Sample records for brownfields

  1. RCRA, Superfund and EPCRA hotline training module. Introduction to: Brownfields economic redevelopment initiative and environmental justice (updated february 1998)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    Topics addressed include the following: Authority for the Brownfields Initiative; The Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative; (Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots; Brownfields Revolving Loan Funds Pilots; Brownfields National Partnership Action Agenda; Brownfields Showcase Communities; Clarification of Liability Issues; Partnership and Outreach; Job Development and Training; and Brownfields Tax Incentive); Environmental Justice; and Summary.

  2. Brownfields and Land Revitalization Programmatic Information

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This asset contains resources provided by EPA's Brownfields and Land Revitalization program that can be used for the assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of brownfields sites and land revitalization activities. To help implement the program, EPA provides information on the Brownfields law, success stories from Brownfields grantees, technical information and resources to aid in the assessment and cleanup of brownfields properties, partnerships to promote the cleanup and reuse of Brownfields, and initiatives that explore sector-based solutions, enhance environmental quality, spur economic development, and revitalize communities. This asset includes fact sheets, success stories, training, policy, and guidance documents. Regulatory authority for the collection and use of this information is found in the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002 (the Brownfields Law), which amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980.

  3. Brownfields

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Brownfields site provides information about brownfields sites and cleanup and reuse challenges and liabilities. It will showcase activities and accomplishments and provide info on funding opportunities and collaboration in brownfields redevelopment.

  4. Region 6 Targeted Brownfields Assessment

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    A Target Brownfields Assessment (TBA) is a free service the EPA Region 6 Brownfields Team provides to communities to support their eligible brownfields projects. Region 6 consists of Arkansas, Louisiana, new Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

  5. Region 6 Targeted Brownfields Assessment Brochure

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    A Target Brownfields Assessment (TBA) is a free service the EPA Region 6 Brownfields Team provides to communities to support their eligible brownfields projects. Region 6 consists of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

  6. Basic brownfields

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jacobs, B.L.

    This article is a basic guide to the brownfields problem. It will define the problem and will attempt to identify the various causes thereof. It also will review federal brownfields initiatives and state brownfields reforms in Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

  7. Cleanups In My Community (CIMC) - Brownfields Grant Jurisdictions, National Layer

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This data layer provides access to Brownfields Grant Jurisdictions as part of the CIMC web service. The data represent polygonal boundaries that show different types of grants. Only properties benefiting from EPA Brownfields grant funding and technical assistance appear in Cleanups in My Community. There are different types of grants and each grant covers a specific area of geography. Grant areas can overlap, and often do. On the map, Brownfields jurisdictions will be shown as colored boundaries. Grant Jurisdictions have their own reports and fact sheet. For more information on Brownfields grants, see Brownfields Grants and Funding at https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding.The CIMC web service was initially published in 2013, but the data are updated on the 18th of each month. The full schedule for data updates in CIMC is located here: https://iaspub.epa.gov/enviro/data_update_v2.

  8. THE USE OF SPATIAL ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL BROWNFIELDS SITES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underutilized properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. Most Brownfields sites are located in urban, commercial, and industrial areas. Under the Brownfields Program, the United...

  9. Brownfields Grants Information

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This asset includes all types of information regarding Brownfields grant programs that subsidize/support Brownfield cleanup. This includes EPA's Brownfields Program grant funding for brownfields assessment, cleanup, revolving loans, and environmental job training. Assessment grants provide funding for a grant recipient to inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct planning and community involvement related to brownfield sites. Revolving Loan Fund Grants enable States, political subdivisions, and Indian tribes to make low interest loans to carryout cleanup activities at brownfields properties. Cleanup grants provide funding for a grant recipient to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Grants are designed to provide funding to eligible entities, including nonprofit organizations, to recruit, train, and place predominantly low-income and minority, unemployed and under-employed residents of solid and hazardous waste-impacted communities with the skills needed to secure full-time, sustainable employment in the environmental field and in the assessment and cleanup work taking place in their communities. Training, Research, and Technical Assistance Grants provide funding to eligible organizations to provide training, research, and technical assistance to facilitate brownfields cleanup. Regulatory authority for the collection and use of this information is found in the Small Business Liability Relief

  10. Market-Smart Deconstruction and Material Recovery at Brownfield Sites: How to Identify and Reuse Existing Materials Found at Brownfield Sites

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-06-01

    efforts to assess , remediate, and sustainably reuse brownfields . This project is based on the premise that communities have finite resources and that the...this work is to develop tools and guidance for brownfields partners to assess the potential of extracting construction material assets from...buildings, structures, and infrastructure on brownfield sites, and to reuse or recycle this material. This assessment will address the physical

  11. Brownfields opportunity -- A product of a probusiness USEPA

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anderson, K.E.

    Brownfields are former industrial facilities, office buildings or other properties that have been abandoned or are no longer in use. They may be returned as a beneficial asset of a company with prudent planning and by completing selected activities. The tangible economic impacts of a Brownfield property often result in lost taxes and lost jobs. In order to return a Brownfield property to beneficial use various activities are involved, which may include the services provided by many or all of the following: attorneys, financiers, insurance firms, business planners and operators, and environmental consultants. The melding of these diverse resources formore » a specific project must be determined on a case-by-case basis in a flexible manner. Consistent with the desire of much of the populace to return Brownfields to meaningful assets, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has now adopted a practical, profitable and reasonably low-risk program termed the Brownfields Incentive. Included in the Brownfields Incentive program are more reasonable, yet safe, cleanup levels. Additionally, this program provides specific protection for Brownfields participants from fines, sanctions and legal actions. Consistent with the USEPA`s program, approximately 40 states have also initiated or are planning to initiate Brownfields programs. It is obvious that programs exist at the Federal and State levels to enable the reasonable redevelopment of existing abandoned or vacant properties. The ability to form a team of professionals to redevelop a Brownfield property is required. A proper team of professionals, each performing activities required to return the property to a functioning status, will assure the success of a Brownfield project.« less

  12. 78 FR 23245 - FY2013 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grantees

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-18

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9789-7] FY2013 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields Revolving... Availability of Funds. SUMMARY: EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) plans to make... Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(3). Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan...

  13. TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND CLEANING UP IRON AND STEEL MILL SITES UNDER THE BROWNFIELDS INITIATIVE

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document provides brownfields planners with an overview of the technical methods that can be used to achieve successful site assessment and cleanup which are two key components of the brownfields redevelopment process. No two brownfields sites are identical and planners will...

  14. TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND CLEANING UP AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SITES UNDER THE BROWNFIELDS INITIATIVE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The document provides brownfields planners with an overview of the technical methods that can be used to achieve successful site assessment and cleanup which are two key components of the brownfields redevelopment process. No two brownfields sites are identical and planners will...

  15. 76 FR 17662 - Notice of Submission of Proposed Information Collection to OMB Brownfields Economic Development...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-30

    ... Proposed Information Collection to OMB Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Grant Application... subject proposal. BEDU we designed to help local governments redevelop brownfields, defined in the NOFA as... responses. This notice also lists the following information: Title of Proposal: Brownfields Economic...

  16. 77 FR 16030 - FY2012 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grantees

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-19

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9649-8] FY2012 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields Revolving... availability of funds. SUMMARY: EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) plans to make... Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(3). Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan...

  17. TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND CLEANING UP METAL FINISHING SITES UNDER THE BROWNFIELDS INITIATIVE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The document provides brownfields planners with an overview of the technical methods that can be used to achieve successful site assessment and cleanup which are two key components of the brownfields redevelopment process. No two brownfields sites are identical and planners will...

  18. 75 FR 35456 - Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) or Superfund...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-22

    ... and Liability Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Brownfields Amendments, Section 104(k); Notice of Revisions to FY2011 Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants AGENCY... applicants in preparing proposals for grants to assess and clean up brownfield sites. EPA's Brownfields...

  19. 77 FR 58127 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; EPA ICR No. 2104...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-19

    ... . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Lentz, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, (5105T.... Title: Brownfields Program--Accomplishment Reporting (Renewal). ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2104.04, OMB... and Brownfields Revitalization Act (Pub. L. 107-118) (``the Brownfields Amendments'') was signed into...

  20. 76 FR 2905 - FY2011 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grantees

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-18

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9254-1] FY2011 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields Revolving... availability of funds. SUMMARY: EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) plans to make..., Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(3). Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF...

  1. 75 FR 10793 - FY2010 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grantees

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-09

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9124-3] FY2010 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields Revolving... Availability of Funds. SUMMARY: EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) plans to make..., Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9604(k)(3). Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF...

  2. 77 FR 5043 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Program...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-01

    ... Awards for the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Program for Fiscal Year 2009 Second... Development Act of 1974, (42 U.S.C. 5308(q)), as amended, for the same brownfields economic development project, or to improve the viability of a brownfields economic development project financed with the...

  3. 77 FR 5044 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Program...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-01

    ... Awards for the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Program for Fiscal Year 2010 AGENCY... Act of 1974, (42 U.S.C. 5308(q)) as amended, for the same brownfields economic development project, or to improve the viability of a brownfields economic development project financed with the Section 108...

  4. 77 FR 5043 - Announcement of Funding Awards for the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Program...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-01

    ... Awards for the Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) Program for Fiscal Year 2009 AGENCY... Act of 1974, (42 U.S.C. 5308(q)) as amended, for the same brownfields economic development project, or to improve the viability of a brownfields economic development project financed with the Section 108...

  5. Evaluation of the Brownfields Program

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Evaluation of 2003-2008 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants is the first national program evaluation of the outcomes, efficiencies, and economic benefits produced by Brownfields grants.

  6. Brownfields Road Map

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Brownfields Road Map publication and companion website provide a general outline of how to assess and clean up a brownfields site and introduce stakeholders to a range of technology options and available resources.

  7. EPA Provides Brownfields Grants to Maine Communities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency celebrated the recipients of nine Brownfields grants in Maine. This year, entities in Maine will receive $2.7 million for assessment and cleanup of Brownfield sites.

  8. Brownfields: Recent federal and Massachusetts developments

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Abelson, N.; McCaffery, M.

    While EPA`s recent efforts, including its Brownfields Action Agenda, are clearly positive developments, by far most of the action in the Brownfields area has been at the state level. The Massachusetts Clean Sites Initiative is one of more than twenty state programs adopted across the country to encourage Brownfields redevelopment. The Clean Sites Initiative is a good example of using a carrot and not only a stick to address hazardous waste problems. It is also a good example of government, the business community, and other affected stakeholders working together to develop a program that helps achieve shared goals, which ismore » effectively a requirement in the Brownfields area.« less

  9. Reversing urban sprawl : a reclaimability index approach for reviving downtown brownfields.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-03-01

    A key step to promoting urban revitalization is the reclamation of abandoned or underutilized contaminated sites, also known as brownfields. : Effective brownfield redevelopment approaches require environmental, socio-economic and urban planning dime...

  10. Using the Triad Approach to Streamline Brownfields Site Assessment and Cleanup

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA's Brownfields Technology Support Center (BTSC) has prepared this document to provide an educational tool for site owners, project managers, and regulators to help streamline assessment and cleanup activities at brownfields sites.

  11. EPA Provides Brownfields Grants to Western Massachusetts Communities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency celebrated the recipients of seven Brownfields grants in western Massachusetts. This year, entities in western Massachusetts received $2.4 million for assessment and cleanup of Brownfields sites.

  12. Addressing Environmental Justice in EPA Brownfields Communities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The EPA Brownfields Program has a rich history rooted in environmental justice. The Brownfields Program and the environmental justice movement have evolved over a similar timeline, fueling one another and helping to build strong communities.

  13. Brownfields New Markets Tax Credits

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This Brownfi elds Solutions factsheet is intended for brownfields stakeholders interested in how the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) Program can be used as a financing mechanism in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment.

  14. BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT CAN BENEFIT FROM USING RISK ASSESSMENT PRINCIPLES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Brownfields are defined by the USEPA a "abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination." The costs associated with the lack of Brownfields redevelopment include ...

  15. Building a Sustainable Future: A Report on the Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Sustainability Pilots

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This report describes each of the Brownfields Sustainability Pilots and provides findings and recommendations for future projects. It is intended for use by people, communities, organizations, and agencies helping make brownfields more sustainable.

  16. Risk-based corrective action and brownfields restorations. Geotechnical special publication No. 82

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Benson, C.H.; Meegoda, J.N.; Gilbert, R.G.

    Risk-based corrective action (RBCA) and brownfields restoration now play a significant role in contaminated site remediation. RBCA provides the necessary framework for balancing health and environmental risks with costs while targeting the ultimate objective of sensible remediation. Brownfields is a reasonable, economical approach for remediating contaminated land intended for industrial use. This book describes the tools and methods employed in RBCA, and provides illustrative examples through case histories with emphasis on brownfields restorations.

  17. Brownfields vs greenfields -- Considerations for facility siting

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hale, D.W.; Kaiding, D.C.; DeMaria, M.J.

    Since the promulgation of the ``Superfund`` component of the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) in 1980, the sale and acquisition of industrial properties (brownfields) have been sluggish at best or non-existent where significant environmental contamination has been detected. As a result, many urban areas contain numerous brownfield sites that lie vacant due to the presence or the potential existence of contaminants. Wary of the potential remedial costs associated with brownfield sites, industry has focused its development on greenfield areas -- undeveloped areas where the potential for previous environmental contamination is remote. This paper evaluates the impact ofmore » the development of these brownfield areas from both an environmental and economic perspective. Critical to this evaluation is the impact of brownfield development as it relates to urban areas. Mature, heavily developed urban areas are usually unable to offer substantial greenfield areas, and as a result, have suffered a declining tax base, as employment opportunities are shifted beyond city limits. This paper also explores the advantages and disadvantages of developing brownfield versus greenfield areas, including issues such as: infrastructure, proximity to public transportation, public acceptance, and zoning and permitting. Furthermore, this paper provides an overview of current and pending legislation from both the federal government and various state agencies with regard to incentives being offered for the development of brownfield sites.« less

  18. Cleanups In My Community (CIMC) - Brownfields Properties, National Layer

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This data layer provides access to Brownfields Properties as part of the CIMC web service, although the data are generally more broadly applicable. Brownfields are real properties, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties takes development pressures off of undeveloped, open land, and both improves and protects the environment. CIMC provides information on Brownfields properties for which information is reported back to EPA, as well as areas served by Brownfields grants programs. Brownfields properties may be mapped or listed, and property profiles can be accessed from either maps or lists. There are many properties that meet the definition of a brownfield but are not funded by our program. They may be funded by states, localities, private or non-profit entities. The Brownfields data are reported by grant recipients via the ACRES database and updated and stored in Envirofacts monthly. For more information on the data updates to Envirofacts, please visit the Envirofacts Data Update page.For more information on the data provided through this webservice, please see the processing steps below, and see more information here: https://www.epa.gov/cleanups/cimc-about-data#brownfieldsp.The CIMC web service was initially published in 2013, but the data are updated on the 18th of each month. The full schedule f

  19. Report: Improved Management of the Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Program Is Required to Maximize Cleanups

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Report #17-P-0368, August 23, 2017. For 10 of the 20 closed Brownfields RLF cooperative agreements reviewed, approximately $10.9 million available to clean up brownfields is not being used as intended.

  20. Anvil Mountain Site, Silverton CO: Technical Memorandum - Energy Efficiency for Affordable Housing at a Brownfield Redevelopment

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document illustrates how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields.

  1. VERIFYING THE SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND ECONOMIC PROMISE OF BROWNFIELD PROGRAMS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The purpose of this research is to develop a nationally replicable methodology to empirically assess the social, economic, and environmental benefits of brownfields redevelopment for low-to-moderate income communities. Using the City of Charlottes (NC) brownfields program, we i...

  2. EPA Provides Brownfields Grants to Woonsocket and Providence, Rhode Island

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the USEPA celebrated the recipients of four Brownfields grants in Rhode Island. This year, RI entities in Woonsocket received $600,000 for cleanup of brownfield sites, &the City of Providence received $200,000 for an Area Wide Planning grant.

  3. Targeted selection of brownfields from portfolios for sustainable regeneration: User experiences from five cases testing the Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool.

    PubMed

    Bartke, Stephan; Martinát, Stanislav; Klusáček, Petr; Pizzol, Lisa; Alexandrescu, Filip; Frantál, Bohumil; Critto, Andrea; Zabeo, Alex

    2016-12-15

    Prioritizing brownfields for redevelopment in real estate portfolios can contribute to more sustainable regeneration and land management. Owners of large real estate and brownfield portfolios are challenged to allocate their limited resources to the development of the most critical or promising sites, in terms of time and cost efficiency. Authorities worried about the negative impacts of brownfields - in particular in the case of potential contamination - on the environment and society also need to prioritize their resources to those brownfields that most urgently deserve attention and intervention. Yet, numerous factors have to be considered for prioritizing actions, in particular when adhering to sustainability principles. Several multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) approaches and tools have been suggested in order to support these actors in managing their brownfield portfolios. Based on lessons learned from the literature on success factors, sustainability assessment and MCDA approaches, researchers from a recent EU project have developed the web-based Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool (TBPT). It facilitates assessment and prioritization of a portfolio of sites on the basis of the probability of successful and sustainable regeneration or according to individually specified objectives. This paper introduces the challenges of brownfield portfolio management in general and reports about the application of the TBPT in five cases: practical test-uses by two large institutional land owners from Germany, a local and a regional administrative body from the Czech Republic, and an expert from a national environmental authority from Romania. Based on literature requirements for sustainability assessment tools and on the end-users' feedbacks from the practical tests, we discuss the TBPT's strengths and weaknesses in order to inform and give recommendations for future development of prioritization tools. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. 78 FR 6092 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-29

    ... Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Brownfields Program-- Accomplishment..., Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, (5105T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200... information about the electronic docket, go to www.regulations.gov . Title: Brownfields Program...

  5. SUPPORTING THE REDEVELOPMENT OF BROWNFIELD SITES USING SITE-SPECIFIC MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND REDEVELOPMENT TOOLS (SMART)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Site-Specific Management Approaches and Redevelopment Tools (SMART) provides potential solutions for facilitating the redevelopment of brownfield sites. The term "brownfield site" refers to previously developed property whose reuse may be complicated by the presence of hazar...

  6. EPA Helps Two New England Communities Plan New Uses for Former Brownfield Sites

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The U.S.EPA has selected the City of Providence, RI & the Eastern Maine Development Corp. to receive funding to assist with planning for cleanup & reuse of Brownfield sites as part of the Brownfields Area-Wide Planning (AWP) program.

  7. 77 FR 28378 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-14

    ... Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Brownfields Program-- Accomplishment..., Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, (5105T), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200...: Brownfields Program--Accomplishment Reporting (Renewal). ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 2104.04, OMB Control No...

  8. 76 FR 2405 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Brownfield Economic Development Initiative (BEDI)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-13

    ... Information Collection: Brownfield Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) AGENCY: Office of the Assistant... Development Initiative (BEDI). OMB Control Number: 2506-0153. Description of the need for the Information and proposed use: The Brownfield Economic Development Initiative is authorized pursuant to Section 108(q...

  9. Brownfields Assessing Contractor Capabilities for Streamlined Site Investigations -- Additional Information Regarding All Appropriate Inquiries and Hiring an Environmental Professional (November 2006)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Guidance for Brownfields grantees and other decision makers to assess the capabilities of contractors and consultants to determine their qualifications to provide streamlined and innovative strategies for the assessment and cleanup of brownfields.

  10. 78 FR 49714 - Amendment to Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-15

    ... specific aspects of this rule, contact Rachel Lentz, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (5105T... addition, any entity conducting a site characterization or assessment on a property with a brownfields... state, local and Tribal governments that receive brownfields site assessment grants. A summary of the...

  11. The Greening of a Brownfield: A Community-Based Learning Project in Economics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaufman, Dennis A.; Cloutier, Norman R.

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes a community-based learning (CBL) project involving the economic redevelopment of two environmentally contaminated former industrial sites or "brownfields." The study was conducted over four semesters by several economics classes and involved assembling a database, measuring the impact of the brownfields on…

  12. 77 FR 7143 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; EPA ICR No. 2104.04

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-10

    ... . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rachel Lentz, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, (5105T... Village Corporations, and Metlakatla Indian Communities; and non-profit organizations. Title: Brownfields... regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9. Abstract: The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields...

  13. 75 FR 69992 - Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) or Superfund...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-16

    ... can be located at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The U.S. EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, (202) 566..., these response programs address the assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of brownfields sites and...

  14. COMPETITIVE BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT - PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING STRATEGIES (CD 2 OF 6)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The goal of this interactive CD is to inform urban planners and State and Federal Brownfield development personnel of new and innovative project management and marketing strategies related to brownfield activities. To order this CD by email: www.epa.gov/ncepi/ or phone 1-800-490-...

  15. An Information System for Brownfield Regeneration: providing customised information according to stakeholders' characteristics and needs.

    PubMed

    Rizzo, Erika; Pizzol, Lisa; Zabeo, Alex; Giubilato, Elisa; Critto, Andrea; Cosmo, Luca; Marcomini, Antonio

    2018-07-01

    In the EU brownfield presence is still considered a widespread problem. Even though, in the last decades, many research projects and initiatives developed a wealth of methods, guidelines, tools and technologies aimed at supporting brownfield regeneration. However, this variety of products had and still has a limited practical impact on brownfield revitalisation success, because they are not used in their entire potential due to their scarce visibility. Also, another problem that stakeholders face is finding customised information. To overcome this non-visibility and not-sufficient customisation of information, the Information System for Brownfield Regeneration (ISBR) has been developed, based on Artificial Neural Networks, which allows understanding stakeholders' information needs by providing tailored information. The ISBR has been tested by stakeholders from the EU project TIMBRE case studies, located in the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland and Romania. Data gained during tests allowed to understand stakeholders' information needs. Overall, stakeholders showed to be concerned first on remediation aspects, then on benchmarking information, which are valuable to improve practices in the complex field of brownfield regeneration, and then on the relatively new issue of sustainability applied to brownfield regeneration and remediation. Mature markets confirmed their interest for remediation-related aspects, highlighting the central role that risk assessment plays in the process. Emerging markets showed to seek information and tools for strategic and planning issues, like brownfield inventories and georeferenced data sets. Results led to conclude that a new improved platform, combining the ISBR functionalities with geo-referenced ones, would be useful and could represent a further research application. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. 78 FR 49690 - Amendment to Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-15

    ... more detailed information on specific aspects of this rule, contact Rachel Lentz, Office of Brownfields... brownfields grant awarded under CERCLA Section104(k)(2)(B)(ii) may be affected by today's action. This includes state, local and Tribal governments that receive brownfields site assessment grants. A summary of...

  17. 78 FR 79319 - Amendment to Standards and Practices for All Appropriate Inquiries Under CERCLA

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-30

    ... specific aspects of this rule, contact Patricia Overmeyer, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization... with a brownfields grant awarded under CERCLA section 104(k)(2)(B)(ii) may be affected by today's action. This includes state, local and tribal governments that receive brownfields site assessment grants...

  18. Brownfield Action: An Integrated Environmental Science Simulation Experience for Undergraduates.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelsey, Ryan

    This paper presents the results of three years of development and evaluation of a CD-ROM/Web hybrid simulation known as Brownfield Action for an introductory environmental science course at an independent college for women in the northeastern United States. Brownfield Action is a simulation that provides a learning environment for developing the…

  19. Across the Country, Youth Programs Bring the Issue of Brownfields Home

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Environmental Protection Agency, 2007

    2007-01-01

    In the more than 10 years since the inception of EPA's (Environmental Protection Agency) Brownfields Program, brownfields have been redefined. Properties that were shunned or eyed warily by those with the resources to transform them are now viewed as dormant opportunities for economic and environmental rebirth. Communities that suffered aesthetic…

  20. ACRES - Brownfields Properties

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Brownfields are real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. This dataset shows the locations of sites, facilities and properties that have been contaminated by hazardous materials and are being, or have been, cleaned up under EPA Brownfields cleanup programs.

  1. Brownfield redevelopment: a hidden opportunity for conservation biology

    Treesearch

    Lynne M. Westphal; Jeffery M. Levengood; Alaka Wali; David Soucek; Douglas F. Stotz

    2005-01-01

    Brownfields - lands that are idle due to concerns about contamination - are often prominent features of urban areas. Conservation in an urbanizing world must take brownfields into consideration because regions of heavy industry can harbor areas of ecological significance. The Calumet region of northwest Indiana and northeast Illinois is one such place, where the...

  2. FROM BROWNFIELDS TO GREEN STREETS - A PROPOSAL TO DEVELOP A MULTI-AGENCY COLLABORATIVE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS FOR SOLVING SMALL SCALE BROWNFIELD URBAN REDEVELOPMENT ISSUES

    EPA Science Inventory

    (1) Technical challenge to sustainability: The prevalence of brownfield properties across the United States has reached epidemic proportions. Created from lack of market interest, preference for easily developed land, fear of legal liability, and lack of resources, brownfiel...

  3. Optimising value from the soft re-use of brownfield sites.

    PubMed

    Bardos, R Paul; Jones, Sarah; Stephenson, Ian; Menger, Pierre; Beumer, Victor; Neonato, Francesca; Maring, Linda; Ferber, Uwe; Track, Thomas; Wendler, Katja

    2016-09-01

    Soft re-use of brownfields describes intended temporary or final re-uses of brownfield sites which are not based on built constructions or infrastructure ('hard' re-use). Examples of soft re-uses include the creation of public green space. These are essentially uses where the soil is not sealed. Often the case for soft re-use of brownfields has not been easy to demonstrate in strictly financial terms. The purpose of this paper is to describe a value based approach to identify and optimise services provided by the restoration of brownfields to soft re-uses, on a permanent or interim basis. A 'Brownfield Opportunity Matrix' is suggested as means of identifying and discussing soft restoration opportunities. The use of 'sustainability linkages' is suggested as a means of understanding the sustainability of the services under consideration and providing a structure for the overall valuation of restoration work, for example as part of design or option appraisal processes, or to support the solicitation of interest in a project. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Changing the focus of Brownfields cleanups

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cichon, E.

    The Brownfields Tax Incentive proposed by President Clinton illustrates the remarkable evolution in the government`s view of contaminated property remediation. The current program, spearheaded by the president`s Brownfields Initiative, reflects a significant shift of emphasis. Remedial programs now pinpoint the end use of the affected property as the ultimate objective, with the required cleanup of impacted media regarded as only one of several elements. In place of enforcement, government now is employing incentives--from federal policies limiting landowner liability to proposed tax incentives--to eliminate traditional obstacles to the remediation and reuse of contaminated land. Some three dozen Brownfields Initiative pilot projectsmore » have been launched across the country. These first-generation brownfields remediation efforts demonstrate that to realize the program`s regulatory and economic advantages, practical and cost-effective remedial efforts are required.« less

  5. Brownfields initiatives offer few incentives for prospective developers, purchasers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wesolowski, T.; Antol, S.M.

    There has been much discussion and analysis in recent years among government agencies and state legislators regarding redevelopment of contaminated industrial sites, or brownfields. The goal of brownfields program is to encourage developers and purchasers to redevelop existing industrial sites, rather than choosing greenfield suburban sites. These programs create initiatives for redevelopment, such as reducing the potential liability of innocent purchasers or developers, streamlining administrative process relating to cleanups, and issuing guidance on cleanup methods and standards. Although such attempts are admirable and important, brownfields initiatives have failed because they address only one component of what is necessary to achievemore » redevelopment. The initiatives attempt to minimize disincentives to brownfields redevelopment; however, what is necessary for progress in this area is to create real economic and other incentives to make such redevelopment more attractive.« less

  6. Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool to support effective brownfield regeneration.

    PubMed

    Pizzol, Lisa; Zabeo, Alex; Klusáček, Petr; Giubilato, Elisa; Critto, Andrea; Frantál, Bohumil; Martinát, Standa; Kunc, Josef; Osman, Robert; Bartke, Stephan

    2016-01-15

    In the last decade, the regeneration of derelict or underused sites, fully or partly located in urban areas (or so called "brownfields"), has become more common, since free developable land (or so called "greenfields") has more and more become a scare and, hence, more expensive resource, especially in densely populated areas. Although the regeneration of brownfield sites can offer development potentials, the complexity of these sites requires considerable efforts to successfully complete their revitalization projects and the proper selection of promising sites is a pre-requisite to efficiently allocate the limited financial resources. The identification and analysis of success factors for brownfield sites regeneration can support investors and decision makers in selecting those sites which are the most advantageous for successful regeneration. The objective of this paper is to present the Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool (TBPT), developed as a web-based solution to assist stakeholders responsible for wider territories or clusters of brownfield sites (portfolios) to identify which brownfield sites should be preferably considered for redevelopment or further investigation. The prioritization approach is based on a set of success factors properly identified through a systematic stakeholder engagement procedure. Within the TBPT these success factors are integrated by means of a Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodology, which includes stakeholders' requalification objectives and perspectives related to the brownfield regeneration process and takes into account the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social and environmental dimensions). The tool has been applied to the South Moravia case study (Czech Republic), considering two different requalification objectives identified by local stakeholders, namely the selection of suitable locations for the development of a shopping centre and a solar power plant, respectively. The application of the TBPT to the case study showed that it is flexible and easy to adapt to different local contexts, allowing the assessors to introduce locally relevant parameters identified according to their expertise and considering the availability of local data. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. The Use of Coastal Brownfields as Nature Preserves

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levi, Daniel; Kocher, Sara

    2006-01-01

    Brownfields have the potential to be reused as nature preserves or recreation areas. This reuse depends on the public's perceptions of risk and their willingness to support the new uses of the sites. This study examines attitudes about the reuse of large coastal brownfields from local and nonlocal students and the public. The sites include the…

  8. Risk management: Reducing brownfield cleanup costs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Graves, N.

    Balancing environmental protection with economic vitality is crucial to maintaining competitiveness in world markets. One key initiative that has been identified as important to both environmental protection and the economy is the redevelopment of brownfields. Brownfield redevelopment can stimulate local economies that have been devastated by lost jobs and can recycle industrial land use, thereby preserving undeveloped lands. Many existing brownfield sites appear on the US Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA) National Priority List (NPL), which designates over 1200 sites and is expected to grow to more than 2000 by the end of the decade. EPA estimates the cost of remediatingmore » the sites on the current list will approach $30 billion, with the average cost of remediating a site close to $25 million. Thousands of additional brownfield sites that do not appear on the NPL are listed under state cleanup programs.« less

  9. Improving Systems Engineering Effectiveness in Rapid Response Development Environments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-02

    environments where large, complex, brownfield systems of systems are evolved through parallel development of new capabilities in response to external, time...license 14. ABSTRACT Systems engineering is often ineffective in development environments where large, complex, brownfield systems of systems are...IEEE Press, Hoboken, NJ, 2008 [18] Boehm, B.: Applying the Incremental Commitment Model to Brownfield Systems Development, Proceedings, CSER 2009

  10. An Event-driven, Value-based, Pull Systems Engineering Scheduling Approach

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-01

    engineering in rapid response environments has been difficult, particularly those where large, complex brownfield systems or systems of systems exist and...where large, complex brownfield systems or systems of systems exist and are constantly being updated with both short and long term software enhancements...2004. [13] B. Boehm, “Applying the Incremental Commitment Model to Brownfield System Development,” Proceedings, CSER, 2009. [14] A. Borshchev and A

  11. Reversing urban decay: brownfield redevelopment and environmental health.

    PubMed Central

    Greenberg, Michael R

    2003-01-01

    While the United States government concentrates more of its political and financial resources on fighting terrorism, the continuing decay of older cities and industrial suburbs has fallen far down on the national political priority agenda. An exception is the redevelopment of so-called brownfields, which are abandoned, idled, or underutilized factories, railroad yards, bus stations, garages, electricity-generating stations, and other commercial facilities. A modest national government program to identify, clean up, and redevelop brownfields into job fields began during the administration of Bill Clinton and has continued into the George W. Bush administration (Powers et al. 2000; Simons 1998; Van Horn et al. 1999). The political reasons are apparent: Developing brownfields is a politically acceptable method of stimulating private enterprise, local government, and community groups into building new businesses, housing, and community facilities. Also, brownfields projects have a beginning and an end; the national government does not have an indefinite responsibility. In contrast, social assistance programs that grew during the 1960s and proliferated for more than three decades have been politically portrayed by some as give-away programs that build dependency with no ending. Whether this characterization of social programs is morally or empirically justified, the reality is that in today's political environment brownfields redevelopment is a politically acceptable way of helping distressed urban areas. PMID:12573916

  12. Designing sustainable and economically attractive brownfield revitalization options using an integrated assessment model.

    PubMed

    Schädler, S; Morio, M; Bartke, S; Rohr-Zänker, R; Finkel, M

    2011-03-01

    We describe the development of an integrated assessment model which evaluates redevelopment options of large contaminated brownfields and we present the application of the model in a case study. Aiming to support efficient and sustainable revitalization and communication between stakeholders, the presented assessment model integrates three pinnacles of brownfield revitalization: (i) subsurface remediation and site preparation costs, (ii) market-oriented economic appraisal, and (iii) the expected contribution of planned future land use to sustainable community and regional development. For the assessment, focus is set on the early stage of the brownfield redevelopment process, which is characterized by limited data availability and by flexibility in land use planning and development scope. At this stage, revealing the consequences of adjustments and alterations in planning options can foster efficiency in communication between the involved parties and thereby facilitates the brownfield revitalization process. Results from the case-study application indicate that the integrated assessment provides help in the identification of land use options beneficial in both a sustainable and an economical sense. For the study site it is shown on one hand that brownfield redevelopment is not automatically in line with sustainable regional development, and on the other hand it is demonstrated that additional contributions to sustainability are not intrinsically tied to increased costs. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Reversing urban decay: brownfield redevelopment and environmental health.

    PubMed

    Greenberg, Michael R

    2003-02-01

    While the United States government concentrates more of its political and financial resources on fighting terrorism, the continuing decay of older cities and industrial suburbs has fallen far down on the national political priority agenda. An exception is the redevelopment of so-called brownfields, which are abandoned, idled, or underutilized factories, railroad yards, bus stations, garages, electricity-generating stations, and other commercial facilities. A modest national government program to identify, clean up, and redevelop brownfields into job fields began during the administration of Bill Clinton and has continued into the George W. Bush administration (Powers et al. 2000; Simons 1998; Van Horn et al. 1999). The political reasons are apparent: Developing brownfields is a politically acceptable method of stimulating private enterprise, local government, and community groups into building new businesses, housing, and community facilities. Also, brownfields projects have a beginning and an end; the national government does not have an indefinite responsibility. In contrast, social assistance programs that grew during the 1960s and proliferated for more than three decades have been politically portrayed by some as give-away programs that build dependency with no ending. Whether this characterization of social programs is morally or empirically justified, the reality is that in today's political environment brownfields redevelopment is a politically acceptable way of helping distressed urban areas.

  14. Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals from eligible entities (including eligible non-profit organizations) to provide technical assistance to communities on brownfields issues.

  15. Understanding Patterns for System-of-Systems Integration

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-12-01

    would be completely newly constructed. 2. Brownfield : there exists something, but we can (in principle) modify the realization of it. Here access to...systems (SoS constitu- ents). If we consider again the enterprise software infrastructure introduced above, a Brownfield scenario occurs in a SoS...context if the company did initially build its own SoS that now must be modified (e.g., by introducing an ESB5 backbone). A Brownfield scenario also

  16. Software Intensive Systems Data Quality and Estimation Research in Support of Future Defense Cost Analysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-13

    Legacy Maintenance and Brownfield Development 6.6.6 Agile and Kanban Development 6.6.7 Putting It All Together at the Large-Project or Enterprise Level...NDI)-intensive systems Ultrahigh software system assurance; Legacy maintenance and brownfield development; and Agile and kanban development. This...be furnished by NDI components or may need to be developed for special systems. Legacy Maintenance and Brownfield Development Fewer and fewer software

  17. Brownfields and Sustainability

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This brochure discusses Brownfields' sustainable revitalization and how it returns abandoned or underutilized properties to productive use, cleans up the environment, creates jobs, and strengthens the social fabric of communities.

  18. Brownfields Projects in EPA's Pacific Southwest

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Project fact sheet focusing on brownfields-funding that has helped the redevelopment of unused, contaminated sites into usable, public areas - especially in underserved, overburdened and economically distressed locations.

  19. RT 6 - Software Intensive Systems Data Quality and Estimation Research in Support of Future Defense Cost Analysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-13

    Brownfield Development 6.6.6 Agile and Kanban Development 6.6.7 Putting It All Together at the Large-Project or Enterprise Level 6.7 References 7...Ultrahigh software system assurance; Legacy maintenance and brownfield development; and Agile and kanban development. This chapter summarizes each...components or may need to be developed for special systems. Legacy Maintenance and Brownfield Development Fewer and fewer software-intensive systems have

  20. Technical Assistance To Tribal Communities Addressing Brownfields

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This notice announces the availability of funds and solicits proposals from eligible entities (including eligible nonprofit organizations) to provide technical assistance to tribal communities on brownfield related issues.

  1. Brownfields: a case study in partnering with residents to develop an easy-to-read print guide.

    PubMed

    Zarcadoolas, C; Timm, E; Bibeault, L

    2001-01-01

    At least three cultural circumstances have converged to make environmental health information critical, yet highly inaccessible, to many Americans: 1) the declining literacy levels of almost half the population, 2) the growing cultural diversity of the population, and 3) the complexity of environmental health information and science. This paper presents a case study of how literacy experts and environmental scientists partnered with a panel of inner-city residents to produce a community guide about brownfields, a process the authors refer to as "cooperative composing." The goal was to create low-barrier material (fifth-through-eight-grade reading level) that would inform people about brownfields issues so that they can meaningfully insert themselves into the process of planning for brownfields reuse and redevelopment. The authors structured an ongoing process with a panel of residents to learn with them just what types of information they wanted and what language level and graphics were appropriate. A primary motivator of this study was the belief that informed, activated residents will bring about greater equity and collaboration in environmental planning for brownfields.

  2. Potential application of influence diagram as a risk assessment tool in Brownfields sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Attoh-Okine, N.O.

    Brownfields are vacant, abandoned, or underutilized commercial and industrial sites and facilities where real or perceived environmental contamination is an obstacle to redevelopment. These sites are vacant because they often do not meet the strict remediation requirements of the Superfund Law. The sites are accessible locations with much of the infrastructure, albeit deteriorated, in place. Thus they also represent an opportunity to slow down suburban and rural sprawl. As a liability, the concern stems from the environment liability of both known and unknown site contamination. Influence diagrams are tools used to represent complex decision problems based on incomplete and uncertainmore » information from a variety of sources. The influence diagrams can be used to divide all uncertainties (Brownfields site infrastructure impact assessment) into subfactors until the level has been reached at which intuitive functions are most effective. Given the importance of uncertainties and the utilities of the Brownfields infrastructure, the use of influence diagrams seem more appropriate for representing and solving risks involved in Brownfields infrastructure assessment.« less

  3. The Chicago Center for Green Technology: life-cycle assessment of a brownfield redevelopment project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brecheisen, Thomas; Theis, Thomas

    2013-03-01

    The sustainable development of brownfields reflects a fundamental, yet logical, shift in thinking and policymaking regarding pollution prevention. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is a tool that can be used to assist in determining the conformity of brownfield development projects to the sustainability paradigm. LCA was applied to the process of a real brownfield redevelopment project, now known as the Chicago Center for Green Technology, to determine the cumulative energy required to complete the following redevelopment stages: (1) brownfield assessment and remediation, (2) building rehabilitation and site development and (3) ten years of operation. The results of the LCA have shown that operational energy is the dominant life-cycle stage after ten years of operation. The preservation and rehabilitation of the existing building, the installation of renewable energy systems (geothermal and photovoltaic) on-site and the use of more sustainable building products resulted in 72 terajoules (TJ) of avoided energy impacts, which would provide 14 years of operational energy for the site. Methodological note: data for this life-cycle assessment were obtained from project reports, construction blueprints and utility bills.

  4. EPA Provides Brownfields Grant to Shelton, Conn.

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency celebrated the City of Shelton, Connecticut as a brownfields grant recipient. This year, the City will receive $200,000 to assess contaminated properties.

  5. Brownfields Technology Primer: Selecting and Using Phytoremediation for Site Cleanup

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This primer explains the phytoremediation process, discusses the potential advantages and considerations in selecting phytoremediation to clean up brownfields sites, and provides information on additional resources about phytoremediation.

  6. 2017 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document illustrates how the Brownfields Program does more than address environmental contamination—it recognizes a community’s quality of life aligning with economic development and sustainability, and looks to the future for revitalization.

  7. Assessing Contractor Capabilities for Streamlined Site Investigations

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The purpose of this document is to familiarize and encourage brownfields decision makers to investigate and employ innovative methods for characterizing their sites, to assist brownfields decision makers in assessing contractors' capabilities.

  8. Oklahoma City Revitalization

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Since the beginning of their Brownfields Program in 2003, Oklahoma City has been the recipient of nine EPA Brownfields Grants, creating a new city from the inside out. So far, 45 properties have been assessed and/or remediated.

  9. EPA Brownfields Grant Will Assist Meriden, Conn. with Site Clean-up

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Meriden, Conn. is among 144 communities across the United States to receive EPA funding for brownfield site revitalization efforts.

  10. State of the states on brownfields programs for cleanup and reuse of contaminated sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    Brownfields consist of land and/or buildings that are abandoned or underutilized where expansion or redevelopment is complicated, in part, because of the threat of known or potential contamination. Federal and state laws governing the treatment of these sites may require remediation (cleanup) of property before redevelopment and can contribute to uncertain liability for property owners or users. Congress, in considering the reauthorization of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly known as Superfund, is interested in the issue of brownfields and in their potential return to productive use. As a result, the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trademore » and Hazardous Materials of the Committee on Commerce requested the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) to prepare a background paper on issues surrounding cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields.« less

  11. ORD'S BROWNFIELDS RESEARCH

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe is a web-based,decision support tool for developing and evaluating plans for redevelopment/revitalization of potentially contaminated sites. Brownfield project stakeholders should use SMARTe to: (1) Assess both market and non-market costs and benefits of potential redevelo...

  12. Initiatives to Develop Web Sites Including Information about Brownfields Properties

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This web site was created to assist in planning, designing, and operating web sites that include information about individual brownfields properties. The report is of value to parties designing or managing such sites.

  13. SOCIAL ASPECTS OF BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP CD

    EPA Science Inventory

    The objective of the workshop was to identify constraints, appropriate strategies and instruments to integrate social issues in urban brownfield revitalization projects oriented toward urban renewal, citizen participation and empowerment. Theoretical approaches to planning and ci...

  14. Barre City, Vermont Accounts for Climate Change within a Brownfield Redevelopment Plan

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Summer Street Housing Limited Partnership, a partnership between the Central Vermont Community Land Trust (CVCLT) and the non-profit Housing Vermont, sought to redevelop a brownfields* site in Barre, Vermont.

  15. Review Plan Using the NWD Model Review Plan for Continuing Authorities Program Section 14, 107, 111, 204, 206, 208, 1135 and Projects Directed by Guidance to Use CAP Procedures: Sheridan, Wyoming, Section 1135 Project

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-12-19

    as the creek turns and flows to the north. A brownfield site on the left bank of the river and the railroad infrastructure in this area are...processes and real estate standard easements. Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste (HTRW) Suggested: TBD There are known brownfields in the...project vicinity, therefore this reviewer should have experience in dealing with brownfields . This expertise may be covered by another discipline

  16. Measuring site-level success in brownfield redevelopments: a focus on sustainability and green building.

    PubMed

    Wedding, G Christopher; Crawford-Brown, Douglas

    2007-10-01

    This research has met the following four objectives within the broader research topic of characterizing and quantifying success in brownfield revitalization: (1) to define 40 total indicators that define and determine the success of brownfield redevelopments in four categories: environment-health, finance, livability, and social-economic; (2) to use these indicators to develop a partially automated tool that stakeholders in brownfield redevelopment may use to more easily assess and communicate success (or failures) in these projects; (3) to integrate "green" building as an important aspect of successful brownfield redevelopments; and (4) to develop this tool within the framework of a specific multi-attribute decision method (MADM), the analytical hierarchical process (AHP). Future research should include the operationalization and application of this tool to specific sites. Currently, no such indicator framework or automated tool is known to exist or be in use. Indicators were chosen because of their ability to reduce data into comprehensible measurements and to systematically measure success in a standardized fashion. Appropriate indicators were selected based on (1) interviews with prominent private developers and national leaders in brownfield redevelopment, (2) a review of the relevant literature, (3) objective hierarchies created in this project, and (4) the ability for each indicator to serve goals in more than one of the four categories described above. These were combined to form the Sustainable Brownfields Redevelopment (SBR) Tool. A survey was conducted to serve as a preliminary assessment and proposed methodology for judging the validity of the SBR Tool. Professionals in the academic, private, and public sector were asked to provide an evaluation of the management tool and a weighting of the relative importance of each indicator and each of the four categories listed previously. Experts rated the tool at 7.68 out of 10 suggesting that this framework will be useful in evaluating these redevelopments upon completion and in formulating initial site plans and building design.

  17. EPA Brownfields Grants Will Assist Massachusetts Communities with Site Assessments and Clean-up

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that five Massachusetts communities are among 144 communities across the United States to benefit from EPA funding for brownfield site revitalization efforts.

  18. EPA Brownfields Grants Will Assist Vermont Communities with Site Assessments and Clean-up

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that six Vermont communities are among 144 communities across the United States to benefit from EPA funding for brownfield site revitalization efforts.

  19. EPA Brownfields Grants Will Assist Maine Communities with Site Assessments and Clean-up

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that six Maine communities are among 144 communities across the United States to benefit from EPA funding for brownfield site revitalization efforts.

  20. Brownfields Shifting Gears: Driving Toward Auto Sector Property Revitalization

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This is an overview of community success stories. By building strong partnerships and setting priorities for recovery and revitalization, the public and private sectors are realizing a great deal of success in addressing idle industrial brownfields.

  1. Directory of Technology Support Services to Brownfields Localities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This directory provides information about EPA offices, nongovernment organizations funded by EPA, and other federal agencies, that may be able to provide expertise to assist in the selection of technologies to characterize and clean up brownfields.

  2. Unlocking Brownfields Redevelopment: Establishing a Local Revolving Loan Fund Program

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This Brownfields Solutions Series fact sheet is intended to provide an overview to those interested in applying for an RLF grant, and information to new RLF grantees on how to establish an RLF program.

  3. GET SMARTE: DECISION TOOLS TO REVITALIZE BROWNFIELDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is an open-source, web-based, decision-support system for developing and evaluating future use scenarios for potentially contaminated sites (i.e., brownfields). It contains resources and analysis tools...

  4. Surface and subsurface geologic risk factors to ground water affecting brownfield redevelopment potential.

    PubMed

    Kaufman, Martin M; Murray, Kent S; Rogers, Daniel T

    2003-01-01

    A model is created for assessing the redevelopment potential of brownfields. The model is derived from a space and time conceptual framework that identifies and measures the surface and subsurface risk factors present at brownfield sites. The model then combines these factors with a contamination extent multiplier at each site to create an index of redevelopment potential. Results from the application of the model within an urbanized watershed demonstrate clear differences between the redevelopment potential present within five different near-surface geologic units, with those units containing clay being less vulnerable to subsurface contamination. With and without the extent multiplier, the total risk present at the brownfield sites within all the geologic units is also strongly correlated to the actual costs of remediation. Thus, computing the total surface and subsurface risk within a watershed can help guide the remediation efforts at broad geographic scales, and prioritize the locations for redevelopment.

  5. Brownfield to Brightfield Initiative in Oak Ridge, TN - 12346

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hough, Gil; Fairless, Chad

    Experience characterizing, permitting, and restoring 'Brownfield' sites-government or industrial sites with restricted future use due to the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants-is being leveraged to identify opportunities for redevelopment into solar power generating facilities which, in this context, are called 'Brightfields'. Brownfield sites offer the expansive land necessary for large photovoltaic (PV) solar farms, but require an in-depth working knowledge of complicated regulatory restrictions and environmental constraints to develop them. As a part of the effort to identify opportunities for redevelopment of Brownfield sites for solar applications, a technical guide, was composed specifically for themore » development of solar generation on restricted use sites. The basis of the technical guide gives specific consideration to environmental requirements and installation methods breaking that into three areas for assessing: 1) levels of contamination, 2) ground penetration requirements, and 3) the requirements for aesthetics and maintenance. Brightfield projects are underway to support the technical guide and expand re-industrialization efforts for the former DOE Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Oak Ridge, TN. There are exciting opportunities to turn Brownfields into Brightfield solar energy solutions for meeting the future renewable energy needs of our country. Brownfields that offer the large surface area required for solar PV farms coupled with the technical guide for the installation of solar farms on restricted use sites supports efforts to develop the solar capacities and expertise to tap this future market. The initial projects designed following the technical guide will provide verification of the installation requirements and beneficial reuse of restricted use sites. (authors)« less

  6. EPA Brownfields Grants Will Assist New Hampshire Communities with Site Assessments and Clean-up

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that six N.H. towns are among 144 communities across the United States to benefit from EPA funding for brownfield site revitalization efforts.

  7. TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND CLEANUP OF AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING BROWNFIELDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The guidance document gives assistance to communities, decision-makers, states and municipalities, academia, and the private sector to address issues related to the redevelopment of Brownfields sites, specifically automotive recycling sites. The document helps users to understand...

  8. National Brownfields Conference 2015 Summary Documents

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The agenda for the local government roundtable, the town hall summary, and the Urban Waters presentation delivered by Mike Shapiro are here attached. All relate to this event, the National Brownfields Conference held in Chicago, IL on September 2, 2015.

  9. EPA Brownfields Grants Will Assist Rhode Island Communities with Site Assessments and Clean-up

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Providence and Woonsocket, R.I. are among 144 communities across the United States to benefit from EPA funding for brownfield site revitalization efforts.

  10. 40 CFR 33.103 - What do the terms in this part mean?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... (DWSRF) Program under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. 300j-12, and the Brownfields..., and the Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Program. Services means a contractor's labor, time or...

  11. 40 CFR 33.103 - What do the terms in this part mean?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... (DWSRF) Program under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. 300j-12, and the Brownfields..., and the Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Program. Services means a contractor's labor, time or...

  12. TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND CLEANING UP BROWNFIELDS SITES: RAILROAD YARDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    This guidance document gives assistance to communities, decision-makers, states and municipalities, academia, and the private sector to address issues related to the redevelopment of Brownfields sites, specifically railroad yards. The document helps users to understand the proble...

  13. 40 CFR 33.103 - What do the terms in this part mean?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... (DWSRF) Program under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. 300j-12, and the Brownfields..., and the Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Program. Services means a contractor's labor, time or...

  14. 40 CFR 33.103 - What do the terms in this part mean?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... (DWSRF) Program under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. 300j-12, and the Brownfields..., and the Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Program. Services means a contractor's labor, time or...

  15. 40 CFR 33.103 - What do the terms in this part mean?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... (DWSRF) Program under section 1452 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, 42 U.S.C. 300j-12, and the Brownfields..., and the Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Program. Services means a contractor's labor, time or...

  16. A GIS connection between brownfield sites, transportation and economic development.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-08-01

    "This report outlines the design and development of a web-based data distribution system for brownfield site redevelopment in Toledo-Lucas County, Ohio. The system is designed to advance smart growth initiatives by creating the link between transport...

  17. EPA Announces $5.3 Million in Supplemental Funds for Cleanups of Contaminated Brownfield Sites in Communities Across New England

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing approximately $5.3 million in supplemental funding to New England communities to assist them in cleaning up contaminated brownfield properties.

  18. EPA Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Recipients Selected for FY13 Grant Funding

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA has selected the following entities as Brownfields Area-Wide Planning grant recipients. These recipients will work with their local community members, other stakeholders and project partners to develop an area-wide plan and implementation strategy for

  19. ORD BROWNFIELDS RESEARCH

    EPA Science Inventory

    The exhibit is a 10'x10' skyline truss which will be used to highlight the activities of the U.S.-German Bilateral Working Group in the area of brownfields revitalization. The U.S. product, Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools - electronic (SMARTe) will be d...

  20. Brownfields Allen-Morrison Project: Technical Memorandum on Creating Inventory of Materials that can be Reused or Recycled through Deconstruction

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This technical memorandum presents sustainability pilot activities, a summary of inventory results, and other observations and recommendations for sustainable redevelopment identified during the pilot activities at the brownfields projects.

  1. 2016 Revolving Loan Fund Supplemental Awards for Brownfields and Land Revitalization in New England

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA has announced grants of nearly $2.6 million in RLF supplemental funding for communities in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects at contaminated Brownfields properties.

  2. Brownfields Grant Recipients' Road Map to Understanding Quality Assurance Project Plans

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The U.S. EPA prepared this publication to help recipients of an EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant design and complete site assessment projects more efficiently and effectively by increasing their awareness and understanding of the importance of quality ...

  3. Brownfields Recover Your Resources - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Construction and Demolition Materials at Land Revitalization Projects

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides background information on how the sustainable reuse of brownfield properties includes efforts to reduce the environmental impact by reusing and recycling materials generated during building construction, demolition, or renovation.

  4. Local Government Planning Tool to Calculate Institutional and Engineering Control Costs for Brownfield Properties

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This cost calculator is designed as a guide for municipal or local governments to assist in calculating their expected costs of implementing and conducting long-term stewardship of institutional controls and engineering controls at brownfield properties.

  5. High Maturity Is Not a Procrustean Bed

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-07-01

    older legacy system or set of systems Brownfield modernization Incremental replacement of old, fragile business systems with COTS products or...platform • Family of systems or product line • System of systems (SoS) or enterprise-wide system • Brownfield modernization Table 2 briefly

  6. COST ESTIMATING TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR ADDRESSING SITES UNDER THE BROWNFIELDS INITIATIVE

    EPA Science Inventory

    Brownfields redevelopment contributes to the revitalization of communities across the U.S. Reuse of these abandoned, contaminated sites spurs economic growth, builds community pride, protects public health, and helps maintain our nation's "greenfields," often at a relatively low ...

  7. TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND REDEVELOPING BROWNFIELDS SITES: MUNICIPAL LANDFILLS AND ILLEGAL DUMPS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The guidance document gives assistance to communities, decision-makers, states and municipalities, academia, and the private sector to address issues related to the redevelopment of Brownfields sites, specifically, municipal landfill and illegal dump sites. The document helps use...

  8. MATCON MODIFIED ASPHALT CONTAINMENT SYSTEM FOR MULTI-USE BROWNFIELDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The concept of putting brownfield real estate back into safe and practical use is very appealing o both the owner and the neighborhood. Environmental regulations often preclude multi-use alterantives because traditional containment solutions rely on water barrier covers. These ar...

  9. Equitable Redevelopment of Petroleum Brownfields for Zuni Pueblo and Other Tribal Communities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA worked with the Zuni Environmental Protection Program to develop a step-by-step guide to redeveloping petroleum brownfields sites. The guide focuses on three sites on Zuni Pueblo in New Mexico but provides information useful to tribes nationwide.

  10. Brownfields and Urban Agriculture: Interim Guidelines for Safe Gardening Practices

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document is a condensation of the input of experts from the government, the nonprofit sector, and academia who gathered to outline the range of issues which need to be addressed in order to safely grow food on former brownfield sites.

  11. Examining urban brownfields through the public health "macroscope".

    PubMed

    Litt, Jill S; Tran, Nga L; Burke, Thomas A

    2002-04-01

    Efforts to cope with the legacy of our industrial cities--blight, poverty, environmental degradation, ailing communities--have galvanized action across the public and private sectors to move vacant industrial land, also referred to as brownfields, to productive use; to curb sprawling development outside urban areas; and to reinvigorate urban communities. Such efforts, however, may be proceeding without thorough investigations into the environmental health and safety risks associated with industrial brownfields properties and the needs of affected neighborhoods. We describe an approach to characterize vacant and underused industrial and commercial properties in Southeast Baltimore and the health and well being of communities living near these properties. The screening algorithm developed to score and rank properties in Southeast Baltimore (n= 182) showed that these sites are not benign. The historical data revealed a range of hazardous operations, including metal smelting, oil refining, warehousing, and transportation, as well as paints, plastics, and metals manufacturing. The data also identified hazardous substances linked to these properties, including heavy metals, solvents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, plasticizers, and insecticides, all of which are suspected or recognized toxicants and many of which are persistent in the environment. The health analysis revealed disparities across Southeast Baltimore communities, including excess deaths from respiratory illness (lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, influenza, and pneumonia), total cancers, and a "leading cause of death" index and a spatial and statistical relationship between environmentally degraded brownfields areas and at-risk communities. Brownfields redevelopment is a key component of our national efforts to address environmental justice and health disparities across urban communities and is critical to urban revitalization. Incorporating public health into brownfields-related cleanup and land-use decisions will increase the odds for successful neighborhood redevelopment and long-term public health benefits.

  12. Examining urban brownfields through the public health "macroscope".

    PubMed Central

    Litt, Jill S; Tran, Nga L; Burke, Thomas A

    2002-01-01

    Efforts to cope with the legacy of our industrial cities--blight, poverty, environmental degradation, ailing communities--have galvanized action across the public and private sectors to move vacant industrial land, also referred to as brownfields, to productive use; to curb sprawling development outside urban areas; and to reinvigorate urban communities. Such efforts, however, may be proceeding without thorough investigations into the environmental health and safety risks associated with industrial brownfields properties and the needs of affected neighborhoods. We describe an approach to characterize vacant and underused industrial and commercial properties in Southeast Baltimore and the health and well being of communities living near these properties. The screening algorithm developed to score and rank properties in Southeast Baltimore (n= 182) showed that these sites are not benign. The historical data revealed a range of hazardous operations, including metal smelting, oil refining, warehousing, and transportation, as well as paints, plastics, and metals manufacturing. The data also identified hazardous substances linked to these properties, including heavy metals, solvents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, plasticizers, and insecticides, all of which are suspected or recognized toxicants and many of which are persistent in the environment. The health analysis revealed disparities across Southeast Baltimore communities, including excess deaths from respiratory illness (lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, influenza, and pneumonia), total cancers, and a "leading cause of death" index and a spatial and statistical relationship between environmentally degraded brownfields areas and at-risk communities. Brownfields redevelopment is a key component of our national efforts to address environmental justice and health disparities across urban communities and is critical to urban revitalization. Incorporating public health into brownfields-related cleanup and land-use decisions will increase the odds for successful neighborhood redevelopment and long-term public health benefits. PMID:11929727

  13. Denitrification and potential nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide production in brownfield wetland soils.

    PubMed

    Palta, Monica M; Ehrenfeld, Joan G; Groffman, Peter M

    2013-09-01

    Brownfields, previously developed sites that are derelict, vacant, or underused, are ubiquitous in urban areas. Wetlands on brownfields often retain rain and stormwater longer than the surrounding landscape because they are low-lying; this increases the possibility for these areas to process waterborne contaminants from the urban environment. In the northeastern United States, atmospheric deposition of nitrate (NO) is high. Denitrification, a microbial process common in wetlands, is a means of removing excess NO. Nitrogen gas is the desired end product of denitrification, but incomplete denitrification results in the production of NO, a greenhouse gas. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential of brownfield wetlands to serve as sinks for inorganic nitrogen and sources of greenhouse gases. We examined limitations to denitrification and NO production in brownfield wetland soils in New Jersey. Soil C:N ratios were high (18-40) and intact core denitrification (-0.78 to 11.6 μg NO-N kg dry soil d) and N mineralization (0.11-2.97 mg N kg dry soil d) were low for all sites. However, soil NO increased during dry periods. Nitrate additions to soil slurries increased denitrification rates, whereas labile C additions did not, indicating that soil denitrifiers were nitrogen limited. Incubations indicated that the end product of denitrification was primarily NO and not N. These results indicate that brownfield wetlands can develop significant denitrification capacity, potentially causing NO limitation. They might be significant sinks for atmospheric NO but may also become a significant source of NO if NO deposition were to increase. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  14. Integrating Local Green Assets into Brownfields Redevelopment: Tools and Examples

    EPA Science Inventory

    EnviroAtlas is a free, online public mapping tool that characterizes green infrastructure and its connection to human health and wellness. The high resolution data contained in this tool can be used to incorporate local green infrastructure into Brownfields redevelopment to benef...

  15. TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND CLEANING UP BROWNFIELDS SITES: PULP AND PAPER MILLS

    EPA Science Inventory

    This guidance document gives assistance to communities, decision-makers, states and municipalities, academia, and the private sector to address issues related to the redevelopment of Brownfields sites, specifically pulp and paper mills sites. The document helps users to understan...

  16. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Fiscal Year (FY) 14 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup Grants

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA prepared these Frequently Asked Questions and Answers to assist prospective applicants with preparing Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup grant proposals for the FY14 competition. Please review the FY 2014 proposal guidelines/Reques

  17. RISK ASSESSMENT/RISK MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION FOR BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT DECISION MAKING

    EPA Science Inventory

    Brownfields redevelopment is an integrated process which involves individuals from varied disciplines and with widely varied interest in the project. it involves a group of developers, their financial backers, the local governments who permit the redevelopment of the site or site...

  18. Brownfields Assessing Contractor Capabilities for Streamlined Site Investigation: Additional Information Regarding All Appropriate Inquiries and Hiring an Environmental Professional

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document assists Brownfields grantees and other decision makers as they assess the capabilities of contractors and consultants to determine their qualifications to provide streamlined and innovative strategies for the assessment and and cleanup.

  19. A tale of three Brownfields

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sweet, F.R.; Worthington, M.A.; Belli, E.

    Contaminated site remediation and reuse, or Brownfield redevelopment, has become an increasingly important approach to site development in the northeast corridor, yet the scale of this activity is but a fraction of its full potential. The problem lies in the multi-jurisdictional quagmire that confronts a Brownfield project. Permitting such projects is an overly taxing dynamic process that has become a staple diet for adept multidisciplinary consulting firms. Limited government sanctions such as clean sites initiatives and economic revitalization zones are at best, when successful, interesting bench studies. The central hypothesis that, if regulations are streamlined then site reuse will occur,more » is sound. Yet streamlining brings concerns that the protection of public health and the environment will be compromised and that the result will be a lower standard of public protection for urban populations. The authors postulate that the permitting of Brownfield projects can be streamlined without creating a double standard of risk tolerance. The authors present evidence of this by comparing publicly and privately funded projects.« less

  20. Impact of dust filter installation in ironworks and construction on brownfield area on the toxic metal concentration in street and house dust (Celje, Slovenia).

    PubMed

    Zibret, Gorazd

    2012-05-01

    This article presents the impact of the ecological investment in ironworks (dust filter installation) and construction works at a highly contaminated brownfield site on the chemical composition of household dust (HD) and street sediment (SS) in Celje, Slovenia. The evaluation is based on two sampling campaigns: the first was undertaken 1 month before the ecological investment became operational and the second 3 years later. The results show that dust filter installations reduced the content of Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, Mo, W and Zn on average by 58% in HD and by 51% in SS. No reduction was observed at sampling points in the upwind direction from the ironworks. By contrast, the impact of the construction works on the highly contaminated brownfield site was detected by a significant increase (on average by 37%) of elements connected to the brownfield contamination in SS. Such increase was not detected in HD.

  1. Analysis of professors' perceptions towards institutional redevelopment of brownfield sites in Alabama

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    King, Berkley Nathaniel, Jr.

    This study was conducted to analyze professors' perceptions on the institutional redevelopment of brownfield sites into usable greenspaces. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2016) refers to brownfields as sites, (either facility or land) under public law § 107-118 (H.R. 2869), which are contaminated with a substance that is classified as a hazard or a pollutant. Usable greenspaces, however, are open spaces or any open piece of land that is undeveloped, has no buildings or other built structures, and is accessible to the public (EPA, 2015). Open green spaces provide recreational areas for residents and help to enhance the beauty and environmental quality of neighborhoods (EPA, 2015). In addition, in a study conducted by Dadvand et al. (2015), exposure to green space has been associated with better physical and mental health among elementary school children, and this exposure, according to Dadvand et al., could also influence cognitive development. Because of the institutional context provided in these articles and other research studies, a sequential mixed-methods study was conducted that investigated the perceptions of professors towards the redevelopment of brownfields near their campuses. This study provided demographics of forty-two college and university professors employed at two institutions in the state of Alabama, a southeastern region of the United States. Survey questions were structured to analyze qualitative data. The secondary method of analysis utilized descriptive statistics to measure the most important indicators that influences professors' perceptions. The collection of quantitative data was adapted from an instrument designed by Wernstedt, Crooks, & Hersh (2003). Findings from the study showed that professors are knowledgeable and aware of the sociological and economic challenges in low income communities where brownfields are geographically located. Pseudonyms are used for the three universities which were contacted. Findings also indicate that Eta-One University is a recipient of an EPA Region 4 grant that focuses on educating low income communities in areas where brownfield sites are located. Recommendations from the study will be provided to local, state, and federal government agencies resulting from this data on professors' perceptions on the redevelopment of brownfield sites and the role in which universities and college professors play.

  2. Modeling Kanban Processes in Systems Engineering

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-01

    engineering through the services concept • Clarity in the value of SE as a knowledge broker and analysis service in brownfield evolution environments [18...Dynamics, Wiley-IEEE Press, Hoboken, NJ, 2008 [18] Boehm, B.: Applying the Incremental Commitment Model to Brownfield Systems Development, Proceedings, CSER 2009, April 2009.

  3. U.S. - GERMAN BILATERAL WORKING GROUP WORKSHOP ON: ECONOMIC TOOLS FOR SUSTAINABLE BROWNFIELDS REDEVELOPMENT

    EPA Science Inventory

    This CD-ROM contains information from a two-day workshop discussing innovative brownfields financing and economic strategies in the United States and Germany. A special emphasis was given to the identification of advantages and disadvantages of different financial tools, economi...

  4. TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND CLEANING UP BROWNFIELDS SITES: GUIDANCE DOCUMENT

    EPA Science Inventory

    NRMRL-CIN-1741 SAIC. Technical Approaches to Characterizing and Cleaning up Brownfields Sites. EPA/625/R/00/009 (NTIS PB2002-105021) , Available: 68-C7-0011. The guidance document gives assistance to communities, decision-makers, states and municipalities, academia, and the p...

  5. Why Liability Still Matters. In: SMARTe 2011, EPA/600/C-10/007

    EPA Science Inventory

    As brownfield sites become more important to the land base of rural and urban communities for housing, commercial and industrial development, buyers and sellers of brownfields are taking greater, more educated risks in the transaction and real estate development processes. The b...

  6. Report: EPA Can Improve Its Reporting of Dollars Leveraged From the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Brownfields Program

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Report #12-R-0898, Sept 27, 2012. EPA project officers verified grant recipient reported outputs and outcomes for Recovery Act brownfields assessments completed, acres ready for reuse, and cleanups completed, but did not always verify dollars leveraged.

  7. 2015 Revolving Loan Fund Supplemental Awards for Brownfields and Land Revitalization in New England

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Communities in CT, ME, MA and VT will receive additional grants of $4.3 million in revolving loan fund (RLF) supplemental funding to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects at contaminated Brownfields properties. See a list of recipients for 2015.

  8. 75 FR 33324 - Notice of Availability: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-11

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT [Docket No. FR-5419-N-01] Notice of Availability: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009; Brownfields Economic Development... for assistance under its FY2009 Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) NOFA, and that it...

  9. Attracting Private Investment to Contaminated Properties: The Value of Public Interventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wernstedt, Kris; Meyer, Peter B.; Alberini, Anna

    2006-01-01

    We employ a mail survey of private developers that uses conjoint choice experiments and Likert-scaled attitudinal questions to examine preferences for policy instruments and incentives intended to encourage brownfield cleanup and redevelopment. Our analysis suggests that developers judge public hearing requirements at brownfield redevelopments…

  10. Phytoremediation of Chicago's brownfields: consideration of ecological approaches and social issues.

    Treesearch

    Lynne M. Westphal; J. G. Isebrands

    2001-01-01

    Phytoremediation is an emerging technology for remediating brownfields, landfills, and other contaminated sites. Many laboratory and field tests have demonstrated that trees and other vegetation can absorb, transform, or contain a variety of contaminants, including soft and heavy metals and volatile organics through hydraulic control, absorption, and mycorrhizal...

  11. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Section 104(k); and CERCLA Section 104(d); ‘‘ ‘Discounted Loans’ Under Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants’

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) or Superfund, Section 104(k); and CERCLA Section 104(d); ‘‘ ‘Discounted Loans’ Under Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants’`

  12. PHASE 3 CONFERENCE OF THE U.S.-GERMANY BILATERAL WORKING GROUP BROWNFIELDS REVITALIZATION

    EPA Science Inventory

    The US-Germany Bilateral Working Group began in 1990 between the USEPA and the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research. The Working Group held a series of workshops to identify ways to facilitate revitalization of potential Brownfield Sites. In 2005, two final Conferen...

  13. El administrador Pruitt anuncia $54.3 millones en subvenciones Brownfields para evaluar y limpiar las propiedades contaminadas y promover el redesarrollo económico a nivel nacional

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Comunicado de prensa de la EPA: El administrador Pruitt anuncia $54.3 millones en subvenciones Brownfields para evaluar y limpiar las propiedades contaminadas y promover el redesarrollo económico a nivel nacional

  14. Africa’s Oil Coast: How the Region’s Strategic Importance May Cause Operational Challenges for AFRICOM as Currently Constructed

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-05-22

    capacity of several Oil Coast nations through building accountable institutions, 56William Brownfield , Assistant Security of State for International...Maturation of a New U.S. Combatant Command. Carlisle, PA: Strategic Studies Institute, 2013. Brownfield , William. Assistant Security of State for

  15. OVERCOMING BROWNFIELD BARRIERS TO URBAN MANUFACTURING: COMPARATIVE STUDY OF POLICY NETWORKS AND CHANGING LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES IN FOUR U.S. CITIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    This study suggests that growing optimism in the U.S. manufacturing’s recovery, coupled with evolving structures and functions of social (policy) networks involving diverse groups of local stakeholders concerned with brownfields, economic development, smart growth, environm...

  16. 75 FR 12532 - FY2010 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grantees

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-16

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9124-3] FY2010 Supplemental Funding for Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grantees Correction In notice document 2010-4965 beginning on page 10793 in the issue of Tuesday, March 9, 2010, make the following correction: On page 10793, in the second column, under...

  17. Brownfields to School Sites: How Can the State Facilitate Cleanup To Build Essential Schools?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California State Legislature, Sacramento. Select Committee on Environmental Justice.

    This document presents background information and testimony concerning the cleanup of potentially contaminated vacant or underutilized property for use as future school sites in low-income and minority communities. Various proposals are offered that would allow the state, where necessary, to facilitate the cleanup of these "brownfields"…

  18. Assessing the effect of publicly assisted brownfield redevelopment on surrounding property values

    Treesearch

    Christopher A. De Sousa; Changson Wu; Lynne M. Westphal

    2009-01-01

    This study measures and compares the impact of publicly assisted brownfield redevelopment on nearby residential property values in Milwaukee and Minneapolis. It also examines the influence of land use, neighborhood characteristics, and other redevelopment factors on this impact. The research approach incorporates a hedonic method to quantify nearby property value...

  19. The brownfields program: Reclaiming inner-city sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Parker, B.

    Over the past 25 years, enormous environmental resources have been directed through the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), or Superfund, at cleaning up past environmental abuses, while the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) has been the principal federal statute to prevent future abuses to public health and the environment. Only recently, however, has attention turned to a third general area of concern, the redevelopment of abandoned or underutilized land and buildings in many central cities and inner suburbs of US metropolitan areas. In June of this year, the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) released a reportmore » called State of the State on Brownfields: Program for Clean-up and Reuse of Contaminated Sites (OTA Report), in which it was estimated that the size of the problem varies from tens of thousands to nearly 450,000 sites. Many brownfield sites are located in the Northeast and Midwest where, historically, much of the economy was based on heavy industrial activity, although in actuality these brownfields are scattered throughout the entire country.« less

  20. Port of Seattle breaks the brownfield gridlock

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rapaport, D.

    Initiatives in brownfields restoration--in which abandoned, contaminated industrial and commercial sites can be revitalized and returned to productive use--many times have been gridlocked by a core problem: how to achieve protective cleanup levels without bankrupting the cost bearers. Barriers to brownfields restoration include: remediation standards, set by regulatory agencies, that are difficult to achieve at complex sites; technical barriers that make it difficult to restore sites to pristine conditions; and liability and cost issues that discourage investors and lenders from properties struggling under an unfinished regulatory process. Each barrier affects the others, creating a maze that is easy to entermore » but difficult to escape. In many cases, money, time and expertise are squandered, and feelings of anger and frustration are vented. Fear of gridlock halts many brownfields projects before they begin. Previous site investigations conducted by property owners revealed that spills, leaks, drips and onsite waste disposal of organic and inorganic preservatives used in wood-treatment processes had contaminated the soil and groundwater. The most toxic contaminants were a group of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, such as benzo(a)pyrene, pentachlorophenol and arsenic.« less

  1. Reconsidering brownfield redevelopment strategy in China's old industrial zone: a health risk assessment of heavy metal contamination.

    PubMed

    Ren, Wanxia; Geng, Yong; Ma, Zhixiao; Sun, Lina; Xue, Bing; Fujita, Tsuyoshi

    2015-02-01

    Urban environmental quality in brownfield redevelopment sites is of vital importance after most of former industrial areas were replanned or changed into residential and recreational areas. Hence, it is necessary to rethink if those brownfield redevelopment sites have been cleaned up so that there will be no negative health impacts to local residents. Under such a circumstance, this paper aims to evaluate the contamination level of heavy metals within a brownfield redevelopment site in China, namely, the Tiexi old industrial zone in Shenyang. Surface soil and dust samples were collected from local industrial sites, residential/commercial sites, traffic sites, and recreational sites, respectively. Our analysis results revealed that although the soils in the brownfield redevelopment sites had been treated and remediated, heavy metal pollution still exists in certain sites, especially in the current industrial sites that will be planned into residential/commercial or recreational zones, and the current residential sites where the former industrial sites located, showing that past industrial activities did and will continue to influence the soil quality. Further health risk assessment indicates that As and Pb generated from industrial sites and traffic sites has a potential to pose serious health risks to local residents, especially children. The hotspots with more serious health risks to children are mainly concentrated in the areas close to the former Shenyang Smelting Plant. After one decade of redevelopment, the Tiexi old industrial zone has become a new urban area which is not suitable for large-scaled soil remediation efforts. Thus, the phytoremediation by trees or herbs in heavy-metal-contaminated land is more appropriate and should be embedded into urban green land planning. This study provides innovative policy insights on urban brownfield redevelopment to both governmental officials and related stakeholders so that they can make appropriate remediation actions.

  2. THE IMPACT OF STATE LEVEL BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM PUBLIC PARTICIPATION MECHANISMS ON DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN DECISION-MAKING: A CASE COMPARISON

    EPA Science Inventory

    A recent EPA survey of state-level brownfields programs shows great variability among states in use of public participation tools such as public record and notice, public comment, hearing, meeting and citizen group grants. This study seeks to evaluate the impact of these tools o...

  3. Recent trends at the state and federal level in accelerating CERCLA clean-ups

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clegg, B.

    Efforts at accelerating remedial action at the federal level focus on the following: the Superfund accelerated clean-up model (SCAM); Brownfields economic redevelopment initiative; guidance documents and policies; and collaboration with state voluntary cleanup programs. At the state level efforts involved in accelerating clean-ups include voluntary clean-up programs and Brownfields initiatives.

  4. Sustainability Indicators for the Army Installation Management Command

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-01

    of brownfields remediated (no further actions required) and/or (b) per- centage of eligible brownfields re- mediated using sustainable remed...Sustainable Communities Scorecard • The SERDP-funded report by Alan Atkinson, David Berry, and Lee Hatcher (2009) entitled Sustainability Assessment ...Fitness (CSF) initiative focuses on sustaining resilience in our Soldiers, Families and Civilians through individual assessment and planning across

  5. SMARTE: HELPING COMMUNITIES OVERCOME OBSTACLES TO REVITALIZATION (OR BROWNFIELDS CONFERENCE, MARCH 2007)

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and ...

  6. [Health risk assessment of soil heavy metals in residential communities built on brownfields].

    PubMed

    Chen, Xing; Ma, Jian-Hua; Li, Xin-Ning; Liu, De-Xin; Li, Yi-Meng

    2014-03-01

    Nine residential communities which were built on different brownfields in a city of Henan Province were chosen to investigate the health risks of heavy metals (As, Hg, Cd, and Pb) in surface soils. Concentrations of soil heavy metals were measured according to the methods described in the national standard. Based on the health risk models recommended by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risks of soil heavy metals were assessed. The results showed that compared with the original brownfields, the heavy metal concentrations in soils and their health risks in residential communities built on brownfields were significantly improved, and the concentrations and health risks of soil heavy metals in these communities were all higher than those in non-brownfield residential communities. The HQ and HI values of soil heavy metals in all the residential communities were lower than 1, which indicated that there was no non-carcinogenic risk in these communities. Meanwhile, the values of CR and TCR were slightly higher than the standard suggested by the US EPA, indicating that slight carcinogenic risks in the communities, but these values were lower than the lenient standard proposed by some experts. The HI value of the four metals for children was exactly seven times higher than that for adults. The contribution rate of HQ(As) to HI was about 75%, CR(AS) to TCR was about 80%, and therefore arsenic was the crucial factor for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk in the residential communities of the city.

  7. Future Software Sizing Metrics and Estimation Challenges

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-07-01

    systems 4. Ultrahigh software system assurance 5. Legacy maintenance and Brownfield development 6. Agile and Lean/ Kanban development. This paper...refined as the design of the maintenance modifications or Brownfield re-engineering is determined. VII. 6. AGILE AND LEAN/ KANBAN DEVELOPMENT The...difficulties of software maintenance estimation can often be mitigated by using lean workflow management techniques such as Kanban [25]. In Kanban

  8. Brownfields Redevelopment, Preferences and Public Involvement: A Case Study of an Ethnically Mixed Neighborhood.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greenberg, Michael; Lewis, M. Jane

    2000-01-01

    A survey of over 200 residents of a largely Hispanic census tract in Perth Amboy, NJ found that residents preferred recreation, cultural, and other community facilities be the aim of brownfield re-development. They were less interested in industry and business, the promoted aim of such re-development. Three-quarters of respondents indicated a…

  9. Sustainability Criteria for Planning, Constructing, and Operating Contingency Bases

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-05-22

    Planning 14 and airfields. Don’t want to clean up a site to use i t. Too risky, takes CREDIT 2 Brownfield Redevelopment no Planning N/A too long. Base...clean up a site to use i t. Too risky, takes CREDIT 2 Brownfield Redevelopment no Planning N/A too long. Base camp site location is chosen based on

  10. TECHNICAL APPROACHES TO CHARACTERIZING AND ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The document provides brownfields planners with an overview of the technical methods that can be used to achieve successful site assessment and cleanup which are two key components of the brownfields redevelopment process. No two brownfields sites are identical and planners will need to base assessment and cleanup activities on the conditions of the particular sites with which they are dealing. A site assessment strategy should address: the type and extent of contamination, if any, that is present, the types of data needed to adequately assess the site; appropriate sampling and analytical methods to characterize the contamination; acceptable level of uncertainty and cleanup technologies that contain or treat the types of wastes present.This document includes references to state agency roles including the Voluntary Cleanup Program, public involvement and other guidances that may be used. Information

  11. Uncovering the historic environmental hazards of urban brownfields.

    PubMed

    Litt, Jill S; Burke, Thomas A

    2002-12-01

    In Baltimore, over 1,000 vacant industrial sites persist across its urban landscape, yet little is known about the potential environmental health risks that may undermine future cleanup and redevelopment activities and the health of those in communities near these sites. This study examined the characteristics of urban brownfield properties in southeast Baltimore, Maryland, and screened sites for their potential environmental hazards. In addition, demographic and health data were evaluated to profile the social and health status of those in brownfield communities. The results show that brownfields in southeast Baltimore represent a range of historic operations, including metal smelting, oil refining, warehousing, and transportation, as well as paints, plastics, and metals manufacturing. The screening method identified a range of substances associated with these properties, including heavy metals, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, all of which are suspected or recognized toxicants, and many of which are persistent in the environment. Spatially, these sites are concentrated in white, working class neighborhoods in which poverty levels exceed and educational attainment lags behind state and national averages. Moreover, these sites are concentrated in communities in which excess mortality rates due to respiratory disease, cancer, and heart disease exist when compared to the city, state, and national averages. This investigation demonstrated the usefulness of historic archives, real estate records, regulatory files, and national hazard-tracking systems based on standard industrial classification (SIC) to screen brownfield properties for their hazard potential. This analysis provides the foundation for further site monitoring and testing, cleanup and redevelopment priority setting, risk management strategies, and neighborhood planning, and it illustrates the need for increased health surveillance and disease prevention strategies in affected communities.

  12. Investigation, Pollution Mapping and Simulative Leakage Health Risk Assessment for Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Groundwater from a Typical Brownfield, Middle China

    PubMed Central

    Qiu, Zhenzhen; Zhang, Jingdong; Liu, Wenchu; Liu, Chaoyang; Zeng, Guangming

    2017-01-01

    Heavy metal and metalloid (Cr, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, As and Hg) concentrations in groundwater from 19 typical sites throughout a typical brownfield were detected. Mean concentrations of toxic metals in groundwater decreased in the order of Cr > Zn > Cu > Cd > Ni > Pb > Hg > As. Concentration of Cr6+ in groundwater was detected to further study chromium contamination. Cr6+ and Cd in groundwater were recommended as the priority pollutants because they were generally 1399-fold and 12-foldgreater than permissible limits, respectively. Owing to the fact that a waterproof curtain (WPC) in the brownfield is about to pass the warranty period, a steady two-dimensional water quality model and health risk assessment were applied to simulate and evaluate adverse effects of Cr6 + and Cd on the water quality of Xiangjiang River and the drinking-water intake of Wangcheng Waterworks. The results indicated that when groundwater in the brownfield leaked with valid curtain prevention, the water quality in Xiangjiang River and drinking-water intake downstream were temporarily unaffected. However, if there was no curtain prevention, groundwater leakage would have adverse impact on water quality of Xiangjiang River. Under the requirements of Class III surface water quality, the pollution belt for Cr6+ was 7500 m and 200 m for Cd. The non-carcinogenic risk of toxic metals in Xiangjiang River exceeded the threshold in a limited area, but did not threaten Wangcheng Waterworks. By contrast, the carcinogenic risk area for adults was at a transverse distance of 200 m and a longitudinal distance of 18,000 m, which was close to the Wangcheng Waterworks (23,000 m). Therefore, it was essential to reconstruct the WPC in the brownfield for preventing pollution diffusion. PMID:28703781

  13. Investigation, Pollution Mapping and Simulative Leakage Health Risk Assessment for Heavy Metals and Metalloids in Groundwater from a Typical Brownfield, Middle China.

    PubMed

    Li, Fei; Qiu, Zhenzhen; Zhang, Jingdong; Liu, Wenchu; Liu, Chaoyang; Zeng, Guangming

    2017-07-13

    Heavy metal and metalloid (Cr, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni, As and Hg) concentrations in groundwater from 19 typical sites throughout a typical brownfield were detected. Mean concentrations of toxic metals in groundwater decreased in the order of Cr > Zn > Cu > Cd > Ni > Pb > Hg > As. Concentration of Cr 6+ in groundwater was detected to further study chromium contamination. Cr 6+ and Cd in groundwater were recommended as the priority pollutants because they were generally 1399-fold and 12-foldgreater than permissible limits, respectively. Owing to the fact that a waterproof curtain (WPC) in the brownfield is about to pass the warranty period, a steady two-dimensional water quality model and health risk assessment were applied to simulate and evaluate adverse effects of Cr 6 + and Cd on the water quality of Xiangjiang River and the drinking-water intake of Wangcheng Waterworks. The results indicated that when groundwater in the brownfield leaked with valid curtain prevention, the water quality in Xiangjiang River and drinking-water intake downstream were temporarily unaffected. However, if there was no curtain prevention, groundwater leakage would have adverse impact on water quality of Xiangjiang River. Under the requirements of Class III surface water quality, the pollution belt for Cr 6+ was 7500 m and 200 m for Cd. The non-carcinogenic risk of toxic metals in Xiangjiang River exceeded the threshold in a limited area, but did not threaten Wangcheng Waterworks. By contrast, the carcinogenic risk area for adults was at a transverse distance of 200 m and a longitudinal distance of 18,000 m, which was close to the Wangcheng Waterworks (23,000 m). Therefore, it was essential to reconstruct the WPC in the brownfield for preventing pollution diffusion.

  14. Technical approaches to characterizing and cleaning up iron and steel mill sites under the brownfields initiative. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    EPA has developed this guide to provide decision-makers, such as city planners, private sector developers, and other involved in redeveloping brownfields, with a better understanding of the technical issues involved in assessing and cleaning up iron and steel mill sites so they can make the most informed decisions possible. This overview of the technical process involved in assessing and cleaning up brownfields sites can assist planners in making decisions at various stages of the project. An understanding of land use and industrial processes conducted in the past at a site can help the planner to conceptualize the site and identifymore » likely areas of contamination that may require cleanup. Numerous resources are suggested to facilitate characterization of the site and consideration of cleanup technologies.« less

  15. Assessment of the suitability of trees for brownfields reuse in the post-mining landscape

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mec, J.; Lokajickova, B.; Sotkova, N.; Svehlakova, H.; Stalmachova, B.

    2017-10-01

    The post-mining landscape of Upper Silesian is deterioration of the original landscape caused by underground coal mining. There are huge ecosystems changes, which have been reclaimed by nature-friendly procedures. The aim of the work is to evaluate the suitability of selected trees for reuse of brownfields in this landscape and proposals for reclamation in the interest areas of Upper Silesian.

  16. Active learning in forensic science using Brownfield Action in a traditional or hybrid course in earth, environmental, or engineering sciences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bower, P.; Liddicoat (2), J.

    2009-04-01

    Brownfield Action (BA - http://www.brownfieldaction.org) is a web-based, interactive, three-dimensional digital space and learning simulation in which students form geotechnical consulting companies and work collaboratively to explore and solve problems in environmental forensics. BA is being used in the United States at 10 colleges and universities in earth, environmental, or engineering sciences undergraduate and graduate courses. As a semester-long activity or done in modular form for specific topics, BA encourages active learning that requires attention to detail, intuition, and positive interaction between peers that results in Phase 1 and Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessments. Besides use in higher education courses, BA also can be adapted for instruction to local, state, and federal governmental employees, and employees in industry where brownfields need to be investigated or require remediation.

  17. Is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brownfields assessment pilot program environmentally just?

    PubMed Central

    Solitare, Laura; Greenberg, Micheal

    2002-01-01

    In the early 1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) started a grant program to assist communities redevelop brownfields, which are abandoned or underutilized sites that have real or perceived contamination. In addition to determining if the communities receiving the grants were the most distressed cities in the United States, we also evaluate the U.S. EPA program in terms of environmental justice at the macro scale. Using 1990 U.S. Census of Housing and Population data and a matched-cities methodology, we compared the brownfields pilot cities to other communities in the United States. We found that regardless of intent, the U.S. EPA program is environmentally just by disproportionately awarding grants to the most economically distressed cities. We also found that the cities that received funding in the early years of the program were more economically distressed than cities receiving the funding more recently. PMID:11929735

  18. Is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brownfields assessment pilot program environmentally just?

    PubMed

    Solitare, Laura; Greenberg, Micheal

    2002-04-01

    In the early 1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) started a grant program to assist communities redevelop brownfields, which are abandoned or underutilized sites that have real or perceived contamination. In addition to determining if the communities receiving the grants were the most distressed cities in the United States, we also evaluate the U.S. EPA program in terms of environmental justice at the macro scale. Using 1990 U.S. Census of Housing and Population data and a matched-cities methodology, we compared the brownfields pilot cities to other communities in the United States. We found that regardless of intent, the U.S. EPA program is environmentally just by disproportionately awarding grants to the most economically distressed cities. We also found that the cities that received funding in the early years of the program were more economically distressed than cities receiving the funding more recently.

  19. Green Turning Brown - Domain Engineering for Social and Health Services in Finland.

    PubMed

    Suomi, Reima; Nykänen, Pirkko; Vepsäläinen, Tapio; Hiltunen, Riina

    2017-01-01

    Being able to design information systems to an untouched domain, without the burden of existing information systems, especially legacy systems, is often seen as a dream of most information system professionals. Uncharted domains are anyway scarce, and often such greenfield projects turn into brownfield projects, also to projects where existing structures severely constrain the development of new systems. In this article we discuss the concepts of greenfield and brownfield domain engineering and software development, and reflect their possible messages to the re-engineering of the Finnish health- and social care ecosystem currently under way. In our fieldwork we could identify a lot of need and wish for greenfield domain engineering in the Finnish health and social services delivery. As well we found a lot of brownfield elements inhibiting change. Our proposal for the future is a ecosystem approach, where new and established elements could live together in a self-governed balance.

  20. Combating land degradation: the potential of soil reconversion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobias, Silvia; Conen, Franz; Duss, Adrian; Wenzel, Leonore; Buser, Christine; Alewell, Christine

    2017-04-01

    Land degradation is usually not seen as a major problem in industrialised countries, although continuous soil sealing for human settlements and infrastructure entails the loss of agricultural land, landscape fragmentation and the loss of natural habitats. In many European countries, land-take on greenfields is unbowed, while, at the same time, there is a considerable number of unused brownfields, like abandoned rail yards and industrial or military sites. In addition, many new by-pass roads have been constructed to take up the volume of traffic and unburden the towns and villages from traffic emissions, but the old roads are rarely downgraded or reconverted and risk being used as shortcuts. Today the sealed area exceeds the requirements of the current generation and contributes to degraded land with heavily disturbed soil-borne ecosystem services. Soil reconversion, i.e. replacing a sealed surface with soil to restore ecosystem services, could mitigate this unsustainable trend that restricts the options of future generations. This contribution discusses the potential and challenges of soil reconversion to reduce net soil loss. The expanses of brownfield area vary between countries, whereas the rate of new soil sealing is still high in most countries and soil reconversion should be considered more. Our research revealed that the current techniques enable successful restoration of agricultural soils and pioneer habitats on site. However, reconverting single small areas can hardly mitigate landscape fragmentation at a regional scale. The same principle prevails as for soil sealing, but in the inverse way: the benefit of soil reconversion may appear small for single cases, but in the sum soil reconversion might be effective. Today, many brownfield areas stay sealed because of economic and political reasons, or because the potential benefit from restoring ecosystem services at these brownfield sites is not known. We developed a mapping approach to assess the potential performance of ecosystem services on several industrial brownfield sites in Switzerland. This mapping method provides more tangible information about potential ecosystem service performance, which could support political decision making on the re-use of brownfields. We will present the examples of soil reconversion we investigated and identify the obstacles of soil reconversion. We will further discuss approaches to promote more soil reconversion by means of current or new policy instruments.

  1. Allocating risk capital for a brownfields redevelopment project under hydrogeological and financial uncertainty.

    PubMed

    Yu, Soonyoung; Unger, Andre J A; Parker, Beth; Kim, Taehee

    2012-06-15

    In this study, we defined risk capital as the contingency fee or insurance premium that a brownfields redeveloper needs to set aside from the sale of each house in case they need to repurchase it at a later date because the indoor air has been detrimentally affected by subsurface contamination. The likelihood that indoor air concentrations will exceed a regulatory level subject to subsurface heterogeneity and source zone location uncertainty is simulated by a physics-based hydrogeological model using Monte Carlo realizations, yielding the probability of failure. The cost of failure is the future value of the house indexed to the stochastic US National Housing index. The risk capital is essentially the probability of failure times the cost of failure with a surcharge to compensate the developer against hydrogeological and financial uncertainty, with the surcharge acting as safety loading reflecting the developers' level of risk aversion. We review five methodologies taken from the actuarial and financial literature to price the risk capital for a highly stylized brownfield redevelopment project, with each method specifically adapted to accommodate our notion of the probability of failure. The objective of this paper is to develop an actuarially consistent approach for combining the hydrogeological and financial uncertainty into a contingency fee that the brownfields developer should reserve (i.e. the risk capital) in order to hedge their risk exposure during the project. Results indicate that the price of the risk capital is much more sensitive to hydrogeological rather than financial uncertainty. We use the Capital Asset Pricing Model to estimate the risk-adjusted discount rate to depreciate all costs to present value for the brownfield redevelopment project. A key outcome of this work is that the presentation of our risk capital valuation methodology is sufficiently generalized for application to a wide variety of engineering projects. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Handling the difficult Brownfields issues: A case study of privately funded remediation to residential standards update 1997

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    McLeod, D.P.; Ridley, A.P.

    Most Brownfields projects are based on either direct or indirect government funding. This paper describes a more unusual scenario: the remediation of a contaminated industrial site for re-use as residential property. Using the ASTM RBCA risk assessment methodology and an innovative fixed fee arrangement between Woodward-Clyde Consultants and the site owner, they developed and successfully implemented a plan to clean up the site to residential standards over a twelve (12) month time period.

  3. Soil and brownfield bioremediation.

    PubMed

    Megharaj, Mallavarapu; Naidu, Ravi

    2017-09-01

    Soil contamination with petroleum hydrocarbons, persistent organic pollutants, halogenated organic chemicals and toxic metal(loid)s is a serious global problem affecting the human and ecological health. Over the past half-century, the technological and industrial advancements have led to the creation of a large number of brownfields, most of these located in the centre of dense cities all over the world. Restoring these sites and regeneration of urban areas in a sustainable way for beneficial uses is a key priority for all industrialized nations. Bioremediation is considered a safe economical, efficient and sustainable technology for restoring the contaminated sites. This brief review presents an overview of bioremediation technologies in the context of sustainability, their applications and limitations in the reclamation of contaminated sites with an emphasis on brownfields. Also, the use of integrated approaches using the combination of chemical oxidation and bioremediation for persistent organic pollutants is discussed. © 2017 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  4. Cleanups In My Community (CIMC) - Recovery Act Funded Cleanups, National Layer

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This data layer provides access to Recovery Act Funded Cleanup sites as part of the CIMC web service. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009 and all reporting on ARRA for these 3 programs was complete as of 2013. Out of the five EPA programs that distributed recovery act funding, three of them were cleanup programs: Brownfields, Superfund and Leaking Underground Storage Tanks. CIMC provides information on site cleanups that received ARRA Recovery Act funding for Superfund and Brownfields, but not Leaking Underground Storage Tanks. Data for Brownfields came from the ACRES database. Data for Superfund came from the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) database. Data in CIMC no longer need to be updated for the ARRA program. For information on all EPA Recovery Act funded work, please see: http://archive.epa.gov/recovery/web/html/ and http://epamap17.epa.gov/arra/.

  5. Screening of groundwater remedial alternatives for brownfield sites: a comprehensive method integrated MCDA with numerical simulation.

    PubMed

    Li, Wei; Zhang, Min; Wang, Mingyu; Han, Zhantao; Liu, Jiankai; Chen, Zhezhou; Liu, Bo; Yan, Yan; Liu, Zhu

    2018-06-01

    Brownfield sites pollution and remediation is an urgent environmental issue worldwide. The screening and assessment of remedial alternatives is especially complex owing to its multiple criteria that involves technique, economy, and policy. To help the decision-makers selecting the remedial alternatives efficiently, the criteria framework conducted by the U.S. EPA is improved and a comprehensive method that integrates multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) with numerical simulation is conducted in this paper. The criteria framework is modified and classified into three categories: qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative criteria, MCDA method, AHP-PROMETHEE (analytical hierarchy process-preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation) is used to determine the priority ranking of the remedial alternatives and the solute transport simulation is conducted to assess the remedial efficiency. A case study was present to demonstrate the screening method in a brownfield site in Cangzhou, northern China. The results show that the systematic method provides a reliable way to quantify the priority of the remedial alternatives.

  6. Comparison of risk-based decision-support systems for brownfield site rehabilitation: DESYRE and SADA applied to a Romanian case study.

    PubMed

    Stezar, I C; Pizzol, L; Critto, A; Ozunu, A; Marcomini, A

    2013-12-15

    Brownfield rehabilitation is an essential step for sustainable land-use planning and management in the European Union. In brownfield regeneration processes, the legacy contamination plays a significant role, firstly because of the persistent contaminants in soil or groundwater which extends the existing hazards and risks well into the future; and secondly, problems from historical contamination are often more difficult to manage than contamination caused by new activities. Due to the complexity associated with the management of brownfield site rehabilitation, Decision Support Systems (DSSs) have been developed to support problem holders and stakeholders in the decision-making process encompassing all phases of the rehabilitation. This paper presents a comparative study between two DSSs, namely SADA (Spatial Analysis and Decision Assistance) and DESYRE (Decision Support System for the Requalification of Contaminated Sites), with the main objective of showing the benefits of using DSSs to introduce and process data and then to disseminate results to different stakeholders involved in the decision-making process. For this purpose, a former car manufacturing plant located in the Brasov area, Central Romania, contaminated chiefly by heavy metals and total petroleum hydrocarbons, has been selected as a case study to apply the two examined DSSs. Major results presented here concern the analysis of the functionalities of the two DSSs in order to identify similarities, differences and complementarities and, thus, to provide an indication of the most suitable integration options. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Online Higher Education Instruction to Foster Critical Thinking When Assessing Environmental Issues - the Brownfield Action Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bower, Peter; Liddicoat, Joseph; Dittrick, Diane; Maenza-Gmelch, Terryanne; Kelsey, Ryan

    2013-04-01

    According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there are presently over half a million brownfields in the United States, but this number only includes sites for which an Environmental Site Assessment has been conducted. The actual number of brownfields is certainly into the millions and constitutes one of the major environmental issues confronting all communities today. Taught in part online for more than a decade in environmental science courses at over a dozen colleges, universities, and high schools in the United States, Brownfield Action (BA) is an interactive, web-based simulation that combines scientific expertise, constructivist education philosophy, and multimedia to advance the teaching of environmental science (Bower et al., 2011). In the online simulation and classroom, students form geotechnical consulting companies, conduct environmental site assessment investigations, and work collaboratively to solve a problem in environmental forensics. The BA model contains interdisciplinary scientific and social information that are integrated within a digital learning environment that encourages students to construct their knowledge as they learn by doing. As such, the approach improves the depth and coherence of students understanding of the course material. Like real-world environmental consultants, students are required to develop and apply expertise from a wide range of fields, including environmental science and engineering as well as journalism, medicine, public health, law, civics, economics, and business management. The overall objective is for students to gain an unprecedented appreciation of the complexity, ambiguity, and risk involved in any environmental issue or crisis.

  8. Evaluating holistic environmental consequences of brownfield management options using consequential life cycle assessment for different perspectives.

    PubMed

    Lesage, Pascal; Deschênes, Louise; Samson, Réjean

    2007-08-01

    Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused sites whose reuse necessitates some sort of intervention. These sites are largely urban and are frequently contaminated. Brownfield management options can be associated with three types of environmental consequences: those resulting from changes in the site's environmental quality (primary impacts); those resulting from the actual intervention stage (secondary impacts); and, if the vocation of the site changes, those resulting from effects on regional land use (tertiary impacts). Different stakeholders and decision-making contexts will place a different importance on each of these types of impacts. This article proposes a framework for comparing brownfield management options in regard to these three types of environmental impacts and for interpreting these results from different perspectives. The assessment framework is based on consequential life cycle assessment (LCA), which is shown to provide environmental information on the three types of impacts. The results for a case study are presented, where a "rehabilitation" option allowing residential redevelopment is compared to an "exposure minimization" option not resulting in the site being reused. Calculated primary and tertiary impacts are favorable to the rehabilitation option, whereas secondary impacts are favorable to the exposure minimization option. A ternary diagram presents the favorable option for different stereotypical perspectives. Tertiary impacts are much greater than secondary impacts, and consequently all perspectives that consider tertiary impacts favor rehabilitation. The perspective that considers primary and secondary impacts receives conflicting information. The ternary diagram, showing results for all perspectives, could possibly be useful for consensus-building among stakeholders.

  9. Design and implementation of an air monitoring program in support of a brownfields redevelopment program

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Maisel, B.E.; Hunt, G.T.; Devaney, R.J. Jr.

    EPA`s Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative has sparked renewal of industrial and commercial parcels otherwise idled or under-utilized because of real or perceived environmental contamination. In certain cases, restoring such parcels to productive economic use requires a redevelopment effort protective of human health and welfare through minimizing offsite migration of environmental contaminants during cleanup, demolition and remediation activities. To support these objectives, an air monitoring program is often required as an integral element of a comprehensive brownfields redevelopment effort. This paper presents a strategic framework for design and execution of an ambient air monitoring program in support of a brownfields remediationmore » effort ongoing in Lawrence, MA. Based on site characterization, the program included sample collection and laboratory analysis of ambient air samples for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDDs/PCDFs), total suspended particulate (TSP), inhalable particulate (PM10), and lead. The program included four monitoring phases, identified as background, wintertime, demolition/remediation and post-demolition. Air sampling occurred over a 16 month period during 1996--97, during which time nine sampling locations were utilized to produce approximately 1,500 ambient air samples. Following strict data review and validation procedures, ambient air data interpretation focused on the following: evaluation of upwind/downwind sample pairs, comparison of ambient levels to existing regulatory standards, relation of ambient levels to data reported in the open literature, and, determination of normal seasonal variations in existing background burden, comparison of ambient levels measured during site activity to background levels.« less

  10. Evaluating Holistic Environmental Consequences of Brownfield Management Options Using Consequential Life Cycle Assessment for Different Perspectives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lesage, Pascal; Deschênes, Louise; Samson, Réjean

    2007-08-01

    Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused sites whose reuse necessitates some sort of intervention. These sites are largely urban and are frequently contaminated. Brownfield management options can be associated with three types of environmental consequences: those resulting from changes in the site’s environmental quality (primary impacts); those resulting from the actual intervention stage (secondary impacts); and, if the vocation of the site changes, those resulting from effects on regional land use (tertiary impacts). Different stakeholders and decision-making contexts will place a different importance on each of these types of impacts. This article proposes a framework for comparing brownfield management options in regard to these three types of environmental impacts and for interpreting these results from different perspectives. The assessment framework is based on consequential life cycle assessment (LCA), which is shown to provide environmental information on the three types of impacts. The results for a case study are presented, where a “rehabilitation” option allowing residential redevelopment is compared to an “exposure minimization” option not resulting in the site being reused. Calculated primary and tertiary impacts are favorable to the rehabilitation option, whereas secondary impacts are favorable to the exposure minimization option. A ternary diagram presents the favorable option for different stereotypical perspectives. Tertiary impacts are much greater than secondary impacts, and consequently all perspectives that consider tertiary impacts favor rehabilitation. The perspective that considers primary and secondary impacts receives conflicting information. The ternary diagram, showing results for all perspectives, could possibly be useful for consensus-building among stakeholders.

  11. Risk-based corrective action: Lessons for brownfields from the Illinois rulemaking

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reott, R.T.; Grayson, E.L.

    As attention focuses on the redevelopment of brownfield properties, increasing numbers of stakeholders realize that one of the major stumbling blocks to the use of brownfields properties is the uncertainty over future cleanup costs. In Illinois, the Pollution Control Board recently completed a three-year rulemaking which has provided a new, risk-based system for determining corrective action objectives. 35 Ill. Adm. Code {section} 742 (1997). Armed with this system, Illinois property owners and developers may assess potential cleanup exposure with less site investigation than in the past. Because the system may be implemented quickly and predictably, it functions well in amore » transactional context where speed is critical. This presentation highlights the features of the new Illinois system and identifies potential issues that other states might wish to consider when they evaluate their own programs. Many states are in the process of implementing risk-based corrective action for some or all of their site remediation programs. The lessons learned in Illinois may help these states implement these programs more efficiently and with fewer developmental costs.« less

  12. Canopy carbon net assimilation of an urban, naturally assembled brownfield forest

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schafer, K. V.; Wadhwa, S.; Tripathee, R.; Gallagher, F. J.

    2010-12-01

    In this study, we have been investigating an urban brownfield at Liberty State Park that has been abandoned approximately for 40 years. Natural colonization has taken place that allowed a pioneer forest to grow with primarily Betula populifera and Populus spec. Despite soil metal contamination this urban forest exhibits moderate annual productivity and serves as a carbon sink. Diameters at breast height (DBH, 1.35 m above ground) of all trees in a study plot were measured. Aboveground biomass equations were determined for both species through destructive sampling. Aboveground net primary production was about 770 gC m-2 a-1 in 2009. Canopy net assimilation (AnC) was modeled with the canopy conductance constrained assimilation (4CA) model using measured sapflux derived conductance and photosynthetic parameters measured with a LICOR 6400. Annual AnC in 2009 was approximately 1500 gC m-2 a-1 thus with a partitioning of biomass and respiration in the same range of most natural forest with less anthropogenic induced stress. Urban brownfields thus can serve as C sinks and provide phytostabilization of contaminants.

  13. Interactive Higher Education Instruction to Advance STEM Instruction in the Environmental Sciences - the Brownfield Action Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liddicoat, J. C.; Bower, P.

    2015-12-01

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that presently there are over half a million brownfields in the United States, but this number only includes sites for which an Environmental Site Assessment has been conducted. The actual number of brownfields is certainly in the millions and constitutes one of the major environmental issues confronting all communities today. Taught in part or entirely online for more than 15 years in environmental science, engineering, and hydrology courses at over a dozen colleges, universities, and high schools in the United States, Brownfield Action (BA) is an interactive, web-based simulation that combines scientific expertise, constructivist education philosophy, and multimedia to advance the teaching of environmental science (Bower et al., 2011, 2014; Liddicoat and Bower, 2015). In the online simulation and classroom, students form geotechnical consulting companies with a peer chosen at random to solve a problem in environmental forensics. The BA model contains interdisciplinary scientific and social information that are integrated within a digital learning environment that encourages students to construct their knowledge as they learn by doing. As such, the approach improves the depth and coherence of students understanding of the course material. Like real-world environmental consultants and professionals, students are required to develop and apply expertise from a wide range of fields, including environmental science and engineering as well as journalism, medicine, public health, law, civics, economics, and business management. The overall objective is for students to gain an unprecedented appreciation of the complexity, ambiguity, and risk involved in any environmental issue, and to acquire STEM knowledge that can be used constructively when confronted with such an issue.

  14. Adhesion and enrichment of metals on human hands from contaminated soil at an Arctic urban brownfield.

    PubMed

    Siciliano, Steven D; James, K; Zhang, Guiyin; Schafer, Alexis N; Peak, J Derek

    2009-08-15

    Human exposure to contaminated soils drives clean up criteria at many urban brownfields. Current risk assessment guidelines assume that humans ingest some fraction of soil smaller than 4 mm but have no estimates of what fraction of soil is ingested by humans. Here, we evaluated soil adherence to human hands for 13 agricultural soils from Saskatchewan, Canada and 17 different soils from a brownfield located in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. In addition, we estimated average particle size adhering to human hands for residents of a northern urban setting. Further, we estimated how metal concentrations differed between the adhered and bulk (< 4 mm) fraction of soil. The average particle size for adhered agricultural soils was 34 microm, adhered brownfield soils was 105 microm, and particles adhered to human residentswas 36 microm. Metals were significantly enriched in these adhered fractions with an average enrichment [(adhered-bulk)/bulk] in metal concentration of 184% (113% median) for 24 different elements. Enrichment was greater for key toxicological elements of concern such as chromium (140%), copper (140%), nickel (130%), lead (110%), and zinc (130%) and was highest for silver (810%), mercury (630%), selenium (500%), and arsenic (420%). Enrichment were positively correlated with carbonate complexation constants (but not bulk solubility products) and suggests that the dominant mechanism controlling metal enrichment in these samples is a precipitation of carbonate surfaces that subsequently adsorb metals. Our results suggest that metals of toxicological concern are selectively enriched in the fraction of soil that humans incidentally ingest. Investigators should likely process soil samples through a 45 microm sieve before estimating the risk associated with contaminated soils to humans. The chemical mechanisms resulting in metal enrichment likely differ between sites but at our site were linked to surface complexation with carbonates.

  15. Applying a multi-criteria genetic algorithm framework for brownfield reuse optimization: improving redevelopment options based on stakeholder preferences.

    PubMed

    Morio, Maximilian; Schädler, Sebastian; Finkel, Michael

    2013-11-30

    The reuse of underused or abandoned contaminated land, so-called brownfields, is increasingly seen as an important means for reducing the consumption of land and natural resources. Many existing decision support systems are not appropriate because they focus mainly on economic aspects, while neglecting sustainability issues. To fill this gap, we present a framework for spatially explicit, integrated planning and assessment of brownfield redevelopment options. A multi-criteria genetic algorithm allows us to determine optimal land use configurations with respect to assessment criteria and given constraints on the composition of land use classes, according to, e.g., stakeholder preferences. Assessment criteria include sustainability indicators as well as economic aspects, including remediation costs and land value. The framework is applied to a case study of a former military site near Potsdam, Germany. Emphasis is placed on the trade-off between possibly conflicting objectives (e.g., economic goals versus the need for sustainable development in the regional context of the brownfield site), which may represent different perspectives of involved stakeholders. The economic analysis reveals the trade-off between the increase in land value due to reuse and the costs for remediation required to make reuse possible. We identify various reuse options, which perform similarly well although they exhibit different land use patterns. High-cost high-value options dominated by residential land use and low-cost low-value options with less sensitive land use types may perform equally well economically. The results of the integrated analysis show that the quantitative integration of sustainability may change optimal land use patterns considerably. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Earth Science Instruction Using Brownfields in the Virtual Classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bower, P. M.; Liddicoat, J. C.

    2008-05-01

    Geophysical methods of defining contaminant plumes from brownfields are taught in lecture and laboratory using Brownfield Action (BA) that is a network-based, interactive, digital space and simulation in which undergraduate students explore and solve problems in geohydrology. In the U.S., BA is recognized nationally as an innovative curriculum and simulation that has been developed by Peter Bower at Barnard College in collaboration with Columbia University's Center for New Media Teaching and Learning. Brownfields are former industrial sites that have potential as recreational, residential, and commercial real estate sites when reclaimed. As part of assessing the value of such a site, an environmental site assessment (ESA) is required to determine the nature and extent of any contamination. To reach that objective, BA contains a narrative element that is embedded and to be discovered in simulation; it is a story of groundwater contamination complete with underground contaminant plumes in a fictitious town with buildings, roads, wells, water tower, homes, and businesses as well as a municipal government with relevant historical documents. Student companies work collaboratively in teams of two, sign a contract with a development corporation to conduct a Phase One ESA, receive a realistic budget, and compete with other teams to fulfill the contract while maximizing profit. To reach a valid conclusion in the form of a professional-level ESA and 3-D maps of the physical site, teams must construct a detailed narrative from diverse forms of information, including socio-historical and a scientific dataset comprised of over 2,000,000 data points. BA forces the students to act on their perceptions of the interlocking realms of knowledge, theory and practical experience, providing an opportunity for them to gain valuable practice at tackling the complexity and ambiguity of a large-scale, interdisciplinary investigation of groundwater contamination and environmental forensics.

  17. Transport Infrastructure in the Process of Cataloguing Brownfields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kramářová, Zuzana

    2017-10-01

    To begin with, the identification and follow-up revitalisation of brownfields raises a burning issue in territorial planning as well as in construction engineering. This phenomenon occurs not only in the Czech Republic and Europe, but also world-wide experts conduct its careful investigation. These issues may be divided into several areas. First, it is identifying and cataloguing single territorial localities; next, it means a complex process of locality revitalisation. As a matter of fact, legislative framework represents a separate area, which is actually highly specific in individual countries in accordance with the existing law, norms and regulations (it concerns mainly territorial planning and territory segmentation into appropriate administrative units). Legislative base of the Czech Republic was analysed in an article at WMCAUS in 2016. The solution of individual identification and following cataloguing of brownfields is worked out by Form of Regional Studies within the Legislation of the Czech Republic. Due to huge the scale of issues to be tackled, their content is only loosely defined in regard to Building Act and its implementing regulations, e.g. examining the layout of future construction in the area, locating architecturally or otherwise interesting objects, transport or technical infrastructure management, tourism, socially excluded localities etc. Legislative base does not exist, there is no common method for identifying and cataloguing brownfields. Therefore, individual catalogue lists are subject to customer’s requirements. All the same, the relevant information which the database contains may be always examined. One of them is part about transport infrastructure. The information may be divided into three subareas - information on transport accessibility of the locality, information on the actual infrastructure in the locality and information on the transport accessibility of human resources.

  18. Improving surface-subsurface water budgeting using high resolution satellite imagery applied on a brownfield.

    PubMed

    Dujardin, J; Batelaan, O; Canters, F; Boel, S; Anibas, C; Bronders, J

    2011-01-15

    The estimation of surface-subsurface water interactions is complex and highly variable in space and time. It is even more complex when it has to be estimated in urban areas, because of the complex patterns of the land-cover in these areas. In this research a modeling approach with integrated remote sensing analysis has been developed for estimating water fluxes in urban environments. The methodology was developed with the aim to simulate fluxes of contaminants from polluted sites. Groundwater pollution in urban environments is linked to patterns of land use and hence it is essential to characterize the land cover in a detail. An object-oriented classification approach applied on high-resolution satellite data has been adopted. To assign the image objects to one of the land-cover classes a multiple layer perceptron approach was adopted (Kappa of 0.86). Groundwater recharge has been simulated using the spatially distributed WetSpass model and the subsurface water flow using MODFLOW in order to identify and budget water fluxes. The developed methodology is applied to a brownfield case site in Vilvoorde, Brussels (Belgium). The obtained land use map has a strong impact on the groundwater recharge, resulting in a high spatial variability. Simulated groundwater fluxes from brownfield to the receiving River Zenne were independently verified by measurements and simulation of groundwater-surface water interaction based on thermal gradients in the river bed. It is concluded that in order to better quantify total fluxes of contaminants from brownfields in the groundwater, remote sensing imagery can be operationally integrated in a modeling procedure. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Integration of the subsurface and the surface sectors for a more holistic approach for sustainable redevelopment of urban brownfields.

    PubMed

    Norrman, Jenny; Volchko, Yevheniya; Hooimeijer, Fransje; Maring, Linda; Kain, Jaan-Henrik; Bardos, Paul; Broekx, Steven; Beames, Alistair; Rosén, Lars

    2016-09-01

    This paper presents a holistic approach to sustainable urban brownfield redevelopment where specific focus is put on the integration of a multitude of subsurface qualities in the early phases of the urban redevelopment process, i.e. in the initiative and plan phases. Achieving sustainability in brownfield redevelopment projects may be constrained by a failure of engagement between two key expert constituencies: urban planners/designers and subsurface engineers, leading to missed opportunities and unintended outcomes in the plan realisation phase. A more integrated approach delivers greater benefits. Three case studies in the Netherlands, Belgium and Sweden were used to test different sustainability assessment instruments in terms of the possibility for knowledge exchange between the subsurface and the surface sectors and in terms of cooperative learning among experts and stakeholders. Based on the lessons learned from the case studies, a generic decision process framework is suggested that supports holistic decision making. The suggested framework focuses on stakeholder involvement, communication, knowledge exchange and learning and provides an inventory of instruments that can support these processes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Expediting contaminated site cleanup in California

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Newman, B.S.; Conlan, J.T.

    California generally has been considered a leader in the advocacy of policies for the cleanup and abatement of environmental pollution. Many of the more innovative programs and policies were developed within the broad framework of California`s Brownfields Initiative. Because both the public and private sectors recognize that environmental cleanup and reuse of California`s industrial properties are major components of economic revitalization, the state has used administrative and legislative tools to provide incentives for redeveloping brownfields contaminated by leaking underground storage tanks (USTs) and other industrial operations. However, it is the broader reach of various state and local policies, programs, agreementsmore » and management communication that provide benefits to the majority of the regulated community.« less

  1. Investigation of a Brownfield Conflict Considering the Strength of Preferences

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Jing; Pei, Ling-Ling

    2018-01-01

    By employing the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution methodology, this paper models and analyzes a brownfield conflict that occurred at the Changzhou Foreign Language School in Jiangsu, China, in 2016. This conflict made national headlines when news reports revealed that a large number of students and staff suffered from health issues after the school moved to a new site that is built on recently restored land adjacent to the original “Chang Long Chemical” block. Since stakeholders in the conflict hold different strengths of preference, a new option prioritization technique is employed to elicit both crisp preferences and the strength of preferences for the decision-makers (DMs) in the conflict. The conflict analysis result is consistent with the actual trajectory of the conflict and provides strategic insights into the conflict. More specifically, equilibrium results suggest that the firm should have been required to thoroughly clean the site, the local government should not have relocated the school, and the environmental agency and other stakeholders should have closely monitored the firm’s activities. In short, strategic insights garnered from this case study indicate that positive interactions should be fostered among the local government, the enterprise, and the public to ensure sustainable brownfield land redevelopment in the future. PMID:29495314

  2. Brownfield site development -- The Ontario context

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Phillips, D.B.

    The provincial government of Ontario recently promulgated new guidelines to deal with contamination on sites. One of the purposes of the guideline was to bolster development of contaminated sites by clarifying the regulatory process for redeveloping a contaminated site and to provide several clean-up options based on newer scientific information. These clean-up options include stratified clean-ups and site specific risk based criteria. The applications of the previous guideline were at times cumbersome for industries and land developers which may have impeded development of the Brownfield. This paper compares the changes between the old and the new regulatory clean-up guidelines andmore » presents the differences in approach. This paper also presents the results from interviews with several industries and property developers and assesses their view on the regulatory change as well as their desire to develop Brownfields in Ontario. This information determines if the change in regulatory process has really encouraged development. Results from the interviews with proponents indicated that the new guidelines are a much better approach but still contain barriers such as liability issues. Furthermore, the regulatory approval process has been transferred from the provincial government to the local governments. As a result the local governments are applying the guidelines differently across the province.« less

  3. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry Brownfields/ land-reuse site tool.

    PubMed

    Perlman, Gary D; Berman, Laurel; Leann, Kathryn; Bing, Lemley

    2012-12-01

    As part of our continuing effort to highlight innovative approaches to improving the health and environment of communities, the Journal is pleased to bring back the bimonthly column from the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). The ATSDR, based in Atlanta, Georgia, is a federal public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and shares a common office of the Director with the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ATSDR serves the public by using the best science, taking responsive public health actions, and providing trusted health information to prevent harmful exposures and diseases related to toxic substances. The purpose of this column is to inform readers of ATSDR's activities and initiatives to better understand the relationship between exposure to hazardous substances in the environment and their impact on human health and how to protect public health. We believe that the column will provide a valuable resource to our readership by helping to make known the considerable resources and expertise that ATSDR has available to assist communities, states, and others to assure good environmental health practice for all is served. The conclusions of this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of ATSDR, CDC, or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Gary D. Perlman is an environmental health scientist for ATSDR. He is a commissioned officer with the U.S. Public Health Service and has been deployed in support of numerous environmental disasters including hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Isabelle, and Irene, as well as the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Laurel Berman is the national brownfields coordinator with ATSDR. She coordinates the ATSDR Brownfields/Land-Reuse Health Initiative. Kathryn Leann Lemley Bing is an environmental health scientist and an ATSDR regional representative in Atlanta. She has specialized expertise working in brownfield/land-reuse communities.

  4. Improving surface-subsurface water budgeting for Brownfield study sites using high resolution satellite imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dujardin, J.; Boel, S.; Anibas, C.; Batelaan, O.; Canters, F.

    2009-04-01

    Countries around the world have problems with contaminated brownfield sites as resulting from a relatively anarchic economical and industrial development during the 19th and 20th centuries. Since a few decades policy makers and stakeholders have become more aware of the risk posed by these sites because some of these sites present direct public hazards. Water is often the main vector of the mobility of contaminants. In order to propose remediation measures for the contaminated sites, it is required to describe and to quantify as accurately as possible the surface and subsurface water fluxes in the polluted site. In this research a modelling approach with integrated remote sensing analysis has been developed for accurately calculating water and contaminant fluxes on the polluted sites. Groundwater pollution in urban environments is linked to patterns of land use, so to identify the sources of contamination with great accuracy in urban environments it is essential to characterize the land cover in a detailed way. The use of high resolution spatial information is required because of the complexity of the urban land use. An object-oriented classification approach applied on high resolution satellite data has been adopted. Cluster separability analysis and visual interpretation of the image objects belonging to each cluster resulted in the selection of 8 land-cover categories (water, bare soil, meadow, mixed forest, grey urban surfaces, red roofs, bright roofs and shadow).To assign the image objects to one of the 8 selected classes a multiple layer perceptron (MLP) approach was adopted, using the NeuralWorks Predict software. After a post-classification shadow removal and a rule-based classification enhancement a kappa-value of 0.86 was obtained. Once the land cover was characterized, the groundwater recharge has been simulated using the spatially distributed WetSpass model and the subsurface water flow was simulated with GMS 6.0 in order to identify and budget the water fluxes on the brownfield. The obtained land use map shows to have a strong impact on the groundwater recharge, resulting in a high spatial variability. Simulated groundwater fluxes from brownfield to a receiving river where independently verified by measurements and simulation of groundwater-surface water interaction based on thermal gradients in the river bed. It is concluded that in order to better quantify total fluxes of contaminants from brownfields in the groundwater, remote sensing imagery can be operationally integrated in a modelling procedure. The developed methodology is applied to a case site in Vilvoorde, Brussels (Belgium).

  5. New Mexico Clean Energy Initiatives

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This presentation addresses New Mexico oil and gas development, brownfields, mining development, renewable energy development, renewable resources, renewable standards, solar opportunities, climate change, and energy efficiency.

  6. Environmental liability and redevelopment of old industrial land.

    PubMed

    Sigman, Hilary

    2010-01-01

    Many communities are concerned about the reuse of potentially contaminated land (brownfields) and believe that environmental liability is a hindrance to redevelopment. However, with land price adjustments, liability might not impede the reuse of this land. This article studies state liability rules-specifically, strict liability and joint and several liability-that affect the level and distribution of expected costs of private cleanup. It explores the effects of this variation on industrial land prices and vacancy rates and on reported brownfields in a panel of cities across the United States. In the estimated equations, joint and several liability reduces land prices and increases vacancy rates in central cities. The results suggest that liability is at least partly capitalized but does still deter redevelopment.

  7. 2013 Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee Meeting Agendas

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Objectives for three meetings in 2013 include discussing social determinants of health, prenatal health, brownfields, healthy housing, asthma disparities, pesticides, ozone, perchlorate, and environmental justice.

  8. Final Technical Report, City of Brockton Solar Brightfield: Deploying a Solar Array on a Brockton Brownfield

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ribeiro, Lori

    The City of Brockton, Massachusetts sought to install New England’s largest solar array at a remediated brownfield site on Grove Street. The 425-kilowatt solar photovoltaic array – or “Brightfield” – was installed in an urban park setting along with interpretive displays to maximize the educational opportunities. The “Brightfield” project included 1,395 310-Watt solar panels connected in “strings” that span the otherwise unusable 3.7-acre site. The project demonstrated that it is both technically and economically feasible to install utility scale solar photovoltaics on a capped landfill site. The US Department of Energy conceived the Brightfields program in 2000, and Brockton’s Brightfieldmore » is the largest such installation nationwide. Brockton’s project demonstrated that while it was both technically and economically feasible to perform such a project, the implementation was extremely challenging due to the state policy barriers, difficulty obtaining grant funding, and level of sophistication required to perform the financing and secure required state approvals. This demonstration project can be used as a model for other communities that wish to implement “Brownfields to Brightfields” projects; 2) implementing utility scale solar creates economies of scale that can help to decrease costs of photovoltaics; 3) the project is an aesthetic, environmental, educational and economic asset for the City of Brockton.« less

  9. Synchrotron micro-scale measurement of metal distributions in Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia root tissue from an urban brownfield site

    DOE PAGES

    Feng, Huan; Qian, Yu; Gallagher, Frank J.; ...

    2015-11-01

    Liberty State Park in New Jersey, USA, is a “brownfield” site containing various levels of contaminants. To investigate metal uptake and distributions in plants on the brownfield site, Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia were collected in Liberty State Park during the growing season (May–September) in 2011 at two sites with the high and low metal loads, respectively. The objective of this study was to understand the metal (Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb and Zn) concentration and spatial distributions in P. australis and T. latifolia root systems with micro-meter scale resolution using synchrotron X-ray microfluorescence (μXRF) and synchrotron X-ray computed microtomography (μCMT)more » techniques. The root structure measurement by synchrotron μCMT showed that high X-ray attenuation substance appeared in the epidermis. Synchrotron μXRF measurement showed that metal concentrations and distributions in the root cross-section between epidermis and vascular tissue were statistically different. Significant correlations were found between metals (Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn) and Fe in the epidermis, implying that metals were scavenged by Fe oxides. The results from this study suggest that the expression of metal transport and accumulation within the root systems may be element specific. The information derived from this study can improve our current knowledge of the wetland plant ecological function in brownfield remediation.« less

  10. Brownfields City of Cleveland: Deconstruction Lessons Learned Report

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This technical memorandum presents an overview of Cleveland’s current deconstruction initiative goals and lessons learned (in the Cleveland area) and potential strategies for addressing lessons learned.

  11. Brownfields Moran Center Sustainability Pilot Report

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This Final Report summarizes consultant recommendations related to: Green infrastructure of the Moran Center site plan, Green building design of the proposed Moran Building, and Wetland restoration and enhancement.

  12. Cleaning Up in New England

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    A page that links to information about cleanups (Superfund, Brownfields, RCRA Corrective Action and Emergency Responses) in EPA's Region 1, covering Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island.

  13. Meeting Agenda Overview

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Three “lightning round” presentations and brief panel discussion on each of five topics including water quality and quantity, river protection and restoration, climate resiliance, Brownfields revitalization, and trails, parks, and open space.

  14. Brownfields Tabor Commons Green Jobs Training Program

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This training curriculum is designed to inform entry level tradeswomen about the green job opportunities in areas such as deconstruction, weatherization, eco or solar roofing, stormwater systems and more.

  15. Expedited Remedial Action Program (SB 923): A California Brownfields initiative

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cambridge, M.; Wolfenden, A.K.

    California`s Expedited Remedial Action Program (ERAP) created a comprehensive program that promotes an equitable and expedited approach for redevelopment of properties contaminated with hazardous substances. This bill embodies an emerging trend in environmental policy that permits flexibility, cooperation and creativity without compromising protection to public health or the environment. Within the California Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is promoting a number of programs to facilitate the restoration of contaminated properties as part of its Brownfields initiative. ERAP represents a potentially more efficient process to remediate sites by minimizing economic risks through a clearly identified liabilitymore » scheme, indemnifying future owners through a covenant not to sue, and providing risk based cleanups that are based on the permanent use of the site.« less

  16. Brownfields Green Avenue Sites: Technical Memorandum - Conceptual Design for Sustainable Redevelopment

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This technical memorandum briefly describes the site and proposed conceptual site plan, indicates conceptual design considerations, specifies recommended green and sustainable features, and offers other recommendations

  17. Brownfields Portfields: Charting a Course for Port Revitalization

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The following case studies illustrate how the Pilot Port communities and the Portfields partnership are leveraging resources and promoting innovative approaches to invigorate and enhance local community revitalization efforts.

  18. Land, Waste, and Cleanup Topics

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    After reducing waste as much as possible through recycling and sustainability, managing waste protects land quality. EPA is also involved in cleaning up and restoring contaminated land, through brownfield and superfund programs.

  19. Investigating Heavy Metal Pollution in Mining Brownfield and Its Policy Implications: A Case Study of the Bayan Obo Rare Earth Mine, Inner Mongolia, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, Yuxue; Li, Haitao

    2016-04-01

    The rapid urbanization of China and associated demand for land resources necessitates remediation, redevelopment, and reclamation of contaminated soil. Before these measures are taken, a basic investigation and inventory of heavy metal (HM) pollution levels in contaminated soil is necessary for establishing and implementing the redevelopment plan. In the present study, to identify the policy implications of inventorying and mapping HM pollution of soil in brownfields throughout China, the Bayan Obo giant rare earth element (REE)-Nb-Fe ore deposit of Baotou in Inner Mongolia, China, which is the largest REE mineral deposit in the world, was taken as a case study. Soil samples from 24 sites in Bayan Obo mining area (MA) and 76 sites in mine tailing area (TA) were collected for determining contents of soil HMs (Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn). The results showed that the average concentrations of Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn in both MA and TA were all higher than their corresponding background values for Inner Mongolia but lower than the Class II criteria of the National Soil Quality Standards of China (GB 15618—1995). Enrichment factor (EF) analysis of the soil samples indicated that the soil in the brownfield sites was highly enriched with Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn compared to the corresponding background values. In MA, the EF for Cd was the highest among the studied elements, while in TA, the EF for Cr (3.45) was the highest, closely followed by the EF for Cd (3.34). The potential ecological risk index (RI) indicated a moderate potential ecological risk from the studied HMs in MA and a low potential ecological risk in TA, and the results of RI also suggested that the soil was most heavily polluted by Cd. According to the spatial distribution maps of HM, contamination hot-spots were primarily located near mining-related high-pollution plants. Based on the results, policy recommendations are proposed related to brownfield management in urban planning.

  20. Investigating Heavy Metal Pollution in Mining Brownfield and Its Policy Implications: A Case Study of the Bayan Obo Rare Earth Mine, Inner Mongolia, China.

    PubMed

    Pan, Yuxue; Li, Haitao

    2016-04-01

    The rapid urbanization of China and associated demand for land resources necessitates remediation, redevelopment, and reclamation of contaminated soil. Before these measures are taken, a basic investigation and inventory of heavy metal (HM) pollution levels in contaminated soil is necessary for establishing and implementing the redevelopment plan. In the present study, to identify the policy implications of inventorying and mapping HM pollution of soil in brownfields throughout China, the Bayan Obo giant rare earth element (REE)-Nb-Fe ore deposit of Baotou in Inner Mongolia, China, which is the largest REE mineral deposit in the world, was taken as a case study. Soil samples from 24 sites in Bayan Obo mining area (MA) and 76 sites in mine tailing area (TA) were collected for determining contents of soil HMs (Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn). The results showed that the average concentrations of Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn in both MA and TA were all higher than their corresponding background values for Inner Mongolia but lower than the Class II criteria of the National Soil Quality Standards of China (GB 15618-1995). Enrichment factor (EF) analysis of the soil samples indicated that the soil in the brownfield sites was highly enriched with Cr, Cd, Pb, Cu, and Zn compared to the corresponding background values. In MA, the EF for Cd was the highest among the studied elements, while in TA, the EF for Cr (3.45) was the highest, closely followed by the EF for Cd (3.34). The potential ecological risk index (RI) indicated a moderate potential ecological risk from the studied HMs in MA and a low potential ecological risk in TA, and the results of RI also suggested that the soil was most heavily polluted by Cd. According to the spatial distribution maps of HM, contamination hot-spots were primarily located near mining-related high-pollution plants. Based on the results, policy recommendations are proposed related to brownfield management in urban planning.

  1. Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF): Contaminated Sites

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Communities can use the CWSRF to address the water quality aspects of site assessment and cleanup of brownfields, Superfund sites, and sites of current or former aboveground or underground storage tanks.

  2. EPA Region 9 Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) Application

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA provides contractor assistance for property assessment to determine eligibility for up to $100,000 worth of technical assistance. Use this assessment form for properties in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Hawaii.

  3. Online Hazardous Waste Cleanup Technical Resources

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This issue paper is intended to give the reader examples of some online technical resources that can assist with hazardous waste cleanups in the Superfund, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Brownfields programs.

  4. Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2013

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ

    2013-03-07

    Senate - 06/05/2014 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 416. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  5. Converting Limbo Lands to Energy-Generating Stations: Renewable Energy Technologies on Underused, Formerly Contaminated Sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mosey, G.; Heimiller, D.; Dahle, D.

    This report addresses the potential for using 'Limbo Lands' (underused, formerly contaminated sites, landfills, brownfields, abandoned mine lands, etc. ) as sites for renewable energy generating stations.

  6. Ground Water Modeling Research

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA is supporting region, state, and tribal partners at Superfund sites and brownfields to develop new methods to better characterize, monitor, and treat ground water contamination; in order to protect drinking water, surface water, and indoor air.

  7. SUPERFUND TECHNICAL SUPPORT

    EPA Science Inventory

    Under this task, technical support is provided to Regional Remedial Project Managers (RPMs)/On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) at Superfund, RCRA, and Brownfields sites contaminated with hazardous materials by the Technical Support Center (TSC) for Monitoring and Site Characterization....

  8. Final Report: Former Chesapeake Supply Brownfield Revitalization: Rapid Health Impact Assessment

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    documents the HIA analyses, findings, and recommendations for the City of Dover to consider health in decisions around its revitalization plans and outlines opportunities for further development and future assessments.

  9. Brownfields Fact Sheet on Definition of Environmental Professional included in the Final Rule

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides an insight into what “All appropriate inquiries” are as process of evaluating a property’s environmental conditions and assessing potential liability for any contamination.

  10. Final Report: Former Chesapeake Supply Brownfield Revitalization: Rpaid Health Impact Assessment

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    documents the HIA analyses, findings, and recommendations for the City of Dover to consider health in decisions around its revitalization plans and outlines opportunities for further development and future assessments.

  11. Brownfields Environmental Insurance and Risk Management Tools Glossary of Terms

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides a list of terms that are typically used by the environmental insurance industry, transactional specialists, and other parties involved in using environmental insurance or risk management tools.

  12. H.R. 3627: This Act may be cited as the Brownfield Community Empowerment Act, introduced in the House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Session, April 1, 1998

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1998-12-31

    The purpose of this bill is to assist local governments and local citizens` organizations in the assessment and remediation of brownfield sites, and for other purposes. Attention is focused on the following: Sec. 101. Inventory, assessment, and training and grant program; Sec. 112. Grants for revolving loan programs; Sec. 113. Economic redevelopment grants; Sec. 114. Reports; Sec 115. Limitations on use of funds; Sec. 116 Siting of TSD facilities; Sec. 117. Effect on other laws; Sec. 118. Regulations; Sec. 119. Authorizations of appropriations; Sec 120. Research, development, and demonstration; Sec. 121. Assistance for workforce training; Sec. 122. Worker training andmore » education grants; and Sec. 201. Economic development grants in connection with community development loan guarantees.« less

  13. EPA Selects Lawrence, Mass. Group for Brownfields Job Training Grant

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Today, EPA announced that the Merrimack Valley Workforce Investment Board, of Lawrence, Mass., was one of 14 organizations nationwide selected to receive funding to operate environmental job training programs for local unemployed residents.

  14. EPA guidance : improving air quality through land use activity

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-01-01

    Recently states and local communities have passed hundreds of ballot initiatives preserving open space, increasing development around transit, and providing for increased brownfield redevelopment. Each of these places has had different reasons--econo...

  15. 78 FR 66929 - Meetings of the Local Government Advisory Committee and the Small Communities Advisory...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-07

    ... systems waste treatment, water infrastructure, air quality issues and other issues and recommendations... Plan, air quality issues, brownfield clean ups, water quality issues, environmental justice and other...

  16. Measuring the Air Quality and Transportation Impacts of Infill Development

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This report summarizes three case studies. The analysis shows how standard forecasting tools can be modified to capture at least some of the transportation and air quality benefits of brownfield and infill development.

  17. Brownfields Recommendations for Sustainable Site Design — Green Landscape Plan

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The assessment of conditions contained in this report focuses on site-specific environmental and soil conditions that might affect recommendations related to sustainable landscaping and site design, stormwater management, and stormwater reuse.

  18. Brownfields Langdale Mill Project: Technical Memo on Creating Inventory of Materials that can be Reused or Recycled

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This technical memorandum presents the sustainability pilot activities, a summary of inventory results, and other observations and recommendations for sustainable redevelopment identified during the pilot activities.

  19. Understanding Procurement for Sampling and Analytical Services Under a Triad Approach

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The EPA Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology Support Center (BTSC) has prepared this document to highlight methods and strategies that have been successfully used to procure services under a Triad framework.

  20. The influence of compost addition on the water repellency of brownfield soils

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whelan, Amii; Kechavarzi, Cedric; Sakrabani, Ruben; Coulon, Frederic; Simmons, Robert; Wu, Guozhong

    2010-05-01

    Compost application to brownfield sites, which can facilitate the stabilisation and remediation of contaminants whilst providing adequate conditions for plant growth, is seen as an opportunity to divert biodegradable wastes from landfill and put degraded land back into productive use. However, although compost application is thought to improve soil hydraulic functioning, there is a lack of information on the impact of large amounts of compost on soil water repellency. Water repellency in soils is attributed to the accumulation of hydrophobic organic compounds released as root exudates, fungal and microbial by-products and decomposition of organic matter. It has also been shown that brownfield soils contaminated with petroleum-derived organic contaminants can exhibit strong water repellency, preventing the rapid infiltration of water and leading potentially to surface run off and erosion of contaminated soil. However, hydrophobic organic contaminants are known to become sequestrated by partitioning into organic matter or diffusing into nano- and micropores, making them less available over time (ageing). The effect of large amounts of organic matter addition through compost application on the water repellency of soils contaminated with petroleum-derived organic contaminants requires further investigation. We characterised the influence of compost addition on water repellency in the laboratory by measuring the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT), sorptivity and water repellency index through infiltration experiments on soil samples amended with two composts made with contrasting feedstocks (green waste and predominantly meat waste). The treatments consisted of a sandy loam, a clay loam and a sandy loam contaminated with diesel fuel and aged for 3 years, which were amended with the two composts at a rate equivalent to 750t/ha. In addition core samples collected from a brownfield site, amended with compost at three different rates (250, 500 and 750t/ha) in 2007, were also tested. The results show that the water repellency of air dried samples is significantly higher in samples amended with composts and increases with increasing organic matter content. The WDPT suggests that compost, when dry, is hydrophobic. Diesel contamination leads to a decrease in sorptivity compared to uncontaminated controls and wettability is not re-established following the addition of compost. Finally, the increase in compost volume (i.e. application rate) in the field samples leads to an increase in water repellency. The infiltration tests, carried out using a miniature tension infiltrometer, also illustrate different effects of hydrophobicity on infiltration, with some samples demonstrating reduced infiltration and low sorptivity but others showing no infiltration at all until the breakdown of repellency at later times. This investigation is currently being complemented by a study of the influence of hydrophobic organic contaminant sequestration with time (i.e. ageing), estimated by measuring the changes in the available fraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), on the water repellency of compost amended brownfield soils.

  1. Engineering Forum Issue Paper: Online Hazardous Waste Cleanup Technical Resources

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This issue paper is intended to give the reader examples of some online technical resources that can assist with hazardous waste cleanups in the Superfund, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Brownfields programs.

  2. Revitalization in Indian Country: Petroleum Brownfields

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides information on how tribes can apply for the following types of grants to support site assessments, site work on petroleum contaminated properties, as well as establishing or enhancing a tribal response program in Indian Country.

  3. SMARTE: IMPROVING REVITALIZATION DECISIONS - PRESENTATION IN NRMRL SEMINAR SERIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electribuc) is an open-source, web-based, decision-support system for developing and evaluating alternative reuse scenarios for potentially contaminated sites (e.g., brownfields). It is being developed collaborati...

  4. 24 CFR 598.215 - What are the purpose and content of the strategic plan?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... preserve the environment and historic landmarks, address “brownfields” clean-up and redevelopment, explore..., Environmental Cleanup Cost Deduction (i.e., “Brownfields Tax Incentive”), and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit...

  5. 24 CFR 598.215 - What are the purpose and content of the strategic plan?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... preserve the environment and historic landmarks, address “brownfields” clean-up and redevelopment, explore..., Environmental Cleanup Cost Deduction (i.e., “Brownfields Tax Incentive”), and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit...

  6. SMARTE: IMPROVING REVITALIZATION DECISIONS - PRESENTATION FOR ETV INTERNATIONAL FORUM

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools - electronic) is an open-source, web-based, decision-support system for developing and evaluating alternative reuse scenarios for potentially contaminated sites (e.g., brownfields). It is being developed collabora...

  7. 24 CFR 598.215 - What are the purpose and content of the strategic plan?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... preserve the environment and historic landmarks, address “brownfields” clean-up and redevelopment, explore..., Environmental Cleanup Cost Deduction (i.e., “Brownfields Tax Incentive”), and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit...

  8. Brownfields City of Houston Solar Project: Solar Power Analysis and Design Specifications

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document details the scope of work elements completed in support of this project, as well as recommendations for next steps towards solar project development and power purchase agreement negotiation and finalization.

  9. Obtaining Technical Support for Superfund, RCRA and Brownfields Site Issues Fact Sheet

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA’s Technical Support Centers (TSCs) and other technical support services are available to Regional RemedialProject Managers, Corrective Action Staff, and On-Scene Coordinators needing specialized technical expertisefor specific tasks or projects.

  10. Taking the liability out of contaminated property transactions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ayers, K.W.; Taylor, R.J.

    Brownfield redevelopment has been one of the hottest environmental topics for the past several years. However, brownfields are only a small segment of the contaminated property transaction market that includes the sale of real estate, signing of leases, and mergers and acquisitions that involve the transfer of property impacted by environmental contamination. Historic site pollution creates problems due to strict, joint and several, and retroactive liability imposed by environmental laws. In response to the interest in contaminated properties, the environmental insurance industry has developed a number of products that cap the remediation costs and supplement or in many instances replacemore » indemnity agreements. These insurance products allow buyers, sellers, and remediation contractors to cap remediation costs, provide long-term warranties, manage balance sheet liabilities, and even allow PRPs to walk away from site cleanup and long-term operation and maintenance obligations.« less

  11. The Environmental Protection Agency's brownfields pilot program.

    PubMed

    Greenberg, Michael R; Hollander, Justin

    2006-02-01

    We studied the diffusion of the US Environmental Protection Agency's national brownfields pilot innovation to more than 300 local governments between 1993 through 2002 to determine why some local governments received grants very early in the process while other awardees received funding later. We did an ordinal regression analysis of the characteristics of all local government award recipients, and we conducted interviews with early-award recipients. The first set of local government awardees had lost much of their manufacturing base, had large concentrations of economically disadvantaged minority residents, and had local capacity to compete for funding. Federal and state officials catalyzed the diffusion of the innovation by working with local governments. The widely praised program was diffused selectively at first and then more widely later on the basis of local need, local capacity to compete, and networks of contacts among entrepreneurs and local governments. The economic, social, political, and public health impacts must be monitored and reviewed.

  12. US EPA Region 4 Brownfields

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    To improve public health and the environment, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) collects information about facilities, sites, or places subject to environmental regulation or of environmental interest. Through the Geospatial Data Download Service, the public is now able to download the EPA Geodata shapefile containing facility and site information from EPA's national program systems. The file is Internet accessible from the Envirofacts Web site (https://www3.epa.gov/enviro/). The data may be used with geospatial mapping applications. (Note: The shapefile omits facilities without latitude/longitude coordinates.) The EPA Geospatial Data contains the name, location (latitude/longitude), and EPA program information about specific facilities and sites. In addition, the file contains a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which allows mapping applications to present an option to users to access additional EPA data resources on a specific facility or site. This dataset shows Brownfields listed in the 2012 Facility Registry System.

  13. No perfect tools: trade-offs of sustainability principles and user requirements in designing support tools for land-use decisions between greenfields and brownfields.

    PubMed

    Bartke, Stephan; Schwarze, Reimund

    2015-04-15

    The EU Soil Thematic Strategy calls for the application of sustainability concepts and methods as part of an integrated policy to prevent soil degradation and to increase the re-use of brownfields. Although certain general principles have been proposed for the evaluation of sustainable development, the practical application of sustainability assessment tools (SATs) is contingent on the actual requirements of tool users, e.g. planners or investors, to pick up such instruments in actual decision making. We examine the normative sustainability principles that need to be taken into account in order to make sound land-use decisions between new development on greenfield sites and the regeneration of brownfields - and relate these principles to empirically observed user requirements and the properties of available SATs. In this way we provide an overview of approaches to sustainability assessment. Three stylized approaches, represented in each case by a typical tool selected from the literature, are presented and contrasted with (1) the norm-oriented Bellagio sustainability principles and (2) the requirements of three different stakeholder groups: decision makers, scientists/experts and representatives of the general public. The paper disentangles some of the inevitable trade-offs involved in seeking to implement sustainable land-use planning, i.e. between norm orientation and holism, broad participation and effective communication. It concludes with the controversial assessment that there are no perfect tools and that to be meaningful the user requirements of decision makers must take precedence over those of other interest groups in the design of SATs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Air and Water Quality Impacts of Brownfields Redevelopment: A Study of Five Communities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This Study of Five Communities tests an analytical approach to quantifying the environmental impacts of multiple redevelopment projects in a given municipal area in a manner that can be replicated in other regions.

  15. SMARTE: IMPROVING REVITALIZATION DECISIONS - OCTOBER 3, 2006

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools -electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Revitalization (OBCR), the Interstate Tec...

  16. SMARTE: IMPROVING REVITALIZATION DECISIONS FOR KANSAS COMMUNITIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Brownfields program helps local governments (city/county) and non-profit organizations appropriately assess, clean up, and reuse contaminated properties that they own or purchase. Reuse and redevelopment of abandoned, idle, o...

  17. Preference and Priority in Federal Funding: Aligning Federal Resources to Maximize Program Investment Efficiency and Impacts in Communities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This page contains the document, Preference and Priority in Federal Funding: Aligning Federal Resources to Maximize Program Investment Efficiency and Impacts in Communities - Lessons from EPA’s Brownfields Program.

  18. Brownfields Waterfront Sustainability Pilot, Allentown PA: Technical Memorandum on Conceptual Design Using Low Impact Development

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This technical memorandum briefly describes the site and the master plan, indicates design constraints considered, specifies recommended LID stormwater techniques and features for sustainable redevelopment of the site, and offers other recommendations.

  19. GET SMARTE: DECISION TOOLS TO REVITALIZE COMMUNITIES (MAY 2006)

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is an open-source, web-based, decision-support system for developing and evaluating future use scenarios for potentially contaminated sites (i.e., brownfields). It contains resources and analysis tools...

  20. Brownfields Samoa Peninsula Project: Phase I Sustainable Site Analysis Final Report

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This report provides an analysis and scoring using the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Neighborhood Development Rating System, and the Land and Natural Development Code in order to assess the proposed redevelopment a master plan.

  1. Revitalizing America's Mills: A Report on Brownfields Mill Projects

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This report focuses on mills -- former textile, wood, paper, iron, and steel mills. The report describes the challenges and opportunities of mill sites with case studies highlighting some of the most creative solutions from across the country.

  2. Brownfield Action III - Modular use of hydrogeology instruction in the virtual classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bower, P.; Liddicoat, J.

    2009-04-01

    Brownfield Action III (BA III) is a network-based, interactive, digital space and simulation developed by Barnard College and the Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning in which students explore and solve problems in environmental forensics. BA III is a proven inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning that, since its inception in 1999, has been recognized as an exemplary curriculum. Indeed, in 2002 it was selected as a national model curriculum by SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities). BA III provides instruction in environmental site assessments and in the remediation of former industrial sites (brownfields) for secondary and higher education students. The initial full-semester, three hours of weekly laboratory instruction that complements lectures in BA II has been revised for modular use in Hydrology, Environmental Science, and Environmental Ethics undergraduate and graduate courses in the United States. The remediation of brownfields is important because they have potential as recreational, residential, and commercial real estate sites. As part of determining the value of such a site, an environmental site assessment (ESA) is required to determine the nature and extent of any contamination. To reach that objective, BA III contains a narrative that is embedded and to be discovered in simulation; it is a story of groundwater contamination complete with underground contaminant plumes in a fictitious town with buildings, roads, wells, water tower, homes, and businesses as well as a municipal government with relevant historical documents. Student companies work collaboratively in teams of two, sign a contract with a development corporation to conduct a Phase One ESA, receive a realistic budget, and compete with other teams to fulfill the contract while maximizing profit. To reach a valid conclusion in the form of a professional-level ESA and 3-D maps of the physical site, teams construct a detailed narrative from diverse forms of information, including socio-historical and a scientific dataset comprised of over 2,000,000 data points. BA III forces students to act on their perceptions of the interlocking realms of knowledge, theory and practical experience, providing an opportunity for them to gain valuable practice at tackling the complexity and ambiguity of a large-scale, interdisciplinary investigation of groundwater contamination and environmental forensics.

  3. A flexible object-oriented software framework for developing complex multimedia simulations.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sydelko, P. J.; Dolph, J. E.; Christiansen, J. H.

    Decision makers involved in brownfields redevelopment and long-term stewardship must consider environmental conditions, future-use potential, site ownership, area infrastructure, funding resources, cost recovery, regulations, risk and liability management, community relations, and expected return on investment in a comprehensive and integrated fashion to achieve desired results. Successful brownfields redevelopment requires the ability to assess the impacts of redevelopment options on multiple interrelated aspects of the ecosystem, both natural and societal. Computer-based tools, such as simulation models, databases, and geographical information systems (GISs) can be used to address brownfields planning and project execution. The transparent integration of these tools into a comprehensivemore » and dynamic decision support system would greatly enhance the brownfields assessment process. Such a system needs to be able to adapt to shifting and expanding analytical requirements and contexts. The Dynamic Information Architecture System (DIAS) is a flexible, extensible, object-oriented framework for developing and maintaining complex multidisciplinary simulations of a wide variety of application domains. The modeling domain of a specific DIAS-based simulation is determined by (1) software objects that represent the real-world entities that comprise the problem space (atmosphere, watershed, human), and (2) simulation models and other data processing applications that express the dynamic behaviors of the domain entities. Models and applications used to express dynamic behaviors can be either internal or external to DIAS, including existing legacy models written in various languages (FORTRAN, C, etc.). The flexible design framework of DIAS makes the objects adjustable to the context of the problem without a great deal of recoding. The DIAS Spatial Data Set facility allows parameters to vary spatially depending on the simulation context according to any of a number of 1-D, 2-D, or 3-D topologies. DIAS is also capable of interacting with other GIS packages and can import many standard spatial data formats. DIAS simulation capabilities can also be extended by including societal process models. Models that implement societal behaviors of individuals and organizations within larger DIAS-based natural systems simulations allow for interaction and feedback among natural and societal processes. The ability to simulate the complex interplay of multimedia processes makes DIAS a promising tool for constructing applications for comprehensive community planning, including the assessment of multiple development and redevelopment scenarios.« less

  4. Planning Sustainable Land-Use: The Experience Of Stella, Missouri

    EPA Science Inventory

    Sustainability has numerous definitions and is often discussed. However, there are fewer lessons derived from its application. The concept for its application evolved out of a study to determine whether brownfields could be redeveloped to be more environmentally friendly. The ...

  5. SMARTE: HELPING COMMUNITIES OVERCOME OBSTACLES TO REVITALIZATION - JUNE 28, 2006

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools -electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Revitalization (OBCR), the Interstate Tec...

  6. SMARTE: HELPING COMMUNITIES EVALUATE REUSE OPTIONS AND OVERCOME REVITALIZATION OBSTACLES

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR), the Interstate Techn...

  7. Brownfields Instructions for Completing Brownsfields Property Profile Form General Instructions

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    As specified in the cooperative agreement terms and conditions, all Assessment, Cleanup, Revolving Loan Fund (RLF), and State and Tribal Section 128(a) (for site-specific work) cooperative agreement recipients must report to EPA as soon as an accomplishmen

  8. Comparing methodologies to assess transportation and air quality impacts of Brownfields and infill development.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-08-01

    States and communities across the country are actively pursuing smart growth strategies. New transit : lines are opening to higher ridership than expected. States and communities have passed hundreds of : ballot initiatives preserving open space, inc...

  9. BTSC VAPOR INSTRUSION PRIMER "VAPOR INTRUSION CONSIDERATION FOR REDEVELOPMENT"

    EPA Science Inventory

    This primer is designed for brownfields stakeholders concerned about vapor intrusion, including property owners, real estate developers, and contractors performing environmental site investigations. It provides an overview of the vapor intrusion issue and how it can impact the ap...

  10. EPA awards $352,000 brownfields grants to Elk Valley Rancheria

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    SAN FRANCISCO - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the Elk Valley Rancheria will receive $352,000 in federal grants to clean up two contaminated properties near Crescent City, Calif. Elk Valley Rancheria is among 147 commu

  11. NovaChip pilot project : Route 5, Waterboro, Brownfield, & Fryeburg.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-02-01

    In July & August, 2010, MaineDOT conducted experimental applications of NovaChip on 16 miles : of highway in western Maine. Novachip is a proprietary pavement process that applies an ultrathin, : gap-graded, hot mix wearing course over a polymer rich...

  12. District-Scale Green Infrastructure Scenarios for the Zidell Development Site, City of Portland

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The report outlines technical assistance to develop green infrastructure scenarios for the Zidell Yards site consistent with the constraints of a recently remediated brownfield that can be implemented within a 15-20 year time horizon.

  13. Brownfields Davis Bacon for Cleanup Grants: Petroleum for Government Entities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Terms & conditions specify how Recipients will assist EPA in meeting its Davis Bacon responsibilities when DB applies to EPA awards of financial assistance under the Recovery Act or any other statute which makes DB applicable to EPA financial assistance.

  14. Brownfields Davis Bacon for Cleanup Grants: Hazardous Substances for Government Entities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The following terms and conditions specify how Recipients will assist EPA in meeting its Davis-Bacon (DB) responsibilities when DB applies to EPA awards of financial assistance under any statute which makes DB applicable to EPA financial assistance.

  15. Aquifer modification: an approach to improve the mobility of nanoscale zero-valent iron particles used for in situ groundwater remediation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    MicicBatka, Vesna; Schmid, Doris; Marko, Florian; Velimirovic, Milica; Wagner, Stephan; von der Kammer, Frank; Hofmann, Thilo

    2015-04-01

    Successful emplacement of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) within the contaminated source zone is a prerequisite for the use of nZVI technology in groundwater remediation. Emplacement of nZVI is influenced i.e., by the injection technique and the injection velocity applied, as well as by the mobility of nZVI in the subsurface. Whereas processes linked to the injection can be controlled by the remediation practitioners, the mobility of nZVI in the subsurface remains limited. Even though mobility of nZVI is somewhat improved by surface coating with polyelectrolytes, it is still greatly affected by the groundwater composition and physical and chemical heterogeneities of aquifer grains. In order to promote mobility of nZVI it is needed to alter the surface charge heterogeneities of aquifer grains. Modifying the aquifer grain's surfaces by means of polyelectrolyte coating is an approach proposed to increase the overall negative surface charge of the aquifer grain surfaces, hinder deposition of nZVI onto aquifer grains, and finally promote nZVI mobility. In this study the effect of different polyelectrolytes on the nZVI mobility is tested in natural sands deriving from real brownfield sites that are proposed to be remediated using the nZVI technology. Sands collected from brownfield sites were characterized in terms of grain size distribution, mineralogical and chemical composition, and organic carbon content. Furthermore, surface charge of these sands was determined in both, low- and high ionic strength background solutions. Finally, changes of the sand's surface charges were examined after addition of the proposed aquifer modifiers, lignin sulfonate and humic acid. Surface charge of brownfield sands in low ionic strength background solution is more negative compared to that in high ionic strength background solution. An increase in negative surface potential of brownfield sand was recorded when aquifer modifiers were applied in a background solution with low ionic strength, indicating their potential to improve nZVI mobility under comparable environmental conditions. In contrast, no significant change of the surface potential of brownfield sand was observed when aquifer modifiers were applied in a background solution with high ionic strength. The potential of the aquifer modifiers to promote the mobility of nZVI was furthermore tested in flow-through columns, starting with the one filled with natural quartz sand with rough surface, low ionic strength background solutions and pre-injecting lignin sulfonate in concentration of 50 mg/L. The preliminary results showed that the pre-injection of lignin sulfonate does increase mobility of nZVI under this experimental condition. Further mobility tests will be carried out in order to elucidate the potential of the aquifer modifiers to promote the mobility of nZVI in sands with a complex mineralogy and in the background solutions with varying ionic strength, in order to account for the condition that resemble those at polluted sites. This research receives funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement n°309517.

  16. 2018 Brownfields New Grantee Training in New England

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    On this page you will find all of the forms to be used at the Portland training session on June 4 & the Chelmsford training session on June 11. Please download these forms to the computer you will be bringing to the training.

  17. SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND REVITALIZATION TOOLS - ELECTRONIC (SMARTE) - 09-05-2007

    EPA Science Inventory

    Revitalization of sites potentially contaminated with environmentally toxic or hazardous materials (e.g., brownfields) is a global concern requiring a multi-disciplinary approach to mitigate the risks to human health and the environment. Many countries have committed extensive re...

  18. An Introduction to the Cost of Engineering and Institutional Controls at Brownfield Properties

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This fact sheet introduces and explores the costs of site cleanup and, where cleanup leaves site contamination that restricts reuse, outlines the engineering and institutional controls and their monitoring and maintenance costs over a longer time frame.

  19. Using phytotechnologies to remediate brownfields, landfills, and other urban areas

    Treesearch

    R.S. Zalesny Jr.; Jill Zalesny

    2010-01-01

    Urban areas requiring remedial work has prompted the use of phytotechnologies to improve water quality, soil health, and biodiversity, as well as to achieve sustainable social and economic goals. Phytotechnologies directly use plants to clean up contaminated groundwater, soil, and sediment.

  20. Brownfields Davis Bacon for Cleanup Grants: Hazardous Substances for Non-Profit Entities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The following terms and conditions specify how Recipients will assist EPA in meeting its Davis Bacon (DB) responsibilities when DB applies to EPA awards of financial assistance under any other statute which makes DB applicable to EPA financial assistance.

  1. Brownfields Davis Bacon for Cleanup Grants: Petroleum for Non-Profit Entities

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Terms & conditions specify how Recipients will assist EPA in meeting its Davis Bacon responsibilities when DB applies to EPA awards of financial assistance under the Recovery Act or any other statute which makes DB applicable to EPA financial assistance.

  2. Concepts associated with a unified life cycle analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Whelan, Gene; Peffers, Melissa S.; Tolle, Duane A.

    There is a risk associated with most things in the world, and all things have a life cycle unto themselves, even brownfields. Many components can be described by a''cycle of life.'' For example, five such components are life-form, chemical, process, activity, and idea, although many more may exist. Brownfields may touch upon several of these life cycles. Each life cycle can be represented as independent software; therefore, a software technology structure is being formulated to allow for the seamless linkage of software products, representing various life-cycle aspects. Because classes of these life cycles tend to be independent of each other,more » the current research programs and efforts do not have to be revamped; therefore, this unified life-cycle paradigm builds upon current technology and is backward compatible while embracing future technology. Only when two of these life cycles coincide and one impacts the other is there connectivity and a transfer of information at the interface. The current framework approaches (e.g., FRAMES, 3MRA, etc.) have a design that is amenable to capturing (1) many of these underlying philosophical concepts to assure backward compatibility of diverse independent assessment frameworks and (2) linkage communication to help transfer the needed information at the points of intersection. The key effort will be to identify (1) linkage points (i.e., portals) between life cycles, (2) the type and form of data passing between life cycles, and (3) conditions when life cycles interact and communicate. This paper discusses design aspects associated with a unified life-cycle analysis, which can support not only brownfields but also other types of assessments.« less

  3. Role of Sports Facilities in the Process of Revitalization of Brownfields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taraszkiewicz, Karolina; Nyka, Lucyna

    2017-10-01

    The paper gives an evidence that building a large sports facility can generate beneficial urban space transformation and a significant improvement in the dilapidated urban areas. On the basis of theoretical investigations and case studies it can be proved that sports facilities introduced to urban brownfields could be considered one of the best known large scale revitalization methods. Large urban spaces surrounding sport facilities such as stadiums and other sports arenas create excellent conditions for designing additional recreational function, such as parks and other green areas. Since sports venues are very often located on brownfields and post-industrial spaces, there are usually well related with canals, rivers and other water routes or reservoirs. Such spaces become attractors for large groups of people. This, in effect initiate the process of introducing housing estates to the area and gradually the development of multifunctional urban structure. As research shows such process of favourable urban transformation could be based on implementing several important preconditions. One of the most significant one is the formation of the new communication infrastructure, which links newly formed territories with the well-structured urban core. Well planned program of the new sports facilities is also a very important factor. As research shows multifunctional large sports venues may function in the city as a new kind of public space that stimulates new genres of social relations, offers entertainment and free time activities, not necessarily related with sport. This finally leads to the creation of new jobs and more general improvement of a widely understood image of the district, growing appreciation for the emerging new location and consequently new investments in the neighbouring areas. The research gives new evidence to the ongoing discussion on the drawbacks and benefits of placing stadiums and sports arenas in the urban core.

  4. METHODOLOGIES FOR SCREENING AND ASSESSING INTRUSION OF CONTAMINATED VAPORS INTO BUILDINGS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Current investigations into the risk to human health associated with Brownfield redevelopment may be overlooking an important exposure pathway as a result of vapor intrusion into buildings. Persons inhabiting or employed in new or existing structures built over volatile organic c...

  5. Releasable Asbestos Field Sampler and a Breathing Zone Model for Risk Assessment

    EPA Science Inventory

    Asbestos aerosolization (or releasability) is the potential for asbestos structures to become airborne when the source is disturbed. The source can be naturally occurring asbestos in soil, mine tailings in the soil at brownfield sites, vermiculite attic insulation in indoor envi...

  6. Converting Limbo Lands to Energy-Generating Stations: Renewable Energy Technologies on Underused, Formerly Contaminated Sites

    EPA Science Inventory

    This report addresses the potential for using "Limbo Lands" as sites for renewable energy generating stations. Limbo Lands are considered as underused, formerly contaminated sites, and include former Superfund sites, landfills, brownfields, abandoned mine lands, former industrial...

  7. STEAM INJECTION REMEDIATION IN FRACTURED BEDROCK AT LORING AIR FORCE BASE

    EPA Science Inventory

    Contaminated groundwater occurs at many Superfund, RCRA, and Brownfields sites. Chlorinated solvents which can form a dense nonaqueous phase (DNAPL) when released to the subsurface can pose an extreme challenge for remediation, as DNAPLs are often difficult to locate and even ha...

  8. 40 CFR 63.301 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Coke... implement the provisions of this subpart or its designated agent). Brownfield coke oven battery means a new coke oven battery that replaces an existing coke oven battery or batteries with no increase in the...

  9. 40 CFR 63.301 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Coke... implement the provisions of this subpart or its designated agent). Brownfield coke oven battery means a new coke oven battery that replaces an existing coke oven battery or batteries with no increase in the...

  10. 40 CFR 63.301 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Coke... implement the provisions of this subpart or its designated agent). Brownfield coke oven battery means a new coke oven battery that replaces an existing coke oven battery or batteries with no increase in the...

  11. 40 CFR 63.301 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... EMISSION STANDARDS FOR HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS FOR SOURCE CATEGORIES National Emission Standards for Coke... implement the provisions of this subpart or its designated agent). Brownfield coke oven battery means a new coke oven battery that replaces an existing coke oven battery or batteries with no increase in the...

  12. 40 CFR 35.419 - Purpose.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... enhance the response program of the State; capitalize a revolving loan fund for Brownfield remediation under section 104(k)(3) of CERCLA; or purchase insurance or develop a risk sharing pool, an indemnity pool, or insurance mechanism to provide financing for response actions under a State response program. ...

  13. Applying geologic sensitivity analysis to environmental risk management: The financial implications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rogers, D.T.

    The financial risks associated with environmental contamination can be staggering and are often difficult to identify and accurately assess. Geologic sensitivity analysis is gaining recognition as a significant and useful tool that can empower the user with crucial information concerning environmental risk management and brownfield redevelopment. It is particularly useful when (1) evaluating the potential risks associated with redevelopment of historical industrial facilities (brownfields) and (2) planning for future development, especially in areas of rapid development because the number of potential contaminating sources often increases with an increase in economic development. An examination of the financial implications relating to geologicmore » sensitivity analysis in southeastern Michigan from numerous case studies indicate that the environmental cost of contamination may be 100 to 1,000 times greater at a geologically sensitive location compared to the least sensitive location. Geologic sensitivity analysis has demonstrated that near-surface geology may influence the environmental impact of a contaminated site to a greater extent than the amount and type of industrial development.« less

  14. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Pilot Program

    PubMed Central

    Greenberg, Michael R.; Hollander, Justin

    2006-01-01

    Objective. We studied the diffusion of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s national brownfields pilot innovation to more than 300 local governments between 1993 through 2002 to determine why some local governments received grants very early in the process while other awardees received funding later. Methods. We did an ordinal regression analysis of the characteristics of all local government award recipients, and we conducted interviews with early-award recipients. Results. The first set of local government awardees had lost much of their manufacturing base, had large concentrations of economically disadvantaged minority residents, and had local capacity to compete for funding. Federal and state officials catalyzed the diffusion of the innovation by working with local governments. Conclusions. The widely praised program was diffused selectively at first and then more widely later on the basis of local need, local capacity to compete, and networks of contacts among entrepreneurs and local governments. The economic, social, political, and public health impacts must be monitored and reviewed. PMID:16380572

  15. Decision Support Systems (DSSs) For Contaminated Land Management - Gaps And Challenges

    EPA Science Inventory

    A plethora of information is available when considering decision support systems for risk-based management of contaminated land. Broad issues of what is contaminated land, what is a brownfield, and what is remediation are discussed in EU countries and the U.S. Making decisions ...

  16. Turning Brownfields into Opportunities for Urban Revitalization: The North End and Park East Corridor in Milwaukee

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-06-30

    On June 16, 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Transportaon (DOT), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined together to help communities nationwide improve access to affordable ...

  17. Brownfields Davis Bacon for Revolving Loan Fund Grants: RLF Grants to Governmental/Quasi-Governmental Organizations

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Terms & conditions specify how Recipients will assist EPA in meeting its Davis Bacon responsibilities when DB applies to EPA awards of financial assistance under the Recovery Act or any other statute which makes DB applicable to EPA financial assistance.

  18. 40 CFR 35.736 - Purpose.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... establish or enhance the response program of the Tribe; capitalize a revolving loan fund for brownfield remediation under section 104(k)(3) of CERCLA; or purchase insurance or develop a risk sharing pool, an indemnity pool, or insurance mechanism to provide financing for response actions under a Tribal response...

  19. Brownfields Samoa Peninsula, CA: Sustainable Solutions for Historic Houses in Northern California, A Voluntary Green Code & Green Rehabilitation Manual

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This manual was created to help homeowners choose sustainable strategies for restoring and rehabilitating many of the smaller, Victorian-style, wood-framed houses built in Northern California during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

  20. SMARTe: An Online Resource For Improving Revitalization Decisions For Potentially Contaminated Sites

    EPA Science Inventory

    Brownfields and Superfund sites contaminated from hazardous waste often occupy prime real estate. EPA estimates that about 450,000 abandoned and polluted waste sites nationwide have been affected by oil or chemicals or impacted by use by various industries. It is important to e...

  1. Texas as seen from the Apollo 6 unmanned spacecraft

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1968-04-06

    AS6-02-1455 (4 April 1968) --- Texas is photographed from the Apollo 6 (Spacecraft 020/Saturn 502) unmanned space mission. Seen in this photograph are Midland, Brownfield, Big Spring, J. B. Thomas Lake, headwaters of Colorado and Brazos Rivers, and the west Texas gas and oil fields.

  2. SMARTE: IMPROVING REVITALIZATION DECISIONS (CINCINNATI, OHIO)

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and ...

  3. QUANTITATIVE ELISA OF POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS IN AN OILY SOIL MATRIX USING SUPERCRITICAL FLUID EXTRACTION

    EPA Science Inventory

    Soil samples from the GenCorp Lawrence Brownfields site were analyzed with a commercial semi-quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using a methanol shake extraction. Many of the soil samples were extremely oily, with total petroleum hydrocarbon levels up to 240...

  4. APPLICATION OF FATE AND TRANSPORT MODELING TO THE REMEDIAL DECISION MAKING PROCESS – INTRODUCTION TO WORKSHOP

    EPA Science Inventory

    The conventional site conceptual model for Brownfield sites considers that the extent of plumes of aromatic petroleum hydrocarbons (such as the BTEX compounds) in ground water are limited by natural biodegradation of the aromatic hydrocarbons by bacteria that use oxygen, nitrate ...

  5. GRAND PLAZA SITE INVESTIGATION USING THE TRIAD APPROACH AND EVALUATION OF VAPOR INTRUSION - (ITER)

    EPA Science Inventory

    This document provides a detailed report about a field study conducted by EQM/URS on behalf of EPA/NRMRL to characterize the subsurface contamination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at a Brownfield commercial site. The TRIAD approach was implemented to characterize the exten...

  6. SMARTE: IMPROVING REVITALIZATION DECISIONS - OCT. 19, 2006 FOR ITRC

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and Revitaliz...

  7. SMARTE: SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND REVITALIZATION TOOLS ELECTRONIC (CINCINNATI, OHIO)

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and ...

  8. Models for renaturing brownfield areas [Chapter 19

    Treesearch

    Lynne M. Westphal; Paul H. Gobster; Matthias Gross

    2010-01-01

    While the term "restoration" is widely used in the United States and Europe, many projects and activities falling under this rubric might more appropriately be labeled "renaturing." Restoration often aims to recreate presettlement conditions (in the United States) or some other chosen point in the past. We are not alone in questioning this focus;...

  9. 40 CFR 63.307 - Standards for bypass/bleeder stacks.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Standards for Coke Oven Batteries § 63.307 Standards for bypass/bleeder stacks. (a)(1) Except as otherwise... flow generated by the battery, which shall thereafter be operated and maintained. (2) Coke oven... operator of a brownfield coke oven battery or a padup rebuild shall install such a flare system before...

  10. 40 CFR 63.304 - Standards for compliance date extension.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... National Emission Standards for Coke Oven Batteries § 63.304 Standards for compliance date extension. (a) An owner or operator of an existing coke oven battery (including a cold-idle coke oven battery), a padup rebuild, or a brownfield coke oven battery, may elect an extension of the compliance date for...

  11. 40 CFR 63.307 - Standards for bypass/bleeder stacks.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... National Emission Standards for Coke Oven Batteries § 63.307 Standards for bypass/bleeder stacks. (a)(1.... (2) Coke oven emissions shall not be vented to the atmosphere through bypass/bleeder stacks, except.... (3) The owner or operator of a brownfield coke oven battery or a padup rebuild shall install such a...

  12. 40 CFR 63.307 - Standards for bypass/bleeder stacks.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... National Emission Standards for Coke Oven Batteries § 63.307 Standards for bypass/bleeder stacks. (a)(1.... (2) Coke oven emissions shall not be vented to the atmosphere through bypass/bleeder stacks, except.... (3) The owner or operator of a brownfield coke oven battery or a padup rebuild shall install such a...

  13. 40 CFR 63.307 - Standards for bypass/bleeder stacks.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Standards for Coke Oven Batteries § 63.307 Standards for bypass/bleeder stacks. (a)(1) Except as otherwise... flow generated by the battery, which shall thereafter be operated and maintained. (2) Coke oven... operator of a brownfield coke oven battery or a padup rebuild shall install such a flare system before...

  14. 40 CFR 63.304 - Standards for compliance date extension.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... National Emission Standards for Coke Oven Batteries § 63.304 Standards for compliance date extension. (a) An owner or operator of an existing coke oven battery (including a cold-idle coke oven battery), a padup rebuild, or a brownfield coke oven battery, may elect an extension of the compliance date for...

  15. 40 CFR 63.307 - Standards for bypass/bleeder stacks.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... National Emission Standards for Coke Oven Batteries § 63.307 Standards for bypass/bleeder stacks. (a)(1.... (2) Coke oven emissions shall not be vented to the atmosphere through bypass/bleeder stacks, except.... (3) The owner or operator of a brownfield coke oven battery or a padup rebuild shall install such a...

  16. 40 CFR 63.304 - Standards for compliance date extension.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... National Emission Standards for Coke Oven Batteries § 63.304 Standards for compliance date extension. (a) An owner or operator of an existing coke oven battery (including a cold-idle coke oven battery), a padup rebuild, or a brownfield coke oven battery, may elect an extension of the compliance date for...

  17. Institutional Controls: A Guide to Planning, Implementing, Maintaining, and Enforcing Institutional Controls at Contaminated Sites

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This guide provides information and recommendations that should be useful for planning, implementing, maintaining, and enforcing institutional controls (ICs) for Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA, or Superfund); Brownfields; federal facility; underground storage tank (UST); and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) site cleanups.

  18. 75 FR 53689 - Creation of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 “Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-01

    ... provide environmental training to facilitate the management, assessment, and cleanup of sites contaminated... Communication Office; and Office of Emergency Management. In 2010, OBLR lead an effort to more closely... outside the traditional scope of just brownfields. As a result of this collaboration, the former...

  19. Visual preference and ecological assessments for designed alternative brownfield rehabilitations.

    PubMed

    Lafortezza, Raffaele; Corry, Robert C; Sanesi, Giovanni; Brown, Robert D

    2008-11-01

    This paper describes an integrative method for quantifying, analyzing, and comparing the effects of alternative rehabilitation approaches with visual preference. The method was applied to a portion of a major industrial area located in southern Italy. Four alternative approaches to rehabilitation (alternative designs) were developed and analyzed. The scenarios consisted of the cleanup of the brownfields plus: (1) the addition of ground cover species; (2) the addition of ground cover species and a few trees randomly distributed; (3) the addition of ground cover species and a few trees in small groups; and (4) the addition of ground cover species and several trees in large groups. The approaches were analyzed and compared to the baseline condition through the use of cost-surface modeling (CSM) and visual preference assessment (VPA). Statistical results showed that alternatives that were more ecologically functional for forest bird species dispersal were also more visually preferable. Some differences were identified based on user groups and location of residence. The results of the study are used to identify implications for enhancing both ecological attributes and visual preferences of rehabilitating landscapes through planning and design.

  20. Guide for Identifying and Converting High-Potential Petroleum Brownfield Sites to Alternative Fuel Stations

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Johnson, C.; Hettinger, D.; Mosey, G.

    Former gasoline stations that are now classified as brownfields can be good sites to sell alternative fuels because they are in locations that are convenient to vehicles and they may be seeking a new source of income. However, their success as alternative fueling stations is highly dependent on location-specific criteria. First, this report outlines what these criteria are, how to prioritize them, and then applies that assessment framework to five of the most popular alternative fuels--electricity, natural gas, hydrogen, ethanol, and biodiesel. The second part of this report delves into the criteria and tools used to assess an alternative fuelmore » retail site at the local level. It does this through two case studies of converting former gasoline stations in the Seattle-Eugene area into electric charge stations. The third part of this report addresses steps to be taken after the specific site has been selected. This includes choosing and installing the recharging equipment, which includes steps to take in the permitting process and key players to include.« less

  1. Characterization and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pahs) in the sediments of gulf of Pozzuoli (Campania, Italy).

    PubMed

    Arienzo, Michele; Donadio, Carlo; Mangoni, Olga; Bolinesi, Francesco; Stanislao, Corrado; Trifuoggi, Marco; Toscanesi, Maria; Di Natale, Gabriella; Ferrara, Luciano

    2017-11-15

    Most of the literature reports on the impact of the former Bagnoli brownfield on the pollution of Bagnoli Bay, embedded in the Gulf of Pozzuoli (GoP). Thus, we studied concentrations, types and sources of sixteen PAHs (EPA) in sediments at 22 sites along 5 transects covering the entire area of GoP. Outstanding levels of PAHs were found, varying from 7.1μgg -1 to 2.5 E+3μgg -1 . Sediments collected at sites far away from Bagnoli were found to be polluted to a similar extent than those facing the brownfield site, with values>100μgg -1 . Total PAHs levels in the sediments of GoP were higher by thirty-eleven thousand fold than those reported by other studies from various marine sites in the world. Transit axes of fine and very fine sands and diagnostic indexes revealed a common pyrolytic PAHs pollution spreading from the Bagnoli plant to all GoP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Points of attention in designing tools for regional brownfield prioritization.

    PubMed

    Limasset, Elsa; Pizzol, Lisa; Merly, Corinne; Gatchett, Annette M; Le Guern, Cécile; Martinát, Stanislav; Klusáček, Petr; Bartke, Stephan

    2018-05-01

    The regeneration of brownfields has been increasingly recognized as a key instrument in sustainable land management, since free developable land (or so called "greenfields") has become a scare and more expensive resource, especially in densely populated areas. However, the complexity of these sites requires considerable efforts to successfully complete their revitalization projects, thus requiring the development and application of appropriate tools to support decision makers in the selection of promising sites where efficiently allocate the limited financial resources. The design of effective prioritization tools is a complex process, which requires the analysis and consideration of critical points of attention (PoAs) which has been identified considering the state of the art in literature, and lessons learned from previous developments of regional brownfield (BF) prioritization processes, frameworks and tools. Accordingly, we identified 5 PoAs, namely 1) Assessing end user needs and orientation discussions, 2) Availability and quality of the data needed for the BF prioritization tool, 3) Communication and stakeholder engagement 4) Drivers of regeneration success, and 5) Financing and application costs. To deepen and collate the most recent knowledge on the topics from scientists and practitioners, we organized a focus group discussion within a special session at the AquaConSoil (ACS) conference 2017, where participants were asked to add their experience and thoughts to the discussion in order to identify the most significant and urgent points of attention in BF prioritization tool design. The result of this assessment is a comprehensive table (Table 2), which can support problem owners, investors, service providers, regulators, public and private land managers, decision makers etc. in the identification of the main aspects (sub-topics) to be considered and their relative influences and in the comprehension of the general patterns and challenges to be faced when dealing with the development of BF prioritization tools. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Photosynthesis and aboveground carbon allocation of two co-occurring poplar species in an urban brownfield.

    PubMed

    Radwanski, Diane; Gallagher, Frank; Vanderklein, Dirk W; Schäfer, Karina V R

    2017-04-01

    Phytoremediation, a technique used to reclaim heavy metal-contaminated soils, requires an understanding of plant physiological responses to heavy metals. However, the majority of studies documenting heavy metal impact on plant functioning have been performed in laboratory or greenhouse settings. We predicted that increased soil heavy metal concentrations reduce photosynthesis and biomass production in trees growing in metal contaminated soil in a naturally re-vegetated urban brownfield. Leaf gas exchange, leaf carbon and nitrogen concentration, and tree biomass were recorded and compared for Populus deltoides and Populus tremuloides growing in an urban brownfield. The CO 2 compensation point (CCP) differed significantly between soil metal concentrations and species, with P. deltoides displaying a greater CCP and P. tremuloides displaying a lower CCP as soil metal concentration increased, despite no changes in dark respiration for either species. In terms of biomass, only total branch weight (TBW) and leaf area (LA) differed significantly between soil metal concentrations, though the difference was largely attributable to variation in diameter at breast height (DBH). Furthermore, TBW and LA values for P. deltoides did not decrease with increasing soil metal concentration. Soil metal concentration, thus, had minimal effect on the relationship between tree age and DBH, and no effect on relationships of tree age and height or LA, respectively. Significant differences between soil metal concentrations and species were found for δ 15 N (isotopic nitrogen ratio) while leaf nitrogen content (% N) also differed significantly between species. Long-term water use efficiency derived from carbon isotope analysis (iWUE isotope ) differed significantly between trees grown on different soil metal concentrations and a significant species-metal concentration interaction was detected indicating that the two study species responded differentially to the soil metal concentrations. Specifically, P. tremuloides enhanced while P. deltoides reduced long-term iWUE isotope as soil metal concentration increased, further emphasizing the importance of species and possible genotype selection for phytoremediation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Harmony Park: A Decision Case on Gardening on a Brownfield Site

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harms, Ashley Marie Raes; Presley, DeAnn Ricks; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M.; Attanayake, Chammi; Martin, Sabine; Thien, Steven J.

    2014-01-01

    In March of 2009, Mr. John Holloway and his neighbors in the Harmony Park district of Kansas City, MO, were excited to begin gardening on a vacant city lot in their neighborhood. The neighborhood, like many in urban areas, had once been residential interspersed with small establishments including restaurants, shops, and businesses such as auto…

  5. SMARTE: IMPROVING REVITALIZATION DECISIONS - PRESENTATION TO THE BOSS FORUM, MAY 4, 2006

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and ...

  6. SMARTe Framework: Present Structure And Ideas For The Future, 25 June 2009

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields and Land Rev...

  7. SMARTE: IMPROVING REVITALIZATION DECISIONS AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL (PRESENTATION ON MARCH 7, 2006)

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup an...

  8. Urban Gardens as Sustainable Reuse - Considerations and Current Resources for Evaluating an Urban Gardens Site, In: SMARTe 2011, EPA/600/C-10/007

    EPA Science Inventory

    Urban gardening and agriculture is of increasing interest as a land revitalization option for interim as well as long term use, and is receiving increased attention, funding, and promotiion under EPA's Brownfields land redevelopment efforts. A broad range of state and local gove...

  9. The Wilson Bay Initiative, Riverworks, and the Sturgeon City Partnership: A Case Study for Building Effective Academic-Community Partnerships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levine, Jay F.; Hargett, Glenn; McCann, J. P.; Potts, Pat Donovan; Pierce, Sheila

    2011-01-01

    This article describes North Carolina State University's Sturgeon City partnership, which has transformed an urban brownfield site into a community civic, recreational, and learning resource. The project was recognized in 2010 with the C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Award and the Outreach Scholarship W. K. Kellogg Foundation Engagement…

  10. SMARTE: RESTORING THE ENVIRONMENT, REVITALIZING COMMUNITIES - NOV. 13, 2006 - TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE THEATRE

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools -electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and...

  11. Monitoring the Effective and Efficient Use of Land: The English Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ganser, Robin

    In England quantified targets for the reuse of brownfields and of existing buildings place particular requirements on the planning system as part of the overall strategy to make effective use of natural resources. Achieving these targets is not free of obstacles and potential conflicts. Therefore monitoring of policy implementation is a necessity in the planning system.

  12. SMARTe: A FREE Web-Based Tool To Help Communities Overcome Revitalization Obstacles

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools -electronic) is a web-based decision support tool developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitali...

  13. SMARTE: RESTORING THE ENVIRONMENT, REVITALIZING COMMUNITIES - NOV. 15, 2006 - ELECTRONIC TOOLS AND RESOURCES SESSION

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools -electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and...

  14. SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND REVITALIZATION TOOLS-ELECTRONIC (SMARTE)�A FREE TOOL FOR REVITALIZATION

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and ...

  15. INDOOR AIR SAMPLING, SUB-SLAB VAPOR SAMPLING, AND SLAB AIR-PERMEABILITY TESTING AT THE RAYMARK SITE

    EPA Science Inventory

    By 2005, U.S. EPA and its state, tribal and local partners must assess, reduce, and/or control the risk to human health and the environment at more than 374,000 contaminated Superfund, RCRA, underground storage tank (UST), brownfield and oil sites. U.S. EPA is currently developi...

  16. INDOOR AIR SAMPLING, SUB-SLAB VAPOR SAMPLING, AND SLAB AIR PERMEABILITY TESTING AT THE RAYMARK SITE

    EPA Science Inventory

    By 2005, U.S. EPA and its state, tribal and local partners must assess, reduce, and/or control the risk to human health and the environment at more than 374,000 contaminated Superfund, RCRA, underground storage tank (UST), brownfield and oil sites. U.S. EPA is currently developi...

  17. MyEnvironment | US Environmental Protection Agency

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The MyEnvironment search application is designed to provide a cross-section of environmental information based on the users location. Environmental data is displayed at local community locations. EPA Environmental data displayed within maps and reports. Results include: Environmental Data, Enviromental Map, EPA Data, EPA Map, Air, Water, Land, Health, Pollution, Climate Change, Permits, Statistics, Superfund, Brownfields, Hazardous Waste, Toxic, Releases, Cleanups, Community, Ecological Conditions

  18. The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources: clean land, water, and air for healthy people and communities.

    PubMed

    Riegel, Lisa Diaz; Wakild, Charles; Boothe, Laura; Hildebrandt, Heather J; Nicholson, Bruce

    2012-01-01

    The North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources works with communities and other agencies to sustain clean air, water, and land. Sustainability efforts include protecting air quality through community design, community enhancement through brownfields revitalization, community development strategies to protect water resources, and the integration of natural resource conservation.

  19. Turning a hazardous waste lagoon into reclaimed land for wildlife management: A case study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Leong, A.K.

    Brownfields are turning back to green. This paper presents a case study of a former dump site for hazardous waste that has been remediated and will be developed into an enhanced wildlife management habitat. This successful remediation case combined various investigations, remedial designs, risk assessments, ecological studies, and engineering practices. 3 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

  20. INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND REVITALIZATION TOOLS-ELECTRONIC (SMARTE): IMPROVING REVITALIZATION DECISIONS IN DAKOTA CITY, NEBRASKA

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and ...

  1. INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND REVITALIZATION TOOLS-ELECTRONIC (SMARTE): IMPROVING REVITALIZATION DECISIONS IN STELLA, MISSOURI

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and ...

  2. SMARTe: A FREE Web-Based Tool To Help Communities Overcome Revitalization Obstacles - Detroit, MI, May 6, 2008

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools - electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields and Land R...

  3. The Irony of Year-Round Schools: Mexican Migrant Resistance in a California Community during the Civil Rights Era.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donato, Ruben

    1996-01-01

    Examines the politics of year-round education in Brownfield, California, in the 1970s. Findings showed that Mexican Americans challenged the proposed 45-15 plan because they were excluded from the decision-making process and because the plan conflicted with migrant workers' employment patterns. Formal mechanisms must be activated to guard all…

  4. Army Communicator. Volume 37, Number 1, Spring 2012

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-01-01

    consortium conducts a risk reduction experiment and lab-based assessment on each of them. A successful example of this risk reduction process was the...include pre-experimental assessments , risk mitigation experiments, and configuration testing. The Network Battle Lab is proud to serve as a...experimentation, assessment , rehearsals, SATCOM/network services and vendor mentorship support to the NIE team. COL Michael Brownfield

  5. MyEnvironment | Envirofacts | US EPA

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    2017-09-22

    The MyEnvironment search application is designed to provide a cross-section of environmental information based on the users location. Environmental data is displayed at local community locations. EPA Environmental data displayed within maps and reports. Results include: Environmental Data, Enviromental Map, EPA Data, EPA Map, Air, Water, Land, Health, Pollution, Climate Change, Permits, Statistics, Superfund, Brownfields, Hazardous Waste, Toxic, Releases, Cleanups, Community, Ecological Conditions

  6. Remediating MGP brownfields

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Larsen, B.R.

    Before natural gas pipelines became widespread in this country, gas fuel was produced locally in more than 5,000 manufactured gas plants (MGPs). The toxic wastes from these processes often were disposed onsite and have since seeped into the surrounding soil and groundwater. Although the MGPs--commonly called gas plants, gas-works or town gas plants--have closed and most have been demolished, they have left a legacy of environmental contamination. At many MGP sites, underground storage tanks were constructed of wood or brick, with process piping and equipment which frequently leaked. Waste materials often were disposed onsite. Releases of coal tars, oils andmore » condensates produced within the plants contributed to a wide range of contamination from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols, benzene and cyanide. Remediation of selected MGP sites has been sporadic. Unless the site has been identified as a Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) Superfund site, the regulatory initiative to remediate often remains with the state in which the MGP is located. A number of factors are working to change that picture and to create a renewed interest in MGP site remediation. The recent Brownfield Initiative by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is such an example.« less

  7. Evaluating three trace metal contaminated sites: a field and laboratory investigation.

    PubMed

    Murray, P; Ge, Y; Hendershot, W H

    2000-01-01

    Selecting guidelines to evaluate elevated metals in urban brownfields is hindered by the lack of information for these sites on ecosystem structure and function. A study was performed to compare three trace metal-contaminated sites in the metropolitan Montreal area. The goal was to obtain an idea of the organisms that may be present on urban brownfields and to measure if elevated metals alter the presence and activity of the indigenous biota. Field and laboratory studies were conducted using simple methodologies to determine the extent to which microbial activity affected by trace metal content, to assess diversity of plant and soil invertebrate communities and to measure phytoaccumulation of trace metals. It was found that microbial activity, as measured by substrate-induced respiration (SIR) and nitrification, was not affected by the levels of soil Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn recorded on the sites. Seven of the 12 invertebrate groups collected were sampled on soils with similar Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn concentrations. Diversity of plant species increased as a function of the length of time the sites had been inactive. Levels of metals in plant tissue were influenced by soil characteristics and not by total soil Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn.

  8. The Other Struggle for Equal Schools: Mexican Americans during the Civil Rights Era. SUNY Series, the Social Context of Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donato, Ruben

    Challenging conventional wisdom that Mexican Americans were passive victims of their educational fates, this book examines the Mexican American struggle for equal education during the 1960s and 1970s in a California community "Brownfield." It looks at responses of a predominantly White school system and community to the growing number of…

  9. US-German Cooperation For Further Development Of Decision Support Systems For Sustainable Contaminated Site Revitalization - Berlin, Germany, Sept. 24, 2008.

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools - electronic) is a web-based decision support tool developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields and Land Revital...

  10. DECISION SUPPORT FOR REVITALIZATION PRACTITIONERS: SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND REVITALIZATION TOOLS-ELECTRONIC (SMARTE-TRAINING FOR OH EPA - APRIL 13, 2006

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool being developed by the Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields Cleanup and ...

  11. Renewable Energy Production and Urban Remediation: Modeling the biogeochemical cycle at contaminated urban brownfields and the potential for renewable energy production and mitigation of greenhouse gases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gopalakrishnan, G.

    2014-12-01

    Brownfields or urban sites that have been contaminated as a result of historic practices are present throughout the world. In the United States alone, the National Research Council has estimated that there are approximately 300,000 to 400,000 sites which have been contaminated by improper use and disposal of chemicals (NRC 1993). The land available at these sites is estimated at several million acres; however, the presence of high levels of contamination in the soil and groundwater makes it difficult to utilize these sites for traditional purposes such as agriculture. Further, the time required to remediate these contaminants to regulated levels is in the order of decades, which often results in long-term economic consequences for the areas near these sites. There has been significant interest in developing these sites as potential sources of renewable energy production in order to increase the economic viability of these sites and to provide alternative land resources for renewable energy production (EPA 2012). Solar energy, wind energy, and bioenergy from lignocellulosic biomass production have been identified as the main sources of renewable energy that can be produced at these locations. However, the environmental impacts of such a policy and the implications for greenhouse gas emissions, particularly resulting from changes in land-use impacting the biogeochemical cycle at these sites, have not been studied extensively to date. This study uses the biogeochemical process-based model DNDC to simulate carbon sequestration, nitrous oxide emissions and methane emissions from typical urban brownfield systems in the United States, when renewable energy systems are deployed. Photovoltaic solar energy and lignocellulosic biomass energy systems are evaluated here. Plants modeled include those most widely used for both bioenergy and remediation such as woody trees. Model sensitivity to soil conditions, contaminant levels and local weather data and the resulting impacts on greenhouse gas emissions are explored. Tradeoffs between renewable energy production,contaminant removal, and mitigation of greenhouse gases are also evaluated. Results indicate that a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions of 29-43% is possible, together with an estimated increase in renewable energy production of 7-22%.

  12. DE.SMARTe: US-German Bilateral Cooperation For The Development Of An Internet-Based Decision Support System For Sustainable Revitalisation of Contaminated Sites - June 2009

    EPA Science Inventory

    SMARTe (Sustainable Management Approaches and Revitalization Tools-electronic) is a web-based decision support tool developed by he Office of Research and Development (ORD) in partnership with the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitaliza...

  13. Applying Counterinsurgency Doctrine as a Strategy to Defeat the Mexican Cartels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-01

    profits, increase cartel communications (ripe for intercept), and create operational risk . All of which would lead to greater targeting opportunities as...Homeland Security, 2006). 19 7 For a detailed description of Merida and its intent, See William R. Brownfield , Remarks before the House Foreign...University Press, 2010), 53. 12 Lisa J. Campbell, Los Zetas: operational assessment , Small Wars & Insurgencies, 21, No 1 (March 2010). 13 Petraeus

  14. Feasibility and Top Level Design of a Scalable Emergency Response System for Oceangoing Assets

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-10-20

    hazard response. The DC is responsible for the initial response. In a small-scale hazard situation, the DC will assign a Risk Assessment Code (RAC) and...Qualification Standard R&D Research and Development RAC Risk Assessment Code RADSAFE Radiological Safety RAM Rolling Airframe Missile RFID Radio...easily be used for other environmental remediation efforts including Superfund sites, decommissioned Navy vessels and Brownfield locations, among others

  15. Agile-Lean Software Engineering (ALSE) Evaluating Kanban in Systems Engineering

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-06

    Boeing)  Garry Roedler (Lockheed Martin)  Karl Scotland (Rally Software, UK)  Alan Shalloway (NetObjectives)  Neil Shirk (Lockheed Martin... Neil Siegel (Northrop Grumman)  James Sutton (Jubata Group) Thanks are also due to the members of the SERC Research Council, particularly Barry...Incremental Commitment Model to Brownfield Systems Development, Proceedings, CSER 2009, April 2009. 16. Heath , B. et al. (2009). A survey of agent-based

  16. Agile and Lean Systems Engineering: Kanban in Systems Engineering

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-12-31

    Rico (Boeing)  Garry Roedler (Lockheed Martin)  Karl Scotland (Rally Software, UK)  Alan Shalloway (NetObjectives)  Neil Shirk (Lockheed Martin... Neil Siegel (Northrop Grumman)  James Sutton (Jubata Group) Thanks are also due to the members of the SERC Research Council, particularly Barry...Commitment Model to Brownfield Systems Development, Proceedings, CSER 2009, April 2009. 14. Heath , B. et al. (2009). A survey of agent-based modeling

  17. Comprehensive waste characterization and organic pollution co-occurrence in a Hg and As mining and metallurgy brownfield.

    PubMed

    Gallego, J R; Esquinas, N; Rodríguez-Valdés, E; Menéndez-Aguado, J M; Sierra, C

    2015-12-30

    The abandonment of Hg-As mining and metallurgy sites, together with long-term weathering, can dramatically degrade the environment. In this work it is exemplified the complex legacy of contamination that afflicts Hg-As brownfields through the detailed study of a paradigmatic site. Firstly, an in-depth study of the former industrial process was performed to identify sources of different types of waste. Subsequently, the composition and reactivity of As- and Hg-rich wastes (calcines, As-rich soot, stupp, and flue dust) was analyzed by means of multielemental analysis, mineralogical characterization (X-ray diffraction, electronic, and optical microscopy, microbrobe), chemical speciation, and sequential extractions. As-rich soot in the form of arsenolite, a relatively mobile by-product of the pyrometallurgical process, and stupp, a residue originated in the former condensing system, were determined to be the main risk at the site. In addition, the screening of organic pollution was also aimed, as shown by the outcome of benzo(a) pyrene and other PAHs, and by the identification of unexpected Hg organo-compounds (phenylmercury propionate). The approach followed unravels evidence from waste from the mining and metallurgy industry that may be present in other similar sites, and identifies unexpected contaminants overlooked by conventional analyses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Using risk maps to link land value damage and risk as basis of flexible risk management for brownfield redevelopment.

    PubMed

    Chen, I-chun; Ma, Hwong-wen

    2013-02-01

    Brownfield redevelopment involves numerous uncertain financial risks associated with market demand and land value. To reduce the uncertainty of the specific impact of land value and social costs, this study develops small-scale risk maps to determine the relationship between population risk (PR) and damaged land value (DLV) to facilitate flexible land reutilisation plans. This study used the spatial variability of exposure parameters in each village to develop the contaminated site-specific risk maps. In view of the combination of risk and cost, risk level that most affected land use was mainly 1.00×10(-6) to 1.00×10(-5) in this study area. Village 2 showed the potential for cost-effective conversion with contaminated land development. If the risk of remediation target was set at 5.00×10(-6), the DLV could be reduced by NT$15,005 million for the land developer. The land developer will consider the net benefit by quantifying the trade-off between the changes of land value and the cost of human health. In this study, small-scale risk maps can illuminate the economic incentive potential for contaminated site redevelopment through the adjustment of land value damage and human health risk. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Chalk Line Mill, Anniston, AL

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Chalk Line Mill property was the site of a textile mill which operated from 1887 until 1994. Demolition activities in 2004 removed most of the structures on-site, but also left large, unsightly piles of debris scattered across this 14-acre property. The City applied for and received a $200,000 Brownfields cleanup grant in 2007 to address contamination on the property and the Appalachian Regional Commission provided an additional $150,000 in funding.

  20. Photovoltaics on Landfills in Puerto Rico

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Salasovich, J.; Mosey, G.

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in accordance with the RE-Powering America's Land initiative, selected the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for a feasibility study of m0treAlables on several brownfield sites. The EPA defines a brownfield as 'a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.' All of the brownfields in this study are landfill sites. Citizens of Puerto Rico, city planners, and site managers are interested in redevelopment uses for landfills in Puerto Rico, which are particularly well suited for solar photovoltaic (PV) installation.more » The purpose of this report is to assess the landfills with the highest potential for possible solar PV installation and estimate cost, performance, and site impacts of three different PV options: crystalline silicon (fixed-tilt), crystalline silicon (single-axis tracking), and thin film (fixed-tilt). Each option represents a standalone system that can be sized to use an entire available site area. In addition, the report outlines financing options that could assist in the implementation of a system. The feasibility of PV systems installed on landfills is highly impacted by the available area for an array, solar resource, operating status, landfill cap status, distance to transmission lines, and distance to major roads. All of the landfills in Puerto Rico were screened according to these criteria in order to determine the sites with the greatest potential. Eight landfills were chosen for site visits based on the screening criteria and location. Because of time constraints and the fact that Puerto Rico is a relatively large island, the eight landfills for this visit were all located in the eastern half of the island. The findings from this report can be applied to landfills in the western half of the island. The economics of a potential PV system on landfills in Puerto Rico depend greatly on the cost of electricity. Currently, PREPA has an average electric rate of $0.119/kWh. Based on past electric rate increases in Puerto Rico and other islands in the Caribbean, this rate could increase to $0.15/kWh or higher in a relatively short amount of time. In the coming years, increasing electrical rates and increased necessity for clean power will continue to improve the feasibility of implementing solar PV systems at these sites.« less

  1. Brownfields redevelopment: A reality?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Rosenberg, D.M.

    There have been numerous attempts to reform the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund, since its inception. The act originally promulgated $1.6 billion in funding to provide for the rapid cleanup of those sites designated as the most dangerous and placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). In 1986, Congress increased the amount of the Superfund to $8.5 billion and added another $5.1 billion in 1990. Overall, it is estimated that the total amount of money spent on the Superfund program is between 25 and 30 billion dollars. While current Superfund reform continues tomore » unfold, Congress has promised to provide a more sensible approach to environmental cleanup, including the possible repeal of retroactive, strict and joint and several liability up to a fixed point in time. One thing is for certain, there is increased recognition that, despite good intentions, the federal Superfund law has been a dismal failure and a major deterrent to the redevelopment of industrial urban areas and contaminated properties. In need of a fix and with an obsessive desire to remove the stigma long associated with the Superfund program, the EPA will hang its hat on the Brownfields Initiative. This initiative is intended to demonstrate ways to return contaminated, unproductive, abandoned urban sites to productive use and ensure that future development is accomplished in a sustainable, environmentally sound manager.« less

  2. Near vertical view of Lubbock area in west Texas as seen from Apollo 9

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1969-03-11

    AS09-23-3561 (3-13 March 1969) --- Near vertical view of the Lubbock area in west Texas as photographed from the Apollo 9 spacecraft during its Earth-orbital mission. Conspicuous patterns of farmland surround the city and extend eastward (up) to the Caprock Escarpment. The Double Mountain fork of the Brazos River drains east (toward upper center); Leeland is at lower center; Brownfield at lower right. The sharp edge of a cloud disk cuts across the upper right corner.

  3. Soil recycling paves the way for treating brownfields

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gladdys, R.

    A soil recycling and stabilization process allows once-contaminated soil to be incorporated into paving materials. Contaminated soils is more widespread than often realized, with one of the more common sources being petroleum products such as fuel oil and gasoline. Until recently, the conventional solution was to have the material excavated, separated from remining soil and trucked to a hazardous waste landfill. This article describes an alternative approach under the following topics: move the solution, not the problem; on site recycling; heavy metals stabilization; economics.

  4. Analysis of state Superfund programs: 50 state study. 1998 update

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    States have remediated over 40,000 contaminated sites not on the federal Superfund list. ELI`s latest analysis of state Superfund programs examines the cleanup programs of all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia. The study provides the most current data on state statutes, program organization, staffing, funding, expenditures, cleanup standards, and cleanup activities, voluntary cleanup programs and brownfields programs. State and federal policymakers and attorneys working on non-NPL sites should find this study useful.

  5. City of Columbia, Columbia, SC

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Located in the heart of South Carolina, Columbia (population 124,818) first experienced industrial growth along the Congaree, Saluda, and Broad Rivers. Plantations, cotton mills, trains, and other industries lined the riverbanks. The City claimed numerous vacant, dilapidated structures in the neighborhoods of the Congaree region. They included industrial, railroad, and petroleum properties. Uncertainties related to contamination inhibited redevelopment efforts in the region. Brownfield assessments helped the city to resolve some of the uncertainties, and increased the marketability of the sites to prospective purchasers and developers.

  6. Site recycling: From Brownfield to football field

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lee, C.; Haas, W.L.

    The Carolina Panther`s new home, Carolinas Stadium, will be impressive. It will include a 75,000-seat stadium, about 2,000 parking spaces, and a practice facility equipped with three full-sized football fields, all located on 30 acres bordering the central business district of Charlotte, NC. Fans of the NFL expansion team may never know that, until recently, 13 of those 30 acres were a former state Superfund site contaminated by a commercial scrapyard that had operated from the early 1930s to 1983. The salvage of nonferrous metals from lead-acid batteries, copper from transformers and other electrical equipment, and ferrous metal scrap frommore » junk automobiles at the Smith Metal and Iron (SMI) site had left a complex contamination legacy. The soil contained lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lesser amounts of semivolatiles (polyaromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs), and volatile organic compounds and petroleum hydrocarbons. The site had remained dormant, like many former industrial sites that have come be called {open_quotes}brownfields,{close_quotes} for nearly a decade when in 1993, Charlotte was selected as the future home of the Carolina Panthers, a National Football League expansion team. The city was able to attract the team in part by offering to redevelop the site, a prime location adjacent to the downtown area. An eight-month-long site remediation effort by HDR Engineering Inc. was completed March 31, on schedule for a June 1996 unveiling of the team`s new facility.« less

  7. Glacial Geology and Stratigraphy of Fort Richardson, Alaska. A Review of Available Data on the Hydrogeology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-04-01

    Alaska.) Stricker, G.D., M.E. Brownfield, L.A. Yehle, and J.A. Wolfe (1988) Mineralogy and stage assign- ment of some Tertiary coal from the Tikishla... originates at the mouth of the Eagle River Valley near the city of Eagle River (Fig. 1, Plate 1). The fan slopes gently to the west– southwest, underlying...south, several low hills of ground moraine protrude through younger glacial depos- its of various origins from the most recent glacia- tion of this area

  8. Feasibility Study of Economics and Performance of Solar Photovoltaics in Nitro, West Virginia

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lisell, L.; Mosey, G.

    2010-08-01

    The study described in this report assessed brownfield sites designated by the City of Nitro, West Virginia for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. The study analyzed three different types of PV systems for eight sites. The report estimates the cost, performance, and site impacts of thin film technology and crystalline silicon panels (both fixed-axis tracking and single-axis tracking systems). Potential job creation and electrical rate increases were also considered, and the report recommends financing options that could assist in the implementation of a system.

  9. Economic and Technical Feasibility Study of Utility-Scale Wind Generation for the New York Buffalo River and South Buffalo Brownfield Opportunity Areas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Roberts, J. O.; Mosey, G.

    2014-04-01

    Through the RE-Powering America's Land initiative, the economic and technical feasibility of utilizing contaminated lands in the Buffalo, New York, area for utility-scale wind development is explored. The study found that there is available land, electrical infrastructure, wind resource, and local interest to support a commercial wind project; however, economies of scale and local electrical markets may need further investigation before significant investment is made into developing a wind project at the Buffalo Reuse Authority site.

  10. Could saponins be used to enhance bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aged-contaminated soils?

    PubMed

    Davin, Marie; Starren, Amandine; Deleu, Magali; Lognay, Georges; Colinet, Gilles; Fauconnier, Marie-Laure

    2018-03-01

    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are persistent organic compounds of major concern that tend to accumulate in the environment, threatening ecosystems and health. Brownfields represent an important tank for PAHs and require remediation. Researches to develop bioremediation and phytoremediation techniques are being conducted as alternatives to environmentally aggressive, expensive and often disruptive soil remediation strategies. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the potential of saponins (natural surfactants) as extracting agents and as bioremediation enhancers on an aged-contaminated soil. Two experiments were conducted on a brownfield soil containing 15 PAHs. In a first experiment, soil samples were extracted with saponins solutions (0; 1; 2; 4 and 8 g.L -1 ). In a second experiment conducted in microcosms (28 °C), soil samples were incubated for 14 or 28 days in presence of saponins (0; 2.5 and 5 mg g -1 ). CO 2 emissions were monitored throughout the experiment. After the incubation, dehydrogenase activity was measured as an indicator of microbiological activity and residual PAHs were determined. In both experiments PAHs were determined using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Fluorimetric Detection. The 4 g.L -1 saponins solution extracted significantly more acenaphtene, fluorene, phenanthrene, anthracene, and pyrene than water. PAHs remediation was not enhanced in presence of saponins compared to control samples after 28 days. However CO 2 emissions and dehydrogenase activities were significantly more important in presence of saponins, suggesting no toxic effect of these surfactants towards soil microbiota. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Effectiveness of a physical barrier for contaminant control in an unconfined coastal plain aquifer: the case study of the former industrial site of Bagnoli (Naples, southern Italy).

    PubMed

    Arienzo, Michele; Allocca, Vincenzo; Manna, Ferdinando; Trifuoggi, Marco; Ferrara, Luciano

    2015-12-01

    A vertical engineered barrier (VEB) coupled with a water treatment plant was surveyed in the framework of a vast remedial action at the brownfield site of the former ILVA of Bagnoli steel making facility located in western Naples, Italy. The VEB was put in place to minimize contaminant migration from the brownfield site toward the sea at the shorelines sites of Bagnoli and Coroglio. The efficiency of the VEB was monitored through 12 piezometers, 8 at the Bagnoli shoreline and 4 at the Coroglio shoreline. Concentrations of inorganic and organic pollutants were examined in upstream and downstream groundwater relative to the VEB. The mean levels of Al, As, Fe, and Mn largely exceeded the legal limits, 10-15-fold, whereas that of Hg was up to 3-fold the rules. The VEB decreased the outlet concentrations only at certain specific location of the barrier, four times for Al, 6-fold for Hg, and by 20% for Mn with means largely exceeding the rules. At the other sites, the downstream water showed marked increases of the pollutants up to 3-fold. Outstanding levels of the hydrocarbons > 12 were detected in the inlet water with means of some hundred times the limits at both sites. Likewise most of screened inorganic pollutants, the downstream water showed marked increases of the hydrocarbons up to ~113%. The treatment plant was very effective, with removal efficiencies >80% for As, Al, Fe, and Mn. The study evidenced the need to put alternative groundwater remedial actions.

  12. Ohio`s Voluntary Action Program: An economic development tool or a subtle environmental loophole?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Akinmoladun, T.M.; Lewis, R.A.

    In an effort to remediate and reuse abandoned or contaminated industrial properties, the Ohio State legislature passed a law in 1994 that created the Ohio Voluntary Action Program (VAP). VAP consists of a series of incentives for property owners and prospective buyers to accelerate cleanup and reuse of abandoned sites or brownfields. This paper examines the essence of this unconventional approach to socio-economic development and environmental restoration. The weaknesses of the program are discussed, and recommendations are made to make the program more workable, more realistic, and conducive to environmental protection and public health.

  13. Potential insurance products for Brownfields Cleanup and redevelopment. Survey results of insurance industry products available for transference of risk at potentially contaminated property

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    The following report discusses the findings of this survey in greater depth. Section I provides an overview of the potential risks encountered by owners of potentially contaminated property and discusses common ways key players control these risks, including the use of insurance. Section II describes how the insurance industry works and provides an overview of the main environmental insurance products, a discussion of the survey findings, and market factors that influence environmental insurance policies. Section III offers concluding remarks and recommendations.

  14. EPA RE-Powering Mapper Feasibility Studies

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) Office of Communications, Partnerships and Analysis (OCPA) initiated the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative to demonstrate the enormous potential that contaminated lands, landfills, and mine sites provide for developing renewable energy in the United States. As part of the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative, the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) evaluated the feasibility of developing renewable energy production on Superfund, brownfields, and former landfill or mining sites. These reports pair EPA's expertise on contaminated sites with the renewable energy expertise of NREL.

  15. Spontaneous plant colonization of brownfield soil and sludges and effects on substrate properties and pollutants mobility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rocco, Claudia; Agrelli, Diana; Gonzalez, Maria Isabel; Mingo, Antonio; Motti, Riccardo; Stinca, Adriano; Coppola, Ida; Adamo, Paola

    2017-04-01

    This work was done on brownfield soil and sludges from a dismantled steel plant, moderately polluted by heavy metals (mainly Pb and Zn), 1) to analyzed the effects of substrate properties and environmental conditions on spontaneous vegetation; 2) to assess changes in the chemical properties of soils and sludges, with particular reference to the mobility and bioavailability of pollutants, induced by spontaneous plants revegetation. From 2006 to 2011, spontaneous plant colonization was monitored in the presence or absence of acidic peat both inside the degraded brownfield site and after transferal into a nearby Oak Park environment. During the five experimental years the vegetation growth was monitored using phytosociological method and data analyzed statistically. Both substrates, before and after plant growth, were analyzed for main chemical properties. Metals mobility and bioavailability was assessed using single (H2O; DTPA) and sequential extractions (EU-BCR). At the end of the experiment, plant ability to uptake metal was evaluated on selected species. Overall, 57 plant species grew healthily on the substrates. The combination of soil and sludges with peat resulted in an effective revegetation with a sensible increasing of plants biomass. Most of the species were found in the park (91%), showing plant colonization was mainly affected by the immediate environment rather than by substrate properties. Furthermore, after the five years, the substrate properties (pH, O.C.) were slightly affected by plant growth and, although metal pollutants in both substrates are characterized by low water solubility and DTPA availability, after plants growth an increase (even if not significant) of rhizospheric Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn solubility in H2O was detected. Metals speciation indicated a low risk of Pb and Zn mobility being either largely trapped in the mineralogical structure of oxides and silicates and occluded in easily reducible manganese or iron oxides. Restricted metal uptake and tissue accumulation by selected plants were measured, with only Daucus carota showing a higher ability to translocate metals to shoots (shoot/root metal concentration quotient >1 with peat). Water always underestimated plant uptake, while DTPA and sequential extractions better predicted Pb and Zn uptake. Phytostabilization with native plant species can be an efficient, environmentally appropriate and low cost technology for rehabilitation of industrial sites. The addition of organic matter may help the spontaneous re-vegetation and could facilitate the recovery of degraded environment. However, the changing induced by peat and plants might induced a solubilization of metal pollutants. A continuous monitoring of the potential changes of pollutants mobility-bioavailability by plants is crucial to prevent risks to the environment and human health. Key words: Heavy metals, phytoremediation, Peat addition, bioavailability, sequential extractions

  16. Anthropogenic vs. natural pollution: An environmental study of an industrial site under remediation (Naples, Italy)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tarzia, M.; de Vivo, B.; Somma, R.; Ayuso, R.A.; McGill, R.A.R.; Parrish, R.R.

    2002-01-01

    Heavy metal concentrations and Pb isotopic composition were determined in the soils, slags, scums and landfill materials from a shut down industrial (brownfield) site. This was the second largest integrated steelworks in Italy, and is now under remediation by a Government project. It is located in the outskirts of Napoli on the Bagnoli-Fuorigrotta plain (BFP), which is part of the Campi Flegrei (CF) volcanic caldera, where many spas and geothermal springs occur. The purpose of this work is to distinguish the natural (geogenic) component, originated by hydrothermal activity, from anthropogenic contamination owing to industrial activity. 'In-situ sediments' (soils), slags, scums and landfill materials from 20 drill-cores were selected from a network of 197 drills carried out on a 100 ?? 100 m grid, covering the entire brownfield site. In general, heavy metal enrichments in the upper 3 m of the cores strongly suggest mixing between natural (geogenic) and anthropogenic components. Pb isotopic data are suggestive of three potential end members, and confirm the existence of a strong natural component in addition to contamination from anthropogenic activities. The slags, scums and landfill materials have been proved, through mineralogy and leachate experiments, to be geochemically stable; this shows that metal pollutants are not bio-available and, hence, do not pose a risk to future developments on this site. The natural contribution of hydrothermal fluids to soil pollution, in addition to the non-bio-availability of metal pollutants from industrial materials, indicate that heavy metal remediation of soils in this area would be of little use. Continuous discharge from mineralized hydrothermal solutions would cancel out any remediation effort.

  17. Distribution of heavy metals and metalloids in bulk and particle size fractions of soils from coal-mine brownfield and implications on human health.

    PubMed

    Li, Hongxia; Ji, Hongbing; Shi, Chunjing; Gao, Yang; Zhang, Yan; Xu, Xiangyu; Ding, Huaijian; Tang, Lei; Xing, Yuxin

    2017-04-01

    Heavy metals (HMs) and metalloids migrate into their surroundings, thus increasing environmental risks and threatening human health. Current studies on coal-mine brownfields, however, have not thoroughly investigated soil-associated HMs and metalloids produced by coal mining. Therefore, this study explored the spatial and particle fraction distribution and human health implications of HMs and metalloids. The soil-associated HMs and metalloids are Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Copper (Cu), Mercury (Hg), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Lead (Pb), Scandium (Sc), Titanium (Ti) and Zinc (Zn). Results showed that Cd, Cu, Pb, and Ni were enriched in bulk soils. Cadmium, Cu and Pb from anthropogenic source were mainly found at entrance roadsides and in sites closest to coal mines. HMs and metalloids primarily accumulated in fine fractions (<1, 1-5, and 5-10 μm). Moreover, HM and metalloid loadings substantially accumulated in the 75-250 μm and 250-1000 μm fractions. Most fine soil fractions showed moderate to strong potential ecological risks, whereas all the coarse particle fractions (50-75, 75-250, and 250-1000 μm) presented slight potential ecological risk. Exposure to soil-associated HMs and metalloids mainly occurred via ingestion. The total non-carcinogenic risks to children and adults fell below the safe level of 1, whereas the total carcinogenic risks to these individuals were higher than that of the maximum acceptable level set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 1 × 10 -4 ). The total carcinogenic risk was mainly contributed by Cd and Ni through ingestion and dermal access. Therefore, hygiene and food security in areas should be emphasized. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Brownfield Action Online - An Interactive Undergraduate Science Course in Environmental Forensics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liddicoat, Joseph; Bower, Peter

    2014-05-01

    Brownfield Action (BA) is a web-based, interactive, three dimensional digital space and learning simulation in which students form geotechnical consulting companies and work collectively to explore problems in environmental forensics. Created at Barnard College (BC) in conjunction with the Center for New Media Teaching and Learning at Columbia University, BA has a 12-year history at BC of use in one semester of a two-semester Introduction to Environmental Science course that is taken by more than 100 female undergraduate non-science majors to satisfy their science requirement. The pedagogical methods and design of the BA model are grounded in a substantial research literature focused on the design, use, and effectiveness of games and simulation in education. The successful use of the BA simulation at BC and 14 other institutions in the U.S. is described in Bower et al. (2011 and 2014). Soon to be taught online to non-traditional undergraduate students, BA has 15 modules that include a reconnaissance survey; scale; topographic, bedrock, and water table maps; oral and written reports from residents and the municipal government; porosity and permeability measurements of the regolith (sand) in the area of interest; hydrocarbon chemistry; direction and velocity of groundwater flow; and methods of geophysical exploration (soil gas, ground penetrating radar, magnetic metal detection, excavation, and drilling). Student performance is assessed by weekly exercises and a semester ending Environmental Site Assessment Phase I Report that summarizes the individual and collective discoveries about a contaminated subsurface plume that emanates from a leaking underground storage tank at a gasoline station upgrade from the water well that serves the surrounding community. Texts for the course are Jonathan Harr's A Civil Action and Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, which are accompanied by questions that direct the reading.

  19. Simulation of ground-water flow, surface-water flow, and a deep sewer tunnel system in the Menomonee Valley, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dunning, C.P.; Feinstein, D.T.; Hunt, R.J.; Krohelski, J.T.

    2004-01-01

    Numerical models were constructed for simulation of ground-water flow in the Menomonee Valley Brownfield, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. An understanding of ground-water flow is necessary to develop an efficient program to sample ground water for contaminants. Models were constructed in a stepwise fashion, beginning with a regional, single-layer, analytic-element model (GFLOW code) that provided boundary conditions for a local, eight layer, finite-difference model (MODFLOW code) centered on the Menomonee Valley Brownfield. The primary source of ground water to the models is recharge over the model domains; primary sinks for ground water within the models are surface-water features and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Inline Storage System (ISS). Calibration targets were hydraulic heads, surface-water fluxes, vertical gradients, and ground-water infiltration to the ISS. Simulation of ground-water flow by use of the MODFLOW model indicates that about 73 percent of recharge within the MODFLOW domain circulates to the ISS and 27 percent discharges to gaining surface-water bodies. In addition, infiltration to the ISS comes from the following sources: 36 percent from recharge within the model domain, 45 percent from lateral flow into the domain, 15 percent from Lake Michigan, and 4 percent from other surface-water bodies. Particle tracking reveals that the median traveltime from the recharge point to surface-water features is 8 years; the median time to the ISS is 255 years. The traveltimes to the ISS are least over the northern part of the valley, where dolomite is near the land surface. The distribution of traveltimes in the MODFLOW simulation is greatly influenced by the effective porosity values assigned to the various lithologies.

  20. Evaluation of the environmental impact of Brownfield remediation options: comparison of two life cycle assessment-based evaluation tools.

    PubMed

    Cappuyns, Valérie; Kessen, Bram

    2012-01-01

    The choice between different options for the remediation of a contaminated site traditionally relies on economical, technical and regulatory criteria without consideration of the environmental impact of the soil remediation process itself. In the present study, the environmental impact assessment of two potential soil remediation techniques (excavation and off-site cleaning and in situ steam extraction) was performed using two life cycle assessment (LCA)-based evaluation tools, namely the REC (risk reduction, environmental merit and cost) method and the ReCiPe method. The comparison and evaluation of the different tools used to estimate the environmental impact of Brownfield remediation was based on a case study which consisted of the remediation of a former oil and fat processing plant. For the environmental impact assessment, both the REC and ReCiPe methods result in a single score for the environmental impact of the soil remediation process and allow the same conclusion to be drawn: excavation and off-site cleaning has a more pronounced environmental impact than in situ soil remediation by means of steam extraction. The ReCiPe method takes into account more impact categories, but is also more complex to work with and needs more input data. Within the routine evaluation of soil remediation alternatives, a detailed LCA evaluation will often be too time consuming and costly and the estimation of the environmental impact with the REC method will in most cases be sufficient. The case study worked out in this paper wants to provide a basis for a more sounded selection of soil remediation technologies based on a more detailed assessment of the secondary impact of soil remediation.

  1. Reducing the mobility of arsenic in brownfield soil using stabilised zero-valent iron nanoparticles.

    PubMed

    Gil-Díaz, Mar; Alonso, Juan; Rodríguez-Valdés, Eduardo; Pinilla, Paloma; Lobo, Maria Carmen

    2014-01-01

    The use of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) as a new tool for the treatment of polluted soils and groundwater has received considerable attention in recent years due to its high reactivity, in situ application and cost-effectiveness. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effectiveness of using a commercial stabilised suspension of nZVI to immobilise As in brownfield soil and to investigate its impact on Fe availability in the treated soil. The phytotoxicities of the soil samples were also evaluated using a germination test with two plant species: barley (Hordeum vulgare L) and common vetch (Vicia sativa L). Two doses of the commercial nZVI suspension were studied, 1% and 10%, and two soil-nanoparticle interaction times, 72 h and 3 mo, were used to compare the stabilities of the soils treated with nZVI. The As availability was evaluated using a sequential extraction procedure and the toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) test. The application of nZVI significantly decreased the availability of As in the soil. The immobilisation of As was more effective and more stable over time with the 10% dose than with the 1% dose of the commercial nZVI suspension. The application of nZVI did not induce an important increase in Fe mobility because the Fe leachability was less than 2 mg L(-1) over the time period studied. The lower availability of As in the soil led to a decrease in the phytotoxicity of the soil to barley and vetch germination. Thus, the proposed nanotechnology could be a potential alternative for the in situ remediation of As-polluted soils and could be combined with remediation processes where plants are involved.

  2. Brownfield reuse of dredged New York Harbor sediment by cement-based solidification/stabilization

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Loest, K.; Wilk, C.M.

    1998-12-31

    Newly effective federal regulations restrict the ocean disposal of sediments dredged from the harbors of New York and Newark. The New York Port Authority is faced with a critical situation: find land-based disposal/uses for 10`s of millions cubic yards of sediments or lose standing as a commercial port for ocean-going ships. One of the technologies now being employed to manage the sediments is portland cement-based solidification/stabilization (S/S) treatment. At least 4 million cubic yards of the sediments will undergo cement-based S/S treatment. This treatment will immobilize heavy metals, dioxin, PCBs and other organic contaminants in the sediment. The treatment changesmore » the sediment from a environmental liability into a valuable structural fill. This structural fill is being used at two properties. The first property is an old municipal landfill in Port Newark, New Jersey. The treated sediments are being used as structural fill to cover about 20 acres of the landfill. This will allow planned redevelopment of the landfill property into a shopping mall. The second property called the Seaboard site, was the location of a coal gasification facility and later a wood preservation facility. This 160-acre property has been designated for brownfield redevelopment. Over 4 million cubic yards of treated sediments will eventually cover this site. Portland cement is the selected S/S binding reagent. Nearly 500,000 tons of cement will eventually be used to treat the sediments. Cement was selected for its ability to (a) change the peanut butter-like consistency of the sediments into a structural material and (b) to physically and chemically immobilize hazardous constituents in the sediment.« less

  3. Adaptation Problems of the Post Industrial Heritage on the Example of Selected Objects of Bydgoszcz

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pszczółkowski, Michał

    2016-09-01

    Post-industrial architecture was until recently regarded as devoid of value and importance due to obsolescence, but this awareness has been a clear change in recent years. The old factories become full-fledged cultural heritage, as evidenced by the inclusion of buildings and complexes of this type in the register of monuments and protected by their conservator. More and more often, therefore, one undertakes revitalization of degraded brownfield sites, and within these treatments - conversion works. Specific issues and problems related to the adaptation of industrial facilities are discussed in the article on the basis of selected examples, completed in recent years in Bydgoszcz.

  4. The Conversion and Sustainable Use of Alumina Refinery Residues: Global Solution Examples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fergusson, Lee

    This paper introduces current industry best practice for the conversion of alumina refinery residues (or "red mud") from hazardous waste to benign, inert material. The paper will examine four neutralization methods and Basecon Technology, a sustainable conversion process. The paper will consider ways through which this converted material can be combined and processed for sustainable applications in the treatment of hazardous waste streams (such as industrial wastewater and sludges, biosolids, and CCA wastes), contaminated brownfield sites, and mine site wastes. Recent discoveries and applications, such as the successful treatment of high levels of radium in drinking water in the USA, will also be discussed. Examples of global solutions and their technical merits will be assessed.

  5. Cultural Identity of the Industrial Heritage in Gdansk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szymański, Tomasz

    2017-10-01

    Since its inception, urbanized area passes a number of changes, caused by demands of its inhabitants. Industrial heritage, including historic architecture at the brownfields, that’s more and more present in the centres of our cities, is one of the most important components of the identity. The development of civilization causes the phenomenon of spatial and functional transformations. Revitalization of the areas recently occupied by the industry, provides a unique opportunity to rediscover their values. Increasingly, however, it uses the terms “wasteland” or “brownfields”. Land use by industry is associated only with its “predatory” use, destruction, devastation. However, we can venture to say, that the existing industrial use of the land, “civilized” them. Current developments have restored a public access to the “new” urban space. At these areas preserved quite a lot valuable architectural objects. That can be seen, unfortunately, tend to forget the fact of complexity, multithreaded value areas and facilities. Analyzed causes of the risks, ways to prevent adverse transformations, methods of developing action plans to re-create the industrial architecture - are still discussed. Industrial heritage, particularly architecture, is one of the important components of the material culture that specify identity of the city of Gdansk. It provides with no doubt about its distinctiveness and originality in relation to other cities and regions. Revitalization projects are at the same time the most effective way to protect and preserve the cultural identity of the brownfield facilities. Examples of such transformations are most relevant to Gdansk and also beginning to be more and more visible. Areas of the main activities of revitalization in Gdansk, are the area of the former Imperial Shipyard and the Ołowianka Island are still and only the beginning of the necessary changes. Old industrial plants and technical facilities should be subject of the regeneration and be activating element at the scale of the whole districts and the city.

  6. Brownfields to green fields: Realising wider benefits from practical contaminant phytomanagement strategies.

    PubMed

    Cundy, A B; Bardos, R P; Puschenreiter, M; Mench, M; Bert, V; Friesl-Hanl, W; Müller, I; Li, X N; Weyens, N; Witters, N; Vangronsveld, J

    2016-12-15

    Gentle remediation options (GROs) are risk management strategies or technologies involving plant (phyto-), fungi (myco-), and/or bacteria-based methods that result in a net gain (or at least no gross reduction) in soil function as well as effective risk management. GRO strategies can be customised along contaminant linkages, and can generate a range of wider economic, environmental and societal benefits in contaminated land management (and in brownfields management more widely). The application of GROs as practical on-site remedial solutions is still limited however, particularly in Europe and at trace element (typically metal and metalloid) contaminated sites. This paper discusses challenges to the practical adoption of GROs in contaminated land management, and outlines the decision support tools and best practice guidance developed in the European Commission FP7-funded GREENLAND project aimed at overcoming these challenges. The GREENLAND guidance promotes a refocus from phytoremediation to wider GROs- or phyto-management based approaches which place realisation of wider benefits at the core of site design, and where gentle remediation technologies can be applied as part of integrated, mixed, site risk management solutions or as part of "holding strategies" for vacant sites. The combination of GROs with renewables, both in terms of biomass generation but also with green technologies such as wind and solar power, can provide a range of economic and other benefits and can potentially support the return of low-level contaminated sites to productive usage, while combining GROs with urban design and landscape architecture, and integrating GRO strategies with sustainable urban drainage systems and community gardens/parkland (particularly for health and leisure benefits), has large potential for triggering GRO application and in realising wider benefits in urban and suburban systems. Quantifying these wider benefits and value (above standard economic returns) will be important in leveraging funding for GRO application and soft site end-use more widely at vacant or underutilized sites. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Techniques for the stabilization and assessment of treated copper-, chromium-, and arsenic-contaminated soil.

    PubMed

    Maurice, Christian; Lidelöw, Sofia; Gustavsson, Björn; Lättström, Anders; Ragnvaldsson, Daniel; Leffler, Per; Lövgren, Lars; Tesfalidet, Solomon; Kumpiene, Jurate

    2007-09-01

    Remediation mainly based on excavation and burial of the contaminated soil is impractical with regard to the large numbers of sites identified as being in need of remediation. Therefore, alternative methods are needed for brownfield remediation. This study was conducted to assess a chemical stabilization procedure of CCA-contaminated soil using iron (Fe)-containing blaster sand (BS) or oxygen-scarfing granulate (OSG). The stabilization technique was assessed with regard to the feasibility of mixing ameliorants at an industrial scale and the efficiency of the stabilization under different redox conditions. The stability was investigated under natural conditions in 1-m3 lysimeters in a field experiment, and the effect of redox conditions was assessed in a laboratory experiment (10 L). The treatments with high additions of ameliorant (8% and 17%) were more successful in both the laboratory and field experiments, even though there was enough Fe on a stochiometric basis even at the lowest addition rates (0.1% and 1%). The particle size of the Fe and the mixing influenced the stabilization efficiency. The development of anaerobic conditions, simulated by water saturation, increases the fraction of arsenic (AsIII) and, consequently, As mobility. The use of high concentrations of OSG under aerobic conditions increased the concentrations of nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) in the pore water. However, under anaerobic conditions, it decreased the As leaching compared with the untreated soil, and Ni and Cu leaching was not critical. The final destination of the treated soil should govern the amendment choice, that is, an OSG concentration of approximately 10% may be suitable if the soil is to be landfilled under anaerobic conditions. Alternatively, the soil mixed with 1% BS could be kept under aerobic conditions in a landfill cover or in situ at a brownfield site. In addition, the treatment with BS appeared to produce better effects in the long term than treatment with OSG.

  8. Improving the environment in urban areas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Adamkus, V.V.

    1994-12-31

    The author discusses the need for improvements to the environment in urban areas, and efforts being made under the direction of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address these problems. The impact the new Clean Air Act can have on emissions from gasoline powered autos, diesel burning trucks, fixed emission sources ranging from utilities to chemical plants, and consumer products like hair sprays and charcoal starters, will all work together to improve air quality in urban areas. The author also discusses Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Plan efforts being supported by the EPA in a coordinated plan to get municipalities involved inmore » cleaning up areas with pollution, to remove the blight on the urban areas, provide new land for development, and promote additional jobs.« less

  9. REAL-TIME IN SITU DETECTION OF ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS BY LASER-INDUCED FLUORESCENCE SYSTEM. Final tropical report (Task 1.3).

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Daniel J. Stepan; James A. Sorensen; Jaroslav Solc

    This report summarizes the results of the field demonstration of a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) method for characterization of brownfields and other contaminated sites. The technology was provided and demonstrated by Dakota Technologies, Inc. (DTI), of Fargo, North Dakota. LIF generates continuous data on the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) within the soil profile. The sensor used to record real-time data is deployed into the soil using a modified truck-mounted Geoprobe percussion soil probing device. The summary of observations described in the following text represents an independent evaluation of the performance, usefulness, and economics of the demonstrated technology for characterizationmore » at PAH-contaminated sites.« less

  10. Industrial Wasteland as Faced with Contemporary Landscape Architects’ Challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tubielewicz-Michalczuk, Malwina

    2017-10-01

    The following article describes the problem of regeneration of industrial wasteland. It is illustrated with examples selected form various design projects created by outstanding contemporary landscape architects. It also shows how a correctly planned and performed project concerning regeneration of derelict industrial sites serves multiple functions, i. e. it serves as recreational zone as well as activates people. Moreover, it significantly enhances environmental value of a given area as well as stimulates emergence of innovative landscape investments. The paper presents innovative compositional arrangements used in creating projects concerning brownfields; balanced proportions of spatial elements, the possibility of approaching the area from different levels and perspectives and, also, the possibility of engaging fully with nature by physical contact with it.

  11. Noble-gas-rich separates from ordinary chondrites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moniot, R. K.

    1980-02-01

    Acid-resistant residues were prepared by HCl-HF demineralization of three H-type ordinary chondrites: Brownfield 1937 (H3), Dimmitt (H3, 4), and Estacado (H6). These residues were found to contain a large proportion of the planetary-type trapped Ar, Kr, and Xe in the meteorites. The similarity of these acid residues to those from carbonaceous chondrites and LL-type ordinary chondrites suggests that the same phase carries the trapped noble gases in all these diverse meteorite types. Because the H group represents a large fraction of all meteorites, this result indicates that the gas-rich carrier phase is as universal as the trapped noble-gas component itself. When treated with an oxidizing etchant, the acid residues lost almost all their complement of noble gases.

  12. Cleanups in My Community

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Cleanups in My Community (CIMC) is a public web application that enables integrated access through maps, lists and search filtering to site-specific information EPA has across all cleanup programs. CIMC taps into data publicly available from EPA's EnviroFacts (RCRA Corrective Action facilities, Brownfields properties and grant areas, Superfund NPL sites, other facility data) and web services (water monitoring stations, impaired waters, emergency responses, tribal boundaries, congressional districts, etc.) and connects to other applications (e.g., Superfund's CPAD) to provide easy seamless access to site-specific cleanup information with explanatory text and within the context of related data. Data can be filtered by cleanup program, geography, environmental indicators, controls, and cleanup stage. CIMC also provides some web services that integrate these data for others to use in their applications.

  13. Revitalization of Energy Supply Systems in the Scale of a Town, a District and an Island

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Juchimiuk, Justyna

    2016-09-01

    Model actions undertaken in HafenCity and Wilhelmsburg during IBA Hamburg 2006- 13 as well as energy transformation of Danish island of Samsø towards self-sufficiency are examples of the use of energy as one of the key factors in the design of revitalization process in various scales. An important issue is to determine the impact of renewable energy systems on design process, architecture and urbanism of revitalized structures. Article examines the programs and projects related to the processes: renewal of degraded inner-industrial areas (brownfields), ecological restoration of degraded land, the revitalization of port and underdeveloped areas in the aspects of climate protection, the use of energy from renewable sources and improvement of technical conditions of building substance while maintaining the principles of sustainable development.

  14. Turning brownfields into greenspaces: examining incentives and barriers to revitalization.

    PubMed

    Siikamäki, Juha; Wernstedt, Kris

    2008-06-01

    This study employs interviews, document review, and a national survey of local government officials to investigate the factors that influence the success of efforts to convert underutilized contaminated properties into greenspace. We find that the presence of contamination continues to be a concern despite federal and state efforts to ease liability fears but also that site and project features can overcome this hurdle. In particular, jurisdictions appear more likely to convert distressed properties into greenspace if recreational parks, rather than open space, are planned, sites are already owned rather than available only through tax foreclosure, and the state is perceived as being supportive of the conversion. In addition, mixed public-private funding and site locations in residential areas are more likely to attract community support for conversion projects.

  15. Trace elements biomonitoring in a historical mining district (les Malines, France).

    PubMed

    Saunier, Jean-Baptiste; Losfeld, Guillaume; Freydier, Rémi; Grison, Claude

    2013-11-01

    The aim of this study is to investigate the trace elements (TE) contents of potential biomonitors in a historical Zn-Pb mining district: apiary products (honey, royal-jelly and beeswax) lichen and moss were sampled and analysed. In spite of high TE concentrations in mining waste and soil, apiary products are free of TE contamination originating from historical mining. Lichen/moss show high TE levels, which suggest atmospheric input of local dust. Pb isotopes analysis proved the origin of TE found in lichen/moss to be mainly mining waste. These results help discuss the choice of relevant organisms for monitoring TE in the environment and bring additional data on the potential impacts of brownfields left after mining, especially on food products from apiaries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Feasibility Study of Economics and Performance of Solar Photovoltaics at the Brisbane Baylands Brownfield Site in Brisbane, California. A Study Prepared in Partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency for the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative: Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Salasovich, J.; Geiger, J.; Healey, V.

    2013-04-01

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in accordance with the RE-Powering America's Land initiative, selected the Brisbane Baylands site in Brisbane, California, for a feasibility study of renewable energy production. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provided technical assistance for this project. The purpose of this report is to assess the site for a possible photovoltaic (PV) system installation and estimate the cost, performance, and site impacts of different PV options. In addition, the report recommends financing options that could assist in the implementation of a PV system at the site.

  17. Laboratory Reproduction and Failure Analysis of Cracked Orbiter Reaction Control System Niobium Thruster Injectors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jacobs, Jeremy B.; Castner, Willard L.

    2007-01-01

    A viewgraph presentation describing cracks and failure analysis of an orbiter reaction control system is shown. The topics include: 1) Endeavour STS-113 Landing; 2) RCS Thruster; 3) Thruster Cross-Section; 4) RCS Injector; 5) RCS Thruster, S/N 120l 6) Counterbore Cracks; 7) Relief Radius Cracks; 8) RCS Thruster Cracking History; 9) Thruster Manufacturing Timelines; 10) Laboratory Reproduction of Injector Cracking; 11) The Brownfield Specimen; 12) HF EtchantTests/Specimen Loading; 13) Specimen #3 HF + 600F; 14) Specimen #3 IG Fracture; 15) Specimen #5 HF + 600F; 16) Specimen #5 Popcorn ; 17) Specimen #5 Cleaned and Bent; 18) HF Exposure Test Matrix; 19) Krytox143AC Tests; 20) KrytoxTests/Specimen Loading; 21) Specimen #13 Krytox + 600F; and 22) KrytoxExposure Test Matrix.

  18. Green manure plants for remediation of soils polluted by metals and metalloids: ecotoxicity and human bioavailability assessment.

    PubMed

    Foucault, Y; Lévêque, T; Xiong, T; Schreck, E; Austruy, A; Shahid, M; Dumat, C

    2013-10-01

    Borage, white mustard and phacelia, green manure plants currently used in agriculture to improve soil properties were cultivated for 10 wk on various polluted soils with metal(loid) concentrations representative of urban brownfields or polluted kitchen gardens. Metal(loid) bioavailability and ecotoxicity were measured in relation to soil characteristics before and after treatment. All the plants efficiently grow on the various polluted soils. But borage and mustard only are able to modify the soil characteristics and metal(loid) impact: soil respiration increased while ecotoxicity, bioaccessible lead and total metal(loid) quantities in soils can be decreased respectively by phytostabilization and phytoextraction mechanisms. These two plants could therefore be used for urban polluted soil refunctionalization. However, plant efficiency to improve soil quality strongly depends on soil characteristics. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  19. Environmental liability protection and other advantages of voluntary cleanup programs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bost, R.C.; Linton, K.E.

    Historically, regulatory agencies have required that contaminated sites be returned to pristine conditions, often at very high costs. Fear of these enormous environmental liabilities has resulted in abandonment of many industrial and commercial properties, referred to as brownfields. The development of Risk-Based Corrective Action programs has provided a means for regulatory agencies to evaluate contaminated sites based on risk to human health and the environment, resulting in more reasonable remedial measures and costs. Governmental bodies have created a more flexible means of addressing contaminated sites using Risk-Based Corrective Action and other incentives to encourage the redevelopment of sites through Voluntarymore » Cleanup Programs. This study describes the development of Voluntary Cleanup Programs, and the successful implementation of Risk-Based Corrective Action with a focus on the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma.« less

  20. Feasibility Study of Economics and Performance of Solar Photovoltaics in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Salasovich, J.; Mosey, G.

    2011-03-01

    This report presents the results of an assessment of the technical and economic feasibility of deploying a photovoltaics (PV) system on brownfield sites in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. All of the assessed sites are landfills. The sites were assessed for possible PV installations. The cost, performance, and site impacts of different PV options were estimated. The economics of the potential systems were analyzed using an electric rate of $0.119/kWh and incentives offered by Puerto Rico and by the serving utility, PREPA. According to the site production calculations, the most cost-effective system in terms of return on investment is themore » thin-film fixed-tilt technology. The report recommends financing options that could assist in the implementation of such a system.« less

  1. Feasibility Study of Economics and Performance of Solar Photovoltaics at the Former Bethlehem Steel Plant Brownfield Site in Lackawanna, New York. A Study Prepared in Partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency for the RE-Powering America's Land Initiative: Siting Renewable Energy on Potentially Contaminated Land and Mine Sites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Salasovich, J.; Geiger, J.; Mosey, G.

    2013-04-01

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in accordance with the RE-Powering America's Land initiative, selected the Former Bethlehem Steel Plant site in Lackawanna, New York, for a feasibility study of renewable energy production. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provided technical assistance for this project. The purpose of this report is to assess the site for a possible photovoltaic (PV) system installation and estimate the cost, performance, and site impacts of different PV options. In addition, the report recommends financing options that could assist in the implementation of a PV system at the site.

  2. Lincoln Co. Scrap Metal, Crab Orchard, Kentucky

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The City of Crab Orchard, KY (population less than 1,000) received a $200,000 EPA Brownfields cleanup grant in 2010 to cleanup up the Lincoln County ScrapMetal property. The site, a former scrap metal recycler and general junkyard, was located in the middle of downtown. The city has experienced a dramatic decline in growth over the past few years. The abandoned two-acre site is located in the city’s center, directly across the street from City Hall. It is the largest property on Main Street. The property was an eyesore, and posed potential health risks to area residents, and deterred investment. Its blighted status did little to help the commercial and private properties that surround it. The site was also home to a dilapidated building that once served as the Odd Fellows meeting hall.

  3. Feasibility Study of Economics and Performance of Solar Photovoltaics at the Former St. Marks Refinery in St. Marks, Florida

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lisell, L.; Mosey, G.

    2010-09-01

    This report presents the results of an assessment of the technical and economic feasibility of deploying a photovoltaics (PV) system on a brownfield site in St. Marks, Florida. The site was assessed for possible PV installations. The cost, performance, and site impacts of different PV options were estimated. The economics of the potential systems were analyzed using an electric rate of $0.08/kWh and incentives offered in the State of Florida and from the two accessible utilities, Progress Energy and the City of Tallahassee. According to the site production calculations, the most cost-effective system in terms of return on investment ismore » the fixed-tilt thin film technology. The report recommends financing options that could assist in the implementation of such a system.« less

  4. Minor and trace-elements in apiary products from a historical mining district (Les Malines, France).

    PubMed

    Losfeld, Guillaume; Saunier, Jean-Baptiste; Grison, Claude

    2014-03-01

    The trace-elements (TE) contents of honey, royal-jelly and beeswax from a historical Zn-Pb mining district have been investigated to assess potential contamination. In spite of high levels of heavy metal (As, Cd, Tl, Pb) in wastes left after mining stopped, apiary products appear to be relatively free of TE contamination. For honey, the following average levels (±standard error) were observed: Zn 571±440μgkg(-1), Pb 26±20μgkg(-1), Tl 13±10μgkg(-1), Cd 7±6μgkg(-1) and As 3±4μg.kg(-1). These results bring additional data to the potential impact of brownfields left after mining on apiary products. They also bring new data to assess potential risks linked with honey consumption and discuss legal TE contents in honey and other food products from apiaries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Attention oilheat marketers: Turn brownfields into greenbacks using property tax reductions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Airst, R.L.

    A readily available, yet sorely under-utilized, means of enhancing the cash flow of properties burdened with environmental contamination or compliance costs is property tax abatement. Unfortunately, too many oil dealers unknowingly accept the fact that their contaminated properties are presently being taxed as though they were clean. Dealers can also participate in state programs which encourage landowners to cleanup and rehabilitate contaminated sites. Some of these legislative initiatives offer economic and tax incentives which allow owners to revitalize their properties without being fully taxed on any increase in value. Practical guidance is given on how fueloil suppliers can obtain propertymore » tax reductions which reflect the economic impact of any prevailing environmental problems. Fueloil companies who lease property can also benefit from property tax reductions. Many commercial leases call for the tenant to pay the property taxes. Tenant/suppliers with this type of obligation benefit when the property taxes are reduced.« less

  6. Work Plan for a Limited CCC/USDA Investigation of the Current Carbon Tetrachloride Contamination in Groundwater at Navarre, Kansas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    LaFreniere, Lorraine M.

    During private well testing in 1990-1991, carbon tetrachloride was identified in the groundwater at several locations in the town of Navarre, Kansas, at levels exceeding the Kansas Tier 2 level and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 5.0 μg/L. Several subsequent investigations through 2006 evaluated the concentrations and distribution of carbon tetrachloride in groundwater. This work included the identification of the contaminant sources (Argonne 2007). The history of activities to address the contamination in soil and groundwater is summarized in Table 1.1. The most recent studies, conducted by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE),more » include a brownfields investigation initiated in 2013 (Phase I) and continuing in early 2014 (Phase II), as well as private well testing.« less

  7. Response of Integrated CO 2 Capture and Storage Systems in Saline Aquifers and Fractured Shale Formations to Changes in CO 2 Capture Costs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Langenfeld, Julie K.; Bielicki, Jeffrey M.; Tao, Zhiyuan

    Fractured shale formations are new potential target reservoirs for CO 2 capture and storage (CCS) and provide several potential advantages over storage in saline aquifers in terms of storage capacity, leakage risk, and cost savings from brownfield development. Here, we used a geospatial-optimization, engineering-economic model to investigate the sensitivity of integrated CCS networks in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to reductions in CO 2 capture costs. The resulting reductions in CO 2 capture costs were based on hypothetical cases where technological innovation reduced CO 2 capture costs. There were also small differences in the spatial organization of the CCS deploymentmore » when the capture costs were reduced. We also found that the percent reduction in average cost of CCS systems became smaller as the CO 2 capture costs were decreased.« less

  8. Response of Integrated CO 2 Capture and Storage Systems in Saline Aquifers and Fractured Shale Formations to Changes in CO 2 Capture Costs

    DOE PAGES

    Langenfeld, Julie K.; Bielicki, Jeffrey M.; Tao, Zhiyuan; ...

    2017-08-18

    Fractured shale formations are new potential target reservoirs for CO 2 capture and storage (CCS) and provide several potential advantages over storage in saline aquifers in terms of storage capacity, leakage risk, and cost savings from brownfield development. Here, we used a geospatial-optimization, engineering-economic model to investigate the sensitivity of integrated CCS networks in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to reductions in CO 2 capture costs. The resulting reductions in CO 2 capture costs were based on hypothetical cases where technological innovation reduced CO 2 capture costs. There were also small differences in the spatial organization of the CCS deploymentmore » when the capture costs were reduced. We also found that the percent reduction in average cost of CCS systems became smaller as the CO 2 capture costs were decreased.« less

  9. Strategies for sustainable woodland on contaminated soils.

    PubMed

    Dickinson, N M

    2000-07-01

    Extensive in situ reclamation treatment technologies are appropriate for a large proportion of contaminated land in place of total removal or complete containment of soil. In this paper, initial results are presented of site descriptions, tree survival and metal uptake patterns from two field planting trials on a highly industrially contaminated site adjacent to a metal refinery and on old sanitary landfill sites. Survival rate was high in both trials but factors besides heavy metals were particularly significant. Uptake patterns of metals into foliage and woody tissues were variable, with substantial uptake in some species and clones supporting the findings of earlier pot experiments. It is argued that there is sufficient evidence to consider the use of trees in reclamation as part of a realistic, integrated, low-cost, ecologically-sound and sustainable reclamation strategy for contaminated land. This is an opportunity to bring a large number of brownfield sites into productive use, which otherwise would be prohibitively expensive to restore.

  10. Feasibility Study of Economics and Performance of Solar Photovoltaics at the Refuse Hideaway Landfill in Middleton, Wisconsin

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Salasovich, J.; Mosey, G.

    2011-08-01

    This report presents the results of an assessment of the technical and economic feasibility of deploying a photovoltaics (PV) system on a brownfield site at the Refuse Hideaway Landfill in Middleton, Wisconsin. The site currently has a PV system in place and was assessed for further PV installations. The cost, performance, and site impacts of different PV options were estimated. The economics of the potential systems were analyzed using an electric rate of $0.1333/kWh and incentives offered by the State of Wisconsin and by the serving utility, Madison Gas and Electric. According to the site production calculations, the most cost-effectivemore » system in terms of return on investment is the thin-film fixed-tilt technology. The report recommends financing options that could assist in the implementation of such a system.« less

  11. Geology, hydrology, and water quality in the vicinity of a brownfield redevelopment site in Canton, Illinois

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kay, Robert T.; Cornue, David B.; Ursic, James R.

    2001-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environmental Operations, Inc., assisted in the characterization of the geology, hydrology, and water quality at a Brownfield redevelopment site in Canton, Illinois. The investigation was designed to determine if metals and organic compounds historically used in industrial operations at the site resulted in a threat to the water resources in the area. The hydraulic units of concern in the study area are the upper semiconfining unit, the sand aquifer, and the lower semiconfining unit. The upper semiconfining unit ranges from about 1 to 19 feet in thickness and is composed of silt-and clay deposits with a geometric mean vertical hydraulic conductivity of 7.1 ? 10-3 feet per day. The sand aquifer is composed of a 1 to 5.5 foot thick sand deposit and is considered the primary pathway for ground-water flow and contaminant migration from beneath the study area. The geometric mean of the horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the sand aquifer was calculated to be 1.8 feet per day. The direction of flow in the sand aquifer is to the east, south, and west, away from a ground-water ridge that underlies the center of the site. Ground-water velocity through the sand aquifer ranges from 7.3 ? 10-2 to 2.7 ? 10-1 feet per day. The lower semiconfining unit is composed of sandy silt-and-clay deposits with a geometric mean vertical hydraulic conductivity of 1.1 ? 10-3 feet per day. Volatile organic compounds were detected in ground water beneath the study area. Pesticide compounds were detected in ground water in the western part of the study area. Partial or complete degradation of some of the volatile organic and pesticide compounds is occurring in the soils and ground water beneath the study area. Concentrations of most of the metals and major cations in the ground water show some variation within the study area and may be affected by the presence of a source area, pH, oxidation-reduction potential, precipitation-dissolution reactions, and ion exchange reactions. Antimony, thallium, and 1,1-dichloroethane were detected in water samples from one well each at concentrations above their respective U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant levels.

  12. Slope Reinforcement with the Utilization of the Coal Waste Anthropogenic Material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gwóźdź-Lasoń, Monika

    2017-10-01

    The protection of the environment, including waste management, is one of the pillars of the policy of the Europe. The application which is presented in that paper tries to show a trans-disciplinary way to design geotechnical constructions - slope stability analysis. The generally accepted principles that the author presents are numerous modelling patterns of earth retaining walls as slope stabilization system. The paper constitutes an attempt to summarise and generalise earlier researches which involved FEM numeric procedures and the Z_Soil package. The design of anthropogenic soil used as a material for reinforced earth retaining walls, are not only of commercial but of environmental importance as well and consistent with the concept of sustainable development and the need to redevelop brownfield. This paper tries to show conceptual and empirical modelling approaches to slope stability system used in anthropogenic soil formation such as heaps, resulting from mining, with a special focus on urban areas of South of Poland and perspectives of anthropogenic materials application in geotechnical engineering are discussed.

  13. Task 7.1 - Strategic Planning: Semi-annual report, July 1- December 31, 1996.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Daly, D.J.

    As directed by the EERC senior management, activities during the reporting period have focused on research in support of the development of a series of white papers dealing with the status and future direction of select areas of environmental policy. These areas include (1) brownfields, (2) onshore solid waste management, (3) water related policy, (4) climate change, (5) nuclear facility cleanup and waste disposition, and (6) air emissions. Each white paper is designed to consist of two parts: (1) a summary of status and future directions and (2) an evaluation of a select group of key issues. The EERC believesmore » that energy and environmental issues are inseparable and the environmental policy evaluations are considered to be a continuation of the activities begun at the EERC in 1989 focused on the assessment of trends and policies affecting energy industries. The conclusions reached are our own, based on a broad list of sources with certain findings attributed by reference.« less

  14. Biosourced polymetallic catalysis: A surprising and efficient means to promote the Knoevenagel condensation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deyris, Pierre-Alexandre; Bert, Valérie; Diliberto, Sébastien; Boulanger, Clotilde; Petit, Eddy; Legrand, Yves-Marie; Grison, Claude

    2018-03-01

    Zn hyperaccumulator (Arabidobsis halleri) and Zn accumulator Salix ‘Tordis’ (Salix schwerinii x S. viminalis) have shown their interest in the phytoextraction of polluted brownfields. Herein, we explore an innovative methodology based on the chemical valorization of Zn-rich biomass produced by these metallophyte plants. The approach is based on the direct use of polymetallic salts derived from plants as “Lewis acid” catalysts in organic chemistry. The formed ecocatalysts were characterized via ICP-MS, XRD, FT-IR in order to elucidate the chemical composition, structure and behavior of the formed materials. The Doebner-Knoevenagel reaction was chosen as model reaction to study their synthetic potential. Significant differences to conventional catalysts such as zinc (II) chloride are observed. They can principally be related to a mixture of unusual mineral species. DFT calculations were carried out on these salts in the context of the Gutmann theory. They allow the rationalization of experimental results. Finally, these new bio-based polymetallic catalysts illustrated the interest of this concept for green and sustainable catalysis.

  15. A multidisciplinary approach for the characterization of the coastal marine ecosystems of Monte Di Procida (Campania, Italy).

    PubMed

    Mangoni, Olga; Aiello, Giuseppe; Balbi, Simona; Barra, Diana; Bolinesi, Francesco; Donadio, Carlo; Ferrara, Luciano; Guida, Marco; Parisi, Roberta; Pennetta, Micla; Trifuoggi, Marco; Arienzo, Michele

    2016-11-15

    A multidisciplinary survey was carried out on the quality of water and sediments of a coastal protected marine area, embedded between the inputs from Bagnoli steel plant to the south and a sewage plant, Volturno River and Regi Lagni channel to the north. The study integrated chemical-sedimentological data with biological and ecotoxicological analyses to assess anthropogenic pressures and natural variability. Data reveal marked differences in anthropogenic pollution between southeastern and northwestern zone, with the north affected by both inorganic and organic flows and the south influenced by levels of As, Pb and Zn in the sediments above law limits, deriving from inputs of the Bagnoli brownfield site. Meiobenthic data revealed at south higher relative abundance of sensitive species to pollution and environmental stress to the south, i.e. Lobatula lobatula and Rosalina bradyi, whereas to the north relative abundance of stress tolerant Quinqueloculina lata, Quinqueloculina pygmaea and Cribroelphidium cuvilleri were determined. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Pedogenesis, geochemical forms of heavy metals, and artifact weathering in an urban soil chronosequence, Detroit, Michigan.

    PubMed

    Howard, Jeffrey L; Olszewska, Dorota

    2011-03-01

    An urban soil chronosequence in downtown Detroit, MI was studied to determine the effects of time on pedogenesis and heavy metal sequestration. The soils developed in fill derived from mixed sandy and clayey diamicton parent materials on a level late Pleistocene lakebed plain under grass vegetation in a humid-temperate (mesic) climate. The chronosequence is comprised of soils in vacant lots (12 and 44 years old) and parks (96 and 120 years old), all located within 100 m of a roadway. An A-horizon 16 cm thick with 2% organic matter has developed after only 12 years of pedogenesis. The 12 year-old soil shows accelerated weathering of iron (e.g. nails) and cement artifacts attributed to corrosion by excess soluble salts of uncertain origin. Carbonate and Fe-oxide are immobilizing agents for heavy metals, hence it is recommended that drywall, plaster, cement and iron artifacts be left in soils at brownfield sites for their ameliorating effects. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are enriched but bioaccessibility reduced in brownfield soils adhered to human hands.

    PubMed

    Siciliano, Steven D; Laird, B D; Lemieux, C L

    2010-08-01

    The health risk associated with exposure to urban brownfields is often driven by the incidental ingestion of soil by humans. Recent evidence found that humans likely ingest the fraction of soil that passes a 45-microm sieve, which is the particle size adhered to the hands. We evaluated if PAH concentrations were enriched in this soil fraction compared to the bulk soil and if this enrichment lead to an increase in bioaccessibility and thus an increase in incremental lifetime cancer risk for exposed persons. Soils (n=18) with PAH concentrations below the current Canadian soil quality guidelines for human health were collected from an Arctic urban site and were sieved to pass a 45-microm sieve. Soil PAH profiles were measured and bioaccessibility was assessed using the Simulator of the Human Intestinal Microbial Ecosystem (SHIME). PAHs were significantly enriched in the <45 microm size fraction (3.7-fold) and this enrichment could be predicted according to the fugacity capacity of soil (Enrichment=2.18-0.055Zsoil, r2=0.65, p<0.001). PAH release in the stomach and small intestine compartments of the SHIME was low (8%) and could not be predicted by PAH concentrations in 45-microm sieved soil. In fact, PAH release in the SHIME was lower from the <45 microm size fraction despite the fact that this fraction had higher levels of PAHs than the bulk soil. We postulate that this occurs because PAHs adsorbed to soil did not reach equilibrium with the small intestinal fluid. In contrast, PAH release in the colonic compartment of the SHIME reached equilibrium and was linked to soil concentration. Bioaccessibility in the SHIME colon could be predicted by the ratio of fugacity capacity of soil to water for a PAH (Bioaccessibility=0.15e(-6.4x10E-7Zsoil/Zwater), r2=0.53, p<0.01). The estimated incremental lifetime cancer risk was significantly greater for the <45 microm soil fraction compared to the bulk fraction; however, when bioaccessible PAH concentrations in a simulated small intestine were used in the risk assessment calculations, cancer risk was slightly lower in the <45 microm soil fraction for these soils. Our results highlight the importance of using a small soil size fraction, e.g. 45 microm, for contaminated site human health risk assessment. However, further work is needed to estimate the bioavailability of this size fraction in an in vivo model and to assess the correlation between in vitro and in vivo gastrointestinal models. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. EPA Facility Registry Service (FRS): Facility Interests Dataset - Intranet

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This web feature service consists of location and facility identification information from EPA's Facility Registry Service (FRS) for all sites that are available in the FRS individual feature layers. The layers comprise the FRS major program databases, including:Assessment Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES) : brownfields sites ; Air Facility System (AFS) : stationary sources of air pollution ; Air Quality System (AQS) : ambient air pollution data from monitoring stations; Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) : schools data on Indian land; Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) facilities; Clean Air Markets Division Business System (CAMDBS) : market-based air pollution control programs; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) : hazardous waste sites; Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) : integrated enforcement and compliance information; National Compliance Database (NCDB) : Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) module of ICIS : NPDES surface water permits; Radiation Information Database (RADINFO) : radiation and radioactivity facilities; RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse (RBLC) : best available air pollution technology requirements; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information System (RCRAInfo) : tracks generators, transporters, treaters, storers, and disposers of haz

  19. EPA Facility Registry Service (FRS): Facility Interests Dataset - Intranet Download

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This downloadable data package consists of location and facility identification information from EPA's Facility Registry Service (FRS) for all sites that are available in the FRS individual feature layers. The layers comprise the FRS major program databases, including:Assessment Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES) : brownfields sites ; Air Facility System (AFS) : stationary sources of air pollution ; Air Quality System (AQS) : ambient air pollution data from monitoring stations; Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) : schools data on Indian land; Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) facilities; Clean Air Markets Division Business System (CAMDBS) : market-based air pollution control programs; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) : hazardous waste sites; Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) : integrated enforcement and compliance information; National Compliance Database (NCDB) : Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) module of ICIS : NPDES surface water permits; Radiation Information Database (RADINFO) : radiation and radioactivity facilities; RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse (RBLC) : best available air pollution technology requirements; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information System (RCRAInfo) : tracks generators, transporters, treaters, storers, and disposers

  20. Biosourced Polymetallic Catalysis: A Surprising and Efficient Means to Promote the Knoevenagel Condensation

    PubMed Central

    Deyris, Pierre-Alexandre; Bert, Valérie; Diliberto, Sébastien; Boulanger, Clotilde; Petit, Eddy; Legrand, Yves-Marie; Grison, Claude

    2018-01-01

    Zn hyperaccumulator (Arabidobsis halleri) and Zn accumulator Salix “Tordis” (Salix schwerinii × Salix viminalis) have shown their interest in the phytoextraction of polluted brownfields. Herein, we explore a novel methodology based on the chemical valorization of Zn-rich biomass produced by these metallophyte plants. The approach is based on the use of polymetallic salts derived from plants as bio-based catalysts in organic chemistry. The formed ecocatalysts were characterized via ICP-MS, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) in order to precise the chemical composition, structure, and behavior of the formed materials. The Doebner-Knoevenagel reaction was chosen as model reaction to study their synthetic potential. Significant differences to usual catalysts such as zinc (II) chloride are observed. They can principally be related to a mixture of unusual mineral species. DFT calculations were carried out on these salts in the context of the Gutmann theory. They allow the rationalization of experimental results. Finally, these new bio-based polymetallic catalysts illustrated the interest of this concept for green and sustainable catalysis. PMID:29637065

  1. Brownfields and health risks--air dispersion modeling and health risk assessment at landfill redevelopment sites.

    PubMed

    Ofungwu, Joseph; Eget, Steven

    2006-07-01

    Redevelopment of landfill sites in the New Jersey-New York metropolitan area for recreational (golf courses), commercial, and even residential purposes seems to be gaining acceptance among municipal planners and developers. Landfill gas generation, which includes methane and potentially toxic nonmethane compounds usually continues long after closure of the landfill exercise phase. It is therefore prudent to evaluate potential health risks associated with exposure to gas emissions before redevelopment of the landfill sites as recreational, commercial, and, especially, residential properties. Unacceptably high health risks would call for risk management measures such as limiting the development to commercial/recreational rather than residential uses, stringent gas control mechanisms, interior air filtration, etc. A methodology is presented for applying existing models to estimate residual landfill hazardous compounds emissions and to quantify associated health risks. Besides the toxic gas constituents of landfill emissions, other risk-related issues concerning buried waste, landfill leachate, and explosive gases were qualitatively evaluated. Five contiguously located landfill sites in New Jersey intended for residential and recreational redevelopment were used to exemplify the approach.

  2. Options for streamlining the site assessment process

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Myers, R.

    The current site assessment process consists of entry into the CERCLA Information System (CERCLIS) database; completion of the Preliminary Assessment (PA), Site Inspection (SI), and Hazard Ranking System (HRS) documents; and placement on the National Priorities List (NPL). The purpose behind site assessment has been to identify sites for the NPL, not identify the most appropriate means for clearup. Several developments have led EPA to consider redesigning the process, including; the need to encourage brownfields redevelopment; the unintended stigma associated with being on CERCLIS; and the increased expertise of State and some Tribal programs. (For purposes of this paper, brownfieldsmore » are considered abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.) EPA has begun various site assessment pilots to aid in developing a more efficient and effective Superfund site assessment program. Key goals are to give States increased responsibility, encourage early/more efficient cleanups, reduce costs, and promote environmental recovery and economic revitalization. Possible components of a revised site assessment program are presented.« less

  3. Contaminated sites: the Canadian situation in an international context.

    PubMed

    De Sousa, C

    2001-06-01

    Over the last 2 decades, policy-makers have been giving increasing attention to the remediation and redevelopment of contaminated sites, especially those located in urban areas commonly referred to as brownfields. Traditionally, private developers have tended to ignore these sites on account of a series of obstacles of a structural-political nature, including variability in regulatory processes, lack of information on soil quality, impractical clean up standards, fear of liability, and limited funding resources for clean ups. This paper examines the types of policy-making measures that are currently being taken in Canada to overcome these obstacles, comparing them to those being taken in the US and Europe. It is argued that the contaminated site-related policies and programs employed to overcome each obstacle, both within Canada and internationally, are converging in style and content as governments are becoming more aware of the types of costs and risks they must share in order to solve the problem effectively. It is also argued that this trend is unfolding in a relatively predictable way, and that policy-making in Canada is evolving more slowly than it is in the other jurisdictions examined.

  4. Analysis of conditions and the concept of multidirectional revitalization of the dolomite quarry in Siewierz

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pawełczyk, Katarzyna

    2018-01-01

    The development of mining of rock raw materials in Poland has significantly contributed to economic growth and the quality of life of local communities. However, mining activity, besides a number of positive effects, also implies broadly understood changes in the environment and the formation of brownfields. Reclamation and redevelopment of post-industrial areas, and especially post-mining areas, is currently a huge environmental and socio-economic challenge. Revitalization of post-mining areas is particularly important for small towns and municipalities, where mining was one of the main pillars of development and prosperity. An example of such a municipality is Siewierz in Silesian Voivodship. In the paper analysis the conditions have been conducted and the concept of revitalization of dolomite quarry Górnicze Zakłady Dolomitowe S.A. has been proposed. The AHP method has been used to analyse and select the optimal method of revitalization. As a result of the analysis, the concept of multidirectional revitalization with socially, economically and environmentally beneficial functions has been created, maximizing the potential of the quarry.

  5. Biosourced Polymetallic Catalysis: A Surprising and Efficient Means to Promote the Knoevenagel Condensation.

    PubMed

    Deyris, Pierre-Alexandre; Bert, Valérie; Diliberto, Sébastien; Boulanger, Clotilde; Petit, Eddy; Legrand, Yves-Marie; Grison, Claude

    2018-01-01

    Zn hyperaccumulator ( Arabidobsis halleri ) and Zn accumulator Salix "Tordis" ( Salix schwerinii × Salix viminalis ) have shown their interest in the phytoextraction of polluted brownfields. Herein, we explore a novel methodology based on the chemical valorization of Zn-rich biomass produced by these metallophyte plants. The approach is based on the use of polymetallic salts derived from plants as bio-based catalysts in organic chemistry. The formed ecocatalysts were characterized via ICP-MS, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) in order to precise the chemical composition, structure, and behavior of the formed materials. The Doebner-Knoevenagel reaction was chosen as model reaction to study their synthetic potential. Significant differences to usual catalysts such as zinc (II) chloride are observed. They can principally be related to a mixture of unusual mineral species. DFT calculations were carried out on these salts in the context of the Gutmann theory. They allow the rationalization of experimental results. Finally, these new bio-based polymetallic catalysts illustrated the interest of this concept for green and sustainable catalysis.

  6. EPA Facility Registry Service (FRS): Facility Interests Dataset Download

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This downloadable data package consists of location and facility identification information from EPA's Facility Registry Service (FRS) for all sites that are available in the FRS individual feature layers. The layers comprise the FRS major program databases, including:Assessment Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES) : brownfields sites ; Air Facility System (AFS) : stationary sources of air pollution ; Air Quality System (AQS) : ambient air pollution data from monitoring stations; Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) : schools data on Indian land; Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) facilities; Clean Air Markets Division Business System (CAMDBS) : market-based air pollution control programs; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) : hazardous waste sites; Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) : integrated enforcement and compliance information; National Compliance Database (NCDB) : Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) module of ICIS : NPDES surface water permits; Radiation Information Database (RADINFO) : radiation and radioactivity facilities; RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse (RBLC) : best available air pollution technology requirements; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information System (RCRAInfo) : tracks generators, transporters, treaters, storers, and disposers

  7. EPA Facility Registry Service (FRS): Facility Interests Dataset

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This web feature service consists of location and facility identification information from EPA's Facility Registry Service (FRS) for all sites that are available in the FRS individual feature layers. The layers comprise the FRS major program databases, including:Assessment Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES) : brownfields sites ; Air Facility System (AFS) : stationary sources of air pollution ; Air Quality System (AQS) : ambient air pollution data from monitoring stations; Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) : schools data on Indian land; Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) facilities; Clean Air Markets Division Business System (CAMDBS) : market-based air pollution control programs; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) : hazardous waste sites; Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) : integrated enforcement and compliance information; National Compliance Database (NCDB) : Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) module of ICIS : NPDES surface water permits; Radiation Information Database (RADINFO) : radiation and radioactivity facilities; RACT/BACT/LAER Clearinghouse (RBLC) : best available air pollution technology requirements; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Information System (RCRAInfo) : tracks generators, transporters, treaters, storers, and disposers of haz

  8. Book Review: Book review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Christina Yan

    2017-02-01

    The world class Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide deposits associated with the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) are quite unique on earth in the sense that the energy source and origin were triggered by a large meteorite impact event. The ore deposits in the SIC make up one of the largest Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide deposit camps in the world and have now been mined for over 100 years. This is the first complete reference book that focuses entirely on the SIC and covers the fields of economic geology, petrology, geochemistry and geophysics. The purpose of this book is to explore the linkage between sulfide and silicate magmas generated by the 1.85 Ga Sudbury impact event and to unite an understanding of the process of crustal melt sheet evolution with the formation of the magmatic sulfide mineralization. The author, Peter Lightfoot, has been based in Sudbury for 25 years. As a top scientist on magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide deposits and a Chief Geologist with the Brownfield Exploration group at Vale Base Metals, Peter has been positioned to develop and assemble the ideas presented in this book, which are perfectly balanced between industry and academia.

  9. Disposal options for polluted plants grown on heavy metal contaminated brownfield lands - A review.

    PubMed

    Kovacs, Helga; Szemmelveisz, Katalin

    2017-01-01

    Reducing or preventing damage caused by environmental pollution is a significant goal nowadays. Phytoextraction, as remediation technique is widely used, but during the process, the heavy metal content of the biomass grown on these sites special treatment and disposal techniques are required, for example liquid extraction, direct disposal, composting, and combustion. These processes are discussed in this review in economical and environmental aspects. The following main properties are analyzed: form and harmful element content of remains, utilization of the main and byproducts, affect to the environment during the treatment and disposal. The thermal treatment (combustion, gasification) of contaminated biomass provides a promising alternative disposal option, because the energy production affects the rate of return, and the harmful elements are riched in a small amount of solid remains depending on the ash content of the plant (1-2%). The biomass combustion technology is a wildely used energy production process in residential and industrial scale, but the ordinary biomass firing systems are not suited to burn this type of fuel without environmental risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Black Swans and the Effectiveness of Remediating Groundwater Contamination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siegel, D. I.; Otz, M. H.; Otz, I.

    2013-12-01

    Black swans, outliers, dominate science far more than do predictable outcomes. Predictable success constitutes the Black Swan in groundwater remediation. Even the National Research Council concluded that remediating groundwater to drinking water standards has failed in typically complex hydrogeologic settings where heterogeneities and preferential flow paths deflect flow paths obliquely to hydraulic gradients. Natural systems, be they biological or physical, build upon a combination of large-scale regularity coupled to chaos at smaller scales. We show through a review of over 25 case studies that groundwater remediation efforts are best served by coupling parsimonious site characterization to natural and induced geochemical tracer tests to at least know where contamination advects with groundwater in the subsurface. In the majority of our case studies, actual flow paths diverge tens of degrees from anticipated flow paths because of unrecognized heterogeneities in the horizontal direction of transport, let alone the vertical direction. Consequently, regulatory agencies would better serve both the public and the environment by recognizing that long-term groundwater cleanup probably is futile in most hydrogeologic settings except to relaxed standards similar to brownfielding. A Black Swan

  11. Plants growing on contaminated and brownfield sites appropriate for use in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development terrestrial plant growth test.

    PubMed

    Sinnett, Danielle E; Lawrence, Victoria K; Hutchings, Tony R; Hodson, Mark E

    2011-01-01

    The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) terrestrial plant test is often used for the ecological risk assessment of contaminated land. However, its origins in plant protection product testing mean that the species recommended in the OECD guidelines are unlikely to occur on contaminated land. Six alternative species were tested on contaminated soils from a former Zn smelter and a metal fragmentizer with elevated concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. The response of the alternative species was compared with that of two species recommended by the OECD: Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) and Trifolium pratense (red clover). Urtica dioica (stinging nettle) and Poa annua (annual meadowgrass) had low emergence rates in the control soil and so may be considered unsuitable. Festuca rubra (Chewings fescue), Holcus lanatus (Yorkshire fog), Senecio vulgaris (common groundsel), and Verbascum thapsus (great mullein) offer good alternatives to the OECD species. In particular, H. lanatus and S. vulgaris were more sensitive to the soils with moderate concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn than the OECD species. © 2010 SETAC.

  12. Waste-to-Energy Cogeneration Project, Centennial Park

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Johnson, Clay; Mandon, Jim; DeGiulio, Thomas

    The Waste-to-Energy Cogeneration Project at Centennial Park has allowed methane from the closed Centennial landfill to export excess power into the the local utility’s electric grid for resale. This project is part of a greater brownfield reclamation project to the benefit of the residents of Munster and the general public. Installation of a gas-to-electric generator and waste-heat conversion unit take methane byproduct and convert it into electricity at the rate of about 103,500 Mwh/year for resale to the local utility. The sale of the electricity will be used to reduce operating budgets by covering the expenses for streetlights and utilitymore » bills. The benefits of such a project are not simply financial. Munster’s Waste-to Energy Cogeneration Project at Centennial Park will reduce the community’s carbon footprint in an amount equivalent to removing 1,100 cars from our roads, conserving enough electricity to power 720 homes, planting 1,200 acres of trees, or recycling 2,000 tons of waste instead of sending it to a landfill.« less

  13. In situ application of activated carbon and biochar to PCB-contaminated soil and the effects of mixing regime.

    PubMed

    Denyes, Mackenzie J; Rutter, Allison; Zeeb, Barbara A

    2013-11-01

    The in situ use of carbon amendments such as activated carbon (AC) and biochar to minimize the bioavailability of organic contaminants is gaining in popularity. In the first in situ experiment conducted at a Canadian PCB-contaminated Brownfield site, GAC and two types of biochar were statistically equal at reducing PCB uptake into plants. PCB concentrations in Cucurbita pepo root tissue were reduced by 74%, 72% and 64%, with the addition of 2.8% GAC, Burt's biochar and BlueLeaf biochar, respectively. A complementary greenhouse study which included a bioaccumulation study of Eisenia fetida (earthworm), found mechanically mixing carbon amendments with PCB-contaminated soil (i.e. 24 h at 30 rpm) resulted in shoot, root and worm PCB concentrations 66%, 59% and 39% lower than in the manually mixed treatments (i.e. with a spade and bucket). Therefore, studies which mechanically mix carbon amendments with contaminated soil may over-estimate the short-term potential to reduce PCB bioavailability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Quantitative and qualitative assessment of the groundwater system behavior to support Brownfield regeneration of Hunedoara (Romania) former steel production site

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gogu, R.; Gaitanaru, D.; Ciugulea, O.; Boukhemacha, M. A.; Bica, I.

    2012-04-01

    Located in the Western part of Romania, the study area is the Hunedoara former steel industry site. The current contamination status of the subsurface shows a real threat due to the contribution of more than 100 years of steel production, ironworks operations, coke products generation, and recovery of recycling materials. Analyses performed in 2007 indicated high contaminations with heavy metals like copper, lead, cadmium, manganese, and chromium. As the contamination of the soil and groundwater severe, brownfield regeneration of this site is essential for a sustainable land management. Intelligent remediation techniques with regard to phytoremediation and soil washing with recycled solutions could be applied. However, these techniques could be correctly chosen and applied if a reliable image of the hydrological, geological, hydrogeological, pedological settings exits and after a deep understanding of the contamination mechanisms. As consequence the development of a groundwater flow and contaminant transport model for this area is compulsory. Hunedoara County has a complex geological structure, made by crystalline-Mesozoic units belonging to Southern Carpathians and by sedimentary-volcanic units of Western Carpathians. The site area is shaped by the presence of alluvial deposits from the Superior Holocene. From the lithologic point of view, covered by a thick layer of clay a sandy formation is located at depths bellow 10 m. The two strata are covering an extended carbonate media. The main aquifer is represented by a groundwater body located under the clay layer. The groundwater table of the superficial aquifer is located at about 10 m depth. The one layer groundwater flow model simulating aquifer behavior covers about 1,2 km2. Its conceptual model relies on a 3D geological model made by using 7 accurate geological cross-sections of the studied domain. Detailed geological data was provided by direct-push core sampling correlated with the penetration time and with electrical conductivity tests. One important role in the spatial distribution of the contaminants is played by the hydro-stratigraphical features of the site. In situ testing of hydraulic conductivity has been performed by injecting water under a specified pressure (4-5 bar) into the aquifer. The interpretation provides in a preliminary stage a relative profile of hydraulic conductivity. By means of several slug tests, the results are translated into absolute values of hydraulic conductivity. The calibrated flow model represents the first step for the quantitative assessment of the groundwater parameters. Correlating the surface and soil distribution of the pollutants, a multi-component transport model is currently set-up in order to quantify the spatial distribution of the contaminated area.

  15. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kalavapudi, M.; Iyengar, V.

    Increased industrial activities in developing countries have degraded the environment, and the impact on the environment is further magnified because of an ever-increasing population, the prime receptors. Independent of the geographical location, it is possible to adopt effective strategies to solve environmental problems. In the United States, waste characterization and remediation practices are commonly used for quantifying toxic contaminants in air, water, and soil. Previously, such procedures were extraneous, ineffective, and cost-intensive. Reconciliation between the government and stakeholders, reinforced by valid data analysis and environmental exposure assessments, has allowed the {open_quotes}Brownfields{close_quotes} to be a successful approach. Certified reference materials andmore » standard reference materials from the National Institute of Standards (NIST) are indispensable tools for solving environmental problems and help to validate data quality and the demands of legal metrology. Certified reference materials are commonly available, essential tools for developing good quality secondary and in-house reference materials that also enhance analytical quality. This paper cites examples of environmental conditions in developing countries, i.e., industrial pollution problems in India, polluted beaches in Brazil, and deteriorating air quality in countries, such as Korea, China, and Japan. The paper also highlights practical and effective approaches for remediating these problems. 23 refs., 7 figs., 1 tab.« less

  16. Beneficial use of dredged material for habitat creation, enhancement, and restoration in New York-New Jersey Harbor.

    PubMed

    Yozzo, David J; Wilber, Pace; Will, Robert J

    2004-10-01

    A comprehensive Dredged Material Management Plan (DMMP) has been developed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, New York District (USACE-NYD) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANY/NJ). The primary objective of the DMMP is to identify cost-effective and environmentally acceptable alternatives for the placement of dredged material derived from ongoing and proposed navigation improvements within the PANY/NJ. A significant portion of this dredged material is classified as unsuitable for open-ocean disposal. One suite of alternatives presented within the DMMP is the beneficial use of dredged material for habitat creation, enhancement, and restoration within the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary. Proposed beneficial use/habitat development projects include the use of dredged material for construction of artificial reefs, oyster reef restoration, intertidal wetland and mudflat creation, bathymetric recontouring, filling dead-end canals/basins, creation of bird/wildlife islands, and landfill/brownfields reclamation. Preliminary screening of the proposed beneficial use alternatives identified advantages, disadvantages, potential volumes, and estimated costs associated with each project type. Continued study of the proposed beneficial use alternatives has identified areas of environmental research or technology development where further investigation is warranted.

  17. Recycling in a megacity.

    PubMed

    Themelis, Nickolas J; Todd, Claire E

    2004-04-01

    In the aftermath of the 9/11 disaster, Mayor Bloomberg of New York City unveiled an aggressive budget plan that included the temporary suspension of glass and plastics recycling. This was considered by many to be anti-environmental, but the results of this study show that for lack of markets, even at zero or negative prices, nearly 90% of the plastic and glass set aside by thoughtful New Yorkers was transported to materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and from there to landfills. Sending bales of plastics to landfills is not limited to New York City. It is an environmental paradox that the United States is digging up new oil fields in pristine areas and, at the same time, continues to convert greenfields to brownfields by burying nearly 20 million tons of plastic fuel annually. The study also determined that at the present rate of source separation, estimated to be less than 30% of the available recyclables in 1999, building large, modern MRFs may increase substantially the rate of New York City recycling and also allow single-stream collection of commingled recyclables, as is done in Phoenix, AZ. Single-stream collection simplifies separation at the source by citizens and increases the amount of collected recyclables. Also, because collection represents a large fraction of the costs of waste management, it may have a significant economic advantage.

  18. Lightweight Aggregate Made from Dredged Material in Green Roof Construction for Stormwater Management.

    PubMed

    Liu, Rui; Coffman, Reid

    2016-07-23

    More than 1.15 million cubic meters (1.5 million cubic yards) of sediment require annual removal from harbors and ports along Ohio's Lake Erie coast. Disposing of these materials into landfills depletes land resources, while open water placement of these materials deteriorates water quality. There are more than 14,000 acres of revitalizing brownfields in Cleveland, U.S., many containing up to 90% impervious surface, which does not allow "infiltration" based stormwater practices required by contemporary site-based stormwater regulation. This study investigates the potential of sintering the dredged material from the Harbor of Cleveland in Lake Erie to produce lightweight aggregate (LWA), and apply the LWA to green roof construction. Chemical and thermal analyses revealed the sintered material can serve for LWA production when preheated at 550 °C and sintered at a higher temperature. Through dewatering, drying, sieving, pellet making, preheating, and sintering with varying temperatures (900-1100 °C), LWAs with porous microstructures are produced with specific gravities ranging from 1.46 to 1.74, and water absorption capacities ranging from 11% to 23%. The water absorption capacity of the aggregate decreases as sintering temperature increases. The LWA was incorporated into the growing media of a green roof plot, which has higher water retention capacity than the conventional green roof system.

  19. Science plus management equals successful remediation: A case study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Buehlman, M.D.; Rogers, D.T.; Payne, F.C.

    A case study involving a Brownfields site in southeastern Michigan clearly illustrates the elements of successful remediation. The site`s soil was contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and its groundwater with a variety of chlorinated solvents. The original estimate for remediation has exceeded $30 million. Several phases of investigation were conducted to evaluate the nature and sources of contaminants, the site`s hydrogeology, potential risks to human health and the environment, and feasible remedial technologies. Multiple cleanup criteria were established for different affected areas based on the results of the investigations, changes that were taking place with the state cleanup regulations andmore » standards and subsequent negotiations with state and federal regulators. Innovative remedial technologies were selected. The result was a remediation that met or exceeded all soil and groundwater cleanup objectives, was performed on schedule, and was highly cost-effective. The final cost was limited to $3 million--one-tenth of the original estimate. The success of this project involved meticulous scientific study and comprehensive understanding of applicable regulatory requirements and available remediation technologies. It also required effective project management to coordinate the multidisciplinary efforts involved and to maintain the constant vertical and horizontal communications necessary to ensure sound decisions at every step in the process.« less

  20. Integrated planning and spatial evaluation of megasite remediation and reuse options

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schädler, Sebastian; Morio, Maximilian; Bartke, Stephan; Finkel, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Redevelopment of large contaminated brownfields (megasites) is often hampered by a lack of communication and harmonization among diverse stakeholders with potentially conflicting interests. Decision support is required to provide integrative yet transparent evaluation of often complex spatial information to stakeholders with different areas of expertise. It is considered crucial for successful redevelopment to identify a shared vision of how the respective contaminated site could be remediated and redeveloped. We describe a framework of assessment methods and models that analyzes and visualizes site- and land use-specific spatial information at the screening level, with the aim to support the derivation of recommendable land use layouts and to initiate further and more detailed planning. The framework integrates a GIS-based identification of areas to be remediated, an estimation of associated clean-up costs, a spatially explicit market value appraisal, and an assessment of the planned future land use's contribution to sustainable urban and regional development. Case study results show that derived options are potentially favorable in both a sustainability and an economic sense and that iterative re-planning is facilitated by the evaluation and visualization of economic, ecological and socio-economic aspects. The framework supports an efficient early judgment about whether and how abandoned land may be assigned a sustainable and marketable land use.

  1. Integrating public health and community development to tackle neighborhood distress and promote well-being.

    PubMed

    Pastor, Manuel; Morello-Frosch, Rachel

    2014-11-01

    Recently there have been calls for public health to reconnect to urban planning in ways that emphasize the impact of place on health and that address fundamental causes of poor health, such as poverty, social inequality, and discrimination. Community developers have realized that poor health limits individuals' and communities' economic potential and have begun to integrate into their work such neighborhood health issues as access to fresh food and open space. In this article we review recent shifts in the community development field and give examples of programs that operate at the intersection of community development, public health, and civic engagement. For example, in Sacramento, California, the Building Healthy Communities program successfully promoted the creation of community gardens and bike paths and the redevelopment of brownfields. A major housing revitalization initiative in San Francisco, California, known as Sunnydale-Velasco, is transforming the city's largest public housing site into a mixed-income community that provides existing residents with new housing, infrastructure, services, and amenities. These examples and others illustrate the need to identify and make use of interdisciplinary approaches to ensure that all places are strong platforms for economic mobility, full democratic participation, and community health. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  2. Assessing environmental attitudes and concerns about a contaminated site in a densely populated suburban environment.

    PubMed

    Burger, Joanna

    2005-02-01

    Considerable attention has been devoted to the concerns and perceptions of people residing around contaminated facilities, both brownfields in urban areas and others located in remote and lightly populated areas. This paper examines the concerns of recreationists and sportsmen residing near the Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory, in central Long Island, one of the most densely populated regions in the United States, where tourism is of prime importance. On an open-ended question, the greatest concern was pollution, followed by environmental health as a global concern, and human health as a concern for Brookhaven. Accidents/spills, loss of public health, and loss of ecological health were rated highest among a list of concerns, and change in property values was rated lowest. When asked to rank seven concerns, protecting human health was ranked the highest, and economic interests were ranked the lowest. For future land use at Brookhaven, recreational uses were rated the highest, while building houses and factories, and storage of nuclear material were rated the lowest. These data can be used by managers, decision and policy makers, and the general public to assess and manage local and regional environmental concerns and to consider future land uses for decommissioned lands, such as those at Brookhaven.

  3. Assessing the bioavailability and risk from metal-contaminated ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Exposure to contaminated soil and dust is an important pathway in human health risk assessment. Physical and chemical characteristics, as well as biological factors, determine the bioaccessibility/bioavailability of soil and dust contaminants. Within a single sample, contamination may arise from multiple sources of toxic elements that may exist as different forms (species) which impact bioavailability. In turn, the bioaccessibility/bioavailability of soil and dust contaminants has a direct impact on human health risk assessment and risk management practices. Novel research efforts focusing on development and application of in vitro and in vivo methods to measure the bioaccessibility/bioavailability of metal contaminated soils have advanced in the past few years. The objective of this workshop was to focus on recent developments in assessing the bioaccessibility/bioavailability of arsenic contaminated soils, metal contamination in urban residences in Canada and potential children’s exposures to toxic elements in house dust, a community-based study known as the West Oakland Residential Lead Assessment , studies of the bioavailability of soil cadmium, chromium, nickel and mercury and human exposures to contaminated Brownfield soils. These presentations covered issues related to human health and bioavailability along with the most recent studies on community participation in assessing metal contamination, studies of exposures to residential contamination, and

  4. SOIL AND SEDIMENT SAMPLING METHODS | Science ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response's (OSWER) Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI) needs innovative methods and techniques to solve new and difficult sampling and analytical problems found at the numerous Superfund sites throughout the United States. Inadequate site characterization and a lack of knowledge of surface and subsurface contaminant distributions hinders EPA's ability to make the best decisions on remediation options and to conduct the most effective cleanup efforts. To assist OSWER, NERL conducts research to improve their capability to more accurately, precisely, and efficiently characterize Superfund, RCRA, LUST, oil spills, and brownfield sites and to improve their risk-based decision making capabilities, research is being conducted on improving soil and sediment sampling techniques and improving the sampling and handling of volatile organic compound (VOC) contaminated soils, among the many research programs and tasks being performed at ESD-LV.Under this task, improved sampling approaches and devices will be developed for characterizing the concentration of VOCs in soils. Current approaches and devices used today can lose up to 99% of the VOCs present in the sample due inherent weaknesses in the device and improper/inadequate collection techniques. This error generally causes decision makers to markedly underestimate the soil VOC concentrations and, therefore, to greatly underestimate the ecological

  5. High intensity magnetic separation for the clean-up of a site polluted by lead metallurgy.

    PubMed

    Sierra, C; Martínez, J; Menéndez-Aguado, J M; Afif, E; Gallego, J R

    2013-03-15

    The industrial history in the district of Linares (Spain) has had a severe impact on soil quality. Here we examined soil contaminated by lead and other heavy metals in "La Cruz" site, a brownfield affected by metallurgical residues. Initially, the presence of contaminants mainly associated with the presence of lead slag fragments mixed with the soil was evaluated. The subsequent analysis showed a quasi-uniform distribution of the pollution irrespective of the grain-size fractions. This study was accompanied by a characterization of the lead slag behavior under the presence of a magnetic field. Two main magnetic components were detected: first a ferromagnetic and/or ferrimagnetic contribution, second a paramagnetic and/or antiferromagnetic one. It was also established that the slag was composed mainly of lead spherules and iron oxides embedded in a silicate matrix. Under these conditions, the capacity of magnetic separation to remove pollutants was examined. Therefore, two high intensity magnetic separators (dry and wet devices, respectively) were used. Dry separation proved to be successful at decontaminating soil in the first stages of a soil washing plant. In contrast, wet separation was found effective as a post-process for the finer fractions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. A nanoremediation strategy for the recovery of an As-polluted soil.

    PubMed

    Gil-Díaz, M; Diez-Pascual, S; González, A; Alonso, J; Rodríguez-Valdés, E; Gallego, J R; Lobo, M C

    2016-04-01

    The present study investigates the impact of the nanoremediation treatment on soil recovery as evaluated by the development of barley plants. Highly As-polluted brownfield soil was treated with nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) commercial suspension at two doses (1% and 10%). Barley plants were cultivated in treated and untreated soils in a growth chamber, and the As, Fe, and nutrients uptake were determined. The efficacy of As immobilization was evaluated according to the toxicity characteristics leaching procedure (TCLP) as well as using a sequential extraction procedure. The application of nZVI reduced the amount of As in the more available fractions and increased the amount of As in the residual fraction. The best immobilization results were obtained for the highest dose of nZVI (10%). In turn, the lower availability of As in nZVI-treated soils, particularly at the dose of 10%, stimulated the development of the barley plants and decreased the As uptake. Neither an important increase of available Fe nor negative impact on soil physico-chemical and biological properties were observed. Thus, our results show that the use of nZVI could be an adequate strategy to recover the land use in As polluted soils. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. OLEM Performance Assessment Information

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This asset includes a variety of data sets that measure the performance of Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) programs in support of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer's Annual Commitment System (ACS) and Performance Evaluation Reporting System (PERS). Information is drawn from OLEM's ACRES, RCRAInfo, CERCLIS/SEMS, ICIS, and LUST4 systems, as well as input manually by authorized individuals in OLEM's program offices. Information is reviewed by OLEM program staff prior to being pushed to ACS and entered into PERS. This data asset also pulls in certain performance information input directly by Regional Office staff into ACS. Information is managed by the Performance Assessment Tool (PAT) and displayed in the PAT Dashboard.Information in this asset include:--Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993: Measures reported for Innovations, Partnerships and Communications Office (IPCO), the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR), the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery (ORCR), the Office of Superfund Remediation and Technology Innovation (OSRTI), and the Office of Underground Storage Tanks (OUST).-- Performance and Environmental Results System (PERS): Includes OLEM's information on performance results and baselines for the EPA Annual Plan and Budget.--Key Performance Indicators: OLEM has identified five KPIs that are tracked annually.--Integrated Cleanup Initiative: A pilot pe

  8. Lysimeter monitoring as assessment of the potential for revegetation to manage former iron industry settling ponds.

    PubMed

    Huot, Hermine; Séré, Geoffroy; Charbonnier, Patrick; Simonnot, Marie-Odile; Morel, Jean Louis

    2015-09-01

    To assess the impact of metal-rich brownfields on groundwater quality, the fluxes in a Technosol developed on a former iron industry settling pond were studied. Intact soil monoliths (1 m(2) × 2 m) were extracted and placed in lysimeters. Dynamics of fluxes of metals and solutes under varying vegetation cover were monitored over the course of four years. Soil hydraulic properties were also determined. Results showed that the Technosol has a high retention capacity for water and metals, in relation to its mineral components and resulting chemical and physical properties. As a consequence, metal fluxes were limited. However, soluble compounds, such as SO4(2-), were found at significant concentrations in the leachates. The presence of a dense and deeply-rooted vegetation cover limited water- and solute-fluxes by increasing evapotranspiration and water uptake, thereby reducing the risks of transfer of potentially toxic compounds to local groundwater sources. However, vegetation development may induce changes in soil chemical (e.g. pH, redox potential) and physical properties (e.g. structure), favoring metal mobilization and transport. Revegetation is a valuable management solution for former iron industry settling ponds, provided vegetation does not change soil physico-chemical conditions in the long term. Monitored natural attenuation is required. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Use of agar agar stabilized milled zero-valent iron particles for in situ groundwater remediation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmid, Doris; Velimirović, Milica; Wagner, Stephan; Micić Batka, Vesna; von der Kammer, Frank; Hofmann, Thilo

    2015-04-01

    A major obstacle for use of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles as a nontoxic material for effective in situ degradation of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons (CAHs) is the high production cost. For that reason, submicro-scale milled zero-valent iron particles were recently developed (milled ZVI, UVR-FIA, Germany) by grinding macroscopic raw materials of elementary iron as a cheaper alternative to products produced by solid-state reduction. However, milled ZVI particles tend to aggregate and due to the rather large particle size (d50= 11.9 µm) also rapidly sediment. To prevent aggregation and consequently sedimentation of milled ZVI particles and therefore improve the mobility after in situ application, the use of a stabilizer is considered in literature as a most promising option. In this study, milled ZVI particles (1 g L-1 of particle concentration) were stabilized by environmentally friendly polymer agar agar (>0.5 g L-1), which had a positive impact on the milled ZVI stability. Sedimentation rate was significantly decreased by increasing the suspension viscosity. Column transport experiments were performed for bare and agar agar stabilized milled ZVI particles in commercially available fine grained quartz sand (DORSILIT® Nr.8, Gebrüder Dorfner GmbH Co, Germany) and different porous media collected from brownfields. The experiments were carried out under field relevant injection conditions of 100 m d-1. The maximal travel distance (LT) of less than 10 cm was determined for non-stabilized suspension in fine grained quartz sand, while agar agar (1 g L-1) stabilized milled ZVI suspension revealed LT of 12 m. Similar results were observed for porous media from brownfields showing that mobility of agar agar stabilized particle suspensions was significantly improved compared to bare particles. Based on the mobility data, agar agar stabilized milled zero-valent iron particles could be used for in situ application. Finally, lab-scale batch degradation experiments were performed to determine the impact of agar agar on the reactivity of milled ZVI and investigate the apparent corrosion rate of particles by quantifying the hydrogen gas generated by anaerobic corrosion of milled ZVI. The results indicate that agar agar had a positive impact on the milled ZVI stability and mobility, however adverse impact on the reactivity towards trichloroethene (TCE) was observed compared to the non-stabilized material. On the other hand, this study shows that the apparent corrosion rate of non-stabilized and agar agar stabilized milled ZVI particles is in the same order of magnitude. These data indicate that the dechlorination pathway of TCE by agar agar stabilized milled ZVI particles is possibly impacted by blocking of the reactive sites and not hydrogen revealed during particles corrosion. Finally, calculated longevity of the particles based on the apparent corrosion rate is significantly prolonged compared to the longevity of the nZVI particles reported in previous studies. This research receives funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme FP7/2007-2013 under grant agreement n°309517.

  10. Integrated planning and spatial evaluation of megasite remediation and reuse options.

    PubMed

    Schädler, Sebastian; Morio, Maximilian; Bartke, Stephan; Finkel, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Redevelopment of large contaminated brownfields (megasites) is often hampered by a lack of communication and harmonization among diverse stakeholders with potentially conflicting interests. Decision support is required to provide integrative yet transparent evaluation of often complex spatial information to stakeholders with different areas of expertise. It is considered crucial for successful redevelopment to identify a shared vision of how the respective contaminated site could be remediated and redeveloped. We describe a framework of assessment methods and models that analyzes and visualizes site- and land use-specific spatial information at the screening level, with the aim to support the derivation of recommendable land use layouts and to initiate further and more detailed planning. The framework integrates a GIS-based identification of areas to be remediated, an estimation of associated clean-up costs, a spatially explicit market value appraisal, and an assessment of the planned future land use's contribution to sustainable urban and regional development. Case study results show that derived options are potentially favorable in both a sustainability and an economic sense and that iterative re-planning is facilitated by the evaluation and visualization of economic, ecological and socio-economic aspects. The framework supports an efficient early judgment about whether and how abandoned land may be assigned a sustainable and marketable land use. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Application of receptor-specific risk distribution in the arsenic contaminated land management.

    PubMed

    Chen, I-chun; Ng, Shane; Wang, Gen-shuh; Ma, Hwong-wen

    2013-11-15

    Concerns over health risks and financial costs have caused difficulties in the management of arsenic contaminated land in Taiwan. Inflexible risk criteria and lack of economic support often result in failure of a brownfields regeneration project. To address the issue of flexible risk criteria, this study is aimed to develop maps with receptor-specific risk distribution to facilitate scenario analysis of contaminated land management. A contaminated site risk map model (ArcGIS for risk assessment and management, abbreviated as Arc-RAM) was constructed by combining the four major steps of risk assessment with Geographic Information Systems. Sampling of contaminated media, survey of exposure attributes, and modeling of multimedia transport were integrated to produce receptor group-specific maps that depicted the probabilistic spatial distribution of risks of various receptor groups. Flexible risk management schemes can then be developed and assessed. In this study, a risk management program that took into account the ratios of various land use types at specified risk levels was explored. A case study of arsenic contaminated land of 6.387 km(2) has found that for a risk value between 1.00E-05 and 1.00E-06, the proposed flexible risk management of agricultural land achieves improved utilization of land. Using this method, the investigated case can reduce costs related to compensation for farmland totaling approximately NTD 5.94 million annually. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Is phytoremediation a sustainable and reliable approach to clean-up contaminated water and soil in Alpine areas?

    PubMed

    Schwitzguébel, Jean-Paul; Comino, Elena; Plata, Nadia; Khalvati, Mohammadali

    2011-07-01

    Phytoremediation does exploit natural plant physiological processes and can be used to decontaminate agricultural soils, industrial sites, brownfields, sediments and water containing inorganic and organic pollutants or to improve food chain safety by phytostabilisation of toxic elements. It is a low-cost and environment friendly technology targetting removal, degradation or immobilisation of contaminants. The aim of the present review is to highlight some recent advances in phytoremediation in the Alpine context. Case studies are presented where phytoremediation has been or can be successfully applied in Alpine areas to: (1) clean-up industrial wastewater containing sulphonated aromatic xenobiotics released by dye and textile industries; (2) remediate agricultural soils polluted by petroleum hydrocarbons; (3) improve food chain safety in soils contaminated with toxic trace elements (As, Co, Cr and Pb); and (4) treat soils impacted by modern agricultural activities with a special emphasis on phosphate fertilisation. Worlwide, including in Alpine areas, the controlled use of appropriate plants is destined to play a major role for remediation and restoration of polluted and degraded ecosystems, monitoring and assessment of environmental quality, prevention of landscape degradation and immobilisation of trace elements. Phytotechnologies do already offer promising approaches towards environmental remediation, human health, food safety and sustainable development for the 21st century in Alpine areas and elsewhere all over the world.

  13. Ground Water Technical Support Center (GWTSC) Annual ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Ground Water Technical Support Center (GWTSC) is part of the Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division (GWERD), which is based in the Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Oklahoma. The GWERD is a research division of U.S. EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL). The GWTSC is one of an interlinked group of specialized Technical Support Centersthat were established under the Technical Support Project (TSP). The GWTSC provides technical support on issues related to groundwater. Specifically, the GWTSC provides technical support to U.S. EPA and State regulators for issues and problems related to:1. subsurface contamination (contaminants in ground water, soils and sediments),2. cross-media transfer (movement of contaminants from the subsurface to other media such as surface water or air), and3. restoration of impacted ecosystems.The GWTSC works with Remedial Project Managers (RPMs) and other decision makers to solve specific problems at Superfund, RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act), Brownfields sites, and ecosystem restoration sites. The Ground Water Technical Support Center (GWTSC) is part of the Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division (GWERD), which is based in the Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Oklahoma. The GWERD is a research division of U.S. EPA’s National Risk Management Research Laboratory (NRMRL). The GWTSC is one of an interlinked group of specialized Technical Suppo

  14. Lightweight Aggregate Made from Dredged Material in Green Roof Construction for Stormwater Management

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Rui; Coffman, Reid

    2016-01-01

    More than 1.15 million cubic meters (1.5 million cubic yards) of sediment require annual removal from harbors and ports along Ohio’s Lake Erie coast. Disposing of these materials into landfills depletes land resources, while open water placement of these materials deteriorates water quality. There are more than 14,000 acres of revitalizing brownfields in Cleveland, U.S., many containing up to 90% impervious surface, which does not allow “infiltration” based stormwater practices required by contemporary site-based stormwater regulation. This study investigates the potential of sintering the dredged material from the Harbor of Cleveland in Lake Erie to produce lightweight aggregate (LWA), and apply the LWA to green roof construction. Chemical and thermal analyses revealed the sintered material can serve for LWA production when preheated at 550 °C and sintered at a higher temperature. Through dewatering, drying, sieving, pellet making, preheating, and sintering with varying temperatures (900–1100 °C), LWAs with porous microstructures are produced with specific gravities ranging from 1.46 to 1.74, and water absorption capacities ranging from 11% to 23%. The water absorption capacity of the aggregate decreases as sintering temperature increases. The LWA was incorporated into the growing media of a green roof plot, which has higher water retention capacity than the conventional green roof system. PMID:28773734

  15. Monetising the impacts of waste incinerators sited on brownfield land using the hedonic pricing method.

    PubMed

    Rivas Casado, Monica; Serafini, Jan; Glen, John; Angus, Andrew

    2017-03-01

    In England and Wales planning regulations require local governments to treat waste near its source. This policy principle alongside regional self-sufficiency and the logistical advantages of minimising distances for waste treatment mean that energy from waste incinerators have been built close to, or even within urban conurbations. There is a clear policy and research need to balance the benefits of energy production from waste incinerators against the negative externalities experienced by local residents. However, the monetary costs of nuisance emissions from incinerators are not immediately apparent. This study uses the Hedonic Pricing Method to estimate the monetary value of impacts associated with three incinerators in England. Once operational, the impact of the incinerators on local house prices ranged from approximately 0.4% to 1.3% of the mean house price for the respective areas. Each of the incinerators studied had been sited on previously industrialised land to minimise overall impact. To an extent this was achieved and results support the effectiveness of spatial planning strategies to reduce the impact on residents. However, negative impacts occurred in areas further afield from the incinerator, suggesting that more can be done to minimise the impacts of incinerators. The results also suggest that in some case the incinerator increased the value of houses within a specified distance of incinerators under specific circumstances, which requires further investigation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Using local biodiversity to prevent pollution transfers to environmental components of a Mediterranean semi-arid ecosystem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heckenroth, Alma; Rabier, Jacques; Laffont-Schwob, Isabelle

    2014-05-01

    In arid and semi-arid Mediterranean coastal areas, metals and metalloids (MM) pollution coming from unreclaimed brownfields has increased the negative environmental stresses leading to ecosystems degradations as soil erosion and losses of organic matter and biodiversity. On these sites, maintaining or restoring a local vegetation cover is considered as a key step to stop the degradation cycle. Furthermore, in a context of high pollution occurring in natural areas, phytoremediation is considered as an attractive alternative to conventional soil remediation techniques, the first reducing pollution transfers, improving the soil quality. In protected or natural areas, it is also important to perceive then design phytoremediation as a way to assist ecosystems recovery, using the restoration ecology concepts. However, only few works in the literature deal with the potential use of native Mediterranean plant species for phytoremediation. On the South-East coast of Marseille (France), the activity of the former smelting factory of l'Escalette, ceased since 1925. However, its brownfield is still a source of pollution by trace metals and metalloids for abiotic and biotic components of the surrounding massif. This massif hosts a rich biodiversity with rare and protected plant species despite the metallic pollution and this area has been included in the recently created first peri-urban French National Park of Calanques. In this context, an integrated research project is being conducted with local actors and stakeholders, from the selection of native plant species, assessment and optimization of phytostabilization capacities of selected species, to the development of ecological engineering techniques well adapted to local constraints and phytostabilization field trials. The first part of this study has been conducted on two areas, corresponding to different pollution pattern, plant communities and environmental drivers: a halophytic area, characterized by typical coastal plants, mostly halophytic or halo-tolerant calcareous grass and shrubs and medium levels of MM pollution and an area at the bottom of the creeping chimney of the factory, that corresponds to a hot-spot of pollution, with shrublands and stands of Aleppo pines. Phytoecological samplings and soil MM analyses were conducted on 20 sampling plots on each area, organised in transects corresponding to environmental and potential pollution gradients. For each area, few variables related to distances from pollution or disturbances sources, natural and anthropogenic, were added for statistical treatments. Data were analysed using correlation matrix and PCA to identify which variables had major influences on the composition of plant communities. On the halophytic area, where natural constraints are drastic and despite the soil pollution, sea spray still appeared to be a decisive factor on plant community organization. However, anthropogenic disturbances seemed also to be influent drivers. On the chimney area, the results of the multivariate analysis indicated that a century of MM pollution pressure produced a noticeable effect on plant population dynamics. These results suggest that some native plant species have successfully developed tolerance or resistance mechanisms to face MM impacts. As a result, a grid of criteria has been chosen based on statistical relationships between occurrence of plant species and variables to select native plant species to be studied for their phytoremediation potential, taking into account the specificity of each study area.

  17. Biofuels, land, and water: a systems approach to sustainability.

    PubMed

    Gopalakrishnan, Gayathri; Negri, M Cristina; Wang, Michael; Wu, May; Snyder, Seth W; Lafreniere, Lorraine

    2009-08-01

    There is a strong societal need to evaluate and understand the sustainability of biofuels, especially because of the significant increases in production mandated by many countries, including the United States. Sustainability will be a strong factor in the regulatory environment and investments in biofuels. Biomass feedstock production is an important contributor to environmental, social, and economic impacts from biofuels. This study presents a systems approach where the agricultural, energy, and environmental sectors are considered as components of a single system, and environmental liabilities are used as recoverable resources for biomass feedstock production. We focus on efficient use of land and water resources. We conducted a spatial analysis evaluating marginal land and degraded water resources to improve feedstock productivity with concomitant environmental restoration for the state of Nebraska. Results indicate that utilizing marginal land resources such as riparian and roadway buffer strips, brownfield sites, and marginal agricultural land could produce enough feedstocks to meet a maximum of 22% of the energy requirements of the state compared to the current supply of 2%. Degraded water resources such as nitrate-contaminated groundwater and wastewater were evaluated as sources of nutrients and water to improve feedstock productivity. Spatial overlap between degraded water and marginal land resources was found to be as high as 96% and could maintain sustainable feedstock production on marginal lands. Other benefits of implementing this strategy include feedstock intensification to decrease biomass transportation costs, restoration of contaminated water resources, and mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.

  18. An assessment of the environmental fate of mercury species in highly polluted brownfields by means of thermal desorption.

    PubMed

    Rumayor, M; Gallego, J R; Rodríguez-Valdés, E; Díaz-Somoano, M

    2017-03-05

    High contents of mercury (Hg) have been found in old mining-metallurgy sites occurring a widespread contamination and degradation of the land. The ability to identify the Hg species present in these areas is essential to clarify fate of Hg and its bioavailability and additionally, to be able to parameterize remediation techniques based on thermal desorption in order to carry out a full-scale decontamination of the land. This study has proven the usefulness of a thermal programmed desorption procedure (Hg-TPD) for identifying Hg species in contaminated samples related to mining-metallurgy activities. Hg bound to organic matter (Hg-OM) and to pyrite (Hg-FeS 2 ), HgS red, HgCl 2 , Hg 0 and HgO were identified in most of waste samples. The absence of mobile Hg species in soils and sediments showed both its re-emission to the atmosphere (Hg 0 ) or of its oxidation and lixiviation (HgO and HgCl 2 ) over the years. The results have demonstrated that most of these polluted solids can be remediated by thermal treatment at temperatures ranging between 150 and 600°C. The study evidence that Hg-TPD is useful either for parameterizing a thermal remediation or for identifying the evolution pathways of Hg species in different environmental compartments and in general, for any environmental remediation treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Multi-criteria assessment of socio-environmental aspects in shrinking cities. Experiences from eastern Germany

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schetke, Sophie; Haase, Dagmar

    Demographic change and economic decline produce modified urban land use pattern and densities. Compared to the beginning of the 90s after the German reunification, nowadays massive housing and commercial vacancies followed by demolition and perforation come to pass in many cities of the former GDR. In consequence, a considerable surplus of urban brownfields has been created. Furthermore, the decline in the urban fabric affects social infrastructure and urban greenery of local neighbourhoods. Here, urban planning enters into 'uncharted territory' since it needs to assess the socio-environmental impact of shrinkage. In order to carry out such an evaluation quantitatively, a multi-criteriamore » assessment scheme (MCA) was developed and applied. Firstly, we identified infrastructure and land use changes related to vacancy and demolition. Secondly, demolition scenarios for the coming 20 years were applied in order to give an idea for a long-term monitoring approach at the local district level. A multi-criteria indicator matrix quantifies the socio-environmental impact on both urban greenery and residents. Using it, we set demolition scenarios against urban 'quality of life' targets. Empirical evidence comes from Leipzig, in eastern Germany, a representative case study for urban shrinkage processes. The results show that shrinkage implies socio-environmental changes of residential livelihoods, however, does not simply increase or decrease the overall urban quality of life. The integrated assessment of all indicators identifies environmental and social opportunities, as well as the challenges a shrinking city is faced with.« less

  20. Science plus management equals successful remediation -- A case study

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Buehlman, M.D.; Rogers, D.T.; Payne, F.C.

    In the past, owners of contaminated sites attempted to remediate as quickly as possible, usually by excavating contaminated soil or pumping and treating contaminated groundwater. Often, they started remediation before identifying all potential types and sources of contaminants, and before conducting a thorough hydrogeologic study. Such premature action usually resulted in the selected remedy not working, the contamination spreading, or unnecessary remedial activities. Today, successful site remediation is recognized as a complex and time-consuming undertaking--requiring a combination of careful scientific study, effective negotiation with the regulatory agencies and skillful management of multidisciplinary efforts. A case study involving a Brownfields sitemore » in southeastern Michigan clearly illustrates the elements of successful remediation. The site`s soil was contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and its groundwater with a variety of chlorinated solvents. The original estimate for remediation had exceeded $30 million. Several phases of investigation were conducted to evaluate the nature and sources of contaminants, the site`s hydrogeology, potential risks to human health and the environment, and feasible remedial technologies. Multiple cleanup criteria were established for different affected areas based on the results of the investigations, changes that were taking place with the state cleanup regulations and standards and subsequent negotiations with state and federal regulators. Innovative remedial technologies were selected. The result was a remediation that met or exceeded all soil and groundwater cleanup objectives, was performed on schedule, and was highly cost-effective. The final cost was limited to $3 million--one-tenth of the original estimate.« less

  1. Shifts in microbial community composition following surface application of dredged river sediments.

    PubMed

    Baniulyte, Dovile; Favila, Emmanuel; Kelly, John J

    2009-01-01

    Sediment input to the Illinois River has drastically decreased river depth and reduced habitats for aquatic organisms. Dredging is being used to remove sediment from the Illinois River, and the dredged sediment is being applied to the surface of a brownfield site in Chicago with the goal of revegetating the site. In order to determine the effects of this drastic habitat change on sediment microbial communities, we examined sediment physical, chemical, and microbial characteristics at the time of sediment application to the soil surface as well as 1 and 2 years after application. Microbial community biomass was determined by measurement of lipid phosphate. Microbial community composition was assessed using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of 16S rRNA genes, and clone library sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Results indicated that the moisture content, organic carbon, and total nitrogen content of the sediment all decreased over time. Total microbial biomass did not change over the course of the study, but there were significant changes in the composition of the microbial communities. PLFA analysis revealed relative increases in fungi, actinomycetes, and Gram positive bacteria. T-RFLP analysis indicated a significant shift in bacterial community composition within 1 year of application, and clone library analysis revealed relative increases in Proteobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, and Bacteriodetes and relative decreases in Acidobacteria, Spirochaetes, and Planctomycetes. These results provide insight into microbial community shifts following land application of dredged sediment.

  2. Remediation of metal-contaminated urban soil using flotation technique.

    PubMed

    Dermont, G; Bergeron, M; Richer-Laflèche, M; Mercier, G

    2010-02-01

    A soil washing process using froth flotation technique was evaluated for the removal of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc from a highly contaminated urban soil (brownfield) after crushing of the particle-size fractions >250microm. The metal contaminants were in particulate forms and distributed in all the particle-size fractions. The particle-by-particle study with SEM-EDS showed that Zn was mainly present as sphalerite (ZnS), whereas Cu and Pb were mainly speciated as various oxide/carbonate compounds. The influence of surfactant collector type (non-ionic and anionic), collector dosage, pulp pH, a chemical activation step (sulfidization), particle size, and process time on metal removal efficiency and flotation selectivity was studied. Satisfactory results in metal recovery (42-52%), flotation selectivity (concentration factor>2.5), and volume reduction (>80%) were obtained with anionic collector (potassium amyl xanthate). The transportation mechanisms involved in the separation process (i.e., the true flotation and the mechanical entrainment) were evaluated by the pulp chemistry, the metal speciation, the metal distribution in the particle-size fractions, and the separation selectivity indices of Zn/Ca and Zn/Fe. The investigations showed that a great proportion of metal-containing particles were recovered in the froth layer by entrainment mechanism rather than by true flotation process. The non-selective entrainment mechanism of the fine particles (<20 microm) caused a flotation selectivity drop, especially with a long flotation time (>5 min) and when a high collector dose is used. The intermediate particle-size fraction (20-125 microm) showed the best flotation selectivity. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Historic brownfields and industrial activity in Kingston, Ontario: assessing potential contributions to mercury contamination in sediment of the Cataraqui River.

    PubMed

    Manion, N C; Campbell, L; Rutter, A

    2010-04-01

    The waterfront of historic Kingston, Ontario (pop: 113,000) has been used for industrial activities for over a century. More than 40 industries have existed within the inner harbour, and while many of these industries are no longer present, the properties that they operated on remain as potential sources of persistent contamination to the present day, including mercury. To assess the extent and distribution of total mercury (THg) contamination, 21 sediment cores as well as pore water samples were collected within the inner harbour of Kingston. The spatial distribution of THg in the surface sediment is not homogenous; with concentrations in the surface sediment along the southwestern shoreline, adjacent to the former industrial properties, are significantly greater (p<0.01) than the rest of the inner harbour, and were above the Federal severe effect limit (>2000 microg/kg;) guideline for sediment. MeHg was detected in some sediment cores, and was found to have a significant, positive correlation with [THg] in the surface sediment (0-5 cm). THg was not found in storm sewer discharges, but was detected in terrestrial soil near the Kingston Rowing Club at a concentration of more than 4000 microg/kg. Significant [THg] was detected in runoff draining from contaminated shoreline soils, indicating that erosion from terrestrial sources may be an ongoing source of Hg to the sediment. It can be concluded that there is an increased risk over time to surrounding ecosystems where properties with historical contamination are not remediated until they are developed. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Fuzzification of continuous-value spatial evidence for mineral prospectivity mapping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yousefi, Mahyar; Carranza, Emmanuel John M.

    2015-01-01

    Complexities of geological processes portrayed as certain feature in a map (e.g., faults) are natural sources of uncertainties in decision-making for exploration of mineral deposits. Besides natural sources of uncertainties, knowledge-driven (e.g., fuzzy logic) mineral prospectivity mapping (MPM) is also plagued and incurs further uncertainty in subjective judgment of analyst when there is no reliable proven value of evidential scores corresponding to relative importance of geological features that can directly be measured. In this regard, analysts apply expert opinion to assess relative importance of spatial evidences as meaningful decision support. This paper aims for fuzzification of continuous spatial data used as proxy evidence to facilitate and to support fuzzy MPM to generate exploration target areas for further examination of undiscovered deposits. In addition, this paper proposes to adapt the concept of expected value to further improve fuzzy logic MPM because the analysis of uncertain variables can be presented in terms of their expected value. The proposed modified expected value approach to MPM is not only a multi-criteria approach but it also treats uncertainty of geological processes a depicted by maps or spatial data in term of biased weighting more realistically in comparison with classified evidential maps because fuzzy membership scores are defined continuously whereby, for example, there is no need to categorize distances from evidential features to proximity classes using arbitrary intervals. The proposed continuous weighting approach and then integrating the weighted evidence layers by using modified expected value function, described in this paper can be used efficiently in either greenfields or brownfields.

  5. A review of the impacts of degradation threats on soil properties in the UK.

    PubMed

    Gregory, A S; Ritz, K; McGrath, S P; Quinton, J N; Goulding, K W T; Jones, R J A; Harris, J A; Bol, R; Wallace, P; Pilgrim, E S; Whitmore, A P

    2015-10-01

    National governments are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of their soil resources and are shaping strategies accordingly. Implicit in any such strategy is that degradation threats and their potential effect on important soil properties and functions are defined and understood. In this paper, we aimed to review the principal degradation threats on important soil properties in the UK, seeking quantitative data where possible. Soil erosion results in the removal of important topsoil and, with it, nutrients, C and porosity. A decline in soil organic matter principally affects soil biological and microbiological properties, but also impacts on soil physical properties because of the link with soil structure. Soil contamination affects soil chemical properties, affecting nutrient availability and degrading microbial properties, whilst soil compaction degrades the soil pore network. Soil sealing removes the link between the soil and most of the 'spheres', significantly affecting hydrological and microbial functions, and soils on re-developed brownfield sites are typically degraded in most soil properties. Having synthesized the literature on the impact on soil properties, we discuss potential subsequent impacts on the important soil functions, including food and fibre production, storage of water and C, support for biodiversity, and protection of cultural and archaeological heritage. Looking forward, we suggest a twin approach of field-based monitoring supported by controlled laboratory experimentation to improve our mechanistic understanding of soils. This would enable us to better predict future impacts of degradation processes, including climate change, on soil properties and functions so that we may manage soil resources sustainably.

  6. Styding of meteorites of Geological museum (Kazan Federal University): magnetic properties and elemental composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuzina, D.; Nourgaliev, D. K.; Gareev, B. I.; Batalin, G. A.; Silantiev, V. V.

    2016-12-01

    Investigations of different types meteorites were performed by non-destructive method using polycapillary Micro X-ray Fluorescence spectrometer M4 Tornado (Bruker). Analysis conditions were chosen individually, depending on a sample. Maximum possible current is 600mkA, voltage - up to 50 kV, minimum size of X-ray point from 25 micron. Result of the measurements is elements distribution on the surface of meteorites. Obtained data used for analyzing conclusions in chondrites, find out iron, nickel distribution in the sample (for comparison with thermomagnetic data), studying secondary alterations such as melting, diffusion. Meteorites which have small amount of material after preparing exhibition samples were studied using thermomagnetic analysis among them: Brownfield-iron (IID), Ochansk - ordinary chondrite (H4), Murchison - carbonaceous chondrite (CM2), Kainsaz - carbonaceous chondrite (CO3.2) and others. Thermomagnetic analysis shows us magneto-mineralogical composition. It makes reliably detection of pure Fe, Ni or their alloys. Measurements were carried out on express Curie balance, constructed in Laboratory of magnetism and paleomagnetism of Kazan Federal University [1]. We measured induced magnetization as a function of temperature in a constant magnetic field - 400 mT. The heating rate is 100°C/min. Thermomagnetic curves measured twice - first and second heating up to 800°C. The weight of the sample is maximum 0.1 gram. Results shows that all samples contain Fe-Ni alloys and according [2] it corresponds to Ni concentration between 4-10%. [1] Burov B.V. et al. 1986. Kazan: Publishing house of KSU, 167 p. (In Russian). [2] Cacciamani C. et al. 2006. Intermetallics, 14. 1312-1325

  7. A Brownfields strategy for the Toronto Port Area

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ibbotson, B.G.; Benson, B.A.

    The Port Area of Toronto consists of several hundred acres, much of it created by filling near-shore sections of the Inner Harbour. The quality of the fill materials and the industrial activities that have taken place in the Port Area have resulted in soil and/or ground water quality conditions at many locations that do not meet current regulatory criteria and guidelines. As the administrator of properties representing more than 400 acres in the Port Area, the City of Toronto Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO) has a leadership role in the redevelopment of the Port Area. To date, a few TEDCO sitesmore » have always been restored and redeveloped on an individual basis, with little attention paid to ground water issues. To move forward on other redevelopment initiatives and to attract capital, it is necessary to increase the certainty with respect to regulatory requirements, the distribution of liabilities, and those parts of decision-making processes that consider soil and ground water issues. To address these needs, TEDCO has designed an overall soil and ground water management strategy that can be applied to its properties in the Port Area. The resulting strategy consists of four interrelated parts: an area-wide initiative to monitor ground water characteristics and assess ecological conditions; a collection of three protocols for managing individual sites; an information management system; and direction on the administration of the strategy. Together, the four parts provide a comprehensive and pragmatic approach to managing soil and ground water on TEDCO properties. The use of a multi-party agreement to formalize the strategy and specify roles and responsibilities of TEDCO, the municipality, and the Ontario Ministry of Environment and Energy is recommended.« less

  8. Mapping urban revitalization: using GIS spatial analysis to evaluate a new housing policy.

    PubMed

    Perkins, Douglas D; Larsen, Courtney; Brown, Barbara B

    2009-01-01

    This longitudinal, multimethod study uses geographical information system (GIS) software to evaluate the community-wide impact of a neighborhood revitalization project. Unsystematic visual examination and analysis of GIS maps are offered as a complementary tool to quantitative analysis and one that is much more compelling, meaningful, and effective in presentation to community and nonscientific professional audiences. The centerpiece of the intervention was the development of a new, middle-class housing subdivision in an area that was declining physically and economically. This represents three major urban/housing policy directions: (1) the emphasis on home ownership for working-class families, (2) the deconcentration of poverty through development of mixed-income neighborhoods, and (3) the clean up and redevelopment of contaminated, former industrial brownfields. Resident survey responses, objective environmental assessment observations, and building permit data were collected, geocoded at the address level, and aggregated to the block level on 60 street blocks in the older neighborhoods surrounding the new housing in two waves: during site clearing and housing construction (Time 1: 1993-95) and three years post-completion (Time 2: 1998-99). Variables mapped include (a) Time 1-2 change in self-reported home repairs and improvements, (b) change in the assessed physical condition of yards and exteriors of 925 individual residential properties, (c) change in residents' home pride, and (d) a city archive of building permits at Time 2. Physical conditions improved overall in the neighborhood, but spatial analysis of the maps suggest that the spillover effects, if any, of the new housing were geographically limited and included unintended negative psychological consequences. Results argue for greater use of GIS and the street block level in community research and of psychological and behavioral variables in planning research and decisions.

  9. Soil in the City: Sustainably Improving Urban Soils.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Kuldip; Hundal, Lakhwinder S

    2016-01-01

    Large tracts of abandoned urban land, resulting from the deindustrialization of metropolitan areas, are generating a renewed interest among city planners and community organizations envisioning the productive use of this land not only to produce fresh food but to effectively manage stormwater and mitigate the impact of urban heat islands. Healthy and productive soils are paramount to meet these objectives. However, these urban lands are often severely degraded due to anthropogenic activities and are generally contaminated with priority pollutants, especially heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Characterizing these degraded and contaminated soils and making them productive again to restore the required ecosystem services was the theme of the "Soil in the City- 2014" conference organized by W-2170 Committee (USDA's Sponsored Multi-State Research Project: Soil-Based Use of Residuals, Wastewater, & Reclaimed Water). This special section of comprises 12 targeted papers authored by conference participants to make available much needed information about the characteristics of urban soils. Innovative ways to mitigate the risks from pollutants and to improve the soil quality using local resources are discussed. Such practices include the use of composts and biosolids to grow healthy foods, reclaim brownfields, manage stormwater, and improve the overall ecosystem functioning of urban soils. These papers provide a needed resource for educating policymakers, practitioners, and the general public about using locally available resources to restore fertility, productivity, and ecosystem functioning of degraded urban land to revitalize metropolitan areas for improving the overall quality of life for a large segment of a rapidly growing urban population. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  10. Does Diffusion Sequester Heavy Metals in Old Contamination Soils?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, J.; Jennings, A. A.

    2002-12-01

    Old soil contamination refers to soil contamination that has aged over a long period of time. For example, at some brownfields, the soil heavy metal contamination can be one hundred or more years old. When contamination is young, the heavy metals are bound relatively weakly to the soil. However, the speciation and/or mechanisms of association evolve with aging into much more stable forms. It also appears that the metals migrate deeper into the bulk soil matrix where they are less available to participate in surface-related phenomena. Previous research showed elevated heavy metal extraction result after the soil was pulverized, with all other experiment conditions remaining unchanged. This indicates the presence of sequestered heavy metal contamination within the large soil particles (aggregate). The mechanisms of sequestering are uncertain, but diffusion appears to be a major factor. There are two possible pathways of diffusion that can account for heavy metal sequestering: solid-state diffusion through the bulk aggregate or liquid-phase diffusion through micro-pores within the aggregate structure. The second diffusion mechanism can be coupled with sorption (or other surface-related phenomena) on the pore walls. The remediation of sequestered heavy metals is also impacted by diffusion. Grinding a soil significantly reduces its average particle size. This exposes more of its internal bulk volume to extraction and results in much shorter diffusion pathway for the sequestered heavy metals to be released. Evidence has illustrated that this both improves remediation efficiency and provides a method by which the degree of sequestering can be quantified. This paper will present the results of ongoing research that is developing methods to identify the mechanisms of, quantify the magnitude of and determine the relative importance of (i.e. risk analysis) heavy metals sequestered in old contamination soils.

  11. Database integration in a multimedia-modeling environment

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dorow, Kevin E.

    2002-09-02

    Integration of data from disparate remote sources has direct applicability to modeling, which can support Brownfield assessments. To accomplish this task, a data integration framework needs to be established. A key element in this framework is the metadata that creates the relationship between the pieces of information that are important in the multimedia modeling environment and the information that is stored in the remote data source. The design philosophy is to allow modelers and database owners to collaborate by defining this metadata in such a way that allows interaction between their components. The main parts of this framework include toolsmore » to facilitate metadata definition, database extraction plan creation, automated extraction plan execution / data retrieval, and a central clearing house for metadata and modeling / database resources. Cross-platform compatibility (using Java) and standard communications protocols (http / https) allow these parts to run in a wide variety of computing environments (Local Area Networks, Internet, etc.), and, therefore, this framework provides many benefits. Because of the specific data relationships described in the metadata, the amount of data that have to be transferred is kept to a minimum (only the data that fulfill a specific request are provided as opposed to transferring the complete contents of a data source). This allows for real-time data extraction from the actual source. Also, the framework sets up collaborative responsibilities such that the different types of participants have control over the areas in which they have domain knowledge-the modelers are responsible for defining the data relevant to their models, while the database owners are responsible for mapping the contents of the database using the metadata definitions. Finally, the data extraction mechanism allows for the ability to control access to the data and what data are made available.« less

  12. Comparison of human exposure pathways in an urban brownfield: reduced risk from paving roads.

    PubMed

    James, Kyle; Farrell, Richard E; Siciliano, Steven D

    2012-10-01

    Risk assessments often do not quantify the risk associated with soil inhalation. This pathway generally makes a negligible contribution to the cumulative risk, because soil ingestion is typically the dominant exposure pathway. Conditions in northern or rural centers in Canada characterized by large areas of exposed soil, including unpaved roads, favor the resuspension of soil particles, making soil inhalation a relevant risk pathway. The authors determined and compared human exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from soil ingestion and inhalation and analyzed the carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks before and after roads were paved in a northern community. To determine the inhalation exposure, three size fractions of airborne particulate matter were collected (total suspended particulates [TSP], particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 µm [PM10], and particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm [PM2.5]) before and after roads were paved. Road paving reduced the concentration of many airborne contaminants by 25 to 75%, thus reducing risk. For example, before paving, the carcinogenic risk associated with inhalation of Cr was 3.4 excess cancers per 100,000 people exposed, whereas after paving, this risk was reduced to 1.6 in 100,000. Paving roads reduced the concentrations of total suspended particulates (TSP; p < 0.1) and PM10 (p < 0.05) but not PM25. Consequently, the ingestion of inhaled soil particles was substantially reduced. The authors conclude that resuspended soil is likely an important source of risk for many northern communities and that paving roads is an effective method of reducing risk from the inhalation of soil particles. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

  13. Soil engineering in vivo: harnessing natural biogeochemical systems for sustainable, multi-functional engineering solutions

    PubMed Central

    DeJong, Jason T.; Soga, Kenichi; Banwart, Steven A.; Whalley, W. Richard; Ginn, Timothy R.; Nelson, Douglas C.; Mortensen, Brina M.; Martinez, Brian C.; Barkouki, Tammer

    2011-01-01

    Carbon sequestration, infrastructure rehabilitation, brownfields clean-up, hazardous waste disposal, water resources protection and global warming—these twenty-first century challenges can neither be solved by the high-energy consumptive practices that hallmark industry today, nor by minor tweaking or optimization of these processes. A more radical, holistic approach is required to develop the sustainable solutions society needs. Most of the above challenges occur within, are supported on, are enabled by or grown from soil. Soil, contrary to conventional civil engineering thought, is a living system host to multiple simultaneous processes. It is proposed herein that ‘soil engineering in vivo’, wherein the natural capacity of soil as a living ecosystem is used to provide multiple solutions simultaneously, may provide new, innovative, sustainable solutions to some of these great challenges of the twenty-first century. This requires a multi-disciplinary perspective that embraces the science of biology, chemistry and physics and applies this knowledge to provide multi-functional civil and environmental engineering designs for the soil environment. For example, can native soil bacterial species moderate the carbonate cycle in soils to simultaneously solidify liquefiable soil, immobilize reactive heavy metals and sequester carbon—effectively providing civil engineering functionality while clarifying the ground water and removing carbon from the atmosphere? Exploration of these ideas has begun in earnest in recent years. This paper explores the potential, challenges and opportunities of this new field, and highlights one biogeochemical function of soil that has shown promise and is developing rapidly as a new technology. The example is used to propose a generalized approach in which the potential of this new field can be fully realized. PMID:20829246

  14. Soil engineering in vivo: harnessing natural biogeochemical systems for sustainable, multi-functional engineering solutions.

    PubMed

    DeJong, Jason T; Soga, Kenichi; Banwart, Steven A; Whalley, W Richard; Ginn, Timothy R; Nelson, Douglas C; Mortensen, Brina M; Martinez, Brian C; Barkouki, Tammer

    2011-01-06

    Carbon sequestration, infrastructure rehabilitation, brownfields clean-up, hazardous waste disposal, water resources protection and global warming-these twenty-first century challenges can neither be solved by the high-energy consumptive practices that hallmark industry today, nor by minor tweaking or optimization of these processes. A more radical, holistic approach is required to develop the sustainable solutions society needs. Most of the above challenges occur within, are supported on, are enabled by or grown from soil. Soil, contrary to conventional civil engineering thought, is a living system host to multiple simultaneous processes. It is proposed herein that 'soil engineering in vivo', wherein the natural capacity of soil as a living ecosystem is used to provide multiple solutions simultaneously, may provide new, innovative, sustainable solutions to some of these great challenges of the twenty-first century. This requires a multi-disciplinary perspective that embraces the science of biology, chemistry and physics and applies this knowledge to provide multi-functional civil and environmental engineering designs for the soil environment. For example, can native soil bacterial species moderate the carbonate cycle in soils to simultaneously solidify liquefiable soil, immobilize reactive heavy metals and sequester carbon-effectively providing civil engineering functionality while clarifying the ground water and removing carbon from the atmosphere? Exploration of these ideas has begun in earnest in recent years. This paper explores the potential, challenges and opportunities of this new field, and highlights one biogeochemical function of soil that has shown promise and is developing rapidly as a new technology. The example is used to propose a generalized approach in which the potential of this new field can be fully realized.

  15. Regional analysis of renewable transportation fuels - production and consumption

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Xiaoshuai

    The transportation sector contributes more than a quarter of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Replacing fossil fuels with renewable fuels can be a key solution to mitigate GHG emissions from the transportation sector. Particularly, we have focused on land-based production of renewable fuels from landfills and brownfield in the southeastern region of the United States. These so call marginal lands require no direct land-use change to avoid environmental impact and, furthermore, have rendered opportunities for carbon trading and low-carbon intensity business. The resources potential and production capacity were derived using federal and state energy databases with the aid of GIS techniques. To maximize fuels production and land-use efficiency, a scheme of co-location renewable transportation fuels for production on landfills was conducted as a case study. Results of economic modeling analysis indicate that solar panel installed on landfill sites could generate a positive return within the project duration, but the biofuel production within the landfill facility is relatively uncertain, requiring proper sizing of the onsite processing facility, economic scale of production and available tax credits. From the consumers' perspective, a life-cycle cost analysis has been conducted to determine the economic and environmental implications of different transportation choices by consumers. Without tax credits, only the hybrid electric vehicles have lifetime total costs equivalent to a conventional vehicles differing by about 1 to 7%. With tax credits, electric and hybrid electric vehicles could be affordable and attain similar lifetime total costs as compared to conventional vehicles. The dissertation research has provided policy-makers and consumers a pathway of prioritizing investment on sustainable transportation systems with a balance of environmental benefits and economic feasibility.

  16. Spatial Optimization of Future Urban Development with Regards to Climate Risk and Sustainability Objectives.

    PubMed

    Caparros-Midwood, Daniel; Barr, Stuart; Dawson, Richard

    2017-11-01

    Future development in cities needs to manage increasing populations, climate-related risks, and sustainable development objectives such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Planners therefore face a challenge of multidimensional, spatial optimization in order to balance potential tradeoffs and maximize synergies between risks and other objectives. To address this, a spatial optimization framework has been developed. This uses a spatially implemented genetic algorithm to generate a set of Pareto-optimal results that provide planners with the best set of trade-off spatial plans for six risk and sustainability objectives: (i) minimize heat risks, (ii) minimize flooding risks, (iii) minimize transport travel costs to minimize associated emissions, (iv) maximize brownfield development, (v) minimize urban sprawl, and (vi) prevent development of greenspace. The framework is applied to Greater London (U.K.) and shown to generate spatial development strategies that are optimal for specific objectives and differ significantly from the existing development strategies. In addition, the analysis reveals tradeoffs between different risks as well as between risk and sustainability objectives. While increases in heat or flood risk can be avoided, there are no strategies that do not increase at least one of these. Tradeoffs between risk and other sustainability objectives can be more severe, for example, minimizing heat risk is only possible if future development is allowed to sprawl significantly. The results highlight the importance of spatial structure in modulating risks and other sustainability objectives. However, not all planning objectives are suited to quantified optimization and so the results should form part of an evidence base to improve the delivery of risk and sustainability management in future urban development. © 2017 The Authors Risk Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Risk Analysis.

  17. Sustainability policy and effects on practices in the remediation field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hou, D.; Al-Tabbaa, A.

    2012-12-01

    Land is not only a critical component of the earth's life support system, but also a precious resource and an important factor of production in economy. However, historical industrial operations have caused a huge stockpile of contaminated land that is only slowly being remediated. After several decades of clean-up efforts, there are still an estimated 294,000 contaminated sites in the US and over 300,000 hectares of potentially contaminated land in the UK. It is imperative to develop technical solutions as well as socioeconomic and political instruments to achieve sustainable restoration of contaminated land. The inclusion of sustainability in decision making provides an opportunity to integrate a wide range of considerations: risk control, brownfield regeneration, carbon footprint, water footprint, renewable energy, etc. This study explores the behavior patterns and driving forces behind sustainable practices in remediation, aiming at advancing our understanding of the fundamental relationships among changing natural and manipulated geological environments, sustainability, and technology choices. A large-scale survey is being conducted in the US and UK to study behaviour and decision making issues from a stakeholder perspective. Historically stakeholder theories have been extensively applied to study organization management issues in the academia. This study intends to apply stakeholder theories to engineering practice and sustainability science studies. Pilot test results found that sustainability considerations are widely adopted and in a wide variety of ways. Site owners and regulators are found to be most influential in the decision making process. There is no lack of incentives to adopt sustainability practices, but various factors, such as lack of resources and cost considerations, are still considered impeding factors. At the time of the 2012 AGU meeting, further results from the survey will be available.

  18. Arsenic associated with historical gold mining in the Sierra Nevada foothills: Case study and field trip guide for Empire Mine State Historic Park, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Alpers, Charles N.; Myers, Perry A; Millsap, Daniel; Regnier, Tamsen B; Bowell, Robert J.; Alpers, Charles N.; Jamieson, Heather E.; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Majzlan, Juraj

    2014-01-01

    The Empire Mine, together with other mines in the Grass Valley mining district, produced at least 21.3 million troy ounces (663 tonnes) of gold (Au) during the 1850s through the 1950s, making it the most productive hardrock Au mining district in California history (Clark 1970). The Empire Mine State Historic Park (Empire Mine SHP or EMSHP), established in 1975, provides the public with an opportunity to see many well-preserved features of the historic mining and mineral processing operations (CDPR 2014a).A legacy of Au mining at Empire Mine and elsewhere is contamination of mine wastes and associated soils, surface waters, and groundwaters with arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and other metals. At EMSHP, As has been the principal contaminant of concern and the focus of extensive remediation efforts over the past several years by the State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and Newmont USA, Ltd. In addition, the site is the main focus of a multidisciplinary research project on As bioavailability and bioaccessibility led by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA’s) Brownfields Program.This chapter was prepared as a guide for a field trip to EMSHP held on June 14, 2014, in conjunction with a short course on “Environmental Geochemistry, Mineralogy, and Microbiology of Arsenic” held in Nevada City, California on June 15–16, 2014. This guide contains background information on geological setting, mining history, and environmental history at EMSHP and other historical Au mining districts in the Sierra Nevada, followed by descriptions of the field trip stops.

  19. Location of Buried Mineshafts and Adits Using Reconnaissance Geophysical Methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Culshaw, Martin; Donnelly, Laurance; McCann, David

    Britain has a long history of mining activity, which stretches back some 3000 years to the excavation of flint in East Anglia. The legacy of this long period of activity is the presence of many buried mineshafts and adits, whose location is often unknown precisely and in many cases not even recorded in historical mining records. As has been shown by Donnelly et al (2003) the discovery of a mineshaft in an area of housing development can have a profound effect on property values in its vicinity. Hence, urgent action must be taken to establish at the site investigation stage of a development to determine whether any mineshafts are present at the site so that remedial action can be taken before construction commences. A study of historical information and the drilling may well enable the developer to locate any suspected mineshafts and adits on his site. However, the use of geophysical reconnaissance methods across the whole site may well provide sufficient information to simplify the drilling programme and reduce its cost to a minimum. In this paper a number of rapid reconnaissance geophysical methods are described and evaluated in terms of their success in the location of buried mineshafts and adits. It has shown that a combination of ground conductivity and magnetic surveys provides a most effective approach on open sites in greenfield and brownfield areas. Ground penetrating radar and micro-gravity surveys have proved to be a valuable approach in urban areas where the use of many geophysical methods is prevented by the presence of various types of cultural noise. On a regional scale the infrared thermography method is being increasingly used but care must be taken to overcome certain environmental difficulties. The practical use of all these geophysical methods in the field is illustrated by a number of appropriate case histories.

  20. Informal urban green-space: comparison of quantity and characteristics in Brisbane, Australia and Sapporo, Japan.

    PubMed

    Rupprecht, Christoph D D; Byrne, Jason A

    2014-01-01

    Informal urban green-space (IGS) such as vacant lots, brownfields and street or railway verges is receiving growing attention from urban scholars. Research has shown IGS can provide recreational space for residents and habitat for flora and fauna, yet we know little about the quantity, spatial distribution, vegetation structure or accessibility of IGS. We also lack a commonly accepted definition of IGS and a method that can be used for its rapid quantitative assessment. This paper advances a definition and typology of IGS that has potential for global application. Based on this definition, IGS land use percentage in central Brisbane, Australia and Sapporo, Japan was systematically surveyed in a 10×10 km grid containing 121 sampling sites of 2,500 m2 per city, drawing on data recorded in the field and aerial photography. Spatial distribution, vegetation structure and accessibility of IGS were also analyzed. We found approximately 6.3% of the surveyed urban area in Brisbane and 4.8% in Sapporo consisted of IGS, a non-significant difference. The street verge IGS type (80.4% of all IGS) dominated in Brisbane, while lots (42.2%) and gaps (19.2%) were the two largest IGS types in Sapporo. IGS was widely distributed throughout both survey areas. Vegetation structure showed higher tree cover in Brisbane, but higher herb cover in Sapporo. In both cities over 80% of IGS was accessible or partly accessible. The amount of IGS we found suggests it could play a more important role than previously assumed for residents' recreation and nature experience as well as for fauna and flora, because it substantially increased the amount of potentially available greenspace in addition to parks and conservation greenspace. We argue that IGS has potential for recreation and conservation, but poses some challenges to urban planning. To address these challenges, we propose some directions for future research.

  1. Safety of gardening on lead- and arsenic-contaminated urban brownfields.

    PubMed

    Defoe, Phillip P; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M; Benedict, Christopher; Martin, Sabine

    2014-11-01

    Elevated levels of lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) are not uncommon for urban soils. Test plots were established at urban gardens in Tacoma and Seattle, WA. The Tacoma site was contaminated with Pb (51-312 mg kg) and As (39-146 mg kg), and the Seattle site had high Pb soil concentrations ranging from 506 to 2022 mg kg and As concentrations of <20 mg kg. The efficacy of biosolids mix and compost amendment in reducing Pb and As concentrations in three vegetables (carrots, lettuce, and tomatoes) and the bioaccessibility of soil Pb and As were evaluated. Food-chain transfer of Pb and As were evaluated by measuring plant Pb and As concentrations after kitchen-style washing, a laboratory cleaning procedure, or peeling. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a split-plot arrangement. Tacoma site treatments included a Class A biosolids mix (TAGRO) with dolomite, and soil at the Seattle site was amended with Cedar-Grove compost (CGC) plus dolomite. TAGRO amendment diluted soil Pb by 10 to 23% and As by 12 to 25% at the Tacoma site, and CGC + dolomite resulted in 20 to 50% dilution in soil Pb at the Seattle site. Both amendments reduced Pb concentrations in vegetables by 50 to 71%, and As reductions ranged from 46 to 80%. At the Tacoma site, Pb concentrations (dry weight basis) in carrots, lettuce, and tomatoes ranged from 8.89 to 25.0, from 0.37 to 3.83, and from 0.54 to 1.24 mg kg, respectively. Plant As concentrations were below 703 μg kg (dry weight) for the vegetables and followed the order lettuce > carrot > tomato. Food-chain transfer of Pb and As in vegetables grown in contaminated urban soils were reduced by laboratory cleaning. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  2. Human health risk assessment case study: an abandoned metal smelter site in Poland.

    PubMed

    Wcisło, Eleonora; Ioven, Dawn; Kucharski, Rafal; Szdzuj, Jerzy

    2002-05-01

    United States Environmental Protection Agency methodologies for human health risk assessment (HRA) were applied in a Brownfields Demonstration Project on the Warynski smelter site (WSS), an abandoned industrial site at Piekary Slaskie town, Upper Silesia, Poland. The HRA included the baseline risk assessment (BRA) and the development of risk-based preliminary remedial goals (RBPRGs). The HRA focused on surface area covered with waste materials, which were evaluated with regard to the potential risks they may pose to humans. Cadmium, copper, iron, manganese, lead, and zinc were proposed as the contaminants of potential concern (COPCs) at WSS based on archive data on chemical composition of waste located on WSS. For the defined future land use patterns, the industrial (I) and recreational (II) exposure scenarios were assumed and evaluated. The combined hazard index for all COPCs was 3.1E+00 for Scenario I and 3.2E+00 for Scenario II. Regarding potential carcinogenic risks associated with the inhalation route, only cadmium was a contributor, with risks of 1.6E-06 and 2.6E-07 for Scenario I and Scenario II, respectively. The results of the BRA indicated that the potential health risks at WSS were mainly associated with waste material exposure to cadmium (industrial and recreational scenarios) and lead (industrial scenario). RBPRGs calculated under the industrial scenario were 1.17E+03 and 1.62E+03 mg/kg for cadmium and lead, respectively. The RBPRG for cadmium was 1.18E+03 mg/kg under the recreational scenario. The BRA results, as well as RBCs, are comparable for both scenarios, so it is impossible to prioritize land use patterns for WSS based on these results. For choosing a future land use pattern or an appropriate redevelopment option, different factors would be decisive in the decision-making process, e.g., social, market needs, technical feasibility and costs of redevelopment actions or acceptance of local community.

  3. The Urban Heat Island Phenomenon: How Its Effects Can Influence Environmental Decision Making in Your Community

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Estes, Maurice G., Jr.; Quattrochi, Dale; Stasiak, Elizabeth

    2003-01-01

    Reinvestment in urban centers is breathing new life into neighborhoods that have been languishing as a result of explosive suburban development over the past several decades. In cities all over the country, adaptive reuse, brownfields redevelopment, transforming urban landscapes, economies, and quality of life. However, the way in which this development occurs has the potential to exacerbate the urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon, an existing problem in many areas and one which poses a threat to the long-term sustainability and environmental quality of cities. The UHI phenomenon is rooted in the science of how the land covers respond to solar heating and can adversely effect the environment. This phenomenon is responsible for urban centers having higher air temperatures and poorer air quality than suburban areas. In addition, the UHI phenomenon causes metrological occurrences, degrades water quality, increases energy demands, poses threats to public health and contributes to global warming. While the name of the phenomenon implies that is solely an urban issue, research has shown that the effects of the UHI are becoming prevalent in suburbs, as well. The UHI phenomenon can plague regions - urban centers and their suburbs. Furthermore, heat islands have been found to exist in both city centers and suburban communities. As suburban areas increasingly develop using land covers and building materials common to urban areas, they are inheriting urban problems - such as heat islands. In this way, it may be necessary for non-urban communities to engage in heat island mitigation. The good news is that through education and planning, the effects of the UHI phenomenon can be prevented and mitigated. Heat islands are more a product of urban design rather than the density of development. Therefore, cities can continue to grow and develop without exacerbating the UHI by employing sustainable development strategies.

  4. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Coussy, Samuel; Grangeon, Sylvain; Bataillard, Philippe

    The prediction of the long term trace element mobility in anthropogenic soils would be a way to anticipate land management and should help in reusing slightly contaminated materials. In the present study, iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) status evolution was investigated in a 100-year old Technosol. The site of investigation is an old brownfield located in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region (France) which has not been reshaped since the beginning of the last century. The whole soil profile was sampled as a function of depth, and trace elements mobility at each depth was determined by batch leaching test. A specific focus onmore » Fe and Zn status was carried out by bulk analyses, such as selective dissolution, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Fe and Zn status in the profile samples was also studied using laterally resolved techniques such as μ-particle induced X-ray emission (μ-PIXE) and μ-Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (μ-RBS). The results indicate that (i) Fe is mainly under Fe(III) form, except a minor contribution of Fe(II) in the deeper samples, (ii) some Fe species inherited from the past have been weathered and secondary minerals are constituted of metal-bearing sulphates and Fe (hydr)oxides, (iii) ferrihydrite is formed during pedogenesis (iv) 20 to 30% more Fe (hydr)oxides are present in the surface than in depth and (v) Zn has tetrahedral coordination and is sorbed to phases of increasing crystallinity when depth increases. Zn-bearing phases identified in the present study are: complex Fe, Mn, Zn sulphides, sulphates, organic matter, and ferrihydrite. Soil formation on such material does not induce a dramatic increase of Zn solubility since efficient scavengers are concomitantly formed in the system. However, Technosols are highly heterogeneous and widely differ from one place to another. The behavior examined in this study is not generic and will depend on the type of Technosol and on the secondary minerals formed as well as on the nature and amount of organic matter.« less

  5. Aesthetic Cartography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Toland, Alexandra

    2017-04-01

    Art theorists, Carole Gray and Heather Delday (2010) pose the question, "What might be known through creative practice that could not be known by any other means?" As a visual artist with a doctorate degree in environmental planning from the TU-Berlin's Department of Soil Protection, I have long considered this question in my work and over the years contributed an active voice to discussions on research, education, and public engagement with soil and art and soil and culture in Germany and around the world. After presenting many other examples of artists' work at international scientific symposia, I would like to present examples of some of my own artistic practice with soil mapping and soil protection issues at the 2017 EGU. In combining methods of visual art, landscape analysis, and soil mapping, I have developed a practice called Aesthetic Cartography that employs sculptural techniques, object-making, installation and performance, printing and graphic design, as well as site analysis, data mining, and map reading and interpretation. Given my background in participatory planning practices, I also integrate small-group dialogic processes in the creation and implementation of my works. The projects making up the body of works in Aesthetic Cartography are mainly focused on urban issues, including: soil sealing, inner-city watershed management, creative brownfield use, rubble substrates and leachates, foraging and urban agriculture, and envisioning sustainable cities of the future. In the session SSS1.4 - Soil, Art, and Culture I will summarize project goals, materials and methods, venues and public contexts, elements of collaboration and participation, as well as target audiences involved in several projects of the Aesthetic Cartography series. The aim of the presentation is not to give a comprehensive answer to Gray and Delday's question above, but rather to share personal insights from a professional practice that merges artistic and scientific approaches to soil protection and soil communication.

  6. Informal Urban Green-Space: Comparison of Quantity and Characteristics in Brisbane, Australia and Sapporo, Japan

    PubMed Central

    Rupprecht, Christoph D. D.; Byrne, Jason A.

    2014-01-01

    Informal urban green-space (IGS) such as vacant lots, brownfields and street or railway verges is receiving growing attention from urban scholars. Research has shown IGS can provide recreational space for residents and habitat for flora and fauna, yet we know little about the quantity, spatial distribution, vegetation structure or accessibility of IGS. We also lack a commonly accepted definition of IGS and a method that can be used for its rapid quantitative assessment. This paper advances a definition and typology of IGS that has potential for global application. Based on this definition, IGS land use percentage in central Brisbane, Australia and Sapporo, Japan was systematically surveyed in a 10×10 km grid containing 121 sampling sites of 2,500 m2 per city, drawing on data recorded in the field and aerial photography. Spatial distribution, vegetation structure and accessibility of IGS were also analyzed. We found approximately 6.3% of the surveyed urban area in Brisbane and 4.8% in Sapporo consisted of IGS, a non-significant difference. The street verge IGS type (80.4% of all IGS) dominated in Brisbane, while lots (42.2%) and gaps (19.2%) were the two largest IGS types in Sapporo. IGS was widely distributed throughout both survey areas. Vegetation structure showed higher tree cover in Brisbane, but higher herb cover in Sapporo. In both cities over 80% of IGS was accessible or partly accessible. The amount of IGS we found suggests it could play a more important role than previously assumed for residents' recreation and nature experience as well as for fauna and flora, because it substantially increased the amount of potentially available greenspace in addition to parks and conservation greenspace. We argue that IGS has potential for recreation and conservation, but poses some challenges to urban planning. To address these challenges, we propose some directions for future research. PMID:24941046

  7. Studies of Environmental Risk Factors in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and a Phase I Clinical Trial of L-Serine.

    PubMed

    Bradley, Walter G; Miller, R X; Levine, T D; Stommel, E W; Cox, P A

    2018-01-01

    β-N-Methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA) has been linked to Guam ALS/PDC and shown to produce neurodegeneration in vitro and in vivo (Drosophila, mice, rats, primates). BMAA misincorporation into neuroproteins produces protein misfolding and is inhibited by L-serine. Case-control studies in Northern New England indicate that living near to water-bodies with cyanobacterial blooms increases the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The distribution of addresses of ALS cases in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Florida was compared to that of controls. Areas of statistically significantly increased numbers of ALS cases were examined for sources of environmental toxins. A phase I trial of oral L-serine was performed in 20 ALS patients (0.5 to 15 g twice daily). Safety and tolerability were assessed by comparing the rate of deterioration with 430 matched placebo controls. The distribution of residential addresses of ALS cases in New England and Florida revealed many areas where the age- and gender-adjusted frequency of ALS was greater than expected (P < 0.01). GIS studies of these "hot spots" in relation to sources of environmental pollutants, like cyanobacterial blooms, Superfund and Brownfield sites, and landfills, are ongoing. In the phase I trial of L-serine, two patients withdrew from because of gastrointestinal side effects. Three patients died during the study, which was about the expected number. The ALSFRS-R in the L-serine-treated patients showed a dose-related decrease in the rate of progression (34% reduction in slope, P = 0.044). The non-random distribution of addresses of ALS patients suggests that residential exposure to environmental pollutants may play an important role in the etiology of ALS. L-Serine in doses up to 15 g twice daily appears to be safe in patients with ALS. Exploratory studies of efficacy suggested that L-serine might slow disease progression. A phase II trial is planned.

  8. Biochar as a sorbent for chlorinated hydrocarbons - sorption and extraction experiments in single and bi-solute systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schreiter, I. J.; Wefer-Roehl, A.; Graber, E. R.; Schueth, C.

    2016-12-01

    Biochar (BC) is increasingly deemed a potential sorbent for contaminants in soil and water remediation, and brownfield restoration. In this study, sorption and extraction experiments were performed to assess the potential of three different BCs to sorb and retain the chlorinated hydrocarbons TCE and PCE. BCs studied were produced from wood chips, grain husk, and cattle manure at 450 °C. A commercially available activated carbon (AC) served as a reference. The sorption behaviour was studied in batch experiments in single solute and bi-solute systems. Resulting isotherms were fitted to the Freundlich model. To assess the desorption behaviour, a five step extraction scheme (water at 40°C, water at 80°C, methanol at 50°C, toluene at 50°C, and n-hexane at 50°) was developed utilizing Accelerated Solvent Extraction. Isotherms revealed distinct differences in sorption behaviour depending on BC feedstock. Sorption capacity ranked as follows: wood chip BC > grain husk BC > cattle manure BC for both contaminants. This sequence could be attributable to an increasing specific surface area and a decreasing ash content of the sorbents. It is noteworthy that all three BCs were more effective in adsorbing TCE, which is surprising, given the higher logKOWof PCE. The reverse trend was observed for the AC. In bi-solute experiments, PCE sorbed as good as or stronger than TCE, yet the total mass of sorbed compounds was higher. In contrast, AC showed a significant decrease of TCE sorption. Extraction experiments revealed that for all BCs a large fraction of the contaminants could not be readily desorbed. In all cases, water remobilized < 5 % of the total contaminant mass and up to 70 % could not be extracted by any of the solvents. The findings suggest that BC is a promising sorbent for mixed contaminant systems as it offers a diverse nature of sorption sites and is more effective in long-term stabilization than AC.

  9. Urban Environmental Excursions: Designing field trips to demonstrate sustainable connections between natural and engineered systems in urban environments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lemke, L. D.

    2012-12-01

    Field trips are a proven and effective instructional tool to connect students with the world around them. In most communities, opportunities abound to allow students to make connections between concepts introduced in classroom or lab activities and the urban environment that surrounds them. Potential destinations include solid and liquid waste disposal sites, brownfield redevelopment sites, hazardous waste sites, industrial complexes, or sites with ongoing environmental restoration efforts. Each of these locations presents opportunities to explore sustainable aspects of anthropogenic activities in relation to the natural systems that they seek to modify or exploit. Early planning is essential, however, because it can sometimes take several months lead time to arrange for a large group tour of industrial or municipal sites. Several practices may be employed to design effective learning experiences for students when visiting such sites. These include: 1) choose local sites to keep trips relevant and practical; 2) balance sites of environmental concern with those where significant progress is being made in environmental restoration or stewardship; 3) connect sites with a pertinent theme (e.g., air quality, water quality, economic development, environmental justice, etc.); 4) develop a sense of location among student participants by providing a map showing the relationship between campus and the field sites; 5) prepare a guidebook containing one-page descriptions of each stop along with a list of questions to stimulate discussion and promote active engagement among all participants; 6) employ expert guides to maximize students' access to authoritative information; 7) tie each field experience to your curriculum; and 8) model active learning by asking genuine questions and engaging in open discussions with experts and student participants. In this presentation, urban field trip design will be illustrated with examples from trips run in conjunction with freshman-level introductory courses in Physical and Environmental Geology, as well as a junior-level course in Environmental Systems Analysis at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Ties to environmental systems and sustainability, emphasizing systems boundaries, fluxes, and transformations of systems components, will be described along with logistical tips to help instructors prepare meaningful and memorable field trips.

  10. The Impact of Thermal Remediation on Soil Rehabilitation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pape, Andrew; Switzer, Christine; Knapp, Charles

    2013-04-01

    In an effort to restore the social and economic value of brownfield sites contaminated by hazardous organic liquids, many new remediation techniques involving the use of elevated temperatures to desorb and extract or destroy these contaminants have been developed. These approaches are typically applied to heavily contaminated soils to effect substantial source removal from the subsurface. These processes operate over a range of temperatures from just above ambient to in excess of 1000˚C depending on technology choice and contaminant type. To facilitate the successful rehabilitation of treated soils for agriculture, biomass production, or habitat enrichment the effects of high temperatures on the ability of soil to support biological activity needs to be understood. Four soils were treated with high temperatures or artificially contaminated and subjected to a smouldering treatment (600-1100°C) in this investigation. Subsequent chemical analysis, plant growth trials and microbial analysis were used to characterise the impacts of these processes on soil geochemistry, plant health, and potential for recovery. Decreases were found in levels of carbon (>250˚C), nitrogen (>500˚C) and phosphorus (1000˚C) with intermediate temperatures having variable affects on bio-available levels. Macro and micro nutrients such as potassium, calcium, zinc and copper also showed changes with general trends towards reduced bioavailability at higher temperatures. Above 500°C, cation exchange capacity and phosphate adsorption were lowered indicating that nutrient retention will be a problem in some treated soils. In addition, these temperatures reduced the content of clay sized particles changing the texture of the soils. These changes had a statistically significant impact on plant growth with moderate growth reductions occurring at 250°C and 500°C. Above 750°C, growth was extremely limited and soils treated at these temperatures would need major restorative efforts. Microbial re-colonisation and activity were inhibited in soils treated above 500°C due to the lack of available carbon sources. Early experiments with organic amendments and green manures show promise in facilitating more rapid recolonisation. These results underscore the importance of considering long-term soil recovery as part of the remediation strategy.

  11. A combined hydrochemical - isotopic approach for assessing the regional pollution of an alluvial aquifer in a urbanized environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gesels, Julie; Orban, Philippe; Popescu, Cristina; Knöller, Kay; Brouyère, Serge

    2014-05-01

    The alluvial aquifer of the Meuse River is contaminated at regional scale in the urbanized and industrialized area of Liège in Belgium with different types of contaminants, in particular inorganics such as sulfate, nitrate and ammonium. The sources of those contaminants are numerous: brownfields, urban waste water, subsurface acid mine drainage from former coal mines, atmospheric deposits related to pollutants emissions in the atmosphere... Sulfate, nitrate and ammonium are both typical pollutants of the aquifer and tracers of the possible pollution sources. According to the European legislation on water, groundwater resources should reach a good quality status before 2015. However, an exemption can be obtained if it may be unfeasible or unreasonably expensive to achieve good status. In this case, groundwater quality objectives and management plans can be adapted to these specific conditions. To obtain such an exemption for the Meuse alluvial aquifer, it is required to demonstrate that the poor qualitative status is caused by acid mine drainage, or by widespread historical atmospheric deposition from industries, and not by recent anthropogenic contamination from the urban and industrial context. In this context, a detailed hydrogeochemical characterization of groundwater has been performed, with the aim of determining the origin of the inorganic contaminations and the main processes contributing to poor groundwater quality. A large hydrochemical sampling campaign was performed, based on 71 selected representative sampling locations, to better characterize the different vectors (end-members) of contamination of the alluvial aquifer and their respective contribution to groundwater contamination in the area. Groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for major and minor compounds and metallic trace elements. The analyses also include stable isotopes in water, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, boron and strontium. Different hydrogeochemical approaches are combined to obtain a global understanding of the hydrogeochemical processes at regional scale. Hydrochemical interpretations are based on classical diagrams (e.g. Piper), spatial distribution maps, geochemical equations, multivariate statistics and isotopic analyses. With this combined approach, the location of the contaminant sources and most contaminated sectors of the alluvial aquifer together with a better understanding of geochemical processes involved are obtained.

  12. The Geosciences Institute for Research and Education: Bringing awareness of the geosciences to minorities in Detroit MI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nalepa, N. A.; Murray, K. S.; Napieralski, J. A.

    2009-12-01

    According to recent studies, more than 40% of students within the Detroit Public Schools (DPS) drop out and only 21% graduate within 4 years. In an attempt to improve these statistics, The Geosciences Institute for Research and Education was developed by the University of Michigan-Dearborn (UM-D) and funded by two grants from the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) OEDG Program. The Geosciences Institute, a collaboration between the UM-D, DPS, and local corporations, aims to generate awareness of the geosciences to middle school students, facilitate an enthusiastic learning environment, encourage underrepresented minorities to stay in school, and consider the geosciences as a viable career option. This is accomplished by involving their teachers, UM-D faculty and students, and local geoscience professionals in community-based research problems relevant to SE Michigan. Students use the geosciences as a tool in which they are actively participating in research that is in their backyards. Through a mixture of field trips, participation, and demonstrational activities the students become aware of local environmental and social problems and how a background in the geosciences can prepare them. As part of the Geosciences Institute, students participate in three ongoing research projects with UM-D faculty: (1) build, install, and monitor groundwater wells along the Lower Rouge River, (2) collect soil samples from and mapping brownfields in SW Detroit, and (3) learn basic GPS and GIS skills to map local natural resources. The students also work with faculty on creating video diaries that record ideas, experiences, and impressions throughout the Institute, including during fieldtrips, modules, research, and editing. Finally, small teams of students collaborate to design and print a poster that summarizes their experience in the Institute. The Geosciences Institute concludes with a ceremony that celebrates student efforts (posters and videos) and involves school administrators and teachers, faculty, and family. It is expected that this experience will generate enthusiasm for learning before entering high school and might lead some of these underrepresented students to pursue their education at UM-D, and possibly for a career in geology.

  13. Biochar as a sorbent for chlorinated hydrocarbons - sorption and extraction experiments in single and bi-solute systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schreiter, Inga J.; Wefer-Roehl, Annette; Graber, Ellen R.; Schüth, Christoph

    2017-04-01

    Biochar (BC) is increasingly deemed a potential sorbent for contaminants in soil and water remediation, and brownfield restoration. In this study, sorption and extraction experiments were performed to assess the potential of three different BCs to sorb and retain the chlorinated hydrocarbons trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE). BCs studied were produced from wood chips, grain husk, and cattle manure at 450 °C. A commercially available activated carbon (AC) served as a reference. The sorption behaviour was studied in batch experiments in single solute and bi-solute systems. Resulting isotherms were fitted to the Freundlich model. To assess the desorption behaviour, a five-step extraction scheme (water at 40°C, water at 80°C, methanol at 50°C, toluene at 50°C, and n-hexane at 50°) was developed, utilizing Accelerated Solvent Extraction. Isotherms revealed distinct differences in sorption behaviour depending on BC feedstock. Sorption capacity ranked as follows: wood chip BC > grain husk BC > cattle manure BC for both contaminants. This sequence could be attributable to an increasing specific surface area, an increasing amount of carbon, and a decreasing ash content of the sorbents. It is noteworthy that all three BCs were more effective in adsorbing TCE, which is surprising, given the higher logKow of PCE. The reverse was observed for the AC. Here, sorption is purely driven by the hydrophobicity of the compound rather than sorbent properties. In bi-solute experiments, PCE sorbed as good as or stronger than TCE, yet the total mass of sorbed compounds increased slightly. In contrast, AC showed a significant decrease of TCE sorption and no significant changes in the total mass sorbed. Extraction experiments revealed that for all BCs a large fraction of the contaminants could not be readily desorbed. In all cases, water remobilized < 5 % of the total contaminant mass and up to 70 % could not be extracted by any of the solvents. The findings suggest that BC is a promising sorbent for mixed contaminant systems as it offers a diverse nature of sorption sites and is more effective in long-term immobilization than AC.

  14. Airborne electromagnetics data interactive visualisation and exploratory data analysis using Cloud technologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golodoniuc, P.; Davis, A. C.; Klump, J. F.

    2017-12-01

    Electromagnetic exploration techniques are extensively used for remote detection and measurement of subsurface electrical conductivity structures for a variety of geophysical applications such as mineral exploration and groundwater detection. The Electromagnetic Applications group in the Mineral Resources business unit of CSIRO heavily relies upon the use of airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data for the development of new exploration methods. AEM data, which are often originally acquired for green- or brown-fields exploration for minerals, can be re-used for groundwater resource detection in the near-surface. This makes AEM data potentially useful beyond their initial purpose for decades into the future. Increasingly, AEM data are also used as a primary mapping tool for groundwater resources. With surveys ranging from under 1000 km to tens of thousands of km in total length, AEM data are spatially and temporally dense. Sounding stations are often sampled every 0.2 seconds, with about 30-50 measurements taken at each site, resulting in a spacing of measurements along the flight lines of approximately 20­-50 metres. This means that typical AEM surveys can easily have on the order of millions of individual stations, with tens of millions of measurements. AEM data needs to be examined for data quality before it can be inverted into conductivity-depth information. Data, which is gathered in survey transects or lines, is examined both along the line, in a plan view and for the transient decay of the electromagnetic signal of individual stations before noise artefacts can be removed. The complexity of the data, its size and dimensionality require efficient tools that support interactive visual data analysis and allows easy navigation through the dataset. A suite of numerical algorithms for data quality assurance facilitates this process through efficient visualisations and data quality metrics. The extensible architecture of the toolkit allows application of custom algorithms on-demand through a web-based user interface and seamlessly connects data processing workflow to geophysical inversion codes. The toolkit architecture has a small client-side footprint and runs on a standard workstation, delegating all computationally intensive tasks to the accompanying Cloud-based processing unit.

  15. ODIP II: An International Effort Promoting the Development of a Global Framework for Marine Data Management to Support Large-scale Ocean Research

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Golodoniuc, P.; Davis, A. C.; Klump, J. F.

    2016-12-01

    Electromagnetic exploration techniques are extensively used for remote detection and measurement of subsurface electrical conductivity structures for a variety of geophysical applications such as mineral exploration and groundwater detection. The Electromagnetic Applications group in the Mineral Resources business unit of CSIRO heavily relies upon the use of airborne electromagnetic (AEM) data for the development of new exploration methods. AEM data, which are often originally acquired for green- or brown-fields exploration for minerals, can be re-used for groundwater resource detection in the near-surface. This makes AEM data potentially useful beyond their initial purpose for decades into the future. Increasingly, AEM data are also used as a primary mapping tool for groundwater resources. With surveys ranging from under 1000 km to tens of thousands of km in total length, AEM data are spatially and temporally dense. Sounding stations are often sampled every 0.2 seconds, with about 30-50 measurements taken at each site, resulting in a spacing of measurements along the flight lines of approximately 20­-50 metres. This means that typical AEM surveys can easily have on the order of millions of individual stations, with tens of millions of measurements. AEM data needs to be examined for data quality before it can be inverted into conductivity-depth information. Data, which is gathered in survey transects or lines, is examined both along the line, in a plan view and for the transient decay of the electromagnetic signal of individual stations before noise artefacts can be removed. The complexity of the data, its size and dimensionality require efficient tools that support interactive visual data analysis and allows easy navigation through the dataset. A suite of numerical algorithms for data quality assurance facilitates this process through efficient visualisations and data quality metrics. The extensible architecture of the toolkit allows application of custom algorithms on-demand through a web-based user interface and seamlessly connects data processing workflow to geophysical inversion codes. The toolkit architecture has a small client-side footprint and runs on a standard workstation, delegating all computationally intensive tasks to the accompanying Cloud-based processing unit.

  16. PLUS: 'Planning Land Use with Students' is a Local Land Use Policy That Showcase the Geosciences

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turrin, M.

    2014-12-01

    Land Use decisions in the local community are well represented in geoscience topics and issues, and provide an excellent opportunity to showcase a wide range of geoscience careers to high school students. In PLUS (Planning Land Use with Students) we work with youth corps, volunteer agencies and the County Departments of Planning, Transportation, Public Health, Water Resources to run a program for high school seniors to engage the students in the complex layers of decision making connected with land use as we showcase geoscience careers (http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/edu/plus/index.html). How development occurs, what resources are in use and who makes these decisions is both interesting and relevant for students. We develop case studies around current, active, local land use issues large enough in scale to have a formal environmental review at the County and/or the State level. Sections of each case study are dedicated to addressing the range of environmental issues that are central to each land use decision. Water, its availability, planned use and treatment on the site, brings in both a review of local hydrology and a discussion of storm water management. Air quality and the impact of the proposed project's density, transportation plans, and commercial and industrial uses brings in air quality issues like air quality ratings, existing pollution, and local air monitoring. A review of the site plans brings in grading plans for the project area, which highlights issues of drainage, soil stability, and exposure to toxins or pollutants depending on the historic use of the site. Brownfield redevelopments are especially challenging with various monitoring, clean up and usage restrictions that are extremely interesting to the students. Students' work with mentors from the community who represent various roles in the planning process including a range of geosciences, community business members and other players in the planning process. This interplay of individuals provides a realistic look at the forces that move land use decision-making in a community. Discussion of impacts and mitigations highlight the intersection of policy and science. Debate arises on how much science should guide policy and how much land use policy decisions require science monitoring, pushing new scientific developments.

  17. The properties and evolution of artificial soil-like bodies in the urban environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ivannikov, Fedor; Prokofieva, Tatiana

    2010-05-01

    Technogenic sediments as well as urban brownfields make to 90 % from the area of territory of Moscow. Today, in Moscow soil remediation and reclamation occurs by designing and constructing of lawns. Both naked sediments and mature city soils - urbanozems (according prof. M.Stroganova, Urbic Thechnosol - according WRB), are exposing by this reclamation. The reclaiming soil-like bodies named tehnozems (Technosols?). After their creation, tehnozems begin to operate under natural soil processes. This, in our opinion, can be considered the zero-moment for city soil formation The purpose of our research was to reveal the basic trend in technozems transformations, and also to understand the effectiveness of reclamation through construction on various tehnozem bases. In our research we examine sites within the city boundaries on various elements of a relief with various ages and different histories of nature management. The most typical objects of research - different varieties of city soils and soil-like bodies - have been allocated on these sites. With these objects we perform a set of physical, chemical and biological analyses. The following characteristics were identified: pH(H2O), organic carbon, soluble potassium, available phosphorus, total content of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb), Red-Ox potential, penetration resistance, bulk density, cellulosolytic activity, species composition of soil animals and microbiological inoculation on anitrogenous medium Then, having learned the properties of city soils and soil-like bodies, we have tried to construct a trend of anthropogenous transformation of soil-like bodies. I. Natural soils collapse under action on settlements and covered by a technogenic ground. Then it is imposed a peat compost mix on them, for reclamation this territories. II. However, recultivation is unable to occur, and weed vegetation begins growing along with the formation of underdeveloped soils (Regosols and Arenosols). Furthermore, in a soil-like body, as well as in underdeveloped soil, soil processes are progressed, for example: humification, calcalization, zooturbation, etc. Technozems are also becoming Regopsols, but humic horizon is forming in both cases in different time (from 5-6 to as many as 30 years) III. Carbonate dust, trace materials, and other products of urban activity are added to soil surface. Then all this products are included in process of soilformation. This urban depositions change soil properties. Accumulation of carbonates, heavy metals, and artifacts is taking place. As a result the special urban soil - urbanozem is forming. It grows till the certain moment while it again not reclamation with formation the technozem on urbanozem basis. .

  18. The Neglected Exactness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Endom, Joerg

    2014-05-01

    Having a look into geophysical text books, you will find for all the described methods detailed lists of good practice. The variety of annotations specifies how to perform a reliable, trusty and plausible geophysical survey. Much space is used for considerations about all the necessary parameters like target depth, contrast, frequency, sampling, resolution and many other boundary conditions that account for a high quality report. But you will find rather fewer comments on locating and positioning. It seems to be self-evident in times of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) and high performance laser total stations that positioning is a solved issue. This seems to apply for all geophysical methods that operate at walking speed or slower and for typical geoscientific or environmental investigation sites like brownfields, wasteland or archaeological spots, usually of nearly rectangular size. Using of measuring tapes, ropes and ranging poles here is also good practice. In civil engineering applications we observe lots of rectangular shaped inspection areas too but we as well get many linear structures like elongated bridge decks, dikes, railway tracks, runways and roads. Surveying of an archaeological place of 60 m by 82 m width requires a different positioning technology than surveying 5000 m along a highway although both sites have the same areal extent of around 5000 m2. If we furthermore take into account that during the last years GPR evolved into one of the fastest investigation methods in geophysics, survey speed becomes an important item. While examining railway tracks or roads today it is common to make use of these high speed capabilities. GPR services are typically performed at speeds of 80 km/h or even with higher velocities. Standard positioning methods do not longer apply to this problem. With speeds of more than 22 m/sec the internal latency of surveying systems gets quite relevant and even the effect of rounding within survey wheel systems is not negligible any more. Locating for example the exact position of joints, rebars on site, getting correct calibration information or overlaying measurements of independent methods requires high accuracy positioning for all data. Different technologies of synchronizing and stabilizing are discussed in this presentation. Furthermore a scale problem for interdisciplinary work between the geotechnical engineer, the civil engineer, the surveyor and the geophysicist is presented. Manufacturers as well as users are addressed to work on a unified methodology that could be implemented in future. This presentation is a contribution to COST Action TU1208.

  19. Urban Planning Aspects of Museum Quarters as an Architectural Medium for Creative Cities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kochergina, Ekaterina

    2017-10-01

    Since the second half of the 20th century, urban environment has experienced significant transformation. Splash of interactivity, bottom-up initiations with development of creative sector of city economy and participatory planning, irretrievably changed the attitude to the urban medium. One of the most intensively growing field - creative industry - provided cities with numerous cultural clusters, which boosted urban economic development and social cohesion. Supported in many cases by gentrification and revitalization, these processes brought renovation of brownfield and more comprehensive approaches to urban design. Understanding of the economic benefits made city managers start an active promotion of creative clusters and their intensive integration into urban life, involving the main museums and cultural institutions. Thus, a new type of cultural clusters - Museum Quarter - appeared. Holding the position of cultural flagman in the historical heart of the city, Museum Quarters (MQs) pretend to take on an important role both in urban planning structure and in social life. Furthermore, such role usually has strong influence on the surrounding districts, in a positive or negative way. Although basic principles are still applied for all types of cultural districts, the phenomena of “Museum Quarters” due to the complexity of planning, operating and maintenance issues, stepped far above basic cultural clusters, requiring substantially new attitude to the planning of such urban entities. Five clusters were chosen for this study: MQs in Vienna, Berlin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and the currently developing project in Budapest. The main purpose of this paper is to elaborate the principles for the practical implementation of Museum Quarters by the definition and classification of their specific urban planning aspects. The complexity of target object - Museum Quarter - and its multi-level relationships with the whole city, require from the research interdisciplinary approach and methodology of systemic-structural analysis. The typology of different MQs - identifying specific and common features - is based on studies of urban grids and architectural characters. The critical observation and comparison of the sociopolitical background and the traditional and modern understanding of museum environment helped to define some crucial misconceptions in interpretation, such as the widespread attitude to the Museum Quarter as a museum building, not as a part of urban medium, causing documented obstacles to development. Consideration of drawbacks and advantages, as the results of this study, showed potential of Museum Quarters as new models of urban environment for smart-governed, economically and socially sustainable contemporary city life.

  20. Detecting potential impacts of deep subsurface CO2 injection on shallow drinking water

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smyth, R. C.; Yang, C.; Romanak, K.; Mickler, P. J.; Lu, J.; Hovorka, S. D.

    2012-12-01

    Presented here are results from one aspect of collective research conducted at Gulf Coast Carbon Center, BEG, Jackson School at UT Austin. The biggest hurdle to public acceptance of CCS is to show that drinking water resources will not be impacted. Since late 1990s our group has been supported by US DOE NETL and private industry to research how best to detect potential impacts to shallow (0 to ~0.25 km) subsurface drinking water from deep (~1 to 3.5 km) injection of CO2. Work has and continues to include (1) field sampling and testing, (2) laboratory batch experiments, (3) geochemical modeling. The objective has been to identify the most sensitive geochemical indicators using data from research-level investigations, which can be economically applied on an industrial-scale. The worst-case scenario would be introduction of CO2 directly into drinking water from a leaking wellbore at a brownfield site. This is unlikely for a properly screened and/or maintained site, but needs to be considered. Our results show aquifer matrix (carbonate vs. clastic) to be critical to interpretation of pH and carbonate (DIC, Alkalinity, and δ13C of DIC) parameters because of the influence of water-rock reaction (buffering vs. non-buffering) on aqueous geochemistry. Field groundwater sampling sites to date are Cranfield, MS and SACROC, TX CO2-EOR oilfields. Two major aquifer types are represented, one dominated by silicate (Cranfield) and the other by carbonate (SACROC) water-rock reactions. We tested sensitivity of geochemical indicators (pH, DIC, Alkalinity, and δ13C of DIC) by modeling the effects of increasing pCO2 on aqueous geochemistry, and laboratory batch experiments, both with partial pressure of CO2 gas (pCO2) at 1x105 Pa (1 atm). Aquifer matrix and groundwater data provided constraints for the geochemical models. We used results from modeling and batch experiments to rank geochemical parameter sensitivity to increased pCO2 into weakly, mildly and strongly sensitive categories for both aquifer systems. DIC concentration is strongly sensitive to increased pCO2 for both aquifers; however, CO2 outgassing during sampling complicates direct field measurement of DIC. Interpretation of data from in-situ push-pull aquifer tests is ongoing and will be used to augment results summarized here. We are currently designing groundwater monitoring plans for two additional industrial-scale sites where we will further test the sensitivity and utility of our sampling approach.

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