Brownfields redevelopment in Alaska
With giant mountain ranges, vast river valleys and thousands of miles of coastline, Alaska is a nature lover’s dream. Yet the very qualities that attract tourists can cause big headaches for brownfields. Simply raising awareness about brownfields is harder when everyone is surrounded by stunning natural beauty and what appears to be limitless wilderness. And that same vastness can hamper clean up efforts.
Fortunately, awareness of brownfield redevelopment is growing and the action is slated to continue, says John Carnahan. As the first-ever brownfield coordinator in the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Carnahan “works in concert” with large urban and small rural redevelopment projects.
Big city hopes for Fairbanks
Last year the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded funds to a project headed by the Fairbanks North Star Borough (a borough roughly five times the size of Rhode Island). Named the Chena Riverbend Redevelopment Project, its target area is a former city landfill that has blocked development on what should be prime real estate, right in the middle of Fairbanks and along the banks of the Chena River.
Sixty miles long, the Chena River is heavily used for both transportation and recreation by residents and tourists alike. Recent erosion along the river exposed some of the buried waste along its banks amid where children play and tourist boats travel…including rusty cars. So far, the project has been awarded two assessment grants: a Targeted Brownfield Assessment grant and a Brownfield Site Assessment grant.
The project borders one of the city’s most economically depressed neighborhoods. City leaders and activists have high hopes this riverside project will help spur economic improvement. The planned mixed-use development includes commercial space, sports facilities and a fish hatchery.
Revitalizing a neighborhood
Head about 360 miles south to Anchorage and the same type of excitement abounds about a project called the Mountain View Arts & Cultural District Redevelopment. The project is the recipient of a $2 million Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) grant as well as assessment funding.
The Mountain View project aims to revitalize one of Anchorage’s oldest neighborhoods by adding a large art and culture complex with opera house and studios for artists along with housing and businesses. The neighborhood was originally created in the 1940s to provide housing for people who helped build nearby military bases.
Remote areas bring special challenges
Brownfields aren’t only found in Alaska’s cities, however. Mining and the oil industry have resulted in brownfields even in the middle of literally nowhere. The very nature of the state’s vast terrain can challenge efforts to tackle these problem areas where access and lack of infrastructure cause cleanup costs to skyrocket.
“Cost of cleanup is always an issue in brownfield redevelopment, but especially in our remote areas. And we have no hazardous waste storage or facilities in our state,” explains Carnahan. Most of Alaska is remote, so a site that is “off the road” can mean pricey barge or airplane costs to dispose of contaminated soil or materials.
Deering, 450 miles north and west of Fairbanks and just 10 miles short of the Pacific Ocean, is a good example. A DEC assessment recently evaluated the former Utica gold-mine district just south of the community because there is interest in redeveloping the site as a tourism destination. The beauty and vastness of this area on the Seward Peninsula, just outside of the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, is unsurpassed.
But in terms of accommodations, working in Deering is a different story. Forget the laptop and bring a sleeping bag. Searching online for a hotel gets you this message: “The closest hotel is 500 miles away from here.” Yikes.
Another remote town, Nome was also awarded an EPA Cleanup Grant as part of their construction of a new power generation facility. An EPA fact sheet describes the city as “an isolated community accessible only by aircraft or ship during ice-free months.”
Conference in Alaska
Awareness of brownfields redevelopment opportunities in the northernmost state is growing, and gets a boost in early September. Alaska and National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) are jointly sponsoring a day-long workshop called “Community Development Opportunities for Alaska Brownfields.” The event will be held at the Egan Civic and Convention Center on September 7 in Anchorage where, fortunately, there are lots of hotels.
For information about the workshop, contact John B. Carnahan.
