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| What is Reuse & Redevelopment? |
Other Links |
| Reuse and Redevelopment Services |
News and Updates  |
| R&R in Action: Success Stories |
Brownfields in Alaska |
| Prospective Purchaser Agreements |
 DEC's Brownfield Assessments |
| Contact our staff |
 EPA Funding Opportunities |
What is Reuse & Redevelopment?
Every city and borough, both urban and rural, has vacant, underused, and potentially contaminated properties. The Contaminated Sites Program for many years has used a number of tools to promote reuse of this land - tools which both speed redevelopment and protect future land users from exposure. Real or feared contamination can complicate the reuse of property, and it impacts the economic well-being of many Alaskans. Contamination which is underground, in either soil or water, can present little or no risk to human health unless the land is disturbed during land use changes or redevelopment.
Recognizing that human health and economic considerations go hand in hand when revitalizing contaminated properties, the program is emphasizing efforts to put land back into use through the Reuse & Redevelopment (R&R) Initiative. Some of these properties fit the federal definition of "brownfields" (see our brownfields page).
This new focus is an important part of DEC's strategy to address Alaska 's contaminated sites. The strategy emphasizes reasonable regulatory oversight that protects the people of Alaska from exposure to pollutants and contributes to the economic well-being of its communities. |
Rehabilitated contaminated sites
The Alaska Pulp Corporations' Sitka pulp mill operated from 1959 to 1993.
Extensive contamination has been cleaned up allowing an industrial park on the grounds.
More information on the site summary. |
DEC fosters economic vitality through facilitating reuse and rehabilitation of contaminated properties in both urban and rural areas throughout the state. Sites which fit this category have been addressed by DEC in order to:
- Complete a transfer of commercial land.
- Construct a commercial interest.
- Complete development of a speculative commercial or residential interest.
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- Complete a community redevelopment project.
- Reuse government-owned site.
- Transfer land from government ownership.
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Reuse & Redevelopment Services
DEC provides "R&R" for Alaska's communities, helping revitalize land that's been stigmatized as contaminated, while protecting public health. DEC assists parties in researching, assessing, and transferring property associated with redevelopment of contaminated land. Services range from assistance in clarifying liability prior to a property transaction with prospective purchaser agreements to site assessments for eligible brownfield sites. Follow the links below for examples of successful rehabilitation:
- DEC determines reasonable and appropriate cleanup goals.
- DEC may fund assessment and cleanup.
- DEC facilitates assessments to determine the extent of contamination.
- DEC prioritizes and expedites regulatory approvals necessary to facilitate property transfers.
- DEC sets conditions allowing sites to be used until cleanup levels are met.
- DEC clarifies liability for cleanup costs for prospective purchasers.
- DEC works closely with the military on sites to be transferred to public ownership
- DEC keeps databases of Contaminated Sites and Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
- DEC assists applicants in getting EPA Brownfield funding
R&R in Action: Success Stories
DEC provides "R&R" for Alaska's communities, helping revitalize land with the stigma of contamination while protecting public health. Here are a number of examples of successful rehabilitation:
1. DEC determines reasonable and appropriate cleanup goals that are protective of public health, while allowing the property to be put back into productive reuse. DEC works with landowners to put controls in place at sites to protect the public while allowing for redevelopment where complete cleanup is not technically or financially feasible.
- Arctic Surplus, Fairbanks: This former salvage yard site is now available for industrial/commercial use for the first time since 1989. After extensive cleanup of this Superfund site, marred by multiple contaminants and explosives, some contamination remained in a former landfill. Institutional controls were set in the form of restrictions on land use, drinking water wells, and disturbance of an impermeable cap.
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Institutional controls were set restricting land use, drinking water wells, and disturbance of an impermeable cap. A small area of contamination remained over a former landfill. The areas was capped and is ready for industrial/commercial use. (More information on site summary.)
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- Various North Slope oil exploration and drilling sites: Conditions of site closure may require departmental approval and possibly further treatment if the gravel from drilling pads is later moved elsewhere for reuse. To minimize environmental impact of oil exploration and drilling, state and federal conditions of oil and gas leasing often require recycling of gravel. Only a few other sources of gravel are approved.
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- A former state road maintenance station in Soldotna had multiple sources of contamination in 1992.
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Now a park next to the Kenai River, the site's remaining contamination is below-ground, and park users are not exposed to it while natural break-down occurs. Monitoring wells are covered with cement discs. (More information on site summary.) |
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2. DEC funds assessment and cleanup at sites putting them back into productive reuse. The State may assume the lead role in assessment and cleanup at sites where the responsible party is unwilling or unable to respond. DEC will assess the risk and take measures necessary to eliminate risk and allow productive re-use. The State can recover its costs through liens and/or future prospective purchasers agreements.
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- Wrangell Institute: The Contaminated Sites Program used Capital Improvement Program funds to assess contamination at this former Bureau of Indian Affairs school for Native children. Leaks and spills of heating fuel had occurred along transfer and fueling systems. Taking the first step has enabled DEC to proceed in negotiations for cleanup to commence, led by the multiple responsible parties. (More information on site summary.) The Tlingit Haida Regional Housing Authority is interested in purchasing the property to construct a retirement community and cultural center.
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- M & M Enterprises, Anchorage: The Contaminated Sites Program assumed the lead role in the investigation and cleanup of this residential property occupied by the owners of this battery recycling business. DEC identified the lead-contaminated areas and fenced the property to prevent human exposure. A cleanup plan is being developed to excavate and remove the soil to allow it to be used in the future.
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3. DEC facilitates assessment
DEC helps eligible applicants (city and borough governments, villages, tribal councils, Native corporations, and non-profits) identify environmental conditions that may preclude development at their properties through our DEC Brownfield Assessments (DBAs). This service identifies contamination at a property, summarizes how the contamination may limit future use, and provides an estimate of cleanup costs. DEC conducts several DBAs each year, using brownfield funding from EPA.
(See more information about this.)
Assessments provide additional data at sites where a lack of environmental information has thwarted redevelopment opportunities. DEC has conducted assessments at many locations throughout Alaska through a State and Tribal Response Program Grant from EPA. See information about individual assessments.
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4. DEC prioritizes and expedites regulatory approvals necessary to facilitate property transfers.
DEC is able to speed redevelopment of land while also protecting future land users from exposure. Recognizing that human health and economic considerations go hand in hand when revitalizing contaminated properties, DEC is able to work with land owners and interested purchasers on cleanup of contamination and/or setting conditions of land use so that future users will not be exposed to contamination which is impossible or impractical to clean up. DEC also has a Streamlined Cleanup Program (SCP) to simplify the regulatory process at low-risk sites and has expedited the approval process at other sites to enable timely development.
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Bentley Trust Property: The Contaminated Sites Program worked with the Trustee (Union Bank of California) to investigate and cleanup their former industrial property in Fairbanks.
This has allowed major retail stores (WalMart; Fred Meyers; Home Depot; etc) to build and operate there. (More information on site summary.)
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5. DEC sets conditions allowing sites to be used until cleanup levels are met
DEC works with landowners on “Institutional Controls” which protect the public and allow development when complete cleanup is not technically or financially feasible.
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6. DEC clarifies liability for cleanup costs for prospective purchasers
Existing contamination can be an obstacle to property use and/or transfer. Potential buyers are reluctant to purchase a property without some assurance regarding the extent of their liability. This causes sites to remain unused, when otherwise they would be valuable property. This can have the additional effect of causing undesirable sprawl into outlying areas. The term “Prospective Purchaser Agreements” is used generically to describe legally-binding agreements between DEC and prospective purchasers of contaminated property or other holder of interest in a property (e.g. lessee). The purpose of Prospective Purchaser Agreements (PPA) is to facilitate cleanup and productive reuse of contaminated property, while defining and limiting the extent of a purchaser’s liability to the State for environmental cleanup under State law.
These PPAs do not provide liability protection from the Federal Government. The protection provided by the PPA is a promise from the State not to return to the purchaser for environmental cleanup at the property for any contamination that existed at the time the property was purchased, provided that the purchaser fulfills all obligations under the PPA. The PPA does not provide liability protection as to any activities which may occur after the property is purchased and which result in additional contamination.
Examples are:
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Egegik Cannery, between DEC and Icicle Seafoods: This PPA was requested by Icicle Seafoods to facilitate the sale of the Woodbine Cannery. Woodbine was having financial problems and was in danger of not operating in 2005. The PPA allowed Icicle to purchase the property with limited liability. The cannery is now scheduled to operate in the 2005 fishing season.
- North Slope Lease Tract between FESCO (First Energy Services Co.), DEC and DNR: This PPA established a limited liability for FESCO to spend on assessment and cleanup in exchange for their re-use of a contaminated North Slope gravel pad as an oil field development site.
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- Fairbanks North Star Borough, those potentially responsible for the contamination, and DEC: This agreement allowed the Borough to foreclose on contaminated property and allow future owners to use the property in exchange for limited liability of assessment and cleanup work. The purchase price would be discounted by the liability amount for the new owners to conduct the necessary assessment/cleanup work and allow them to re-use the property in the process.
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7. DEC works closely with federal agencies on sites to be transferred to the public, or sites formerly used by the military
DEC works with the Department of Defense on sites for reuse and redevelopment.
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- Former Adak Naval Air Facility: Environmental contamination on Adak posed a major obstacle to the plans for transfer of the land to the Aleut Corporation. Minefields and discarded ammunition from World War II, as well as spilled fuel and unexploded practice ammunition from more recent times, had qualified Adak for the National Priority List of contaminated sites. Institutional controls have helped facilitate the land transfer and development plans for the town. (More information on site summary.)
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- Galena Air Force Base: Former base buildings are now used for a vocational school. Cleanup continues to address indoor air concerns as the school is used. (More information on site summary.)
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8. DEC identifies Sites
DEC maintains an inventory of potential R&R sites. This will soon be available on this website. DEC currently has web-accessible databases of all contaminated sites and the status of each, including those which have been cleaned up. These two databases include ones caused by leaking underground fuel storage tanks (LUST sites) and contaminated sites with a broader range of causes.
9. Assists applicants in getting federal brownfield funding
DEC works with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's national Brownfields Program, with funding for training, assessment and cleanup activities. DEC assists eligible sites in Alaska in applying for EPA brownfields grants. See more on our DEC Brownfield web page.
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Contact our Staff
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Reuse & Redevelopment Initiative and brownfield issues in our state, please contact the following staff at your convenience.
John B. Carnahan, Brownfield Coordinator (907) 451-2166
Sonja Benson, Environmental Program Specialist (907) 451-2156
Deborah Williams, Environmental Program Specialist (907) 451-5174
Contaminated Sites Program,
ADEC Division of Spill Prevention and Response
610 University Avenue,
Fairbanks, AK 99709-3643
Fax Number: (907) 451-2155
Send us your comments or questions!
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