EPC Hosts Tour for High-Profile Delegation
Article written by Allison Amram and Reggie Sanford
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On May 3, 2022, EPC hosted a delegation comprised of representatives from the federal Executive and Legislative Branches and local county officials for a series of briefings and a tour of several environmentally significant sites in Hillsborough County. Participants included Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ); Representative Kathy Castor, U.S. House of Representatives, 14th Congressional District; Commissioner Gwendolyn Myers, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, District 3; and EPC staff. The delegation’s visit included a look at the EPC’s compliance and monitoring efforts near a local lead plant and two successful Brownfield sites.
Air Monitoring Site
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| Senior Environmental Manager Jason Waters gives delegation members a tour of an EPC Air Monitoring station near a lead battery recycling facility. |
The EPC operates 30 air monitors for National and State air quality standard assessments and 12 special purpose monitors which collect specific air quality data for Hillsborough County. These air monitors measure levels of several criteria pollutants including carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. Criteria pollutant emissions have been found to have the most significant overall health effects for sensitive individuals, especially children, people with lung disorders, and the elderly.
The first stop on the tour was an air monitoring station that is designed to detect lead pollution from a nearby battery recycling facility (EnviroFocus a/k/a Gopher Resource). The facility processes thousands of batteries per day and has a permit from the State of Florida for lead emissions, among other pollutants. The Air Division monitors the facility’s emissions through a network of four air monitor locations surrounding the facility. EPC Executive Director, Janet Lorton, and Air Division staff briefed the delegation regarding the compliance and public outreach efforts by EPC staff pertaining to the facility.
Water Works Park
The group continued en route to the first of two Brownfield sites. The Brownfield program was created by the U.S. EPA in 1995 to spur the redevelopment of contaminated properties by providing incentives for cleaning up environmental contamination that the property owner did not cause, resulting in important contributions to the economic health of the local economy. The environmental restoration and redevelopment of Brownfield sites can remediate distressed properties and revitalize a neighborhood. EPC is delegated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to manage Brownfield cleanups in Hillsborough County.
The City of Tampa had a vision and a plan to create a park from 5.5 acres of riverfront property to connect the future park with the downtown Riverwalk. This became Water Works Park, named for a spring used as the first public water supply for Tampa. Former use of the site as a marine railroad and fleet maintenance facility caused contamination. Lead, arsenic, and petroleum contamination in soils were removed and placed under impermeable surfaces at the site. Groundwater was also monitored until it met Florida’s standards for groundwater quality. This was done to meet the site cleanup goals of returning soils and groundwater to clean conditions, or conditions that are protective of human health and the environment as allowed under Florida regulations.
The redevelopment resulted in the creation of a festival stage and lawn area, playgrounds, and a boat dock. The natural spring was also reconnected with the river and improved, preserving the history of the area and adding to the beauty of the park.
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| Water Works Festival Stage and Lawn Area |
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| Water Works Playground |
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Tampa Armature Works
The last stop of the tour was the Tampa Armature Works Brownfield site, located along the Hillsborough River adjacent to Water Works Park. The property was previously used as a trolley barn for the City of Tampa’s streetcars and, later, as an industrial assembly and repair facility for generators. Soils were contaminated by arsenic, petroleum compounds, and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). These pollutants were removed and managed during site redevelopment. The groundwater is being monitored until the site is approved for closure under Florida’s groundwater cleanup rules.
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| Tampa Armature Works - Before and After Photos |
The historic trolley barn building was redeveloped into a collection of markets, restaurants, bars, and meeting/co-workplaces. As both Brownfield sites started cleanup and redevelopment, Tampa expanded the Riverwalk from downtown to Tampa Armature Works.
These two Brownfield sites transitioned the riverfront from industrial use to a recreation/commercial area now connected to downtown Tampa by The Riverwalk. One can rent scooters and bikes to get to these community gathering places. It is now a more desirable area, and the property values have increased since the cleanup and redevelopment of these two properties.
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| The delegation met with community advocates and local government at the Tampa Armature Works. |
Following the tour, the visit concluded with a roundtable discussion held at Tampa Armature Works. The discussion focused on the environmental health of Tampa Bay and related sustainability initiatives designed to improve local resiliency due to climate change.