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Brownfields along the Beltline

Brownfields along the Beltline. An Anthropological, Scientific and Historical Exploration of Contaminated Sites Near or On the Atlanta Beltline Frances Brionne Roberts-Gregory Environmental Science Major Spelman College Class of 2012. What is a Brownfield?.

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Brownfields along the Beltline

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  1. Brownfields along the Beltline An Anthropological, Scientific and Historical Exploration of Contaminated Sites Near or On the Atlanta Beltline Frances Brionne Roberts-Gregory Environmental Science Major Spelman College Class of 2012

  2. What is a Brownfield? • Sites where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant • Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002 expanded the definition of a brownfield to include mine-scarred lands or sites contaminated by petroleum or the manufacture of illegal drugs.

  3. Significance • City’s involvement in the cleanup of brownfield sites can be traced to 1996 when it received funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a pilot project in select communities • Increase the tax base, create thousands of new jobs, bring new housing to the city, stimulate public and private investment, and make unproductive land useful for redevelopment purposes

  4. Significance • “In early November, Forbes.com named Atlanta the most toxic city in the country, describing it as “the U.S. metro in the worst environmental shape.” But Atlanta has also made news in recent years for its commitment to sustainability and for Mayor Shirley Franklin’s ambitious plans to get the city on a “green” track.”- http://www.emory.edu/EMORY_MAGAZINE/2010/winter/mahoney.html • “Look at Atlantic Station,” Mahoney says of the vibrant live-work-shop district. “That’s the largest brownfield remediation in the country. It was formerly a steel mill and very polluted . . . now it has totally transformed that part of town.”

  5. Clean Up • Encourages cleanup and redevelopment of America’s estimated 450,000 brownfields sites • EPA has awarded 1449 assessment grants totaling over $337.3 million, 242 revolving loan fund grants totaling over $233.4 million, and 534 cleanup grants totaling $93.3 million • Estimated 950 brownfield properties within Atlanta • 136 brownfields along the BeltLine • $400,000 grant from EPA • clean up brownfields along BeltLine • environmental site assessments, cleanup planning and community outreach activities. 

  6. City of Atlanta Brownfield Program

  7. City of Atlanta Contacts James E. Shelby, Commissioner –DPCD Charletta Wilson Jacks, Director –Office of Planning Garnett Brown, Assistant Director –Office of Planning Charles Whatley, Director of Commerce and Entrepreneurship –Atlanta Development Authority

  8. Brownfields Along the Beltline • “One of the largest efforts underway to remediate environmentally contaminated properties in the urban core.  The success of the 138-acre Atlantic Station project in Atlanta demonstrates the value and benefits of cleaning up and redeveloping contaminated properties within the City of Atlanta.” • Estimated 1,100 acres of brownfields within the 6,500 acre Atlanta BeltLine

  9. Methodology • Attended APAB and Beltline 101 Meetings • Conducted Phone, Email and In Person Interviews with government officials and concerned community members • Analyzed Different Perspectives on Brownfields/Contaminated Sites along Beltline • Drew Conclusions

  10. Interview Findings • Views on Beltline Varied Drastically • Lack of Input • Definition of a Brownfield • Historical Importance of Contamination • Insufficient Health Disparities • Livable Remediated Areas • Stanton Park, Historic 4th Ward Park, Old Exxon Battery Plant • Poor and Blacks High Risk • Environmental Justice • Unregulated Dumps • Ethics of Government Response

  11. Case Study- Ansley North Beltline Tract • MACTEC Engineering and Consulting, Inc. • Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I) • identified arsenic in shallow soil • remediation may be required, depending on future land use • Groundwater conditions • Georgia Voluntary Brownfield Program • removal of the railroad ties, • properly disposed in a permitted landfill or incinerated • Limited testing 2004 and 2006 identified volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in soil • Former use of fuels, oils, hydraulic fluids and lubricants associated with historical train traffic • Metals were detected in soil below Notification Concentrations. • Trichloroethene detected in deep groundwater near the southern end of the property • likely originated from an upgradient dry cleaning facility in operation since at least 1970. • Suspected regulated constituents in shallow soils include herbicides historically used for weed control along railroad tracts. • Herbicides used in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendation are exempt under HSRA

  12. Case Study • Geophysical survey conducted • Excavation of hazardous constituents and petroleum contaminants in compliance with Georgia's Type 1 Risk Reduction Standards (RRS), • excavated and removed approx.4879 tons (3750 cubic yards) of soil • redeveloped with residential lofts and the client received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IV Brownfields Award

  13. Case Study – Atlantic Station and Aerotropolis Atlanta (130 acres) • Atlantic Station • Redevelopment of the former Atlantic Steel site in Midtown Atlanta • 10 years ago no brownfield law in Georgia • Removal 165,000 tons of soil, established ground water monitoring in perpetuity, encapsulated the site in a belt-and-suspenders approach with a hard cap (roads, buildings, etc.) and soft cap (two feet of clean dirt); and used a conservation easement, LEED certification • Aerotropolis Atlanta • Redevelopment of the former Ford plant adjacent to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport • Ford selected Jacoby Development for the redevelopment of its Atlanta site in February 2008 • More than 95 percent of the existing structures were recycled including: all concrete (more than 100,000 cubic yards) crushed and reused; and all steel (structural and stainless from the plant), tin (siding and roofing), copper and brass (more than 40,000 tons of recycled metals) recycled in Georgia and the Southeast via rail directly from the site for greatest fuel efficiency and least environmental and highway impact.

  14. Analysis • Disconnect between Beltline Perception and Community Reality • Importance of Transportation • Diversity of Players Involved • More Funding and Education Needed • Dissemination of Information

  15. Challenges and Improvements • Procrastination • Follow Up Interviews • Unfinished Research/Time Constraints • Questionnaire Methodology • Increased and Better Quality Participation

  16. Conclusion • Brownfield Remediation key to Beltline Implementation • Increased Awareness • Economic and Health Benefits • Increased Community Input

  17. Acknowledments • Beltline Class • Beltline Professors • Jerry Weaver, Shirley Franklin, Tom Weyandt, Fatima Shafiei, Jewel Harper • Garnett Brown • Ben Howard • Camilla Warren • Concerned Community Members and Governmental Officials

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