Superfund Redevelopment Initiative Timeline - Printable Version

2019 marks the 20th anniversary for the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative. This program develops cutting-edge tools and resources to address evolving community priorities and tackle new challenges. Below you will find a timeline highlighting some of the most notable milestones in the history of the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative. Click on the links for more information about a particular topic or event.

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1999

• First Pilot Grants for Superfund Redevelopment
  In 1999, the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative kicked off supporting communities by providing resources to explore Superfund reuse through pilot-grant cooperative agreements. The pilot program helped almost 70 communities lay the groundwork for successful Superfund redevelopment projects. Today, the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative continues to provide on-the-ground reuse support to communities. Since 1999, the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative has provided efficient, dynamic reuse support services to over 350 communities nationwide.
  Learn more about the pilot program

2000

• First Reuse Assessment​
  In 2000, the city of Midvale, Utah, used its Superfund Redevelopment Initiative pilot grant to develop the groundbreaking Bingham Junction Reuse Assessment and Master Plan for the Midvale Slag Superfund site. Today, the site is home to Bingham Junction, a thriving mixed-use development supporting thousands of jobs.
  Cleanup and Mixed-Use Revitalization on the Wasatch Front: The Midvale Slag Superfund Site and Midvale City, Utah (PDF)
  From Midvale Slag to Bingham Junction (Video)


• Superfund Redevelopment Initiative Partners with Rails to Trails Conservancy

  In 2000, SRI partnered with the Rails to Trails Conservancy to open the Mineral Belt Trail at the California Gulch Superfund site in Leadville, Colorado. This nationally-recognized recreational trail is built around the city along a railroad grade, which weaves through the historic mining district highlighting the community’s history and heritage.
  Superfund Redevelopment Partnerships
  Rails to Trails Conservancy

2001

• Publication of Reuse Assessment Guidance

  In June 2001, SRI published guidance that created a critical tool for integrating reuse considerations into the cleanup process.
  Reuse Assessments: A Tool to Implement the Land Use Directive (PDF)(24 pp, 83 K)

2002

• Landfill Gas to Electricity Plant
  In 2002, site stakeholders installed six microturbines at the Operating Industries, Inc., Landfill in Monterey Park, California. These microturbines converted landfill gas at the site into electricity, which powered the cleanup and saved nearly $21,000 in energy costs each month.
  Operating Industries, Inc. Reuse Snapshot

2003

• First Ready for Reuse (RfR) Determination
  In July 2003, EPA, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas City co-signed the nation’s first Ready for Reuse Determination, for the Tex Tin, Inc. Superfund site in Texas City, Texas. The EPA site status report summarized site history, cleanup actions and the remedy’s compatibility with industrial uses. A bulk oil storage and transfer facility is now located on site. To date, the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative has supported 23 Ready for Reuse Determinations.
  Ready for Reuse Determinations at Superfund Sites

2004

• Return to Use Initiative
  In November 2004, the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative announced the Return to Use Initiative at an event at the Butterworth #2 Landfill Superfund site in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Return to Use Initiative focused on unused sites that were cleaned up prior to EPA’s emphasis on considering reuse during cleanup activities.

2005

• First Superfund Reuse Inquiry Process

  EPA Region 4 supported the first Prospective Purchaser Inquiry Service. The service provides accurate, comprehensive information about Superfund sites free of charge. A response team helps address questions prospective purchasers may have about a site’s Superfund status, helping them make informed and timely decisions about the purchase and use of a Superfund site.
  Prospective Purchaser Inquiry Process (PDF)(4 pp, 802)

• Superfund Redevelopment Initiative Partners with U.S. Soccer Foundation

  In 2005, the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative partnered with the United States Soccer Foundation at the Whitmoyer Laboratories Superfund site in Jackson Township, Pennsylvania, to build soccer fields at Jackson Recreation Park.
  Superfund Redevelopment Partnerships
  United States Soccer Foundation
  Whitmoyer Laboratories Site Redevelopment (Video)

• Establishment of the EPA Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use Performance Measure
  In 2006, the Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Use performance measure became EPA’s first reuse-focused Government Performance and Results Act performance measure.
  Performance Measures at Superfund Sites
   
• First-Ever Cleanup by a Non-Liable Party
  A Superfund Redevelopment Initiative pilot grant to the city of Houston, Texas, supported community planning efforts for the potential reuse of the Many Diversified Interests, Inc. (MDI) Superfund site. The resulting plan recommended mixed residential, recreational and neighborhood-scale commercial uses for the site. In 2006, to help spur redevelopment opportunities at the site, a non-liable prospective purchaser entered into an agreement with EPA to implement part of the cleanup plan. The prospective purchaser completed cleanup of on-site soils in 2008. MDI is the first-ever Superfund cleanup conducted by a non-liable party; it saved taxpayers $6.6 million in cleanup costs.
  Many Diversified Interests, Inc. Site Profile page

2007

• Ready for Reuse (RfR) Determination in Region 5
  In September 2007, EPA issued a Ready for Reuse Determination for the Ingram-Richardson Superfund site in Frankfort, Indiana. A non-profit organization now operates on site and provides services to clients with developmental disabilities.
  Ready for Reuse Determination: Ingram-Richardson Superfund Site (PDF)

2008

• First In-Depth Case Study
  In 2008, SRI published the first Superfund Redevelopment In-Depth Case Study, about the Many Diversified Interests, Inc. Superfund Site in Houston, Texas. These in-depth case studies explore Superfund reuse stories from start to finish.
  In-Depth Case Studies of Superfund Reuse
   
• Superfund Redevelopment Initiative Partners with Academy of Model Aeronautics

  In 2008, EPA partnered with the Academy of Model Aeronautics to open a flying field for model airplanes at the Auburn Road Landfill site in Londonderry, New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Flying Tigers Academy of Model Aeronautics club uses the flying field.
  Superfund Redevelopment Partnerships
  Academy of Model Aeronautics

• Guidance for Prospective Purchasers
  In May 2008, EPA published a report that provides 10 answers to questions a prospective purchaser may have when deciding whether to purchase property at a privately-owned Superfund site.
  Top 10 Questions to Ask When Buying a Superfund Site

• Superfund Redevelopment Initiative Partners with The Trust for Public Land
  EPA worked alongside the city of Maywood, California, and SRI partner, The Trust for Public Land, to open Maywood Riverfront Park in May 2008 as part of the Los Angeles River Greenway project. The park includes soccer fields, basketball courts, a play area, native plant landscaping and picnic areas. Due to popular demand, the park expanded in 2018 onto additional land within the site boundary.
  Superfund Redevelopment Partnerships
  The Trust for Public Land

• First Excellence in Site Reuse Award
  In December 2008, EPA Region 4 recognized the Port Salerno Industrial Park (PSIP) in Martin County, Florida, with the first-ever Excellence in Site Reuse Award for its reuse of the Solitron Microwave Superfund site. PSIP purchased the site property in 2003 and coordinated with EPA during construction of an industrial park for warehouse, office space and commercial facilities. This award inspired all EPA regions to develop similar programs.
  Region 4 Excellence in Site Reuse Award

2009

• Superfund Redevelopment Initiative 10th Anniversary
  EPA celebrated the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative’s 10^th anniversary by hosting a diverse series of webinars featuring Superfund site reuse success stories. EPA continues to host these quarterly webinars.
  Quarterly Webinar Series

2010

• Considering Reasonably Anticipated Future Land Use

  In March 2010, EPA published a document that was critical for laying the groundwork for EPA regions to consider reuse at all phases of a Superfund cleanup.
  Considering Reasonably Anticipated Future Land Use and Reducing Barriers to Reuse at EPA-lead Superfund Remedial Sites (PDF)(14 pp, 1.5 MB)

2011

• First Tracking of the Beneficial Effects of Reuse
  In 2011, the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative started tracking the beneficial effects of reuse in communities. SRI tracks the numbers of businesses located on Superfund sites, as well as the numbers of employees, annual income and annual sales.
  Redevelopment Economics

2012

• Pollinator Partnership

  In September 2012, EPA worked with the Pollinator Partnership and other site stakeholders at the Chemical Commodities, Inc. Superfund site in Olathe, Kansas, to plant a garden habitat. The garden provides a beautiful landscape and offers the community an educational opportunity to learn the importance of pollination. Later that year, EPA Region 7 issued its first Leading Environmentalism and Forwarding Sustainability (LEAFS) Award to Boeing for its leadership in helping to revitalize the site.
  Superfund Redevelopment Partnerships
  Pollinator Partnership
  Plants, People, Pollinators: Environmental Education and Stewardship (Video)

• First SRI Superfund Job Training Initiative
  In December 2012, Superfund Redevelopment Initiative’s first Superfund Job Training Initiative program provided 19 trainees living on the Navajo Nation with new skills and work experience linked to construction and cleanup near Gallup, New Mexico, and on Navajo Nation lands.
  Superfund Job Training Initiative

2013

• Solar Panels Installed at Superfund Site
  In May 2013, the Somerset County Improvement Authority oversaw the installation of over 3,000 solar panels at the TD Bank Ballpark, located at the American Cyanamid Co. Superfund site in Bridgewater, New Jersey. The energy generated from the solar panels provides about 88 percent of the energy used at the ballpark.
  Alternative Energy at Superfund Sites
   
• Superfund Job Training Initiative
  In June 2013, 14 trainees living near the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site in Seattle, Washington, graduated from the Superfund Job Training Initiative program with new skills linked to cleanup of the site.
  Superfund Job Training Initiative

2014

• Superfund Redevelopment Initiative 15th Anniversary
  In 2014, EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Initiative celebrated its 15^th anniversary. To celebrate the event, SRI enhanced its website with additional case studies and information about returning sites to beneficial use. 
   
• First State Excellence in Supporting Reuse Award
  In 2014, EPA developed the State Excellence in Supporting Reuse Award to recognize state partners whose work has led to lasting benefits that enhance community quality of life and ensure the long-term protectiveness of site remedies and stewardship of the environment. In its inaugural year, EPA recognized three state agencies – the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
  State Excellence in Supporting Reuse Award
   
• Publishing of Regional Economic Profiles
  In 2014, the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative completed regional economic profiles for each of the 10 EPA regions. These profiles tell a story about the role of Superfund in the region and the beneficial effects of reusing formerly contaminated properties. They summarize and synthesize economic data collected for Superfund sites within each region and highlight successes.
  Regional Economic Profiles
   
• Region 6 Reuse Award
  In May 2014, EPA Region 6 presented the region’s first “Greenovations Award” to Waste Management of Oklahoma, for their role in constructing a landfill gas-to-diesel fuel energy plant at the Mosley Road Sanitary Landfill site near Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
  Region 6 Reuse Award
   
• Region 3 Reuse Award
  In September 2014, EPA Region 3 awarded the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, with the Excellence in Site Reuse Award for their involvement in the redevelopment of the Palmerton Zinc Superfund site in Palmerton, Pennsylvania.
  Region 3 Reuse Award

2015

• Region 8 Reuse Award
  In April 2015, EPA Region 8 presented the Excellence in Site Reuse Award to the city of Midvale, Utah, for their efforts to reuse and redevelop the Midvale Slag Superfund Site. The site now supports light rail system infrastructure, residences, office buildings, retail stores and recreational amenities.
  Region 8 Reuse Award
   
• Region 2 Reuse Award
  In July 2015, EPA Region 2 presented the region’s first Excellence in Site Reuse award to Brick Township, New Jersey, for the construction of a 24,000 solar panel array on the Brick Township Landfill Superfund site.
  Region 2 Reuse Award
  Brick Township Goes Solar: Redevelopment of a Superfund Site (PDF)
   
• Region 10 Reuse Award
  In August 2015, EPA Region 10 presented the first Howard Orlean Excellence in Site Reuse Award to Mike and Brenda Schlepp, who helped convert 400 acres of agricultural land in Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Basin, part of the Bunker Hill Mining & Metallurgical Complex Superfund site, into healthy wetland habitat. This ecological restoration effort is attracting tundra swans back to the area.
  Region 10 Reuse Award

2016

• Grant for New Health Care Facility
  In May 2016, the East Central Oklahoma Family Center received a $1,000,000 grant to construct a new health center building on the Eagle-Picher Henryetta site in Henryetta, Oklahoma. The grant was made possible due to the Ready for Reuse (RfR) Determination issued by EPA in 2015.
  Ready for Reuse Determination: Eagle-Picher Henryetta Superfund Site (PDF)

2017

• Region 5 Reuse Award
  In April 2017, EPA Region 5 presented their RENEW Award to the city of Kokomo, Indiana, and Inovateus Solar, for their roles in the construction of a 29-acre solar farm at the Continental Steel Superfund site. The solar farm produces enough energy to power 1,000 homes.
  Region 5 Reuse Award
  From Steel to Solar and Soccer: Mixed-Use Redevelopment in Indiana at the Continental Steel Superfund Site in Kokomo, Indiana (PDF)
   
• Superfund Task Force
  In May 2017, EPA established the Superfund Task Force to provide recommendations for improving and expediting site cleanups and promoting redevelopment.
  
   
• Superfund Task Force Recommendation
  In September 2017, the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative reorganized the area of its website to reflect Superfund Task Force activities and consolidate information about reuse opportunities.
   
• Solar Panels Operating at Superfund Site
  In December 2017, the Tucson Airport Authority celebrated the activation of the Tucson International Airport Solar Project at the Tucson International Airport Area Superfund site in Arizona. The 2.5 megawatt elevated solar array was constructed in one of the airport’s parking lots, providing shade for parked cars and saving the airport about $35,000 per month in energy costs.
  Tucson International Airport Area Reuse Snapshot
  Reuse and the Benefit to Community: Tucson International Airport Area Superfund Site (PDF)(27pp, 1.6 MB)

2018

• Superfund Redevelopment Opportunity Sites
  As part of the Superfund Task Force Recommendations, EPA identified a list of 31 sites with the greatest expected redevelopment potential. 
   
• Superfund Job Training Initiative
  In March 2018, 24 trainees graduated from the Superfund Job Training Initiative program at the Madison County Mines Superfund Site in Fredericktown, Missouri.
  Superfund Job Training Initiative
   
• Redevelopment Story Map
  In June 2018, the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative published the Redevelopment Story Map, which provides an overview of the Superfund Redevelopment Opportunity Sites and highlights redevelopment potential at those sites.
  Redevelopment Story Map
   
• Region 1 Reuse Award
  In December 2018, EPA Region 1 presented the Excellence in Site Reuse Award to the town of Walpole, Massachusetts, and the Walpole Council on Aging as part of the grand opening of a new senior center at the Blackburn & Union Privileges Superfund site.
  Region 1 Reuse Award

2019

• Superfund Job Training Initiative
  In March 2019, 13 trainees graduated from the Superfund Job Training Initiative program at the Fairfax St. Wood Treaters Superfund Site in Jacksonville, Florida.
  Superfund Job Training Initiative