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Geographic Initiatives for Land Revitalization
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National Information
Urban Rivers Projects
Targeted Watershed Grants
Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Grants
One Cleanup Program
EPA Region 3 is using innovative approaches to address multiple contaminated sites within a common area. The restoration of urban rivers, groundwater, the land and air and the revitalization of neighborhoods can involve multiple authorities and interests, including various Federal, state and local agencies and community groups, that create challenges, especially if these areas have been impacted by several types of pollution sources over the years. For more information on specific projects in EPA Region 3, see the links below.
EPA Region 3 Land Revitalization Geographic Initiatives
- Elizabeth River Basin, Virginia
- Anacostia River Watershed, Maryland and Washington DC
- Delaware River Urban Corridor, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware
- Schuylkill River Watershed, Pennsylvania
- Little Elk Creek, Cecil County, Maryland
- Other Programs
- One Cleanup Program with Pennsylvania
- Healthy Waters Initiative
Waterfront at Money Point
Elizabeth River Watershed, Virginia: The Elizabeth River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, has been negatively impacted by various military and commercial installations located along its banks and in the surrounding communities. EPA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Commonwealth of Virginia are involved in individual projects and initiatives (PDF) (1 p, 993K) in the Elizabeth River Basin under EPA’s Urban River Restoration Project. In addition, The Elizabeth River Project
, a non-profit group, strives to return the river to its highest level of environmental quality through business, goverment and community partnerships. In January 2008, the Elizabeth River Project received over $1.2 million in grants from EPA under the Targeted Watersheds and CARE programs to reduce contamination and restore water quality in the Money Point section of Chesapeake, Virginia. In September 2008, The Elizabeth River Project released a guide, Balancing Industry and the Environment: How to Achieve Win-Win on the Industrial Waterfront (PDF) (82 pp, 7.92MB). Other projects under this program have been conducted at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard Superfund site and in the Moneypoint area. The Elizabeth River Watershed project is part of EPA Region 3’s Healthy Waters Priority initiative.
Anacostia River Watershed
, a public-private entity. As part of this project, at the request of EPA, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) conducted an evaluation to determine the risks of fish consumption. EPA Region 3 provides periodic updates on the status of the cleanup of the river. Redevelopment projects along the river include facilities for the U.S. General Services Administration (PDF) (1 p, 186K) and the U.S. Department of Transportation and a 42 acre large scale, mixed-use redevelopment project The Yards.
Delaware Bay shoreline (before cleanup) with low habitat diversity and susceptible to erosion.
Schuylkill River Watershed, Pennsylvania: (PDF) (2 pp, 914K) The Schuylkill Action Network (SAN) is a partnership of public and private groups, including Federal, state and local environmental and health agencies, water departments, businesses and community organizations, striving to improve the aquatic health, water quality and the public value of the river. The SAN received a targeted watersheds grant in 2004 to aid in this effort. EPA provides information on the Schuylkill River watershed, including links to the latest water conditions, on its website. The Schuylkill River Development Corporation received a brownfields grant to assess a portion of the watershed (see EPA’s Land Revitalization Newsletter Spring 2006 edition.)
Little Elk Creek, Cecil County Maryland (PDF) (3 pp, 27.4K):EPA and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) selected this site, located in an industrial park along the Little Elk Creek, as a demonstration project under EPA’s One Cleanup Program. The goal of the One Cleanup Program is to coordinate the cleanup and reuse activities among the various interested parties and regulatory authorities. This site was chosen because of the widespread groundwater contamination from various active and inactive facilities located in and around the industrial park. This project was highlighted in a Fall 2005 Land Revitalization Newsletter article. EPA is conducting on-going cleanup of ordnance and munitions wastes at the Elkton Farm Firehole Site which is slated for a new large scale residential development.
Funding was provided to the Little Elk Creek Reuse Committee, a partnership of community members, property owners and local government officials. Their final report, issued in May 2006 (PDF), (107pp, 6.3M) outlined reuse recommendations for all sites based on their current use, the type and level of contamination present, and the existing infrastructure and use of surrounding properties. NOAA, one of the partners in this project, conducted developed maps to aid in characterizing, protecting, and restoring aquatic resources for this area.
The workplan for the project was issued in 2004 by EPA (EPA's Revitalization and One Cleanup Program Pilot. Along with this workplan, EPA Region 3 developed a map and factsheets for the various properties along the Little Elk Creek in 2004.
Map – This map is available to download and provides various maps created for the pilot, including an area wide map, site maps and master plan of water service.
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Full version of Elk Creek Map-(PDF) (1p, 7M) |
Other programs
One Cleanup Memorandum of Agreement with Pennsylvania: EPA and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) signed a Memorandum of Agreement to facilitate implementation of Pennsylvania's voluntary cleanup program (VCP), recognize the Pennsylvania's VCP for grant funding purposes, and express how the Agencies intend to exercise their authority under the RCRA, CERCLA and TSCA at properties addressed by the VCP program.
EPA Region 3’s Healthy Water Priority: The goal of this regional initiative is to work collaboratively both within the EPA Region 3 office and with state and local agencies, businesses and communities to protect drinking water, restore the aquatic health and habitat of watersheds, improve recreational uses and minimize the risks associated with fish consumption within the Mid-Atlantic region. The initiative is focusing on reducing nitrogen, phosphorous, cryptosporidium, giardia, total suspended solids, metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, disinfection by-products and mercury in groundwater and surface water.