Properties sought for brownfield surveys

STEUBENVILLE - Overcoming fear of the initials "EPA" will be among the biggest hurdles to overcome in spending a $1 million federal Brownfield Assessment Grant in Jefferson County.

The county's task force met Wednesday afternoon with representatives of the consulting firm RMT Inc. of Dublin to discuss priorities for the grant spending.

The grant includes $709,000 for hazardous substance studies and $219,000 for petroleum site studies on brownfields, which are abandoned or unused industrial or commercial sites that may have some environmental hazards, or at least perception of environmental hazards. Petroleum sites can be anything from old corner gasoline stations to bulk oil storage facilities, explained Larry S. Smith, senior client service manager from RMT.

The grant would cover the cost of conducting historic studies of the use of a site, called a Phase I study, and could move to more detailed scientific sampling of soils and groundwater in a Phase II study for certain sites. The concept is to get properties ready for redevelopment. Environmental studies are required by most lending authorities, noted Smith.

"No educated buyer will buy a site without at least a Phase I study," Smith said. He emphasized property owners who grant permission for the studies are not going to be forced by the EPA to spend on site cleanup.

Domenick Mucci, director of the county regional planning commission, which spearheaded the grant application with sponsorship from the cities of Steubenville and Toronto and the village of Mingo Junction, said the task force has to start identifying sites where the environmental studies should be done. Smith suggested the priority areas for the area would be along the Ohio River.

Mucci said, "We'd like to identify sites that potentially have an end user."

Ed Looman, executive director of the Progress Alliance economic development organization, said he receives many requests from site selection groups looking for property to locate industries along the Ohio River.

"If you look at a map, you'd think Jefferson County has a lot of riverfront property, but we don't have a lot available, especially shovel-ready," he said. Looman said having available properties that have undergone environmental studies and are ready for resale or reuse for development would put Jefferson County in a better position to compete with larger areas in the battle for commercial and industrial firms seeking locations.

The Phase I studies generally are considered valid for 180 days after completion before updates would be required, Smith said.

He emphasized the program is not one meant to bring any EPA enforcement.

"This is not part of the U.S. EPA's programs that do that. This is voluntary," he said. "It is not a way to require cleanup or enforcement."

Smith suggested that property owners should consider using the grant because the studies are required before sales take place.

"If you don't get them done you won't be able to sell a property, and that could saddle you or your children with keeping a property with zero, or even negative value," Smith said.

John Brown, executive director of the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning commission, said for property owners, the grant program can represent a savings of about $3,000 for a Phase I study and as much as $40,000 for a Phase II study. Brown's agency obtained similar grants for Brooke and Hancock counties.

Mucci said a key is finding property owners willing to participate in the study, who will give permission to perform the surveys.

Mucci told the task force to spend some time during the Christmas holidays thinking about properties and property owners who would participate in the program. The task force will meet again in January to continue compiling a list of property owners to contact. A public session explaining the grant session will be scheduled in the first quarter of 2010.

Mucci said the goal is to have sites listed on the county's geographic information system for access from the Internet to allow developers to have easy access to potential construction sites.

The group began brainstorming a list of potential properties across the county, from old gasoline stations and closed car dealerships to larger factory sites that could be targeted for requests to participate in the environmental studies.

Smith said the grant plans include 25 to 35 Phase I studies and of those, progressing to 12 to 18 Phase II studies. Remaining funds in the grant could then be used to put together between three and five remedial action plans. The grant would not be spent for actual removal of hazards or cleanup of sites. Smith said sites that are ready for cleanup after assessments could obtain up to $200,000 from an EPA cleanup program or as much as $3 million per site from the Clean Ohio grant program.

Mucci noted Jefferson County was one of just 14 areas nationwide to receive a $1 million assessment grant in 2009.

(Giannamore can be contacted at pgiannamore@heraldstaronline.com.)