Brownfields Update for the Pacific Northwest

The Alaska Forum on the Environment (AFE) is the state’s largest environmental conference, bringing together participants from a broad range of disciplines and organizations. In this month’s issue, we review the Brownfield topics that are the focus of AFE sessions. Among them are the ever-present  issue of funding, program building for the Tribal Response Programs (TRPs), and the opportunity to share successes and new ideas among  the EPA, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and many tribal communities that face Brownfield challenges.

The 2010 AFE, taking place February 8 through 12, is the 12^th annual conference that brings together state, local, federal, military, private, and native leaders to discuss the latest matters dealing with the unique physical and policy environment of Alaska. Included in the 80 breakout sessions, the AFE film series, keynote events, and workshops are those of interest to Brownfield professionals and stakeholders.

First, on Tuesday, February 9, the EPA and DEC will lead a session on their respective assessment programs in the state: EPA’s Targeted Brownfield Assessments (TBAs) and DEC’s Brownfield Assessment (DBA) program. The DEC’s DBA program is especially active conducting assessments for Alaska communities. Of the 230 tribal communities in the state, only one Alaska tribe is eligible to apply for federal EPA assessment grants. This differs from tribes in the lower 48 due to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and how the ownership of native lands was resolved. The exemption from the EPA competitive grant program creates greater economic hurdles to redeveloping Brownfields in Alaska’s tribal communities.

[Note: The DEC Brownfield Assessment (DBA) request period is now open. The deadline for receipt of DBA requests is February 19, 2010. For more information, visit: http://www.dec.state.ak.us/spar/csp/brownfields.htm#assess.]

On Wednesday, February 10, DEC and EPA will be joined by three Alaska Tribal Response Program coordinators in a joint presentation on Brownfields in Alaska. The EPA and DEC representatives will talk about how they are supporting Brownfield projects across the state, including their work helping TRPs set up and build capacity in their Brownfield programs. TRP coordinators will make presentations about their activities with Brownfields in their communities, including using TRP resources to develop their Brownfield inventories and identify sources of assistance for Brownfield redevelopment projects. TRPs participating in the presentation include the Kuskokwim River Watershed Council, the Organized Village of Kasaan, and the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe.

Brownfield activity funding, always a major topic when talking about Brownfields, resurfaces Thursday the 11 when DEC will host an all-day workshop, co-sponsored by the Alaska Forum, for state and tribal Brownfield program leaders. Representatives from all 13 TRPs are expected to attend.

Though not completely focused on funding, the workshop will have many funding resource experts in attendance besides those from EPA and DEC. The Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR), through its Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities (TAB) program, is sending well-known Brownfield redevelopment expert, Ignacio Dayrit, to make a short presentation on Brownfield funding.  Dayrit also will be on hand all day to provide specific one-on-one Brownfield funding advice. Cathy Villa from EPA’s Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (IGAP) will speak about collaboration between EPA’s IGAP and Brownfields programs. Additionally, Janet Davis from the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development will provide information about how to use Community Development Block Grants for the redevelopment of Brownfield projects. Another presenter, Stan Tomaszewski, Brownfield coordinator for the Maniilaq Association, based in Kotzebue, will talk about how Maniilaq is coordinating its Brownfield inventory with a recycling and backhaul program.

For additional more information about the Forum, the workshop or other aspects of EPA’s and DEC’s Alaska Brownfield programs, contact:

John Carnahan
Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
907-451-2166
john.carnahan@alaska.gov

Sonja Benson
DEC Reuse & Redevelopment Program
907-451-2156
sonja.benson@alaska.gov

Deborah Williams, Brownfield Program Specialist
907-451-5174
deborah.williams@alaska.gov

Susan Morales, EPA Brownfields Region 10 Coordinator and Alaska Lead
Seattle, WA
206-553-7299
morales.susan@epa.gov

Mary Goolie, EPA Brownfields Project Manager
Anchorage, AK
907-271-3414
goolie.mary@epa.gov

[The Idaho story this month expands the discussion of a Brownfield project in Boise mentioned in a previous newsletter article.]

Successful Brownfield redevelopment projects often start with a vision. That’s certainly true of a project in Boise where one man’s vision and persistence is helping turn an unused, dilapidated building into a much needed space for children’s performing and visual arts. The project illustrates how fulfilling that vision often requires overcoming complex and costly obstacles.

Jon Swarthout had driven by the old stone building in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Boise for years. A native of the city, his memories of this “place of mystery” went back to his childhood. Now, as Founder and Artistic Director of the Treasure Valley Institute for the Arts (TrICA), Jon wondered from time to time if the building would be the perfect place for his arts education center as well as a performance space. Built as a Methodist church in 1907, the building had been converted into an apartment building. More recently, it was unoccupied, boarded up and fenced off.

Driving past a few years ago, Jon stopped to talk with someone he soon found to be the owner of the building. This began a two year friendship between the two men, ultimately leading to the property owner’s agreement to sell the building for renovation to the children’s art center.

As TrICA was being formed, Jon purchased the property with a private loan.  However the transaction did not undergo the level of due diligence normally required from professional lenders. He was aware the property had structural challenges but did not know of all the contamination subsequently found to be present. In addition to lead-based paint, the building contained the remnants of contamination from a former drug lab.  According to Jon, the cost of assessment, remediation and renovation was quite a shock. At the time, he was not aware of Brownfields or the programs possibly available to help.

Coincidentally, Keith Donohue, former Brownfields Coordinator for the Idaho DEQ, introduced Jon to the world of Brownfield tools. Keith serves on TrICA’s Board of Directors where his children are students.  Keith advised Jon where he might find assistance to fund the Brownfield-related work the building needed as he prepared to formally transfer the property to TrICA.

Taking Keith’s advice, Jon began working with various entities to help with the building’s restoration. The Idaho DEQ provided $36,000 in funding from its Site Specific Assessment program to pay for an assessment and cleanup plans and related activities, such as structural improvements to the building’s interior.  The ASTM Phase I assessment that was completed as part of this work provided much needed information about the property but also helped TrICA qualify as a Bona Fide Prospective Purchaser, thus protecting them from future liability and making them eligible for Brownfields cleanup funding.

The structural work is being paid for as a part of the remediation whose funding is from an EPA-funded Revolving Loan Fund managed by Sage Community Resources one of Idaho’s economic development agencies. The building’s designation as an endangered historic place helped attract funds for roof repairs from the Trust for Historic Preservation.

The project is closing in on completion of phase one, resulting in a stabilized and remediated shell. TrICA will then embark on completing phase two, an extensive design and renovation of the building’s interior. Efforts have already begun to raise the $4 million needed to fund this work, allowing for the building’s reopening in the summer of 2010.

As an added bonus, the project will be eligible for Idaho’s Community Reinvestment Pilot Initiative created to entice property owners to participate in the Voluntary Cleanup Program. The Initiative offers rebates of up to $150,000 in cleanup costs to qualifying projects.

A related story about Jon and his dream may be found here.

For more information about this project, contact:

Aaron Scheff, Brownfields Program Manager
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality
208-373-0420
aaron.scheff@deq.idaho.gov

A site near Adair Village, Oregon illustrates some of the common challenges faced by those wanting to redevelop a Brownfield site. Though the City of Adair Village took possession after a No Further Action letter was given to the prior owners, the subsequent discovery of additional contamination complicated redevelopment in a situation referred to as a “re-opener.” Another challenge is the lack of resources in time and personnel to champion the site and create a straightforward, cohesive vision for its reuse. There also is the ubiquitous challenge that faces many Brownfield owners; the lack of funding needed to perform the assessment and remediation necessary to attract redevelopment.

Camp Adair was a US Army training facility from 1942 to 1946, giving rise to nearby Adair Village, built to serve the 45,000 people stationed at the camp at the height of World War II.  In the 1960s, the site of present day Adair Village was part of a US Air Force SAGE (Semi-Automatic Ground Environment) radar facility.  Following the facility’s closure by the US government in the 1970s, Camp Adair was used by successive owners as a mill site. When the most recent mill owner ceased operation in 1981, the property was divided into three segments, with 128 acres donated to the community of Adair Village. This occurred after the cleanup of the wood preservative pentachlorophenol, left by the mill’s operations, was accomplished. The state made a No Further Action determination in 1991 that applied only to the cleanup of pentachlorophenol.

The portion of the mill property owned by the City is not contiguous to other Adair Village property, posing a challenge to redevelopment. Another problem is that the site has limited access and insufficient transportation routes and infrastructure.

In 1997, the Oregon DEQ reopened its file for the site, recommending further assessment based on possible dioxin contamination associated with pentachlorophenol use. In 2003, the EPA performed a Targeted Brownfield Assessment that revealed previously undiscovered dioxin contamination in two ponds on the property. The report recommended that more assessment be undertaken to adequately estimate the extent and location of this additional contamination.

The site has attracted the attention of several state agencies that have come together to move the site towards redevelopment. The Department of State Lands has had some wetlands delineation involvement at the site. The state’s economic development agency, Business Oregon, has funded additional assessment and an enhanced, though limited, phase II environmental site assessment. The DEQ continues to work with the city on overcoming barriers to redevelopment.

Business Oregon has also worked with the City to create a vision for the end-use of the property, an important component of any Brownfield project. This will make it easier for the City to acquire funding for assessment and cleanup and attract a potential developer. One possibility is a conceptual plan involving light industrial development that will attract jobs to the area. To that end, the City has discussed designating the site as a County Enterprise Zone, if the Benton County Enterprise Zone expands to rural areas.  It is currently zoned “rural industrial.”

City leaders believe there are many positive aspects to the site. As the sole owner, the City is already in control of the property, eliminating one of the most common obstacles to redevelopment. There is a major rail line on the eastern border of the site. The property is situated 1/2 mile from Highway 99, a major north-south transportation route. There are wetlands on the property that could be incorporated into a reuse scenario, the site is adjacent to a wildlife sanctuary, and there are no nearby neighbors.

Despite these assets, the site remains challenged. Part of that challenge is now coming from the economic downturn affecting all Brownfield redevelopment efforts. The project is also competing with other city priorities for funding and other resources of manpower and time. It should also be noted that the site is not completely idle, with a couple of uncontaminated acres being leased to a recycling facility. That represents a viable path for the city to take in redeveloping the entire site, the parcelization of the site, redeveloping or selling uncontaminated areas, the proceeds of which are used to fund further redevelopment. However, in order to do this, more assessment is needed to determine which areas are “clean” and which are not.

In 2008, Adair Village applied for an EPA Brownfield Assessment grant with the help of an environmental consultant. Unfortunately, the application was not funded. Plans are underway to reapply in the 2011 grant cycle.

The site remains a work in progress. The city is very interested in redevelopment but with the limitations on funds and no clear path forward, the site still faces considerable obstacles. The hope is that the site will attract the attention of someone or some entity who will champion redevelopment and that an economic recovery will make redevelopment of the site more attractive. There also is the hope of additional assessment funding from the EPA or the state.

For more information on this Brownfield site, contact:

Drew Foster, City Administrator
City of Adair Village
541-745-5507
drew.foster@adairvillage.org

Mary Camarata, ERT Representative
Oregon DEQ
541-687-7435
camarata.mary@deq.state.or.us

This month, we revisit a Brownfield project in the eastern Washington city of Palouse, the recipient of an Integrated Planning Grant (IPG) awarded by the state Department of Ecology. The purpose of these grants is to help cities and other governmental bodies with the early planning and visioning stages of Brownfield redevelopment. They fund activities critical to moving a project past the starting point. This information can attract additional funding for cleanup and ultimately, position a site for redevelopment.

Integrated Planning Grants were created to assist communities with two major aspects of Brownfield projects. First, they fund assessments a city can use to perform due diligence on a property it is interested in acquiring where the kind and amount of contamination is not known. Secondly, the grant provides funding for creating a vision of what the end use for a Brownfield might be and integrating that vision into the overall community plan. Generally, an IPG incorporates Brownfield clean-up, community-building and economic development.

The Palouse Producers Brownfield site is a former bulk fuel facility and service station in the core of downtown Palouse on Main Street, adjacent to historic buildings and the Palouse River. Previous environmental investigations have revealed petroleum in the soil and groundwater. In 2009, the city was granted an IPG to further evaluate the site’s environmental conditions and investigate redevelopment opportunities.

In the summer of 2009, Palouse engaged an environmental consultant to begin work under the grant. The consultant’s work plan called for the project to be done in two phases. (Not to be confused with phase I and II environmental site assessments). Recently completed phase I consisted of an overall analysis of the community’s intrinsic assets, development trends within the community, opportunities for future development and how these components fit into a regulatory framework. The end result was an “existing conditions report” presented to the community at an October 2009 meeting attended by about 75 people.

Due to the emphasis of the IPG program on creating a consensus vision for redevelopment of a Brownfield site, community involvement is an important part of the project in Palouse. While creating the existing conditions report, the consultant engaged the community through a variety a means. Local high school students undertook research into historical records of the site, similar to that required for an environmental site investigation. Additionally, community members were interviewed about their vision for the site and how that vision might fit into long-term plans for downtown Palouse. The thriving proprietors of shops and boutiques in the area were consulted to ascertain how a vision for the downtown economy would complement the existing conditions.  All that information was incorporated into the first phase of the project.

Phase two of the project is just beginning and will proceed on two main tracks. On the technical side, the consultant will perform an in-depth on-site investigation to fill data gaps in an EPA Targeted Brownfield Assessment performed in 2008. As with most Brownfield sites, the nature and extent of the contamination will help determine its end use possibilities and position it for acquisition by the city. The chosen end use is anticipated to enhance the Palouse riverfront through improved connectivity with the downtown area, offering better public access and habitat restoration along the river.

The other track in this second phase of the project is at the heart of the “integrated planning” part of the IPG process: coupling economic analysis with a community vision to encourage momentum towards redevelopment.

Though the city’s vision for the site is a work in progress, City leaders consider their past successes in developing aspects of Main Street and the way it has developed on its own as the direction they would like to take. Over the years the city has been adept at finding grants and other support for downtown improvements, such as attractive street lights, a small park with public facilities, and storefront improvements that give Palouse an artistic, creative environment. The IPG work will bring together the experience of city leaders with local development with the broader regional experience of their consultant to create a professionally-guided vision for the future of the Brownfield site and the entire downtown.

Leaders anticipate that the additional assessment being done on the site, together with a solid vision for its reuse, will position Palouse to market the property for redevelopment that is consistent with the vision and end use determined by the citizens.

For more information on this project, contact:

Mayor Michael Echanove
Palouse City Hall
East 120 Main Street
P.O. Box 248
Palouse, WA 99161-0248
509-878-1811
echanove@palouse.com