Feature
From Polluted Shore to Public Trail
So often the murkiness and complexity of contaminated sites make it hard to imagine a happy ending for them. It’s encouraging then to learn about a site that will be cleaned up as part of a massive green space project. That’s just what’s happening with a former concrete plant located in Gorst, Washington.
The Port Orchard Sand and Gravel Concrete Batch Plant, located on the western edge of Kitsap County’s Sinclair Inlet, was the site of a concrete processing facility for about three decades. As a result, more than two acres of the site are contaminated with arsenic, pentachlorophenol and organic contaminants.
Kitsap County was the recipient of both a $200,000 EPA Brownfields cleanup grant and an equally funded assessment grant. The county was awarded the grants because it’s home to numerous contaminated sites in close proximity to many miles of marine shoreline, and because its population has more than doubled in the last 25 years. This rapid growth has led to the development of raw land as potentially contaminated sites are bypassed for “easier” properties. As a result, in addition to the loss of open spaces, the county still has at least 79 contaminated leaking underground storage tank sites that need to be cleaned up.
Following cleanup of the plant, the county and the land owner plan to restore the native estuarine habitat at Sinclair Inlet and make it part of the Mosquito Fleet Trail, a 57-mile hike and bike trail that will connect the northern and southern tips of Kitsap County, from Kingston to Southworth. The former brownfield site will become one part of this grand plan to link 89 public facilities designed for recreation and community use: parks, marinas, schools, community centers, libraries, ferry and bus stops, bike rentals, as well as water, mountain and rural vistas.
The trail will also feature cultural historic sites, including some of the Mosquito Fleet docks, which nearly 150 years ago welcomed agile steam boats that “buzzed” the ports and gave the trail its name. Ultimately, the trail will connect four cities (Port Orchard, Bremerton, Poulsbo and Bainbridge) and 25 communities.
The section that will stretch from Bremerton to Gorst along the Sinclair Inlet and include the former brownfields site will provide access to one of the most scenic parts of the trail. The Sinclair Inlet Wildlife Viewing Area will offer fabulous views of native birds feeding in the tidelands, and pedestrians visiting that area will likely have access to Pixie Park, Prendergast Regional Park, Ross Point Tidelands and Kitsap Marina. It’s an aesthetic improvement that might also give a boost to the economic health of the surrounding commercial areas.
The redevelopment of this particular brownfield site is just one small part of a massive green space effort that will take years to complete, but the environmental, economic and public benefit will be well worth the effort.
Groundwork
Getting Started on a Brownfield
In 2004, North Portland Bible College got serious about expansion.
Over the years, the small private college had acquired adjacent land through donations and purchases. All told, the college had about two-thirds of a city block to build on.
The idea was to turn vacant land into classrooms and a new library, as well as a family center that would provide the surrounding community with a place to hold meetings, banquets and youth programs. The college, which specializes in urban ministry, also hoped to create a literacy program for their Alberta area neighbors in these new buildings.
Already, the college had taken over several drug houses, renovated them and turned them into classrooms. These classrooms, along with college administration offices and buildings, sit adjacent to the vacant land. But what college officials didn’t realize was the vacant land they planned to build on was probably contaminated.
“People started talking, telling us there used to be a service station,” says Earnestine Cellestine, the college’s vice president of administration, who remembers thinking, “Oh no.” Cleaning up a brownfield wasn’t something the college knew how to do.
“We came into this situation with no knowledge,” Cellestine admits.
Cellestine took action right away. She called the City of Portland and learned the gas station’s underground storage tanks had been removed years ago. Even so, the site would likely require a major cleanup effort.
They quickly learned that the resources are there to help an organization like theirs get started. By making phone calls and asking for help, the college is moving forward and tackling their brownfield head on.
In June, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is expected to begin a thorough site assessment to find out just what—exactly—is lurking below the ground.
Assessment costs are often a stumbling block for an organization that wants to redevelop a property but doesn’t have the funds to start. This assessment, which could have totaled tens of thousands of dollars, is being paid for by an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant channeled through DEQ.
Lining up funds and needs is part of DEQ’s role. “We have our eyes peeled for these types of opportunities to utilize EPA funding,” explains Bob Williams, program representative for the DEQ’s Northwest Region cleanup program.
“We’ve been working on an education program trying to let people know about the opportunities—and it’s coming to fruition,” Williams says.
When asked what advice they’d give to another organization facing a similar challenge, college officials say it’s critical to ask for help if you find yourself with a brownfield on your hands.
Cellestine says DEQ, EPA and the city’s Bureau of Environmental Services, which runs its own brownfields program, have all helped the college move ahead with its plans.
“It’s making phone calls and saying ‘What do we do?’” Cellestine says. “They answer all our questions. They’re never too busy for us.”
Henning Larsen, who is helping oversee the North Portland Bible College project for DEQ, says phone calls and face-to-face meetings often make the difference in who receives grants and other assistance.
“It’s not like you get selected from a list,” Larsen says. “It’s more that these people have gone out and personally contacted the city and made them aware of the situation.… It comes down to networking and communicating with the right folks.”
As land becomes scarcer, especially in areas such as Portland, which is hemmed in by a strong urban growth boundary, redeveloping brownfields has become even more attractive.
“People are looking around for properties to develop,” Williams says.
The next step is to make sure they know how to get started once they’ve got the land.
