   |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
   |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
BROWNFIELDS PROJECTS INFORMATION FOR CITY OF CLARKSBURG KEYWORDS Brownfields Redevelopment BROWNFIELDS DEFINITION Brownfields are defined as, "abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination." USEPA BROWNFIELDS HISTORY Since its inception in 1995, EPA’s Brownfields Program has grown into a proven, results-oriented program that has changed the way contaminated property is perceived, addressed and managed. EPA's Brownfields Program is designed to empower states, communities and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up and sustainably re-use brownfields. A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment or re-use of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. It is estimated there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the United States. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties increases local tax bases, facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, takes development pressures off undeveloped, open land and both improves and protects the environment. Initially, EPA provided small amounts of seed money to local governments that launched hundreds of two-year brownfield "pilot" projects. Through passage of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, effective polices that EPA had developed over the years were passed into law. The Brownfields Law expanded EPA's assistance by providing new tools for the public and private sectors to promote sustainable brownfields clean-up and re-use. Brownfields grants continue to serve as the foundation of EPA’s Brownfields Program. These grants support revitalization efforts by funding environmental assessment, clean-up and job training activities. Brownfields Assessment Grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments and community outreach. Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants provide funding to capitalize loans that are used to clean up brownfields. Brownfields Job Training Grants provide environmental training for residents of brownfields communities. Brownfields Cleanup Grants provide direct funding for cleanup activities at certain properties with planned greenspace, recreational or other nonprofit uses. EPA’s investment in the Brownfields Program has resulted in many accomplishments, including leveraging more than $6.5 billion in brownfields clean-up and redevelopment funding from the private and public sectors and creating approximately 25,000 new jobs. The momentum generated by the Program is leaving an enduring legacy. The Brownfields Program and its partners have provided guidance and incentives to support economic revitalization, and empowered communities to address the brownfields in their midst. EPA's Brownfield Program continues to look to the future by expanding the types of properties it addresses, forming new partnerships, and undertaking new initiatives to help revitalize communities across the nation.
BROWNFIELDS IN CLARKSBURG The City of Clarksburg has aggressively pursued Brownfields Project Funding Grants from EPA and has been awarded the following grants:
All these projects require significant input from citizens of the City and, in particular, residents of the areas where the site-specific projects are conducted. Specific information on all these projects is maintained for public review at the following locations:
Brownfields In 2001, the City received an EPA grant to develop a Brownfields inventory within the City and to study sites from that inventory which meet EPA criteria. A total of four (4) sites from the inventory were fully studied under the 2001 grant. These sites were the old City Garage adjacent to Hite Field (former Master Marble/Akro Agate site), Quality Foundry on Stiles Street in the Montpelier area, the former Clarksburg Iron & Steel yard on Ohio Avenue, which, for the grant, was identified as the West Virginia Mack site, and the old Wilson Bakery/original Clarksburg Casket Company property located on North Third Street in the Glen Elk II area. Several other properties were on the inventory but did not qualify for the environmental study. The former Master Marble/Akro Agate site was found to have limited environmental concerns and those items are being addressed by the City's Public Works Department. The original Clarksburg Casket site was also found to have limited concerns and was purchased from the Urban Renewal Authority by a private individual for a multi-storage development plan. The first stage was completed in 2003. USEPA provided total funding for this $200,000.00 Community-Wide Hazardous Substances Assessment Grant project.
Cleanup Grants In 2003, the USEPA established a program to provide environmental cleanup grants. The City applied for cleanup grants in the fall of 2003 for the Quality Foundry and West Virginia Mack sites, which were both found to have lead-contaminated soil, as well as other environmental issues requiring correction. No award was received at that time for the 2004 cleanup grants. The City re-submitted applications in the winter of 2004 and was notified of receipt of an award of an EPA Cleanup Grant for the West Virginia Mack site in June of 2005. This grant took effect October 3, 2005. In 2005, cleanup grant proposals for the Quality Foundry and Adamston Glass sites were submitted. The grants were approved in May 2006 with funding effective October 2, 2006.
WV Mack Site Clean-up The WV Mack site, which is located on the north side of Ohio Avenue in the Glen Elk II area of Clarksburg. The 11.38 acre site was used for a variety of activities including recycling materials collection, industrial junk yard, natural gas distribution company service center, and other commercial endeavors since the late 1800s. The assessment to determine specific environmental contamination identified the following:
The cleanup alternative selected based on input from the community was to enter into a State of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) for clean-up of site soils to a level acceptable for commercial use of the property. To date, the contaminated soil has been removed/disposed and an application to participate in the VRP Program has been submitted to WVDEP. The project is anticipated to be deemed complete by April 2008. Funding for this project is $130,000.00 for USEPA and $26,000.00 from the City of Clarksburg. Once the VRP is completed, this property will be sold.
Quality Foundry Clean-up The Quality Foundry site is located on Stiles Street in the Montpelier section of Clarksburg. The 0.5-acre site was used for a variety of commercial activities, including lumber yard/planning mill (prior to 1920s) and ferrous metal foundry (1920s until 1990s). The cleanup alternatives selected based upon input from the community was to enter into a State of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) for clean-up of site soils to a level acceptable for commercial use of the property. In order to safely perform the asbestos abatement and soil over excavation/disposal, it was necessary to demolish the building. To date, the contaminated soil has been removed/disposed and an application to participate in the VRP Program is in preparation for submission to WVDEP. This project is anticipated to be deemed complete by September 2008. Funding for the project is $80,000.00 from EPA and $16,000.00 from the City of Clarksburg. Once the VRP is completed, the property will be marketed for future commercial development.
Adamston Flat Glass Clean-up The Adamston Flat Glass site is located in the Adamston portion of the City. The site was used for the manufacturing of glass from the 1920s until the early 1980s when it closed. The main site building was demolished in the 1990s, but a process "smoke stack" was still in-place. The interior of this stack was found to have heavy metal contamination. In addition, on-site soils demonstrated arsenic contamination. The cleanup alternative selected based upon input from the community was to enter into a State of West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) for clean-up of stack materials and receipt of a Certificate of Completion requiring engineering controls and land use restrictions to address the arsenic concern. In order to safely remove the contaminates from the stack, the stack was demolished. To date, the stack issue has been addressed and the site is being processed through the WVDEP VRP. The project is anticipated to be completed by September 2008. Funding for the project is $150,000.00 from EPA and $30,000.00 from the City of Clarksburg. Once the VRP is complete, the property will be marketed for commercial use.
APPLICATION FOR 2008 USEPA BROWNFIELDS COMMUNITY-WIDE PETROLEUM ASSESSMENT GRANT The City is in the process of applying for a Community-Wide Petroleum Assessment Grant. A public meeting was held on May 8, 2007 to review the criteria and plans for the Grant Proposal. Based on the public comment and interest by City Council, the City is applying for the grant, which if successful, will be awarded in 2008. The value of this totally funded EPA Grant is $200,000.00. This grant would be used to perform Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments of low-risk petroleum-contaminated sites, such as gasoline stations, which are out of business and the property is either abandoned or underutilized. A copy of the City's Grant Proposal is contained at the following locations:
Community Wide Petroleum Assessment Grant
BROWNFIELDS CONTACTS FOR CITY OF CLARKSBURG Questions concerning the USEPA and City of Clarksburg Brownfields Program can be directed to Anthony Bellotte, Brownfields Coordinator (abellotte@cityofclarksburgwv.com) or John Keeling, City Engineer (john@msesinc.com). The City has retained environmental experts through the USEPA Compliant Procurement Process to assist with these projects. These experts are also available to provide specific project information.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||