Land in 3 different flavors. Brownfield Redevelopment.

Land in 3 different flavors

Brownfield Redevelopment

Land comes in three colors? What’s a Brownfield?

• Greenfield Site– Undeveloped land such as forests and fields– Suitable for development

• Greyfield Site– Previously developed area left unpolluted

• Brownfield Site– Developed or abandoned land available for new building– Polluted by hazardous substances, pollutants, or

contaminants– Pollution may halt development due to

• Uncertainty about pollution amounts• Uncertainty about cost of clean-up

Recent History

• In the early 1990’s, the federal government and the States began to focus attention on the problems associated with brownfield sites.

• Previously, brownfield sites were particularly undesirable to own due the current liability for past problems.

• In 2002, a new federal Brownfields Law expanded funding for assessment, cleanup, and job training.

• In CT, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has the primary responsibility for assessment and cleanup.

Former CT Governor Rowland in Naugatuck, CT (I lived right near this factory)

Brownfield Sites in CT

• More than 290 sites across the state• Once used for commercial, industrial, or manufacturing

purposes• Now abandoned or unused due to suspected

contamination• CT Brownfield Inventory

– http://dep.state.ct.us/wst/remediation/brownfields/brownfieldsinventory.pdf

– Click on DEP Brownfields Inventory

Typical Brownfield Pollutants

• Industrial Solvents– Tetrachloroethylene– Trichloroethylene– Trichloroethane

• Heavy Metals– Mercury– Chromium– Lead– Arsenic– Cadmium

SourcesDry cleanersMachine shops

SourcesManufacturing plantsFoundriesCoal burning power plants

Typical Brownfield Pollutants

• Petroleum Products– Heating oil from homes or factories– Gasoline from gas stations– MTBE from gas stations– Benzene from industrial plants– Toluene from industrial plants– Xylene from industrial plants

• Located in USTs– Underground Storage Tanks

Project Stages

• Inventory of Sites: what’s there and how much• Assessment: Can reclamation occur? • Funding: Federal and/or Private

– Amount required for each stage of redevelopment

• Remedial Design and Construction – Apply appropriate technology to clean or contain

pollution– 13 approved clean-up technologies just for USTs– Each site clean-up is specific to the pollutants and

geology of that site

• Package site for sale or development

Assessment

• Develop understanding of:– Type of pollutants– Horizontal & vertical extent of pollution

• Impact on the environment– Are streams, lakes, rivers polluted?– Is the underground water table polluted?– Is the pollution localized or widespread?– Are plants/animals affected?

Impact of Pollutants

Source: http://ewr.cee.vt.edu/environmental/teach/gwprimer/btex/btex.html

Case Study: Georgetown Land Development – Gilbert and Bennett Mill

• In 1998, after 150 years of manufacturing wire cloth, netting, fencing and other goods, the Gilbert & Bennett Company closed its 55-acre Georgetown wire mill facility in the town of Redding, CT, and filed for bankruptcy.

• In 2002 the property was acquired by Georgetown Land Development.

Case Study: Georgetown Land Development – Gilbert and Bennett Mill

• Extensive testing of soil, water and buildings revealed that there was:– Soil contaminated with fuel oil– Soil contaminated with solvents– Soil contaminated with high levels of

metals such as zinc– Buildings contaminated with asbestos

Case Study: Georgetown Land Development – Gilbert and Bennett Mill

• The redevelopment plan includes 416 residential units, including artists’-style worklofts in the former Weaver Building, stand-alone homes, and townhouses. In addition, there will be office space.

• The project also includes a new wastewater plant, the construction of a train station with a new parking garage on the Metro North Commuter Railroad and a new location of the Wilton Y).

• Construction on the wastewater plant is underway. Residential construction will begin in 2007.

Case Study: Georgetown Land Development – Gilbert and Bennett Mill

• And of course there will be environmental remediation….– Hydrocarbon-contaminated soil is being

treated with a combination of incineration, direct chemical oxidation and aeration with volatile components being captured with activated carbon.

– Asbestos is being carefully removed by liscensed asbestos contractors for landfill disposal.

– Heavy metal contamination will be contained beneath the parking garage. More test wells will be installed as part of the project to enable continued testing.

Case Study: Waterbury, CT Development – Brass Mill Center Mall

• The long defunct, brass manufacturing center, once comprised of more than 90 decaying buildings

• Processed brass until alternate/cheaper alternatives available

• 100-acre downtown site, was prepared for a rebirth.

Case Study: Waterbury, CT Development – Brass Mill Center Mall

• Removal of asbestos, lead paint, metals, solvents, oil, machinery, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contaminated materials.

• Over 200,000 cubic yards of debris was removed or recycled

• Soil vapor extraction and on-site treatment were used to treat the 155,000 tons of tainted soil.

Case Study: Waterbury, CT Development – Brass Mill Center Mall

• The entire demolition and remediation was completed well ahead of schedule and under budget

• construction of the 1,300,000 square foot Brass Mill Center was then completed

Your Task

• We have identified several Brownfield sites– Each student/group will receive a specific

Brownfield site to investigate

• Read and evaluate the site information-– Identify the contaminants present– Identify the effects of the contaminant on the

environment (land/water/plants/animal)– Determine how the site was cleaned up.

Selected Sites

1. Bunker Hill, Idaho Superfund Site– http://www.epa.gov/superfund/news/ch2m.htm

2. General Mills, Minneapolis, MN– http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/success/

casestud/gmillcsi.htm

3. WR Grace, Woburn, MA– http://frontpage.et.byu.edu/woburn/brief.htm

Selected Sites

4. Mallory Hat Factory, Danbury, CT– http://www.epa.gov/ne/pr/1999/100899.html– http://www.epa.gov/ne/pr/2000/031600c.html

5. Arkansas City Dump, KS– http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/success/

casestud/arkdcsi.htm

6. Durham Meadows, Durham, CT– http://yosemite.epa.gov/r1/npl_pad.nsf/

51dc4f173ceef51d85256adf004c7ec8/9434a73086e515c18525690d00449688!OpenDocument

Your Task

• Answer the following questions on your handout for your assigned Brownfield site.

1. Provide a general description of the site problem

2. Identify the contaminants and related environmental issues

3. How was the extent of contamination investigated?

4. Define the independent and dependent variables from the study

5. Define the data collected during the investigation

6. How will it be cleaned up?

Additional Information

Stages of Brownfield Developmenthttp://sunybrownfields.esf.edu/ProjectStages.htm#RDC

State of CT Brownfields Web Pagehttp://dep.state.ct.us/wst/remediation/brownfields/brownfields.htm

Information on the Gilbert & Bennett Millhttp://www.georgetownland.com/index.asp

UST Cleanup Technology Reviewhttp://www.epa.gov/swerust1/pubs/tums.htm

Analysis of UST Cleanup of Solventshttp://ewr.cee.vt.edu/environmental/teach/gwprimer/btex/btex.html

Groundwater Overview Articlehttp://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Oc-Po/Pollution-of-Groundwater.html