Restoring Superfund Sites to Public Good

Monday, May 15, 2017, 2:00 PM-3:30 PM EDT (18:00-19:30 GMT)

Superfund sites can be reused in many ways, but many local governments are seeing unique opportunities to use sites for public or local government purposes. From roads to firefighting training facilities, local governments who own or acquire Superfund sites are finding ways to put these properties to good use.

Presenters:

Erica Weyer, U.S. EPA Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (Weyer.erica@Epa.gov or 703-603-9048)

Joe LeMay, U.S. EPA Region 1 (Lemay.joe@epa.gov or 617-918-1323)

Joseph LeMay has been an Environmental Engineer with the US EPA Region 1 for over 30 years.  He is a Remedial Project Manager overseeing the cleanups of the Industri-Plex and Wells G&H Superfund Sites in Massachusetts and serves as Region 1's Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Merrimack College, North Andover, Massachusetts, and is licensed as a Professional Engineer in Massachusetts. 

Helen Bottcher, U.S. EPA Region 10 (bottcher.helen@epa.gov or 206-553-6069)

Helen Bottcher is a Remedial Project Manager at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's regional office in Seattle, Washington. Ms. Bottcher is assigned to the Superfund program, where she works to assess and clean up hazardous waste sites. She earned a Master's Degree in Environmental Management from the University of San Francisco and received her Bachelor's degree from Duke University.

Perry Barrett, Bainbridge Island Metro Park & Recreation District (perry@biparks.org or 206-842-2306 ext 119)

Perry Barrett is the Senior Planner for Bainbridge Island Metro. Parks (BIMPRD). Our agency provides a broad range of recreation as well as natural area preservation for the community of Bainbridge Island, an incorporated city located 30-minutes from downtown Seattle via Washington State ferry. Areas of interest and expertise include community engagement, grants, Superfund site remediation, park and open space land acquisition and park development. Affiliations include Washington State Lands Committee, RCO; Washington State Trails Coalition; American Planning Association, AICP; and National Recreation and Park Association.

Mark Lewis, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (Mark.Lewis@ct.gov or 860-424-3768)

Mark Lewis is the Brownfields Coordinator for the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. Mark works with municipalities, developers, property owners, the US Environmental Protection Agency, other state agencies and other partners to facilitate cleanup of brownfield sites throughout Connecticut, and return those sites to productive use. Mark worked for twenty years in DEEP's Remediation Division as an Environmental Analyst overseeing assessment and cleanup of sites ranging from small drycleaners to Superfund sites including the Naval Submarine Base in Groton. Prior to joining state service Mark worked as an environmental consultant focusing on assessment and remediation of contaminated properties, as a land surveyor, and as a hydrologic technician for the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey. Mark is also a firefighter and squad boss on DEEP's Interstate Wildfire Crew, which responds to wildfires throughout the United States and in Canada. Mark holds a B.S. in geology from Bates College.

Kathleen Castagna, Vita Nuova, LLC

Kathy Castagna brings extensive experience in brownfields arena. She worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Region 1, in the brownfields program as a Certified Project Officer for 15 years out of a 37-year career at EPA. She worked closely with communities who received EPA Brownfields Assessment, Cleanup and Revolving Loan Fund grants to ensure successful utilization of their grant funds and forward motion on their redevelopment plans. She has experience working with rural communities, regional planning agencies and large cities in helping them implement their brownfields program. That expertise includes project management, community involvement, brownfields reuse planning, area-wide planning, addressing environmental justice issues, and helping communities identify additional funding streams for their projects. Ms. Castagna was part of the EPA team that developed the PREPARED Workbook: Process for Risk Evaluation, Property Analysis and Reuse Decisions for Local Governments Considering the Reuse of Contaminated Properties (2011, revised 2016). This workbook was a first in the nation effort by the US EPA and its contractors to develop a comprehensive planning framework for local governments to incorporate risk management principles into their decision-making process for redeveloping contaminated properties.

Moderators:

Michele Mahoney, U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division (mahoney.michele@epa.gov or 703-603-9057)

Michele Mahoney is a Soil Scientist working on issues related to remediation and reuse of contaminated sites within EPA's Superfund program. In order to support practitioners, she researches and reports on knowledge related to treatment technologies for mining sites, use of soil amendments for remediation and redevelopment/reuse, ecological revitalization, ecosystem services, phytotechnologies, and urban gardening. Michele develops and delivers training for the world-renown EPA Clean-Up Information Network (www.cluin.org), particularly a Mining Webinar Series, and topics related to Superfund Redevelopment, Ecological Revitalization, Ecosystem Services, and Phytotechnologies. She also creates and manages content development for the EcoTools and Mining pages on CLU-IN.org.

Michele has worked with EPA for over 20 years. Prior to her current responsibilities, Michele served the Agency as the lead for food waste composting issues and as an environmental fate and ecological risk assessor for pesticide registration. Michele also has experience as a Contractor for EPA and a Laboratory and Field Researcher.

Michele earned a M.S. in Soil Science from the Washington State University, and a B.S. in Agronomy & Environmental Science from Delaware Valley University.

Jean Balent, U.S. EPA Technology Innovation and Field Services Division (balent.jean@epa.gov or 202-566-0832)

Ms Balent is on the staff of the EPA's Technology Innovation and Field Services Division where she has worked to collect and disseminate hazardous waste remediation and characterization information since 2003. Ms Balent manages the Clean Up Information Network website and actively supports online communication and collaboration resources available to EPA. She formerly worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Engineering Division in the Buffalo District. Ms Balent was also a member of the SUNY-Buffalo Groundwater Research Group where she constructed and tested large scale models of groundwater flow. Ms Balent has also conducted research relating to the Great Lakes, environmental remediation, and brownfields re-development. She holds a Bachelor's degree in environmental engineering from SUNY-Buffalo and a Master's degree in Information Technology from AIU.

Webinar Slides and References:

• Introduction, Erica Weyer, U.S. EPA Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (7.98MB/PDF)
• Industri-Plex Superfund Site - SRI Case Study, Joe LeMay, U.S. EPA Region 1 (11.5MB/PDF)
• Wyckoff-Eagle Harbor Site, Helen Bottcher, U.S. EPA Region 10 (6.29MB/PDF)
• The Prepared Process - The Next Generation, Mark Lewis, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection and Kathleen Castagna, U.S. EPA Region 1 (11.6MB/PDF)
• Conclusion, Erica Weyer, U.S. EPA Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (3.15MB/PDF)

Webinar Slides and References:

• Introduction, Erica Weyer, U.S. EPA Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (7.98MB/PDF)
• Industri-Plex Superfund Site - SRI Case Study, Joe LeMay, U.S. EPA Region 1 (11.5MB/PDF)
• Wyckoff-Eagle Harbor Site, Helen Bottcher, U.S. EPA Region 10 (6.29MB/PDF)
• The Prepared Process - The Next Generation, Mark Lewis, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection and Kathleen Castagna, U.S. EPA Region 1 (11.6MB/PDF)
• Conclusion, Erica Weyer, U.S. EPA Superfund Redevelopment Initiative (3.15MB/PDF)

Additional Resources:

• Seminar Archives
• Superfund Redevelopment Initiative Website
• SRI Quarterly Webinar Series Website
• SRI Regional Coordinators
• SRI Partnerships
• PREPARED Municipal Workbook
• Restoration and Remembrance: Integrating Community Priorities and Cleanup Plans