City of Durham Brownfields Project Status Update

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Summary: 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.

Durham, N.C. – 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), which 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 Brownfields 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, brownfields project manager with the City’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, at (919) 560-4965 or via e-mail at grace.dzidzienyo@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.