Hamilton County Property Cleared for Redevelopment
WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 17, 2014 – (RealEstateRama) — A Cincinnati-area brownfield is ready for redevelopment after undergoing an investigation and remediation through Ohio EPA’s Voluntary Action Program (VAP), thanks to the voluntary efforts of Garrett Wood LLC, Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. and the village of Woodlawn.
Ohio EPA issued a covenant not to sue for the approximately 14-acre former Hexion Specialty Chemicals property, located at 630 Glendale-Milford Road. The facility was used for the research and manufacture of printer ink.
By entering the VAP, the owner and village assumed responsibility for remediating the property. Following standards developed by Ohio EPA, the owner and village hired a certified environmental professional to assess the site, identify any areas of concern and remediate any contamination on the property to a level that allows for commercial/industrial development.
A covenant not to sue protects the property’s owners or operators and future owners from being legally responsible to the State of Ohio for further environmental investigation and remediation relating to known releases. This protection applies only when the property is used and maintained in accordance with the terms and conditions of the covenant.
In the 18 years since Ohio EPA issued the first covenant under VAP, more than 8,000 acres of blighted land have been revitalized at nearly 400 sites across the state.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1972 to consolidate efforts to protect and improve air quality, water quality and waste management in Ohio. Since then, air pollutants dropped by as much as 90 percent; large rivers meeting standards improved from 21 percent to 89 percent; and hundreds of polluting, open dumps were replaced with engineered landfills and an increased emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.
Contact:
PUBLIC INTEREST CENTER: (614) 644-2160
MEDIA CONTACT: Heather Lauer
CITIZEN CONTACT: Darla Peelle
