By Keith Ziobron, PE and Samantha Miller, PE, CHA Consulting, Inc.

According to the EPA, there are an estimated 450,000 brownfields in the United States. They can be found in both urban and rural communities, and they range in size from small corner filling stations to former locomotive manufacturing facilities covering hundreds or even thousands of acres. These properties have often been vacant and underutilized for decades. Regardless of size, history and location, their common trait is that they could be complicated to reuse or redevelop due to known or perceived environmental conditions.

Urban brownfield sites are often former industrial sites. They frequently sit in the center of our cities but remain dormant due to the presence of contaminated soil or groundwater, asbestos-containing materials, and/or mold infestation. Perhaps there are dilapidated buildings still standing, long-forgotten underground infrastructure, or years of waste and junk that must be removed before a site is ready for redevelopment.

Rural brownfields are present in nearly every downtown main street where the populations have dwindled or are located along defunct railroad tracks or our rivers. These sites are often hidden by decades of untended brush and vegetation that doesn’t entirely cover the remnants of the past. 

Urban, rural, or somewhere in between, there’s funding available to communities to help them transform these sites into community assets. While some see insurmountable obstacles to reviving these sites, community leaders with vision see limitless opportunities. Two recent case studies, one from Downtown Syracuse, New York, and one across the country in the City of Chiloquin, Oregon, demonstrate the successes that a community can achieve when visions are harnessed and available resources leveraged.

Syracuse, New York

The City of Syracuse is experiencing a rejuvenation with investment in the local economy and revitalization of its downtown. A big part of this revitalization began with the JMA Wireless Tech Campus, which has been a cornerstone of the efforts to foster economic growth, innovation, community development, and stimulate further economic activity and job growth for the city.

The JMA Wireless Tech Campus was developed at 140 Cortland Avenue, a former brownfield site that has been redeveloped into a state-of-the-art 5G manufacturing facility with modern offices and showrooms. This is just the beginning of what the city hopes will be a national hub for 5G technology.

This brownfield site, a former industrial laundry, required a comprehensive remedial investigation, alternative remedial analysis, and a comprehensive remedial design work plan through the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Brownfield Cleanup Program. Historical industrial use of the property resulted in soil, groundwater and soil vapor contamination, primarily chlorinated solvents. Site investigation activities included an extensive soil and groundwater investigation and included the removal of six underground storage tanks, source area treatment via deep soil mixing with zero-valent iron for one plume area, and ex-situ chemical oxidation with groundwater extraction and injection system for a second plume area. As the redevelopment construction progressed, a sub-slab vapor mitigation system and soil cover system were installed on the site for long-term controls.

Following site cleanup, the project focused on the design, permitting and construction of a modern 80,000 SF headquarters and manufacturing facility, including the associated infrastructure for water, sewer, gas, electric, telecommunications, and fire. Infrastructure improvements included new traffic signal design, sanitary sewer lining, and reconstruction of existing 8” and 24” water mains for the city.

The JMA project has served as a catalyst for further investment in the city. Syracuse was recently awarded $40 million in federal funding under the CHIPS and Science Act and $8 million from the State of New York to continue to bolster the semiconductor industry in the region. This added investment is a continuation of the revitalization initiated by the JMA Wireless Tech Campus and the vision of community leaders to bring prosperity and jobs to their city.

Chiloquin, Oregon

As a rural community with a population of just under 800, Chiloquin, Oregon, has leveraged a series of state and federal funding sources to access nearly $1.2 million to date to catalyze redevelopment in their blighted downtown area. More specifically, Chiloquin’s brownfield program is cleaning up two key properties centrally located in the city and has assessed 10 additional properties. To date, the City of Chiloquin has been able to leverage an array of state and federal funding, including:

1.    A $60,000 Business Oregon Assessment grant for the pre-acquisition due diligence of the former Markwardt Brothers Garage site.

2.    A $300,000 EPA Community-wide Assessment grant.

3.    A $402,500 EPA Cleanup grant for the former Markwardt Brothers Garage.

4.    A $200,000 Business Oregon Cleanup grant for removal of asbestos-containing debris associated with the collapsed Chiloquin Mercantile Building.

5.    A $200,000 Business Oregon Cleanup grant to supplement the EPA Cleanup grant for the Markwardt Brothers Garage.

With cleanup complete, the City of Chiloquin has applied for a $15 million EPA Community Change Grant to fund the design and construction of a state-of-the-art community resilience center. Chiloquin is an admirable example of a rural community taking charge of its brownfields and creating something valuable for the future. In fact, the City of Chiloquin was just awarded the 2024 Outstanding Oregon Brownfield Project of the Year at this year’s Oregon Brownfield Conference.

With an eye on the future and the willingness to tap into available resources and brownfield cleanup expertise, other communities, urban like Syracuse or rural like Chiloquin, can realize a better future ahead for their residents.

About the Authors:

Keith Ziobron, PE, is a senior project manager and leads the brownfield program at CHA Consulting, Inc. He has over 38 years of experience in environmental engineering, including brownfield funding, assessment and redevelopment, remediation services, environmental compliance and permitting, and planning/economic development-related services. Keith has been helping secure and manage USEPA Brownfield grant funding since 2001. In all, he has assisted more than 25 communities to establish Brownfield programs and is currently managing four EPA Community-wide Assessment grants, two EPA Brownfield Cleanup grants, and three EPA Revolving Loan Fund grants. You can reach Keith at kziobron@chasolutions.com or 678-787-9576.

Samantha Miller, PE, is a senior engineer at CHA Consulting, Inc. She has 12 years of experience providing engineering services for environmental projects, including performing environmental monitoring, construction observation services, remediation system designs, bulk storage tank inspections, developing site management plans, and regulatory negotiation and coordination. Samantha has worked on various regulated sites, including petroleum and chemical remediation sites, tank cleanup sites, solid waste facility closures, and vapor intrusion mitigation projects. You can reach Samantha at smiller@chasolutions.com or 315-257-7154.

The Authors:

Keith Ziobron, PE, is a senior project manager and leads the brownfield program at CHA Consulting, Inc. He has over 38 years of experience in environmental engineering, including brownfield funding, assessment and redevelopment, remediation services, environmental compliance and permitting, and planning/economic development-related services. Keith has been helping secure and manage USEPA Brownfield grant funding since 2001. In all, he has assisted more than 25 communities to establish Brownfield programs and is currently managing four EPA Community-wide Assessment grants, two EPA Brownfield Cleanup grants, and three EPA Revolving Loan Fund grants. You can reach Keith at kziobron@chasolutions.com or 678-787-9576.

Samantha Miller, PE, is a senior engineer at CHA Consulting, Inc. She has 12 years of experience providing engineering services for environmental projects, including performing environmental monitoring, construction observation services, remediation system designs, bulk storage tank inspections, developing site management plans, and regulatory negotiation and coordination. Samantha has worked on various regulated sites, including petroleum and chemical remediation sites, tank cleanup sites, solid waste facility closures, and vapor intrusion mitigation projects. You can reach Samantha at smiller@chasolutions.com or 315-257-7154.