FEATURE ARTICLE, OCTOBER 2007

PHASED AND CONFUSED?
Rigorous standards during the Phase I assessment is necessary to complete complicated brownfield developments.
Brian Porter and Brian Tapp

The Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission (SEIRPC) is a regional voluntary association of local governments and schools promoting inter-organizational cooperation in southeast Iowa. In 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $400,000 to the SEIRPC for brownfield properties assessment. With the initial grant, the SEIRPC targeted six properties for environmental assessment, including a former pig iron manufacturing facility located on the banks of the Mississippi and Des Moines rivers. Although the former facility was a reminder of the industrial “glory days” of the community, fear of environmental contamination associated with the site significantly hindered its redevelopment potential. However, if the environmental issues could be addressed, the property’s riverfront location and barge access made it attractive real estate for redevelopment.

Terracon Consultants provided a Phase I environmental site assessment for a former pig iron manufacturing site along the Mississippi and Des Moines rivers in southeast Iowa. During the process, large limestone blocks and other debris measuring were discovered on the property, causing the developers, consultants and municipality to team up for additional site work to complete the assessment correctly, and submit it to the EPA and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in time to continue the redevelopment.

As the SEIRPC’s brownfields consultant, Terracon Consultants Inc. performed a Phase I environmental site assessment to identify environmental conditions that could potentially contaminate the site. The assessment, which included interviews, site reconnaissance and other research, identified several potential sources of contamination. Following the Phase I assessment, Terracon developed a sampling plan for the property. In 2006, with the EPA’s concurrence, Terracon collected samples of soil, groundwater and other materials throughout the property.

Following sample collection, a third party notified Terracon of significant fill that was being deposited on the site that reportedly originated from another heavy industrial site in the community. Terracon had already begun preparing technical reports for the EPA and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) when the project manager received the new fill deposit information. Photographs sent to the Terracon project manager depicted large limestone blocks, concrete, rebar, bricks and other material in several piles on the property. Estimates of the amount of fill were as high as 20,000 cubic yards. Terracon also became aware of outdoor coal storage on the property.

The changed conditions represented the potential for environmental contamination not addressed by Terracon’s previous work. Without hard data to address the potential effects of these conditions in the technical reports, the EPA and IDNR would not be able to provide opinions regarding the property.

Additionally, the sudden presence of this material spurred inquiries to local media. A flurry of telephone conference calls, face-to-face meetings, media interviews and other activities ensued. Stakeholders including the SEIRPC, Terracon, the IDNR, the EPA, community leaders, redevelopment groups and the local government were involved. Panic set in amongst some of the parties. Would the community’s opportunity to redevelop an eyesore be lost because of these conditions? The SEIRPC’s federal grant was nearly exhausted, and the organization did not have sufficient funds to cover the additional work that would be required to address the new issues.

Local government, economic development agencies, and community leaders collaborated to develop funding sources for updating the original Phase I ESA and for conducting the additional sampling to address the changed conditions. Separate reports would be submitted to the IDNR independent of the grant-funded documents. With both sets of reports, the IDNR could get a complete picture of site conditions and issue its much-needed opinion. Due to potential conflict-of-issue perceptions, Terracon did not perform the Phase I ESA update or the additional sampling.

Maintaining site conditions following the field assessment of brownfield properties is vital. This can be difficult when competing economic development opportunities appear to cause a conflict. In this case, the material brought onto the site was from an expansion of another industrial property in the community. The coal was similarly related to other economic activity in the area. Although Terracon and the SEIRPC had negotiated an access agreement with the property owner, the owner did not have a local presence. The material had been deposited on the property without its knowledge, so the situation may not have been avoidable even under the best conditions.

Throughout, it was important to continuously remind all parties of the common, ultimate goal: safe and economically viable redevelopment of the property. Without this in mind, negotiations could have quickly degraded into arguments and the redevelopment potential could have vanished. Due to the professionalism and devotion of all the parties, this was thankfully avoided. As the first federal brownfield grant project targeting an entire region, the National Association of Development Organizations awarded the project a 2006 Innovation Award.

Brian Porter is a registered professional engineer in Iowa and Illinois, and is a senior project manager in Terracon Consultant’s Bettendorf, Iowa, office. Brian Tapp is the executive director of the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission.

©2007 France Publications, Inc. Duplication or reproduction of this article not permitted without authorization from France Publications, Inc. For information on reprints of this article contact Barbara Sherer at (630) 554-6054.