WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 3, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Through the voluntary efforts of the property owner, a Tiffin brownfield is ready for redevelopment after undergoing investigation under Ohio EPA’s Voluntary Action Program (VAP). Ohio EPA has issued a covenant not to sue to Tiffin University (the volunteer) for the former Rosenblatt Steel property.
The 8.9-acre property is located on two parcels. The north parcel is at 322 Miami St. and the south parcels at 335, 359 and 349 Miami St. and 0 South St.
The site has been used for industrial activities since 1908 when it was a manufactured gas plant owned by Consolidated Gas & Light Co. It was the site of the Burroughs Adding Machine Co. before transferring to Rosenblatt Steel in 1926. Tiffin University purchased the property in 2007 and jointly owns it with Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corp.
Current and future use of the property is a combination of commercial/industrial and restricted residential purposes. The north parcel is occupied by the Tiffin University Recreation Center and its parking lot. Tiffin University’s Living Learning Community Apartments and parking lot are located on the south parcel.
Following standards developed by Ohio EPA, the volunteer hired a certified environmental professional to assess the site, identify any areas of concern and remediate the contamination on the property to a level that allows for redevelopment. Investigation and remedial work occurred between 2007 and 2011.
Remedial actions included removing asbestos-containing materials from a metal-sided building; removing material that did not meet VAP residential or commercial standards; placing clean soil backfill to create a two-foot clean protective cover in the north parcel green spaces and across the south parcel; and installing building slabs, asphalt and concrete pavement and a vapor barrier. Also, extraction of ground water is prohibited.
A covenant not to sue protects the property’s owner or operator and future owners from being legally responsible to the State of Ohio for further investigation and remediation. 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 more than 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. In the past 40 years, 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. Ohio EPA….40 years and moving forward.
Contact:
PUBLIC INTEREST CENTER: (614) 644-2160
MEDIA CONTACT: Dina Pierce
CITIZEN CONTACT: Darla Peelle
