Paul Avenue Brownfield
Project Overview
The Conservation Fund, owner of 0 Paul Avenue, is submitting a grant application to the City of Atlanta/Invest Atlanta Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to pay for the cleanup of contaminated soils at the site. The City of Atlanta Brownfield Program is funded with grants from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
0 Paul Avenue
This 0.2 acre parcel has been undeveloped since at least the late 1930s. Surrounding property along Paul Avenue has been primarily residential since the 1940s. The adjoining rail line was built in the 1960s.
In 1995, a complaint was made to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) Hazardous Waste Management Branch due to the presence of suspect fill material at the adjoining 2386 Paul Avenue parcel. It was suspected that this fill material originated from a nearby former Bernath Barrel and Drum facility. This fill material was sampled and investigated by the Georgia EPD, and metal impacts, including lead, arsenic, barium, and silver, were noted above Georgia EPD Notification Concentrations (NCs). Further investigations in 2002 determined that fill was also located on three adjoining parcels (0 Paul Avenue - 17 025300100808; 2386 Paul Avenue – 17 025300100725; and 0 Paul Avenue – 17 025300100717 [the Subject Site]). The Georgia Power Company (Georgia Power) the adjoining property owner to the northeast, northwest, and southwest conducted a cleanup to the satisfaction of the Georgia EPD in 2006.
For the past several years, The Conservation Fund has been purchasing parcels on Paul Avenue to create a park. As part of the due diligence, the Conservation Fund conducted a Phase II Environmental Site Assessment which included the collection and analysis of soil samples from the site. This analysis identified heavy metal contamination in the soils above Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s Risk Reduction Standards. The Conservation Fund entered the property into the Georgia Brownfield Program prior to the purchase of the property and has an EPD approved Correction Action Plan (CAP) for the site. The site will be remediated by excavation and off-site disposal of contaminated soils.
This parcel, along with other adjoining parcels on Paul Avenue will become a 10 acre park in the Riverside Neighborhood of NPU D and Council District 9. In the future, this new greenspace will provide access to the Chattahoochee River multi-use trail along the Chattahoochee River.
Cleanup Documents
As part of Brownfield Revolving Loan process, the City of Atlanta’s Qualified Environmental Professional, Cardno, is preparing several documents required by EPA. These are:
The Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) includes a review the site’s history, exposure analysis, cleanup objectives and cleanup alternatives (No action, Implementation of institutional controls such as capping and barring access to contaminated soil and Excavation and removal of contaminated soil). The most effective cleanup option is the removal of contaminated materials from the parcel to limit the impacts to human health and the environment
The Cleanup Work Plan outlines the previous assessments, cleanup objectives, applicable regulations and remediation activities.
The Site-Specific Quality Assurance Project Plan (SSQAPP) outlines the participants involved and their roles in the cleanup, cleanup activities to be conducted, data quality objectives, sampling design, analytical sampling methodologies, and quality control/quality assurance (QA/QC) requirements.
Draft Quality Assurance Project Plan
Cleanup and Costs
The objective of this cleanup is to remove impacted soils located throughout the site to below EPD’s residential Type 1 Risk Reduction Standard (RRS). Currently the area with lead impacts are identified in four borings between 1.5 – 2 feet below ground level and located in the northwest and southeast portions of the site. The total volume of soil to be removed is approximately 420 cubic yards (CY) or 630 tons. This soil is to be excavated and stockpiled on site, and back-filled with clean soil. The impacted soil will be packaged in Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) approved containers, transported by licensed haulers, and disposed of at an approved landfill. It is anticipated that all work will be started in late Summer 2020, with completion by the end of Fall 2020.
The estimated cost to remediate the contaminated soil and other EPD requirements is $100,000. A subgrant of up to $80,000 will pay 80% of the remediation costs and The Conservation Fund will pay 20% of the costs.
Community Involvement
Community involvement is a key component of the brownfield program. A virtual community meeting will be held on May 12, 2020 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
Comments and questions regarding the Analysis of Brownfield Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA), Cleanup Work Plan, and Site-Specific Quality Assurance Project Plan (SSQAPP) as well as general questions can be sent to Jessica Lavandier at jlavandier@atlantaga.gov.
For additional information please click the links below.