Garden City Earns Certified Brownfield Status for Once-Contaminated Land at Garden City Town Center

June 3, 2010 - PRLog -- GARDEN CITY, Ga. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has officially certified 20 acres of land at the Garden City Town Center as a brownfield, recognizing a successful partnership between public and private interests to clean up the once-contaminated site.

“Earning this brownfield certification opens doors to economic development in Garden City,” said Brian Johnson, Garden City’s City Manager. “It’s important to return this land to public use.”

The site, located on Dean Forest Road between Sunshine Avenue and I-16, was once home to a Department of Motor Vehicles office and a Georgia State Patrol post, both of which have been closed for more than a decade. The land was contaminated by benzene from leaking underground gasoline tanks that were previously used to fuel Georgia State Patrol police cars.

The State of Georgia cleaned up 4,000 cubic yards of contaminated material in 2007. In 2008, Garden City took additional steps to remediate the site, working with government agencies and private companies to remove another 12,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil.

“The goal was to clean up the site to the point where anyone living or working in the area will not come into contact with any contaminated soil,” said Johnson. “We’re thrilled to earn federal recognition for our brownfield efforts.”

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources determined in a letter dated May 7, 2010 that “the soil on the property is in compliance with the residential Type 1 soil risk reduction standards for volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, RCRA metals and mercury.”

The brownfield certification ensures that there is no longer any source contamination on the site and that previous environmental contamination poses no risk to current residents or businesses. It also offers a limitation of liability, protecting Garden City from potential future lawsuits.

“Cleaning up this site to such a high standard is truly a win/win situation for everyone,” said Rodger Daniel, president of American Environmental & Construction Services, Inc. in Alpharetta, Ga., the company that executed the clean-up of the site. “It’s a win for the environment and it’s a win for this community. This clean-up took a piece of fallow land that was contaminated and put it back into use as an asset for the community in Garden City.”

The new Georgia Public Safety Training Center Regional Police Academy is currently under construction on the site. Several other tenant announcements at the Garden City Town Center are expected in the coming months.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency defines a brownfield as “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.”

ABOUT GARDEN CITY:
Located in the heart of Chatham County, Garden City stands apart as one of the leading municipalities in coastal Georgia. Featuring a progressive blend of industry and small business, Garden City boasts a rich history, friendly neighborhoods, vibrant economy and quality services for residents. Originally founded in 1939, Garden City has the distinction of being the second largest municipality in the state of Georgia with no property taxes. Defined by responsive, visionary leadership, Garden City is currently building an innovative mixed-use Town Center near I-16, which serves as the new home of the municipality’s City Hall. For more information about Garden City, please call 912.966.7777 or visit www.gardencity-ga.gov online.

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