Waste Site Cleanup & Reuse in New England
Former H.B. Smith Property
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Success in Assessment Demonstration Pilot
Program
Westfield, MA
(April 19, 2002)
Contacts
| Aerial view of the area | |
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| Exterior
before redevelopment |
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| Abandoned
debris inside building |
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| Redevelopment
plans |
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| The
new Super Stop 'N Shop |
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In April of 1997, the city of Westfield, MA was awarded $175,000 by EPA's Assessment Demonstration Pilot (ADP) Program to conduct environmental site assessment activities at the former H.B. Smith property, the site of a former foundry which made cast iron boilers and boiler systems for industrial use. The assessment of this property resulted in the demolition of the existing structure, cleanup of the property, and construction of a Super Stop ‘N Shop supermarket.
The city of Westfield has been working to revitalize the downtown area. H.B. Smith had dramatically downsized its operation in recent years. Consequently, the factory had a large, outdated facility that was occupying prime downtown property. The city officials of Westfield valued the jobs and the tax revenue H.B. Smith provided the community. With the help of O'Connell Development Group, the city successfully relocated the foundry to a more appropriate, smaller, and modern facility elsewhere in town.
The site of the former foundry consisted of three adjacent parcels of land totaling 6.5 acres. The largest parcel was 5.5 acres and was occupied by several, adjacent vacant buildings. The property had been in continuous industrial use since the mid 1880's.
In 1998, the city used the ADP funds to assess the extent of contamination and to characterize the contamination on the property. Environmental consultants hired by the city conducted the environmental site assessments. The preliminary assessment revealed animal wastes, asbestos, casting sands, unknown waste piles and barreled wastes, transformers and PCB ballasts, and at least three underground storage tanks. Petroleum products, PAHs and heavy metals were found. Remediation included waste removal, animal waste cleanup, oil pumping from basement, asbestos abatement, underground storage tank removal, and lead waste remediation. Soil remediation totaled nearly $1 million in leveraged funding. O'Connell Development Group worked with the Westfield Community Development Corporation and managed the purchase of the property in November of 1996, and the cleanup and demolition of the buildings in 1999 and 2000. The site was cleaned to meet commercial standards for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The property was redeveloped into a 69,000 square foot Super Stop & Shop. On this redevelopment effort, there was great coordination between the local, private, and federal partners.
| EPA Fact Sheet: | EPA Brownfields Pilot - Westfield, MA |