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FLORIDA SITE RECEIVES SUPERFUND REDEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE GRANT

Release Date: 07/23/1999
Contact Information: Dawn Harris, EPA Press and Media Relations, 404-562-8421

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that nearly $1 million in grants will be awarded under the Agency's Superfund Redevelopment Initiative -- a new pilot program to help communities restore toxic waste sites to productive use. The Escambia Treating Company in Pensacola, Florida is one of ten sites in the nation selected for the program. By the end of 2000, nearly $5 million in grants will be awarded to 50 communities throughout the country.

"This pilot program is another good example by the Agency to encourage economic redevelopment in the communities," said John H. Hankinson, Jr., EPA Regional Administrator in Atlanta. "Through this initiative, we will work with local government and businesses to clean up the Escambia Treating Company site and turn it into an environmentally safe and economically attractive area."

"The Palafox Corridor is the gateway to the City of Pensacola, but unfortunately has become blighted by two Superfund sites, EPA neighborhood relocation, unused industrial and commercial properties, and high unemployment," said Willie Junior, District 3, Vice-Chairman of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners. "This new EPA program will greatly enhance our planning efforts to redevelop the area with improved neighborhoods, social and environmentally friendly commercial reinvestment and provide for broader public outreach."

The Escambia community will receive up to $100,000 in the form of a cooperative agreement with the local government to conduct reuse assessments and public outreach to help determine the likely future use of the site. The national focus on redeveloping Superfund sites builds on the success the Administration has achieved in its Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative and relies on many of the tools that have been developed over the last six years under the Superfund Administrative Reforms.

In addition to the 50 pilot projects, this Superfund Redevelopment Initiative will also include Superfund policy and guidance changes, partnerships with federal agencies and other organizations, and the exchange of information on how the redevelopment of Superfund sites has occurred in the past.

By working in partnership with states, tribes, other federal agencies, local government, communities, land owners, lenders, developers and responsible parties, EPA will determine critical factors that lead to the successful reuse of Superfund sites and will serve as a conduit for information exchange with other communities across the country. With these pilot grants, EPA will evaluate policies and make necessary changes to promote reuse of these sites. EPA also will create a searchable database that will serve as a clearinghouse of sites that are available for reuse.

The Escambia Treating Company site is located at 3910 North Palafox Street. The 26-acre site is an abandoned wood preserving facility that operated from 1942 until closing in 1982. In October 1991, EPA began a removal action to excavate contaminated materials. The excavated material (225,000 cubic yards) currently is stockpiled under secure cover on-site. In June 1995, EPA nominated the Escambia site as part of a National Relocation Evaluation Pilot. The pilot efforts will also be used be EPA to assist in the development of a national relocation policy. On February 12, 1997, EPA issued the Record of Decision which proposed the relocation of approximately 358 households near the site.

For more information about the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative visit EPA's web page at https://www.epa.gov/superfund/recycling or call the Superfund hotline at 1-800-424-9346 or 703-412-9810.