News Releases from Region 05

EPA Announces 2019 Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award Winner: Fernald Preserve, Ohio

Contact Information: Rachel Bassler (bassler.rachel@epa.gov) 312-886-7159

CHICAGO (July 11, 2019) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Fernald Preserve in Ohio is one of four winners of the second annual “National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse” awards. These awards recognize the innovative thinking and cooperation among federal agencies, states, tribes, local partners, and developers that have led to noteworthy restoration and reuse of federal facility sites under the Superfund program.

“Expediting the cleanup and redevelopment of Superfund sites, including those owned by the federal government, is a top priority of the Trump Administration,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “These awards highlight the successes we have achieved through working cooperatively with our federal, state, and local partners to restore properties in a manner that protects public health and serves as a catalyst for economic growth and community revitalization.”

Fernald Preserve in Ohio won the National Priorities List (NPL) site award. The 1,050-acre former U.S. Department of Energy uranium processing facility is now home to an undeveloped park, encompassing 140 acres of wetlands, 350 acres of prairies, and 400 acres of forest. The preserve employs 33 full-time employees to meet its mission.

The Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Awards cover four categories of federal facilities: (1) NPL sites, (2) NPL Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites, (3) non-NPL BRAC sites, and (4) non-NPL sites.

Background:

EPA has ongoing cleanup and property transfer responsibilities at 174 federal facility NPL sites across the country, which are some of the largest and most complex sites within the Superfund program. The Trump Administration has made the Superfund program a top priority to advance the agency’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment. EPA’s Superfund Task Force is working to promote redevelopment and reuse of sites by encouraging investment in reuse outcomes. The federal facility sites receiving resuse awards serve as examples of the types of site investment that can occur at sites owned by federal agencies.

For more information about these award winners, please visit https://www.epa.gov/fedfac/2019-national-federal-facility-excellence-site-reuse-awards

For more information about cleanups at federal facilities, please visit www.epa.gov/fedfac

For more information about the Superfund Task Force, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-task-force

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