recreational and ecological purposes Superfund Programs: Supporting the Community Technical Assistance Grants Community Advisory Groups Technical Outreach Services for Communities Superfund Job Training Initiative Superfund Redevelopment Initiative Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (SRI) Our mission is to clean up the most contaminated areas of land and return them to communities for safe reuse in a healthy environment

4 Building on the Past Between 1999 and 2002, SRI awarded cooperative agreements for Superfund site reuse at almost 70 sites SRI s Current Activities Develop new tools and resources to support the appropriate reuse of sites Improve site reuse planning performance for local communities Work with Return to Use demonstration projects Link interested communities to SRI partners Assist with the development of Ready for Reuse Determinations

5 Superfund Tools & Resources Background Materials Technical Reports Fact Sheets Site-Specific Assistance SRI Tools & Resources: Background Materials SRI brochure Video Website SURE database SRI Tools & Resources: Technical Reports Reusing Superfund Sites: Commercial Use Where Waste is Left on Site Recreational Reuse of Land Above Hazardous Containment Areas Reusing Cleaned Up Superfund Sites: Golf Facilities Where Waste is Left on Site EcoPlanner (coming soon)

6 SRI Tools & Resources: Fact Sheets Top Ten Questions to Ask When Buying a Superfund Site Reuse Planning Guide Local Economic Impacts fact sheets In-depth case studies H.O.D. Landfill Murray Smelter California Gulch Site Snapshots and Success Stories Site reuse fact sheets (Regions 4 and 5) SRI Tools & Resources: Site-Specific Assistance Enhanced community involvement projects involving reuse planning Return to Use demonstration projects Partnerships Ready for Reuse (RfR) Determinations Reuse Planning: Goals & Objectives Enhance EPA s consideration of reasonably anticipated future land uses (RAFLUs) Provide opportunity for each community to learn about a local Superfund site, discuss potential future use opportunities, and develop an approach to return the site to use Address Agency and community reuse obstacles Integrate remedy and reuse throughout the pipeline of activities City of Picayune, MS: Composite Land Use Map

7 Reuse Planning: Benefits Potential for targeted remedial process and lower remedial costs Establishment of realistic community expectations Strengthened working relationships between communities and EPA Environmental and smart growth benefits Enhances Long Term Stewardship (ICs) City of Louisville, MS: Draft Site Reuse Framework Return to Use Initiative: A New Phase of Superfund Redevelopment GOAL: Remove barriers to reuse that are not necessary for the protection of human health, the environment, or the remedy at sites where remedies are already in place Past Demonstration Projects Region 3 Southern Maryland Wood Treating Region 5 Butterworth Landfill Cannelton Industries Inc. H.O.D. Landfill Kentwood Landfill Tri-County Landfill Region 4 Arlington Blending & Packaging Ross Metals Region 7 Fulbright Landfill Region 8 Sharon Steel Region 9 MGM Brakes

8 2005 Demonstration Projects SRI continues to support Return to Use candidates in 2005 Regions are currently working with over 15 new potential demonstration projects View of the Tar Lake Superfund site, a Return to Use candidate for 2005 Linking Communities to Partners Academy of Model Aeronautics Member clubs mow grass, maintain appearance of sites and mend fences on used area U.S. Soccer Foundation Assists EPA in developing cleaned-up former toxic waste sites into safe recreational parks Helps communities find most appropriate and efficient way to maintain soccer fields Provides equipment starter kits Ready for Reuse Determinations Purpose: Provide information to real estate market Facilitate reuse of sites Protect future site users The RfR Determination cover sheet for the Tex Tin Superfund site in Region 6.

9 RfR Success Story: Arlington Blending & Packaging Was used in conjunction with a comfort letter to address local government concerns Documents a technical determination that the site is ready for recreational reuse Successfully combats the stigma associated with the site Town Superintendent Without the Ready for Reuse Determination, there is no way that we could have ever convinced the board and people that here s a property that was once a Superfund site, and we re going to put it to use. It enhanced the aesthetics of the community, upgraded the property value of the surrounding properties, and makes a better experience for the people and the children in the area. RfR Success Story: Sharon Steel Received the first RfR Determination issued in Region 8 The first in the nation issued for mixed use Makes a technical determination that the site is ready for residential and mixed reuse. Successfully combats the stigma associated with the site Superfund Case Study Midvale City Utah

10 Background and History Midvale City was founded in 1909, is located 12 miles south of Salt Lake City and is part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area Midvale s area is 6.6 square miles which is primarily built out with existing infrastructure, homes, and businesses Midvale s population is approximately 28,000 people Background and History Historically Midvale s major employers were a smelter and a mill located along the western boundary of town The former mill and smelter properties are about 1.3 square miles or 20% of the land area of the City There is no infrastructure interior to the two sites

11 Background and History Area is divided into two sites Sharon Steel and Midvale Slag which were placed on the EPA s National Priorities List (Superfund) in the early 1990s Listing on the NPL occurred after a decade of review and discussion Essentially the more than 600 acres involved have been empty and unproductive since 1982 Current Environmental Status Sharon Steel Site Return to Use Initiative site Remediation complete in 1995 Remediation involved regrading of approximately 10 million cubic yards of tailings, capping with a geofabric and 1 ½ feet of fill, putting a fence around it and calling it good

12 Current Environmental Status Sharon Steel Site Beginning in 2003 EPA worked closely with the City and a new property owner to resolve regulatory issues including long term stewardship issues Deleted from NPL in 2004, Ready for Reuse Determination issued in 2004 Key component was an engineering study to establish reuse impacts paid for by new property owner and reimbursed by City RDA Current Environmental Status Midvale Slag (OU1) Northern end considered clean for most uses as of 1994 Pursuing an Explanation of Significant Differences to identify process to allow all uses Pursuing a Ready for Reuse Determination to allow commercial, residential, light industrial, and recreational uses

13 Current Environmental Status Midvale Slag OU2 Southern end currently being remediated Cleanup is intended to allow all uses Plans for the Future Sharon Steel has become Jordan Bluffs A Master Planned community of 2500 new homes, a town center, and office park Construction to begin Spring 2006 Midvale Slag has become Bingham Junction Superfund Reuse Initiative Pilot Site in 1999 A Master Planned community of 1800 new homes, 3 million square feet of retail and 2 million square feet of office Construction to begin Spring 2006

14 So, What s the Difference? From Superfund to New Life Midvale City recognized in 1998 that the key to redevelopment was for the City to take an active role in what happened next During the Sharon Steel process Midvale elected and appointed officials assumed an adversarial posture with EPA During the Midvale Slag process we were partners From Superfund to New Life Develop a community consensus of what the ultimate use should be following cleanup Reuse Master Plan (Reasonably Anticipated Future Land Uses RAFLU) Identify the activities, services, and investment City can make to help realize the vision contained in the plan (Long Term Stewardship)

15 Steps Midvale Has Taken Identified and agreed to role in Institutional Controls to simplify long-term stewardship of the two cleanup areas Planning and Zoning Controls Building Permit Controls Engineering Design Controls Public Information role Steps Midvale Has Taken Developed and clearly communicated community vision for redevelopment through master planning process Performed a gaps analysis of in place and available resources and needed resources Steps Midvale Has Taken As a result of the gaps analysis: Established redevelopment areas to allow the use of tax increment financing to offset higher costs of infrastructure construction Agreed to fund offsite improvements through public utilities funds to decrease costs of development

16 Jordan Bluffs Redevelopment Institutional controls Redevelopment area Tax Increment reimbursement for 3.4 million cubic yards of clean fill and infrastructure costs ($44 million) Sewer utility installing a sewer lift station & transmission line ($919,000) Water utility installing transmission lines and capacity ($370,000) Bingham Junction Redevelopment Institutional controls Redevelopment area Tax Increment reimbursement for infrastructure costs ($22 million) Sewer utility installing lift station ($600,000) Water utility installing transmission lines and capacity ($468,000) Lessons Learned Outcomes improve if all levels of government and all interested parties work together City may have to take the lead to force the issue of redevelopment into consideration during the process Difficult, complex problems require creative solutions Don t get outside of your comfort zone work creatively within it

17 FOR MORE INFORMATION Contact: Melissa Friedland National Program Manager for Superfund Redevelopment Online Information, Tools, and Resources: Superfund Redevelopment Initiative Return to Use Initiative Academy of Model Aeronautics Guidance for Preparing Superfund Ready for Reuse Determinations Examples of Ready for Reuse Determinations