In Washington's Landing, a small island near Pittsburgh, a transformatin is taking place. A sense of renewal is in the air where people once had difficulty breathing because of the stench from a nearby slaughterhouse.
Pollutants from the slaughterhouse contaminated a large area, and much of the property was considered unusable. As a solution to the problem, the government began working with private developers to recover the land.
Through agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many of these lands are being cleaned up, although cleaning the properties to their natural state is often too costly to accomplish. In these cases, the properties are restored to a level that is considered safe for human habitation. Properties that are cleaned to this level are known as "brownfields."
"Brownfields are not heavily contaminated properties," says Jim Hanson, EPA brownfields coordinator. "It's not only safe, but it's generally profitable to recycle these sites."
After the chemical contaminants are cleaned up, the properties are opened to developers .
"We were able to see through the significant mess that was here to see what it might be," says Murray Rust, a builder on Washington's Landing. "Happily, that's what it has become."
New technology that makes cleanup faster, cheaper and more effective is helping to speed up the reclamation process. In the past, soil was dug up and removed. Though that was effective, it was also very expensive. With the new technology, injection points are drilled and the soil is treated in place. No earth is disturbed, so cleanup and reuse can go on at the same time.
"The contamination here is in the soil and the groundwater," says Gary Keyes, principal engineer in charge of cleanup at one brownfield site. "It's not in a place where people can touch it, breathe it or ingest it."
The new technology uses microorganisms that work to consume and neutralize the contamination. A molasses-based solution is pumped into contaminated areas to promote the growth of the microorganisms and speed up the cleanup process.
"It's down to the point in many places that it can't be detected anymore," says Steve Brussee, an environmental engineer who monitors the cleanup.
But even though the land is considered safe to live on, people don't generally jump at the chance to live there. Many are apprehensive about living on a formerly contaminated site. For instance, when Phillip and Hadley Fierlinger's landlord told them that their new house in Emeryville, California, was built on the site of a former chromium plating facility, they were concerned. They used the Internet to research the potential hazards and eventually were convinced that the land was safe.
"It's a big challenge to attract people into a brownfield community," says Donald Montgomery, a Washington's Landing architect. "It requires a good location and a great design."
"If it doesn't impress the buyer immediately, you're in trouble," says Donald. "It has to have romance. People have to stop and fall in love with it."
Resources Arcadis, Geraghty & Miller, Inc.
Contact Gary Keyes and Steven Brussee, Environmental Engineers
Arcadis, Geraghty & Miller, Inc.
1050 Marina Way S
Richmond, CA 94804
Phone: 510-233-3200
Fax: 510-233-3204
Guests Murray Rust
Builder
Montgomery & Rust
4284 Route 8
Allison Park, PA 15101
Phone: 412-487-6990
Fax: 412-487-4942
Donald Montgomery
Architect
Montgomery & Rust
4284 Route 8
Allison Park, PA 15101
Phone: 412-487-6990
Fax: 412-487-4942
James Hanson
Brownfields Coordinator
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
75 Hawthorne St.
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-744-2237
URL:
www.epa.gov
Judy Garvens
Former Administrative Manager
Electro Coatings
3220-A Sacremento St.
Berkley, CA 94702
Phone: 510-450-9790
Email:
admin@electro-coatings.com
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