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EPA Recognizes Arlington, Tenn., for Transforming Superfund Site into a Park

Release Date: 06/17/2009
Contact Information: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, marraccini.davina@epa.gov

(ATLANTA – June 17, 2009) At a ceremony this morning, EPA honored the Town of Arlington, Tenn., with the EPA Region 4 Excellence in Site Reuse award for redeveloping the Arlington Blending and Packaging (ABAP) Superfund site into the 2.8 acre Mary Alice Park. Since purchasing the property in 2005, the Town of Arlington has worked cooperatively with EPA to coordinate the park’s development with EPA’s implementation of the selected cleanup plan.

The redevelopment enhanced EPA’s selected cleanup plan and resulted in the revitalization of the property and surrounding neighborhood. The Town of Arlington’s efforts have enhanced the cleanup and the long-term protectiveness of EPA’s actions, while reducing EPA’s stewardship responsibilities. The park was designed to minimize the impact to existing groundwater monitoring well network and allow easy access to the wells for sampling. This commitment assures EPA monitoring will continue to help prevent exposure to contaminated groundwater.

EPA supports the redevelopment of contaminated properties and views the revitalization of communities affected by contaminated properties as a key component of its mission to protect human health and the environment. Region 4 created the Excellence in Site Reuse award to recognize those who have gone above and beyond in redeveloping a Superfund site.

The 2-acre Arlington Blending and Packaging Superfund site is located along U.S. Highway 70, 23 miles northeast of Memphis. From 1971 to 1978 the Arlington Blending & Packaging Company (ABAP) operated as a pesticide formulation and packaging facility. ABAP blended technical grade pesticides with solvents and emulsifiers and packaged the products for client companies, which were primarily pesticide manufacturers. During the company's operation, spills and leakage of products occurred, resulting in soil, ditch sediment and groundwater contamination.

For more information on EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Initiative in Region 4, visit
https://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/sf/sri/

This year marks the 10^th anniversary of the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative. For more information on the celebration, visit:
https://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/recycle/anniversary.html

For information on the Arlington Blending and Packaging Superfund site, visit https://www.epa.gov/region4/waste/npl/npltn/arlingtn.htm