The Barge Channel Road Industrial Area: Redevelopment for a Sustainable Community Prepared by Christina Jacobson For the West Side Citizens Organization April 1998 This report [NPCR 1091] is also available at the following internet address: http://freenet.msp.mn. us/org/npcr The Barge Channel Road Industrial Area: Redevelopment for a Sustainable Community Prepared by Christina Jacobson For the West Side Citizens Organization April1998 This report [NPCR 1091] is also available at the following internet address: http://freenet.msp.mn. uslorglnpcr The Barge Channel Road Industrial Area: Redevelopment For A Sustainable Community by Christina Jacobson Research Assistant Intern Prepared For the West Side Citizens Organization , . April 1998 April 1998 Neighborhood Planning for Community Revitalization (NPCR) supported thework of the author of this report but has not reviewed it for publication. The content is solely the responsibility of the author and is not necessarily endorsed by NPCR. NPCR is coordinated by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs at the University of Minnesota. NPCR is . supported by grants from the US Department of Education Urban Community Service Program, The McKnight Foundation and . The Minneapolis Foundation. St. Paul projects are funded in part by St. Paul Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), The St. Paul Foundation, and St. Paul Companies. NPCR 330 Hubert H. Humphrey Center 301 - 19th Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55455 phone: 612/625~1020 e-mail: npcr@freenet.msp.mn.us website: http://freenet.msp.mn. us/org/npcr The Barge Channel Road Industrial Area: Redevelopment For A Sustainable Community I cu .. ... !! u Q by Christina Jacobson Research Assistant Intern I would Like to thank everybody who supported me through this project. Thank to the West Side Citizens Organization and the members of their environment committee. Also thanks to The Neighborhood Planning For Community Revitalization for the funding for this project. Thank you to Chris Nelson for his support. Special thanks to Carol Neumann without whose support this would not have been possible. Introduction Section 1: Former Land Use Interview Aerial Photographs Phone Directory Records Section 2: Current Conditions General Information Table Of Contents General Environmental Information The Mississippi River and Water Quality Spills Salvage Facilities Tanks Polluted Sites Barges Air Pollution Soil Section 3: Future Use and Redevelopment Possibilities Overview Collaborations Barriers Grants and Other Funding Possibilities American Heritage Rivers Initiative Summary Resources 1 3 3 4 5 11 11 14 14 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 24 29 31 33 38 39 40 Introduction The West Side of Saint Paul is a vibrant, strong community with deep roots that have a proven strong focus towards bettering their neighborhoods as well as protecting the natural environment. The industrial area along Barge Channel Road is of special concern to this community. At this time the industrial zoned 12 area is more of a blight to the community than an asset. Overall, industrial areas in residential communities should form a symbiotic relationship where both sides are gaining something from the relationship. Unfortunately for the West Side, this is not currently happening. The Barge Channel Road Industrial Area needs to be upgraded so that it can once again blend in with the community and additionally serve the community in a beneficial way. The Barge Channel Road Industrial Area, zoned 12, is located on approximately 65 acres on the West Side of the City of Saint Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota. It lies adjacent to the Mississippi River, directly south of the downtown Saint Paul Holman Airport and directly north of the Ramsey County/Dakota County line. Most of the area is owned by the Saint Paul Port Authority although some sites are owned by private companies. Saint Paul is a river city. Its history of original development and businesses began on the river. Today it is important to keep the river healthy and able to serve those who are dependent on it. In an industrial zoned area located on the river, the concern is for any pollutants, no matter how small, that can move along surface water runoff, through the groundwater and into the river. Both the commerce that the river provides for city businesses and the natural environment of the river needs to be protected. Both need to be recognized as important parts of the city with unique roles to play. The EPA defines a Brownfield as a site, or a portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. By this definition the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area is a Brownfield. Fortunately the goals that the Saint Paul Port Authority has for Brownfield redevelopment are compatible with that of the City of Saint Paul and the West Side through their long range plan that states they would like to " work with the Port Authority to expedite Brownfields clean-up on the West Side" for development of the city and of the community. All three need to work together to realize this and support solutions to this pollution challenge. Redeveloping this area could have numerous positive impacts. On a large scale it could help to reduce pollution going into the Mississippi. This would benefit anyone who has a connection to the Mississippi. On a smaller scale it would benefit the Saint Paul community by providing environmentally sound jobs and by raising the tax base. This report will detail the past and present land uses of the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area. It will also provide information on the area including, but not limited to, companies occupying the area, information on permits held by these companies, and water pollution of the Mississippi River. The final section of this paper will address strategies for redevelopment and will include ideas for funding these redevelopment strategies. The purpose of this paper is to provide information on the Barge Channel Road industrial area that is accessible to a wide range of people and educates them on current problems and future possibilities for the area. 2 SECTION 1: FORMER LAND USE The Barge Channel Road industrial area has changed significantly in the past forty years. It went from being primarily a wooded residential area to an area that is now zoned 12 for heavy industrial use. This is no small change and has significantly impacted the surrounding community as well as the surrounding environment. Maps, interviews with long-time residents, phone directory records and aerial photographs all provide clues as to how this land was once used and also show some of the change that has taken place. Interview Hortense Quesada is a local longtime, active senior resident of Saint Paul's West Side who lives on Concord Street in a house overlooking the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area. She and her husband moved to the area, in part, because they liked the natural surroundings of the area that were present fifty years ago. She has seen a significant change take place on Barge Channel Road as it changed to industrial from residential. Hort_ense remembers a time when the area was not industrial and there was a great deal of wildlife in the area including beavers and deer. She also remembers people fishing in and farming near the Mississippi. She recalls there were homes in the area which were destroyed by a large flood that occurred in 1965. Some of the homes were moved, however, some just floated down the river. The flood had a tremendous impact on those living in the area. Hortense jokes that it was like having a beach-front home. Shortly after the flood she remembers the barge channel being constructed and companies moving in. This did not happen all at once. The change was gradual. At the time residents did not realize the impact this development would have on their community. 3 She remembers that the first business was a very noisy one which handled recycled cars. It stacked cars up into huge piles late into the evening and even throughout the night at times. It was extremely noisy, waking people up throughout the night. She recalls that it eventually got better with the noise ending by 11 :00 in the evening. As time passed on residents of this area have become more involved and knowledgeable about their community and their rights. Residents now know more about pollution, its sources and the degradation to the area and the surrounding community. However it is not really that complicated. As Hortense said," If it is this far from the river, some of it's going to end up in the river". Hortense Quesada has seen and lived through many changes. We can all learn from her historical perspective about how the area has changed and what the potential for reuse and redevelopment can be. Aerial Photographs Aerial photographs can also provide important clues as to how an area was once used and how it has changed. Although the pictures are shot from overhead, buildings, vegetation, waterbodies, and roads are all visible. The University of Minnesota's Map Library. in the basement of Wilson Library has a collection of aerial photographs for the Twin Cities metro area and other areas of Minnesota. Aerial photographs of the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area were obtained for the years 1940, 1953, 1957, 1966, 1968, 1978, 1980, 1987, and 1990. The photographs show interesting details about how the area has developed. The earliest photograph from 1940 shows the area as having little vegetation and some building activity close to the river with other buildings being closer to Concord. The 1953 photograph shows more vegetation than the previous photograph. By 1957 the area had filled in with vegetation and there were few buildings. At this time it looked more residential than commercial. The area was drastically changed by 1966. The photograph 4 shows that the barge channel _was constructed by that time, corroborating Hortense Quesada' s memory that the channel was constructed after 1965. Some construction activity was also evident on the south side of the barge channel during that time. The 1968 photograph exposes several more buildings present on the south side of the barge channel, showing that the area was becoming increasingly developed. A dramatic increase in usage and industrial development can be seen between 1968 and 1978. The 1978 photograph shows more buildings and storage facilities as well as a decrease in the amount of vegetation in the general area. Little change is seen in the 1980 photograph. The 1987 photograph, however, again shows a change in the amount of land used. The area on the far left side of the south end was developed sometime between 1980 and 198 7. The 1990 photograph shows no remarkable changes. These photographs proved to be useful in showing a general time frame of development, even though they cannot yield exact time frames for specific industrial businesses. Phone Directory Records Determining which businesses previously occupied an area holds significance for a community. Residual traces of their stay can be found in the form of pollutants. Even relatively small amounts can be harmful. Determining the type of business can yield information about the type of pollutants that they left behind. Phone directory records are useful for determining who occupied areas of land in the past, whether they be business or residential. The Polk city directories were used for reference in looking at the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area. They proved to be the most useful because addresses can be indexed by street name as opposed to looking up the name of a specific company. Although the Polk directories in are not published every year, they do provide a good resource for indexing former land use. 5 One major limitation existed in looking up Barge Channel Road. It was not listed under that name until 1978. This problem was solved by looking up the names of companies known to exist before that time. Prior to 1978 the businesses in this area were listed as having Concord Street addresses. Greif Brothers Cooperage Corp. Northern Cooperage Division, Barrel Mfrs. is first listed in the area under that name in 1960. Before that date, they are listed as far back as 1929 under the name Northern Cooperage Co. In 1966, about the time that Hortense Quesada remembers development beginning, two new companies are listed in the Polk directory for this area, Alter Co. Scrap Dealers and Land O' Lakes Chemical District. In the previous years directory Alter was located at 1101 Childs Road. In 1965 there was also a listing of 548 Concord as "Under Construction", most likely for either Alter or Land O' Lakes. Great Western is first listed as being in this area in the 1967 directory. By the 1973/1974 directory the only change was that Land O' Lakes was no longer listed. In 1975 a new company Gordon Chemical Tenninal distr. is listed. No additional changes can be noted until 1978 when several new companies were listed: an auto parts company; a trucking company; and a construction company. In 1979 the Saint Paul vehicle impound lot moved in as well as a plastic manufacturing company by the name of Profonn. From 1979 to th~ present day there were many changes in this area as a high volume of companies came and left. However there have been several companies which have stayed in the area including Alter, Great Western, Greif Brothers, and the impound lot. Below is a table detailing the past twenty years on Barge Channel Road, which companies occupied the area and what their addresses are. Information from the phone directory records can also be obtained from public libraries or the University of Minnesota's Wilson Library. Some inconsistencies in the records and addresses are apparent through the records, although they are accurate for the most part. One example is seen with the records for Alter. They were listed under the name Alter until 1985, however in 1987 they were listed under the name St. Paul River Tenninal Corp. In 1991 they reverted back to the name Alter. It is 6 unclear whether this is due to changes dictated from Alter or inconsistencies from the Polk Directory. Changes of address also make it difficult to track where certain companies have been located. This could cause problems when detennining where excessively polluting companies have been located. Table 1: Twenty Years of Addresses For Barge Channel Road Ye.v Conmanv Address 1978 Ashbach Construction Co bituminous contractors 492 BCR Remackel Trucking 547 BCR West Side Foreign Auto Parts 591 BCR Alter Co scrap iron 680 BCR Gordon Chemical Terminal Distrs No Address Listed 1979 Proform Inc plastic mfg 15 BCR Ashbach Constuction Co bituminous contractors 492 BCR Remackel Trucking 547 BCR West Side Foreign Auto Parts 591 BCR Alter Co scrap iron 680 BCR City Vehicle Impounding Lot 681 BCR Gordon Terminal distrs No Address Listed 1980 Proform Inc plastic mfg 15 BCR Ashbach Constuction Co bituminous contractors 492 BCR Remackel Trucking 547 BCR West Side Foreign Auto Parts 591 BCR Alter Co scrap iron 680 BCR City Vehicle Impounding Lot 681 BCR Gordon Terminal distrs No Address Listed Roger's Auto Parts 645 BCR 1981 Proform Inc plastic mfg 15 BCR Proform Technical Center 492 BCR Remackel J J & Sons Container Service 541 BCR Remackel Frank Wood Pallets 547 BCR West Side Foreign Auto Parts 591 BCR Alter Minnesota Inc scrap iron 680 BCR City Vehicle Impounding Lot 681 BCR Gordon Terminal No Address Listed Roger's Auto Parts 645 BCR 1982 Proform Inc plastic mfg 15 BCR Proform Technical Center 492 BCR Remackel J J & Sons Container Service 541 BCR Remackel Frank Wood Pallets 547 BCR Norm's Foreign Auto Parts 591 BCR Alter Minnesota Inc scrap iron 680 BCR City Vehicle Impounding Lot 681 BCR Gordon Terminal No Address Listed Ro2er' s Auto Parts 645 BCR 7 1984 Proform Inc plastic mfg 15 BCR Proform Technical Center 492 BCR Remackel Frank Wood Pallets 547 BCR West Side Auto Parts 591 BCR Alter Minnesota Inc scrap iron 680 BCR City Vehicle Impounding Lot 681 BCR Gordon Terminal who! chemicals No Address Listed Roeer·s Auto Parts 645 BCR 1985-1986 Proform Inc plastic mfg 15 BCR Proform Technical Center 492 BCR Remackel Frank Wood Pallets 547 BCR Greif Bros Corp (Norco Div) barrel mfr 551 BCR District Heating Plant 570 BCR West Side Auto Parts 591 BCR City Vehicle Impounding Lot 681 BCR Hawkins Terminal who! chemicals 701 BCR Gordon Terminal who! chemicals No Address Listed Pilot River Trans Inc shipping terminal 781 BCR Roger' s Auto Parts 800 BCR Alter Minnesota Inc scrap iron 801 BCR 1987 Hawkins Terminal who) chem 15 BCR Great Western Iron & Metal 521 BCR Remackel Frank Wood Pallets 547 BCR Greif Bros Corp barrel mfr 551 BCR District Heating Plant 570 BCR West Side Auto Parts 591 BCR City Deputy Chief-Support Servs Div 681 BCR (impounded car lot) Hawkins Terminal who! chemicals 701 BCR Gordon Terminal who! chemicals No Address Listed Don Co Carriers Inc shipping term! 781 BCR Roger's Auto Parts 800 BCR St. Paul River Terminal Corp 801 BCR --scrap iron processin11: 1988 Great Wes tern Iron & Metal Co 521 BCR Greif Bros Corp barrel mfr 551 BCR Moore Robt W Co gen! contr 565 BCR District Heating Plant 571 BCR J & J Recycling Cntr recycle center 607 BCR City Police Dept Deputy Support Serv (overflow) 681 BCR Hawkins Terminal who! chemicals 701 BCR Remackel J J & Sons Trucking 720BCR Remackel Frank Wood Pallets 750 BCR Dynamite Truck Sis truck sis 780 BCR Don Co Carriers Inc shipping terminal 781 BCR Roger's Auto Parts 800 BCR St. Paul River Terminal Corp 801 BCR --scrap iron processin11: 8 1989 Great Western Iron & Metal Co 521 BCR Greif Bros Corp barrel mfr 551 BCR Moore Robt W Co gen) contr 565 BCR District Heating Plant 571 BCR J & J Recycling Cntr 607 BCR City Police Dept Deputy Support Serv (overflow) 681 BCR Hawkins Tenninal whol chemicals 701 BCR Remackel J J & Sons Trucking 720BCR Remackel Frank Wood Pallets 750 BCR Dynamite Truck Sis truck sis 780 BCR Don Co Caniers Inc shipping tenninal 781 BCR Roger's Auto Parts 800 BCR St. Paul River Tenninal Corp 801 BCR --scrap iron processing Citv Police Deot 830 BCR 1991 Great Wes tern Iron & Metal Co 521 BCR Greif Bros Corp barrel mfr 551 BCR Moore Robt W Co gen) contr 565 BCR District Heating Plant 571 BCR J & J Recycling Cntr 607 BCR Viking Marine (Stge) 637 BCR Lametti (Stge) 645 BCR City Police Dept Deputy Support Serv 681 BCR Hawkins Tenninal whol chemicals 701 BCR Remackel J J & Sons Trucking 720BCR Remackel Frank Wood Pallets 750 BCR Keith Krupenny & Son No Address Listed Saint Paul River Tenninal Corp Bulk Facility 751 BCR Arrow Truck Parts 780 BCR Roger ' s Auto Parts 800 BCR Alter St. Paul 801 BCR City Police Dept (Support Sen: Div) 830 BCR 1992 Great Western Iron & Metal Co 521 BCR Greif Bros Corp barrel mfr 551 BCR Moore Robt W Co genl contr 565 BCR District Heating (Whse) 571 BCR J & J Recycling Cntr 607 BCR Viking Marine (Stge) 637 BCR Lametti (Stge) 645 BCR City Police Dept Deputy Support Serv 681 BCR Hawkins Tenninal who] chemicals 701 BCR Remackel J J & Sons Trucking 720BCR Remackel Frank Wood Pallets 750 BCR Keith Krupenny & Son No Address Listed Saint Paul River Tenninal Corp Bulk Facility 751 BCR Arrow Truck Parts 780BCR Roger's Auto Parts 800 BCR Alter St. Paul 801 BCR City Police Deot (Support Serv Div) 830 BCR 9 1994 Great Wes tern Iron & Metal Co 521 BCR Greif Bros Corp barrel mfr 551 BCR Moore Robt W Co genl contr 565 BCR District Heating Plant 571 BCR J & J Recycling Cntr 607 BCR Viking Marine (Stge) 637 BCR Lametti (S1ge) 645 BCR City Police Dept Deputy Support Serv 681 BCR Hawkins Terminal who! chemicals 701 BCR Minnesota Metals 746 BCR Remackel J J & Sons Trucking 720BCR Remackel Frank Wood Pallets 750 BCR Keith Krupenny & Son No Address Listed Saint Paul River Terminal Corp Bulk Facility 751 BCR Arrow Truck Parts 780 BCR Roger's Auto Parts 800 BCR Alter St. Paul 801 BCR Citv Police Dept (Support Serv Div) 830 BCR 1998* Great Western Inc 521 BCR Greif BRS Corp NRC 551 BCR Mudek Disposal 607 BCR St. Paul River Terminal 751 BCR Arrow Truck & Auto 780 BCR Roger's Auto Parts 800 BCR Alter Scrap Processing 801 BCR St. Paul Citv Police Oort 830 BCR * This record came from the Cole Directory for Saint Paul and the following current companies were not listed: District Energy; Hawkins Chemical; Keith Krupenny and Son; and Remackel Pallets. 10 SECTION 2: CURRENT CONDITIONS General Information Many of the companies on Barge Channel Road have existed at their location for many years, as we can see from the previous section. General information about companies can be obtained in several ways. Libraries have both books and CD ROM' s, such as the American Business Disc, that provide general company information about many businesses in the United States. Exact numbers, such as the number of employees, are not always available. Often only general numbers are available. The following information may be useful in determining whether companies are meeting the full potential of the area in terms of output and workers employed. These records show that there is a relatively low number of workers employed for the area of land available. 11 Table 2: General Information On Companies Occupying the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area Name and Lease or Type of Approximate # Phone# and Address Own Business of Workers at Contact Site Name Alter Trading Lease Scrap Metal 25 222-2751 co. Processing Terry Nelson 801 BCR General Manaeer Arrow Truck Lease Auto 5-9 227-2200 and Auto Parts Reclamation Loren Kehn 780 BCR Owner District Energy Lease Storage NIA NIA Facilitv Frank Lease Wooden Pallet 1-4 298-1980 Remackel Construction Frank Remackel Pallets Owner 547 BCR Great Western Own Scrap Metal 48 224-4870 Recycling Recycling Mike Silverman 521 BCR Owner Greif Brothers Own Wocx:len Barrel 15 222-3880 Corp. Norco Construction Todd Peterson Division General Manager 551 BCR Hawkins Lease Chemical 1-4 224-1903 Chemical Distribution Nick Engels Terminal #2 General Manager 701 BCR Keith Lease Waste Disposal 10-19 457-3680 Krupenny and and Garbage Keith Krupenny Sons Disposal Collection Owner Mudek Own Sanitation 1-4 227-4457 Disposal John Mudek 607 BCR Owner Roger's Auto Lease Auto Parts 1-4 293-0300 Roger Parts Storage Feldman Owner 800 BCR Saint Paul Lease Storage Of NIA 291-9630 Police Impound Impounded Sgt. Mike Lot Cars Maynard 830 BCR Approximate Sales $1 million- $5 million < $500,000 NIA < $500,000 $1 million- $5 million $500,000- $1 million $1 million- $2 .5 million $ I million- $2.5 million < $500,000 < $500,000 < $500,000 12 The following lease information came from the Saint Paul Port Authority. Although three properties in the Barge Channel Road Industrial area are privately owned. the rest of the land is leased to the companies listed. Some of these companies are not currently in operation. This demonstrates that the records held by the Port Authority are not up to date. The information from the Port Authority also reveals interesting facts regarding leases. In a letter from the President of the Port Authority, Kenneth Johnson, he indicates that "The Port Authority cannot unilaterally terminate any of the leases with the exception of those for the City Motor Vehicle Impound Lots. These recently drafted leases contain a 30-day cancellation clause allowing either the City or the Port Authority to cancel the lease upon written notice." This statement contradicts itself. It is unclear who has the recently drafted leases, which part of the statement is correct, and what is meant by the thirty day cancellation clause. In the letter he also indicates that sale of property along the river is now prohibited. Table 3: Lease Information On Companies Currently Occupying Barge Channel Road l\ame Current lnte-ryal O ptions £x h-a u.s t-l?d Expires Date Aher Tradin!! March 11. J 996 March J 12050 Arrow AulO and Truck Parts Semembe-r JO. 1998 Sentember 30. 2003 Hawkins·Tenmna l #1 December3 l. 1998 Senrernher 30. 20 I 8 Kowsk.1 Seorember 30. 1998 SeE>tember 30. 1998 Krupennv and Son Se·niember 30. 199S Seoternber 30. 2008 Rt,H!er·s Auto Pans Ser,tember 30. ! 998 Seoternber ,O. 1998 Saint Paul Di strict Rea-tine Match 31. 1998 March 3 1. 2018 Sainr Paul Poncci lmoound Lot September 30. 1998 Semember 30.2016 Sliielv/Camus December 3 L. 1997 December 31. 2002 13 General Environmental Information The environmental health of the Barge Channel Road Industrial area is a serious concern for the community and should be of a prime consideration for any redevelopment or land-use planning. Public records can give limited information on such issues as air pollution and water pollution. However exact amounts of pollution are generally not available. Records can be checked on each company as to the extent of pollutants each produces through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) and other regulatory agencies. The Mississippi River and Water Quality Harmful environmental impacts to the Mississippi come from both near and far. One of the problems with this type of pollution is that it is nearly impossible to isolate exactly where the pollution is coming from. This is generally called nonpoint source pollution and it refers to polluted runoff that comes from non-industrial sources. Because there is no direct link from pollution in the Mississippi River to Southport Industrial Park and th(? companies who occupy the area, this pollution could be considered nonpoint pollution. When accumulated, these sources of pollution can have a major impact on the health of the river and the people who rely on the river for sources such as recreation and drinking water. In the Twin Cities we have a responsibility to clean our rivers and to reduce pollution as much as possible. Another part of our responsibility is restraining industry which may negatively impact the river and supporting industry which does not pollute. The Mississippi River is part of the Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed. Uses include drinking water, recreational, wetland uses, and wildlife habitat. Pollution directly impacts all of these uses. As a protected waterbody the Mississippi is monitored regularly for ambient water quality by the MPCA. 14 A map from the Ramsey Soil and Water Conservation District, Sensitivity of the Water-Table To Pollution, indicates that the sensitivity in this area is rated very high. This means that the estimated travel time for water-borne contaminants on the land to reach the water table system is from hours to months. Any spills or leakage of contaminants would need to be dealt with very quickly in order to avoid problems such as leakage into the groundwater or runoff into the Mississippi River. The United States Environmental Protection Agency has a website where citizens can access information about a particular watershed. The report about each watershed contains information about the condition and the vulnerability. According to information on this site, the Ramsey/Washington Metro Watershed has serious water quality problems including a "high vulnerability to stresses such as pollutant loading". This means that due to an already high amount of pollutants in the water the river is even more at risk for problems. Other water quality problems include; • A high degree of concern for contaminated sediments, • A rating of 11 % - 50% of observations in exceedence of criteria for toxics in ambient water quality. These toxics include copper, zinc, nickel, and chromium. • Many advisories against eating fish. • A low rating was also given for conventional ambient water quality where greater than 25% of the observations exceeded a selected reference level. This category includes conventional pollutants which are ammonia, dissolved oxygen, phosphorus and pH. • Some animal and plant species in this watershed are also known to be at risk. These ratings indicate that the Mississippi has many serious water quality problems. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly where these problems originate. An effective means of stemming the pollution would mean controlling pollution wherever possible, including source areas, where companies may be polluting the river close to their site. A water quality report is published approximately every two years by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. This report contains information from the EPA about water 15 quality . For the years 1990-1991 and 1992-1993 the overall level for uses was non- supporting for most uses. Non-supporting means that the river cannot support a use , such as fishing, due to the pollution. Other uses include swimming and aquatic life. Reports from 1992 and 1994 indicate that one of the major sources of pollution during these years was nonpoint source pollution. Without specific testing, however, it is difficult to determine where the actual pollution comes from. The City of Saint Paul has a responsibility, not only to its own citizens, but also to communities farther down the river to work on maintaining the health of the Mississippi River. Any pollution that goes into the Mississippi in Saint Paul, will end up in other communities and compromise their use of the river. Saint Paul needs to work hard to reduce any potential contaminants from reaching the river. Spi11s Chemical spills are a concern in any area. Being in such close proximity to the river, the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area is of special concern. Even small amounts of chemicals may affect water by runoff or by leaching into the water table through the soil. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency keeps records of industrial chemical spills which are reported to their agency. There have been several spills, reported by the companies, within the past eight years in Southport. Because the industries self-regulate on smaller spills, there is no way to know if there have been more spills than were reported. Additionally, because the land is privately owned, no outside assessment can be done on the soil without an owners permission. Although most spills were small, they still pose a concern. The table below provides the date, place, cause, product, and amount of each spill, as well as some general comments about each spill. 16 Table 4: Chemical Spills in_ the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area Date Place Product Cause Amount Comments 1/8198 Great Hydraulic Overfill 20 gallons Cleanup in progress-- Western Fluid Absorbent used to contain--Low priority 10128/92 Great Petroleum Disposal/ NIA Western products Abandonment 411192 Alter Diesel Spill during 2 gallons 1 cu. yard soil delivery excavated-no contaminated soil remaining 816191 J&J Diesel Spill during NIA Recycling truck refueling -Mudek Trucking 812191 Arrow Used or Surface spilling NIA Truck and Waste Oil Auto Parts 7/26191 Alt~r LubeOi] Overflow NIA Salvage Facilities Facilities in the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area that use automobiles in their business are of special concern because of potential pollutants and contamination. Because these facilities and businesses are in such close proximity to the Mississippi River, pollutants can be carried through the ground water or though surface water runoff. Special care needs to be taken that the Mississippi does not become any more polluted than it already is. Most auto reclamation facilities or facilities that handle cars have no need to be close to the barge area or river because they do not use it. There are also flooding concerns. Barge Channel Road is on a flood plain, so during floods contaminants on the soil can wash back into to the river. A paper entitled Automobile Waste Report was prepared for the legislative commission on waste management in 1993 and contains valuable information on pollutants and impacts of the pollutants that come from automobiles. 17 The contaminants from automobiles come from both the fluids and the hazardous parts like ignition switches, antifreeze, brake fluid, motor oil, transmission fluid, and power-steering fluid can contain one or more of the following pollutants: ethylene glycol; heavy metals; and petroleum. These pollutants can contaminate the ground water, surface water and the soil. Filters from automobiles may also contain hannful substances. Air filters, automatic transmissions, crankcase breathers, fuel-lines, fuel tanks and oil filters may also contain one or more of the following: oil; fuel; or heavy metals such as copper, lead, or mercury. Again these are all hazards to the environment. Another concern addressed in this report was that " ... there are no pollution control rules or standard management practices that apply specifically to automobile salvage yards". There are, however, rules and statutes that apply to specific wastes. Materials such as lead acid batteries and waste oil and other fluids are regulated. The environmental concerns regarding these operations are obvious. Many of the possible contaminants and wastes are threats to human health and the environment. Ethylene glycol and petroleum are two such chemicals. Good management practices can help to reduce these impacts. Unfortunately in practice there is little support to confirm that good management practices are being followed. In critical areas such as the Barge Channel Road _ Industrial Area, pollutants such as those addressed here need to be reduced. The potential for pollutants to be introduced through surf ace water run-off into the river may mean relocating auto reclamation companies to areas where their environmental impacts will not affect rivers and groundwater. The long and short term storage of automobiles in the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area represents another area of concern. Facilities such as Alter and Mudek store hulks. The Saint Paul Police Impound Lot also stores cars on site. Many of these cars are in poor physical condition. This makes them very prone to having leakage problems. There is also a great amount of concern regarding the rust on these older automobiles. It is be a significant problem as many cars are stored in the facilities and on the often overflowing 18 Barge Channel Road itself. In tum, any run-off from the vehicles goes onto the road or shoulder and runs off either into the ditch or directly into the river during rain and floods. Tanks Some companies in the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area use tanks to store chemicals. Although Alter had a tank that was removed, Hawkins still stores chemicals on site. Tanks can cause numerous problems, including leaks, the rusting of tanks where rust leaches into the soil, and visual impacts such as the look of rusted tanks. Aside from any environmental concerns, a problem in this particular area that needs to be addressed is how the community is affected by these tanks and the chemicals within them. What is of major relevance is that it is not appropriate for these tanks to be so close to residential zoning. These tanks can be quite large, so the aesthetics are overwhelming. The close proximity of storage of toxic chemicals is also frightening for community members living on the West Side and located in the Mississippi River Valley. Environmental concerns also include large amounts of dangerous chemicals being stored so close to a river. One member of the West Side community recalls sandbags being placed around the storage tank cement berm that surrounded the storage tanks during flooding in the spring of 1997. This indicates that the company also has concerns with the contents of the tank being exposed to and reacting with water. There has been one documented leak in the area when Airer's diesel tank had a leak that was "taken care of'. Unless the soil around the leak was cleaned up, this could still be a problem. Soil testing would need to be done to verify this. 19 Table 5: Chemical Storage Tanks For the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area Location Product Size Date I Active/ Installed Inactive Alter Diesel 10.000 7/24179 inactive Hawkins #2 Fuel Oil 3,000 NIA Inactive Hawkins #2 Caustic Soda 610,000 1n168 Active Hawkins #2 Potassium 440,000 1/1/68 Active Hydrochloride Hawkins #2 Phosphoric 10,000 1/1169 Active Acid Hawkins #2 Niu·ic Acid 6,000 1/1/69 Active Hawkjn s #2 Caustic Acid 1,500,000 10/1/95 Actw~ Polluted Sites Date Removed 411/92 11125191 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA There are several sites that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has identified as being contaminated to some extent in the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area. The three sites in this area have been examined and determined to not be a large enough threat to be on the State's Superfund list or the National Priority List. These sites represent barriers to redevelopment unless properly cleaned-up. Two of the sites were owned by Proform Inc . and on·e was owned by Barge Slip Demolition. Proform Hazardous Waste Disposal and the Barge Slip Demolition Site are classified under the 1980 Metropolitan Area Waste Disposal Site Inventory (Metro). These sites represent abandoned dumps, demolition sites, foundry and slag sand sites, and other such dump areas. Most operated before the MPCA came into existence so there is generally little detailed information about them. Proform Inc. is the third site and has the highest potential level of pollution. At one time it was investigated as a possible site to be placed on the Superfund list. Some of the hazardous waste generated by this company included acetone, gel coats, resins and sodium hydroxide. Large portions of contaminated soil were excavated and refilled in the early 1980s. It is presently classified as having N,Q Further Remedial Action Planned (NFRAP). 20 The company agreed to clean-up the site and pay a fee. After investigation in the mid 1980s, the MPCA believed that there was no potential hazard in the site. Further testing needs to be done to determine the extent of pollution caused by these businesses. Barges Barge usage is, of course, the focus of the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area, or at least it should be. The barge is used as a way for companies to transport commodities. Barge transit does have an environmental advantage over other forms of transit. However this advantage can be offset by pollution from the companies who use it. Additionally a barge channel does little good if it is under-used. The barge channel in Southport appears to be minimally used at this time. Unfortunately this can be hard to check because specific amounts are unavailable when looking at the targeted usage of a barge channel. The Army Corps of Engineers keeps this information confidential in order to avoid competition problems for the companies who use it. The Minnesota Department of Transportation shows the following figures for the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area: Table 6: Barge Usage For the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area Name Address Commodities I Storage Access To Equipment and River Mile Handled Canacity Terminal Available Alter Minnesota Coal, Ore, Scrap 250.000 Tons TH. 56 Via BCR, Crawler Cranes, Wharf/St. Paul Metal, Steel. Ore, one block South of Belt Conveyor, River Terminal Grain, Fertilizers, Hwy. 3; Union Loaders, 751 BCR Twine Pacific Railroad Locomotive, 836.0 R Trucks Hawkins Terminal Liquid Caustic 1,200,000 Gallons TH. 56 Via BCR; 2 Pipelines #2 701 BCR Soda. Liquid Union Pacific 836.0 R Caustic Potash Railroad These figures indicate that few companies in the area are actually using the barge channel. If this is accurate, something needs to change. Either the channel could be filled in 21 or environmentally clean companies could be brought in to use it. There are environmental consequences that come from maintaining a barge channel. Barge channels need to be dredged to remove sediments that build up along the bottoms. When this happens pollutants that are in the sediments can be released back into the water. There is also a problem of what to do with the sediment that is dredged. Currently the Port Authority is planning to store dredge material on the north side of the barge channel. In order to justify the placement of this pollution, the barge channel should be utilized to its fullest potential . It is clearly not at this time. Few of the companies in the Barge Channel Road Industrial area have businesses that can utilize barges. Another important consideration is that due to the cold weather in Minnesota the barge channel is only used for part of the year. Air Pollution Air pollution is not a significant problem from Southport industrial park. One way to check if air pollution as an issue is to see if there are any pennits for air pollution held by the companies in the area. There aren't any pennits held in this area. However, Greif Brothers has been required to submit an emission inventory for fees and to assess any need for a future permit. There is one area which may be of concern in Southport for air pollution. Many trucks sit and idle for long periods of time when picking up or dropping off items in the area. The actual truck usage is not the problem but rather it is the way that they are used when they sit idling for extended periods of time and cause idling pollution. The trucks also back up onto Concord Street when a train is crossing Barge Channel Road, additionally causing more idling pollution. 22 Soil Soil surveys contain valuable information about the types of soils and their potential uses and limitations in a specific county for a particular type of soil. The soil survey from Washington-Ramsey county was produced by the United States Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. The field work for this survey was performed between the years 1973 and 1977. However, unless a soil is severely manipulated in some way, the type will not change. Two soil types were listed for the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area. They were #1027, a udorthent which is located on the south side of the barge channel and #329 a chaska silt loam which is located on the north side of the barge channel. The udorthent is actually a fill material, so it is not the original soil. It is poorly drained and made of mineral or organic material. No information on its limitations is available. The chaska silt loam is a poorly drained soil, which means that it is a very wet soil. It has a poor potential for building or development, but a good potential for wetland. This information may be useful when planning any changes or redevelopment to Southport. 23 SECTION 3: FUTURE USE AND REDEVELOPMENT POSSIBILITIES Overview Redevelopment and cleanup of the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area is possible. The West Side Community, the Saint Paul Port Authority and the City of Saint Paul all need to work together to make this happen. All three groups have stated compatible goals which could be met by cleaning up and redeveloping Southport Industrial Park. Benefits would include a higher tax base, more jobs for Saint Paul residents and a cleaner, more environmentally friendly community. By combining efforts the goals of all three groups can be met. Communication is the key to building any kind of relationship. It will also be important for the West Side residents to build a relationship with the Port Authority. Once the lines of communication are open, both sides can discuss their needs and concerns to come up with a mutually agreed upon plan. This may be difficult to accomplish. The Port Authority has had little accountability to any organization beyond their own and has demonstrated poor management of the Southport Industrial Park as can be witnessed by the curre{!t condition. The City of Saint Paul could be of a great help in this process by holding the Port Authority accountable for their management and acting as a conduit to the community they serve. The City of Saint Paul recently published a discussion paper for a new city-wide plan entitled, Saint Paul Land Use (mportunities: A Discussion Paper For~ New Citywide Land Use Plan (SPLUO). In it they detail the purposes of the paper and trends and assumptions for the future vitality and sustainability of Saint Paul. The first purpose of the Land Use Plan is "To preserve and enhance existing communities, commercial and industrial districts, and the natural environment" (SPLUO 1) . Redeveloping the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area would fit into this purpose by enhancing the West Side as 24 well as Southport. The trends and assumptions that the City holds also point towards redeveloping and cleaning-up Southport Industrial Park. Another aspect to consider is that population growth is a problem that communities world-wide are facing. The world population is expected to double within the next seventy years. Although it will not impact Saint Paul dramatically, the City will feel much expected growth. The city expects the population to grow from a 1990 base of 272,000 to 294,000 in 2020. This would mean Saint Paul could have 22,000 new residents (SPLUO 2). These are people who will need transportation, housing and jobs. It would be an optimum situation if they could to work within the city. When a Saint Paul resident holds a job in the city there are numerous benefits. When people live close to where they work they are more likely to use public transportation and less likely to drive long distances utilizing the freeway system. This leads to less traffic congestion and pollution. Figure J from Saint Paul's Discussion Paper shows that the residential area within one quarter mile of Southport has a high population density of 9-15 people per acre and is also an area that has a high transit dependent population. The West Side is clearly an area that would benefit from having jobs within busing and walking distance from the residential areas. There are also 20.1 % of the West Side who are living below the poverty level. Redevelopment of the Barg~ Channel Road Area to light industry would provide needed jobs for the community and help the city to meet the need of a growing population. It would also help to meet the trend of "Continued reliance on the automobile, but with a counter trend towards walking, bicycles and public transportation" (SPLUO 3). The City of Saint Paul would also like to attract people and businesses to the community. At this time Barge Channel Road Area looks like a dump and is clearly being treated that way by some of the companies who occupy it. It dampens the spirit and vitality of the community. However there is great potential for redeveloping the area. It has many advantages over other areas for redevelopment. One is that the area has rail access. Many companies rely on this as a form of shipping and could be enticed by it. There is also a 25 major road, Concord Street, running adjacent to the area with direct freeway access on highway 52. Clean companies may also be able to use the Barge Channel for shipping. There are many light industrial companies who recognize the advantages of operating in an urban environment and would like to find space within Saint Paul to operate. Cleaning-up the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area would make it more attractive to investors and new potential companies. The City also cites a trend of "More mixed use development based on the 'New Urbanism' principles" (SPLUO 3). The I-2 zoning of the Southport Industrial Park is clearly inappropriate for the actualization of an "urban village" within the city of Saint Paul. An area zoned for either light industry or for residential uses would be a much closer match for this use. It would benefit the community rather than be a hindrance to it. Redeveloping this area could also help to set a standard for other areas of Saint Paul. Better public awareness of the Mississippi River ecology is another assumption. We know that Southport is a polluted area. Part of being aware of this river ecology is phasing out pollutants to the river, helping restore and protect the health of the river for the future. We are ignoring this by allowing polluting companies to be close to the river. Figure Q in land use opportunities shows Southport as being a landscape connection to the river. As the area currently exists it needs to be greened up to have a true connection. A polluted industrial area does not look connected to a river. Reversing the trend of pollution and endorsing the trend of environmental awareness would be accomplished by moving polluting companies to an area farther away and bringing in less polluting, more environmentally sound companies. It would also create potential for a true landscape connection to the river. The City sees a trend of "Continued industrial park redevelopment" in their future . .. They cite a strong demand for "Clean industrial land with good truck access" (SPLUO 3 ). The Barge Channel Road industrial area would be a solid choice for mid and large sized companies who want industrial parks. Although the area is not environmentally clean, 26 many organizations and government entities have proven that cleanup can be done. There is also less need for worry of future pollution due to the fact that "New industrial parks can be closer to residential property than in the past because of tougher environmental regulation and the 'clean' nature of service-economy businesses" (SPLUO 3). One of the main challenges for the city is connecting new industrial jobs from redevelopment to the people who can use them, " .. .the hard-to-employ individuals and the underemployed ... " (SPLUO 27). The West Side is an area that could meet this challenge head-on. There are many people in the community who could utilize jobs created from new industry. Brownfield redevelopment has strong potential for increasing a city's tax base and creating new jobs. Southport is clearly not being used to its fullest potential for jobs. Bringing in new businesses would create new jobs and raise the tax base. In fact the city estimates that "If old industrial sites are redeveloped and the downtown grows, Saint Paul could add 20,000 new jobs between 1990 and 2020, which is 8,000 more than the Metropolitan Council's projection" (SPLUO 4). Zoning is a large obstacle in redeveloping the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area. As previously stated the I-2 zoning is inappropriate for an area that is so close to a residential area. Fortunately the city recognizes this and states that they need to "Change land _use regulations for downtown urban villages so that zoning becomes an inducement for private developers, not a deterrent" (SPLUO 11). This could allow for more appropriate zoning, such as I-1 or residential. This would also be compatible with what the community envisions. Zoning can be a long and arduous process, however, the support of the city could certainly ease the burden. It is clear from this paper that the city is in support of redevelopment of industrial areas. Many of their long-term goals are also compatible with this. Not only are the goals of the City of Saint Paul compatible with cleanup and redevelopment, but the Port Authority has also shown a strong written commitment and recognized Southport as a Brownfield. The Saint Paul Port Authority has stated in 27 documents that they also support redevelopment of their own Brownfields. In Renew Improve Reuse: Reclaiming & Redeveloping Urban Brownfields (RIR) the Southport Industrial Park is identified as a Brownfield with potential for redevelopment. The Port Authority states that all of the sites in the document " ... have been identified by the Saint Paul Port Authority as having potential for being converted into light industrial parks". They also recognize that there is some level of soil pollution on each of these sites. These sites also " ... represent prime opportunities to increase Saint Paul's tax base and provide living wage jobs ... ". These goals are compatible not only with the city, but also the West Side community, who has stated in their Long Range Plan that they would like to "Phase out heavy industrial use along Barge Channel Road". Converting the area to light industry would do just that. The Port Authority has also set specific standards for redevelopment and the land sale that is involved with that. In Case Studies In Brownfield Redevelopment the Port Authority lists five criteria that they have for land sale. It is interesting that the current companies occupying the area do not seem to be meeting at least some of the criteria. The criteria are: • "At least 1 job per 1000 square feet of building construction; • 30_ % building to land ratio; • Construction value of $30.00 per square foot; • Wage rates of $8.00-$10.00 per hour; and • Committment to hire Saint Paul Residents for 60% of new jobs hired." 28 Collaborations There are many challenges that the Port Authority, the Community and the City of Saint Paul will face in cleaning up the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area. By partnering together these three groups could work together to solve the problems that will arise. Other communities have successfully formed coalitions. One such community is Seattle. Their example may serve as a model for the City of Saint Paul, the West Side and the Port Authority as their situation was very similar. The Duwamish Coalition was formed in response to a bad contamination problem in a heavy industrial area in Seattle along the Duwamish River. Although this area was much larger than the Southport Industrial Park it has many similarities to Southport and the West Side Community. The area also has rail access, an airport, and companies that polluted the environment. Like the West Side, the Duwamish Coalition also has a strong commitment to improving their community, both economically and ecologically. There were also residential communities near the industrial park and a fear of contamination reaching areas much farther down the river. The mission of the Duwamish Coalition was " ... to preserve and reclaim industrial land for the purposes of expanding the manufacturing and industrial job base, and protecting and enhancing the natural environment of the corridor." Related objectives of the coalition were the following: • "Ensure that minorities, women, and economically disadvantaged individuals have access to the jobs which may be created through the Coalition's efforts. This includes access to appropriate training to qualify for jobs and • Ensure that the need and well-being of neighborhoods within and adjoining the Duwamish industrial area are understood, protected, and balanced with economic development goals." 29 The work of the coalition was to benefit both the environment as well as the businesses who used the area. Included in the coalition were members from business, labor, environmental and community groups, local government, and state and federal government. The Duwamish Coalition also saw the City of Seattle as playing a large role in their plans and goals. Remediation Technologies of Seattle prepared a report entitled Impacts of Environmental Problems On the Reuse and Redevelopment Of Properties In The Duwamish Industrial ~ Phase L Problems and Impacts. This was designed to address both barriers the coalition faced in redevelopment and possible impacts of reuse and redevelopment. The three main barriers that they saw for cleanup and redevelopment were technical barriers, regulatory barriers, and liability/financial issues. These are all issues that Saint Paul and the West Side will face . They saw the City as potentially playing several roles: the city as a developer where they could do such things as directly purchasing, cleaning up and redeveloping properties; the city as a financier where they would help to finance directly and obtain other financing for private sector developers; the city as a scientist where they would initiate studies and look for gaps in data; and finally the city as a coordinating agency where they would provide technical assistance and staff members to work on environmental issues. These are all roles that the City of Saint Paul could play in working with the Port Authority and the West Side Citizens Organization and West Side residents. They are the same barriers that Southport faces in redevelopment and cleanup. The Duwamish coalition serves as a strong model and resource for communities and cities interested in Brownfield cleanup and redevelopment. Talking to and learning from other agencies and organizations will be important for the community, the Port Authority, and the City. Many other communities in the City have already undertaken this kind of Brownfield redevelopment. They would be a source of support and knowledge for the community. Agencies such as the Department of Trade and Economic Development and Metropolitan Council could aid in funding support for the City 30 and Port Authority. Help and support is available in many forms if the community and the City wish to take advantage of it. A collaboration is already in the making. In February 1998 the City of Saint Paul became involved with the West Side Citizens Organization in assessing the possibility and cleanup and redevelopment. It is vitally important that the businesses and the Port Authority become actively interested and involved. All sides need to actively communicate and have a dialogue for any redevelopment to be successful. Barriers Southport Industrial Park has many barriers to redevelopment, however with the proper commitment it can be done. Each side involved in the cleanup process must realize that it will be long and complicated, but well worth the effort. Pollution is the largest barrier. First and foremost the City, Port Authority, and the West Side Community need to partner together to make a general pollution assessment which would include assessing the pollution levels in the soil and ground water. This can be complicated as often this leads to liability issues. If it is polluted, who carries that burden of cleaning it up? By working toge_ther a solution may be found through grant money or programs such as the Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup program. The location of Southport represents another barrier to cleanup and redevelopment. Southport is located on a floodplain. This means that when the Mississippi floods it will spill onto this area. This area has flooded many times in the history of the industrial area. Although this would not be a significant barrier for a park or other recreational area, it would be a large barrier for redevelopment of homes or businesses. If the area were redeveloped, the building of a floodwall would need to be addressed by all three groups. This would influence the type of redevelopment. Building a floodwall would also help to entice potential clean companies into using Southport. 31 The 12 zoning currently assigned to the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area is not appropriate for the current and future strength of the West Side Community and Saint Paul • as a whole. It is also not needed. Some of the companies currently occupying the area need 12 zoning but few companies wishing to relocate in the City of Saint Paul want or need 12 zoning. Redevelopment of this area would need to include new zoning, possibly to 11 for light industrial uses. In the long term this would be much more viable for the health of the city and community both ecologically and economically. This represents another barrier. The process of re-zoning is both long and complicated. With all three sides partnering together this process would become less of a burden. The current companies occupying the Barge .Channel Road Industrial Area pose another barrier to redevelopment. These companies are contributing very little to the community and are not appropriately placed next to the river. Large piles of metal and rusted hulks are not appropriate near any residential area or near a river. New companies would provide more jobs and fit in with the City and the Community more than the current occupants do. There are issues that would need to be addressed by the City, Port Authority, the current companies, and the Community. These would include relocation and possible buyout of the companies which own their land in Southport. In some cases such as Greif Bothers and Great Western, this could be complicated, as they have been there for many years, own their land, and may not be interested in leaving. In other cases such as Alter and Hawkins this could be very simple as they lease from the Port Authority and the Port Authority has the option of not renewing the leases or terminating the current leases. Some are up for renewal in the near future, so plans and action would need to be taken soon. With so many barriers it may seem inconceivable to even consider such a large undertaking. However, with commitment and cooperation from all three sides the process becomes much more simple. 32 Grant and Funding Possibilities Currently Brownfields are a hot topic. There is a wide array of funding available for work on Brownfield redevelopment. These grants can be used for a wide scope of needs, from making plans for redevelopment and/or cleanup to actual cleanup. This is good news for any agency considering undertaking this type of task. Brownfield redevelopment can be very costly, so grants are usually necessary to offset the cost. Grants can come from many different sources and be available to many different types of organizations, both public and private. Grant sources range from wealthy philanthropists to the federal and state governments to large companies. Guidelines are often very specific about who the money goes to and what the money is to be used for. In April of 1997 the Saint Paul Port Authority received a grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The Brownfields Redevelopment Grant was awarded to the Port Authority for $146,000. The activities which are to be accomplished through this grant include: • " Working with neighborhood organization to identify up to six target Brownfield sites for redevelopment; • Conducting site assessments at up to six Brownfield sites; • Preparing and publishing reports on the results of the site assessments; • Preparing response action or cleanup plans for one to three targeted sites; and • Partner with neighborhood organizations to establish a workforce development plan". The goals and objectives of this grant show the strong written commitment the Port Authority has expressed for redevelopment of under-used land. They state; "The goals of the Saint Paul Port Authority are to optimize the reuse of abandoned and under-used industrial sites within the City of Saint Paul, create increased employment opportunities for local residents and generate sufficient tax revenues to provide services needed for long-term, ecologically sound, industrial growth. The Port Authority will 33 panner \.vith neighborhood organizations to gain support for redevelopment projects and workforce development". It is interesting that in these statements is found a perfect match between the Port Authority partnering with the West Side community in the redevelopment of the Barge Channel Road industrial area. In doing so they would be meeting all of their objectives and activities. At the same time they would allow the West Side to begin their long-term goal of cleaning up and redeveloping the Southport Industrial Park. In addition to the pilot grant, the City of Saint Paul was also recently selected as a showcase community. Along with this honor comes additional federal support in the form of grant money and services in-kind. The total amount of this package amounts to approximately 1.3 million dollars. A specific EPA employee will also be assigned to assist the Port Authority in coordinating efforts as a showcase community. The grant money, the employee, and the additional in-kind support will help the Port Authority in redeveloping Brownfields. Projects where contamination is a factor can be very costly ranging into the millions. The Port Authority estimates remediation costs for soil to average in the range of $1 - $3 per square foot. Although quite costly, the funding is available. Often collab9rations between the city, county, state, and federal governments combined with incoming companies, can allow the costs be met. The return usually exceeds any initial costs. Long range thinking and planning is crucial. The redevelopment of the former Schnitzer Iron and Metal Site and the Former Watkins Motor Lines Site by Hubbard Broadcasting partnering with the City of Saint Paul is a good example of a project that was expensive and difficult, yet possible. These sites were highly contaminated. Total cleanup and redevelopment ran into the millions of dollars. Through successful funding these sites were cleaned up and redeveloped. Each side gained from this deal. Below are the grants and other funding obtained for the Saint Paul portion of the Schnitzer Site 34 Schnitzer Site DTEDGrant Met Council Grant St. Paul H.R.A. Local Match Tax Increment generated by St. Croix Partners' development Total $1,089,500 $ 910,500 $ 404,196 $2,117,001 $4,521,197 The Port Authority has had success redeveloping Brownfields in recent years. Three sites are featured in a document published by the Port Authority called, Case Studies In Brownfield Redevelopment: the Arlington Business Center; the Crosby Lake Business Center; and Williams Hill. This document shows how profitable Brownfield redevelopment is for both the community, in job creation, and the Port Authority in a return on their investment. The average costs for these three sites was $9,450,600 or $935 per square foot. The benefits were measured in present value tax increments (25 years), present value state income tax (25 years) and present value property taxes (25 years). The total benefits were expected to average $13,772,2206 with a net benefit of $4,321,606. The return on investment was expected to average 9.1 years and be 12.l %. A large financial payback makes Brownfield redevelopment profitable for the Port Authority, the City of Saint Paul and any businesses who invest in this method of reclamation development. What cannot be measured in numbers though, is the return a community receives in pride for the revitalization of their community. Below is a table of grants that could be utilized either by the Port Authority or the City of Saint Paul for some aspect of redevelopment. Often these types of grants are given for a specific purpose, such as assessment or cleanup. 35 Table 6: Possible Grants For Use By the City Or The Port Authority In Brownfield Reclamation Sponsorin2 A2encv Name Of Grant Grant Ran2e Contact Depanment Of Trade and Contamination Cleanup/ Up to 75'7c of Meredith Udoibok Economic Development Investigation Program cost # 297-4132 Federal Government Wetland Development Grants Up to 75% of http://aspe .os.dhhs.gov cost /cfda/066461 .htm Environmental Protection Sustainable Development $50.000- http://www.epa. Agency Challenge Grants $250.000 gov/ecocommunity Environmental Protection Surveys, Studies, $1.000- http://aspe .os .dhhs.gov Agency Investigations & Special $500,000 /cfda/p66606.htm Puroose Grants Metropolitan Council Unknown Unknown Wayne Nelson # 602-1406 It may be possible for the West Side Citizens Organization to utilize grant money in this process . Small grants could assist in covering costs that may come from further investigation and work on the project. Often smaller grants are offered to smaller organizations. Conversely the criteria for getting these smaller grants is less stringent. In table two, possibilities for grants are shown. Table: 7 Possible Grants For Use By The West Side Citizens Organization Grant Name or Sponsoring Dollar Range Criteria or Areas of Pro2ram Or2anization Interest Cottonwood Grant Cottonwood Foundation $1,000 • Protecting the environment • Promote cultural diversity • Empower people to meet their basic needs • relv on volunteer efforts General Grant Ben & Jerrv's Foundation $1 - $15.000 The environment Environment Rockefeller Family Fund $15.000- Conservation of Natural Program $100.000 Resources Environmental Grant Ittleson Foundation Unknown Test new approaches to solving environmental oroblems 36 Environment The Nathan Cummings $20.000- • Projects to encourage Program Foundation $100,000 adoption of environmentally sound living and consumptive patterns • Initiatives that deepen commitment to environmental values and actions Star Grant The City Of Saint Paul Vruies • Matching money to be used for reclamation and redevelopment Community Affairs Otto Bremer Foundation $7,375- • Increase citizen or City of Saint Paul $600,000 participation ... development of local citizen organizations • Relieve poverty in the City of Saint Paul Another funding possibility is available for the three privately owned companies, Great Western, Greif Brothers, and Mudek Trucking. If the Port Authority were able to sell land to other private companies they could access a program called the Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup Program. This program is run by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and designed to help protect businesses while they investigate and cleanup po1lution on their land. It was started to protect businesses from liability in purchasing contaminated land. The 1992 Land Recycling Act allows people be eligible for future liability protection if an investigation is undertaken voluntarily. Under this act response actions are approved by the MPCA commissioner. Financial assistance may also be available. The definition put forth by the MPCA for Brownfields matches Southport, so this may be a realistic option, especially for areas that may have been contaminated by previous companies. If petroleum contamination were found to be a problem at any of these sites there is a similar program through the MPCA called the Voluntary Petroleum Cleanup and Investigation. This program could also help by providing technical support. It is clear that funding possibilities are available and accessible on many levels: community; business; and government. 37 American Heritage Rivers Initiative The American Rivers Heritage Rivers Initiative is a program which will help communities alongside rivers cleanup pollution and revitalize their community. The Mississippi River between Minneapolis and Saint Paul has been nominated for this special program. Sometime during 1998, ten rivers will be chosen by President Clinton. If the Mississippi River is chosen, there will be very positive incentives for the West Side and WSCO to work for cleanup with the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area. The Initiative could assist in the following ways: by supporting the West Side community's goal of phasing out heavy industrial use along Barge Channel Road; by helping to cut "red tape" and cumbersome aspects of accessing cleanup money for this purpose; and by providing focused federal support to the Mississippi River, which would trickle down to the West Side Community. Within each community a contact called a "river navigator" will be chosen. This person will assist communities in finding the support needed to revitalize or restore an area of the river. WSCO can take full advantage of this by working with Barge Channel Road funding and cleanup community priorities. 38 Summary The cleanup and redevelopment of the Barge Channel Road Industrial area is not only viable but must be done for the health of the environment and the health of the community. Past and current information cited here about Southport will support agencies who recognize that such work as testing needs to be done for the future of the community and the Barge Channel Road Industrial Area. Although there are many barriers to redevelopment, forming a coalition among the City of Saint Paul, the Saint Paul Port Authority and the West Side Citizens Organization can work toward recognizing and acting on common goals and strategies. Funding is often difficult but possible when groups, organizations and agencies together support meeting a demand for cleanup of a polluted area. Most recently money has become available for the city of Saint Paul and the Port Authority to use in Brownfield redevelopment. Building a coalition that will recognize the common goals of the three groups will make redevelopment not only possible, but an achievable goal for our communities future. As Hortense Quesada said "If you have something in your mind and you believe in it and believe its right, don't give up." 39 RESOURCES Interview • Personal Interview with Hortense Quesada. Aerial Photographs • University Of Minnesota--Wilson Library-John R. Borchert Map Library--624-4549. Phone Directory Records • Polk Directory 1978-1994--Saint Paul Public Library 292-6311. • Cole Directory for Saint Paul--University Of Minnesota Wilson Library--624-3321. General Information • American Business Disc, 1997 2nd Edition -- University Of Minnesota Wilson Library. 624-3321 • Saint Paul Port Authority--Kenneth Johnson General Environmental Information • Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)--296-6300. The Mississippi River and Water Quality • "Ramsey/Washington Metro Watershed" http://www.ctic.purdue.edu/cgi/bin/ShowWatershed.exe ?Watershed= • Nonpoint Source Pollution http://www.epa.gov. OWOW /NPS/qa.html • Map "Sensitivity Of The Water Table To Pollution". Minnesota Geological Survey Geologic Atlas, Ramsey County, MN, County Atlas C-7, Plate 8. • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)--Surf Your Watershed http://www.epa.gov/Surf • Water Quality Report--Information From West Side Environmental Inventory Spills • MPCA Division of Tanks and Spills--Linda Moon 297-2731. Salvage Facilities • "Automobile Waste Report". A Staff Report to the Legislative Commission on Waste Management. January 1993. Tanks • MPCA Division of Tanks and Spills--Linda Moon 297-2731. Polluted Sites • MPCA Division of Tanks and Spills--Linda Moon 297-2731. Barges • Table 6-From the West Side Environmental Inventory page 24. Air Pollution • MPCA Air Quality Division--297-1630. Soil • "Soil Survey Of Washington and Ramsey Counties Minnesota". United States Department Of Agriculture. Wilson Library. Overview • "Saint Paul Land Use Opportunities: Discussion Paper for a New Citywide Land Use Plan". Neighborhood Planning and Land Use Committee of the Saint Paul Planning Commission and Saint Paul Department Of Planing and Economic Development (PED). • "Renew Improve Reuse: Reclaiming & Redeveloping Urban Brownfields". Saint Paul Port Authority. • Case Studies In Brownfield Redevelopment. Saint Paul Port Authority 224-5686. Collaborations • Duwamish Coalition http://www. pan .ci. seattle. wa. us/business/ de Grants and Funding Possibilities • Brownfields Pilot Grant http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/html-doc/stpaul.htm • Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup Program http://www.pca.state.mn. us/cleanup/vie .html • Foundations http://www.yahoo.com/Society _and_ Culture/lssues_and_ Causes/Philanthropy/ Organizations/Grant_Making_Foundations/ • American Heritage Rivers Initiative http://www.epa.gov/rivers/whpress.html Additional Resources • "Third Annual Polluted Lands Conference-Growing In Place: Creating Jobs and Tax Base Through Land Recycling". Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce. • Back To Our Community: A West Side Community Plan. West Side Citizens Organization, 1997. • "West Side Environmental Inventory". Christy Brekken.