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Staff reports: draft NEPA review issued for riverfront project; EPA completes asbestos work at steam plant, diesel plant cleanup planned
Summary
City staff reported a draft environmental assessment for the riverfront master‑plan project is out for 30‑day review; the EPA completed interior asbestos abatement at the steam plant and the city is pursuing Brownfields funding to demolish remaining buildings and remove hazardous materials.
City planning staff updated the board on several long‑running redevelopment and environmental projects.
Penny told the board the draft environmental assessment (NEPA review) for the riverfront master‑plan project is now out for a 30‑day public review period. The city used a combination of state 128(a) funds and other assessments to produce the environmental documentation; staff said no substantive negative comments during the 30‑day period would allow the city to receive a final notice to proceed and advance property purchases and restoration or demolition work this summer.
On the former power‑plant properties, Penny reported the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency led a CERCLA action that removed immediately hazardous asbestos and other materials from the steam plant interior. She said the EPA contractor removed multiple dumpsters of materials and that much of the obvious interior contamination has been remediated. The steam plant work was an EPA‑led action; the city does not own the bulk plant on the site.
The city has applied for a separate Brownfields grant (November application) to fund demolition and hazardous‑material removal of the remaining buildings; staff said the city requested the grant’s $4,000,000 maximum and that award decisions are national and competitive, with results expected in the spring. Earlier Brownfields funding of about $900,000 supported removal work at the diesel plant; the city expects to issue bids for diesel‑plant demolition after contractors remove containerized petroleum and other hazardous materials.
Why it matters: Cleanup and demolition are prerequisites for the riverfront master plan and potential reuse of former industrial parcels. Grant outcomes will influence the city’s timeline for property acquisition, demolition and site redevelopment.
Staff asked the board to note the documents are out for public review and that the city will report back when final NEPA clearance or additional Brownfields funding decisions are known.
