INC NEWS - Durham Brownfields Project Update

[Blalock, Amy]

City of Durham Brownfields Project Status Update

 

Northeast Central Durham residents and business owners are participating
in a unique project to determine if their properties have been impacted
by potentially hazardous substances, thanks to the City of Durham's
Brownfields Assessment Project.

 

The project, funded by a $200,000 grant from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), is scheduled for completion in September 2009
and enables the City to assess brownfield properties, which are
properties with known or perceived contamination.  Typically, these
properties were once used for commercial or industrial purposes and are
now targeted for redevelopment as part of the Northeast Central Durham
Strategic Revitalization Plan.  Examples of brownfields sites are
abandoned factories, gas stations, oil storage facilities, and other
businesses that historically used chemical substances.  Additionally,
residential or commercial properties that may have been impacted by
contamination from an adjacent property may also be considered
brownfields sites.  Such properties must be determined to be safe and
potentially cleaned up from contamination such that the property is safe
for the future intended use before they can be redeveloped and used for
new purposes such as housing, retail stores and parks. 

 

The City introduced the Brownfields Assessment Project at a "project
kick-off" meeting at Eastway Elementary School on October 25, 2007.
City officials introduced the project and the City's contractor,
Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), gave a presentation on the
EPA Brownfields Grant Program.  Staff from North Carolina Central
University (NCCU), which is leading the public involvement and outreach
efforts, presented information on how residents and property owners
could get involved in the project.

 

As part of this assessment, the City is conducting an inventory and
selection of prospective properties to be included in the environmental
site assessments.  Thus far, more than 200 letters have been sent to
property owners in the targeted areas inquiring about their interest and
participation in the assessment.  Four initial properties have been
selected for assessments which are slated to begin in February 2008.  

 

On February 5, the recently developed Durham Brownfields Task Force will
meet to discuss project activities and outreach efforts in the community
on Brownfield issues.  The 20-member task force consists of community
leaders, North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(NCDENR) staff, City staff, property owners/developers, consultants and
residents. 

 

Citizens with questions or comments on the project may contact Grace
Dzidzienyo, project manager with the City's Office of Economic and
Workforce Development, at (919) 560-4965 or via e-mail at 
grace.dzidzienyo at durhamnc.gov, or Marion Lamberth with the NCCU
Department of Environmental, Earth and Geospatial Science at (919)
530-6673.  Additionally, a project Web site has been established at 
www.ctcbrownfields.com/durham or 
www.durhamnc.gov/departments/ccd/sop.cfm.  

 

 

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