About The Kinston Brownfields Program
The Kinston Brownfields program is funded by grants received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It is designed to assess potential brownfield sites located citywide. This program is a partnership between the City of Kinston, our chosen consultant Mid-Atlantic Associates (MAA), and the EPA.
Our Mission is to transition eligible properties from underutilized, potentially contaminated sites, to new useful purposes while spurring economic growth, job creation, and protecting the environment.
How the program works
1 – Public Involvement
A Task Force was established that is comprised by community representatives and citizens alike, including:
- Kinston City Planning/Management
- Kinston Housing Authority
- Lenoir County Economic Development Department
- Lenoir County Planning Department
- Lenoir Community College
- Kinston Promise Neighborhood
- Kinston Community Council for the Arts
- Michelltown Preservation Society
- MLK Corridor Area
2 – Site Characterization
The City has thus far completed 11 Phase I Environmental Site Assessments encompassing 37 parcels and 115.29 acres. Four Phase II Environmental Site Assessments were completed, consisting of the following properties:
- Kinston Shirt Factory
- Glen Raven Mills
- Salt Wood Products
- Harvey Oil
3 – Site Inventory
A city-wide inventory of all brownfield properties was conducted. Utilizing grant funds, the City identified 62 potential brownfield sites, with the following sites prioritized for assessment activities:
- Former Power Plant
- Glen Raven Mill
- Duke Energy MGP site
- Former Kinston Shirt Factory
4 – Cleanup and Redevelopment Planning
An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is prepared for sites entered into the brownfield program. Risk-based cleanup techniques are used to address the sites to determine how potentially contaminated media encountered during redevelopment will be handled and managed.
Under the Kinston brownfield program, a total of 3 EMPs have been developed, including the following:
- Kinston Shirt Factory
- Glen Raven Mills
- Salt Wood Products
- Harvey Oil
Revitalizing our community through property rehabilitation
Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs)
What is a brownfield?
Brownfields are “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” Brownfields blight communities across the country, inhibiting economic development and contaminating the environment. Brownfield sites include unproductive and abandoned textile mills, service stations, industrial facilities, and chemical processing plants. By cleaning up these properties, local governments can protect the environment, spur economic growth, and create jobs.
What is the purpose of this grant project?
The purpose of this grant is to assess the level and nature of environmental contamination at selected brownfield sites and conduct planning for the cleanup and reuse of the properties. By assessing contaminated properties in Kinston, the City is quantifying the risks involved in redeveloping the properties to encourage property owners and developers to clean up the sites and put them back into productive use.
Will the grant pay for the cleanup of the sites?
This grant will not pay for the actual cleanup and redevelopment of the site. While the EPA offers separate cleanup grants to assist with cleanup activities, property owners and developers are often eager to invest in the redevelopment activities in order to put the site back into productive use.a.
How will the community benefit from the redevelopment of these properties?
The cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites create productive properties, removes blight, protects the environment and often leads to the creation of new jobs.
Who will pay for the cleanup if contamination is found?
The owner of the property is typically responsible for cleanup. However, there are reimbursement programs and mitigation strategies that can be used in certain situations. In addition, EPA offers low interest loans to private property owners for the cleanup of contamination. The City’s environmental specialists will assist property owners in developing a strategy (including cost mitigation) to address cleanup before testing is conducted.
What activities are included in cleanup/redevelopment planning?
The primary goal of this effort is to identify potentially applicable cleanup alternatives and to estimate the nature, extent, duration, and cost of implementing selected cleanup alternatives at the site. This task will provide property owners and prospective purchasers with a general description of potential cleanup alternatives and approximate cost to complete these activities. In addition, cleanup decisions are often times based on the proposed end use of the site (residential, commercial) and how the proposed redevelopment (buildings, parking lots) limits access to onsite contamination. It is not uncommon for cleanup costs to be significantly reduced as a result of these efforts.
What is EPA's involvement?
The Brownfield Assessment Program is NOT a regulatory program. Assessment projects are a mechanism/tool to promote economic development. EPA involvement is typically limited to review of work plans and general program oversight.
What does the program offer property owners?
Participation in the Kinston Brownfields Program by the private sector is voluntary. The program helps move properties towards redevelopment by conducting environmental site assessments and identifying/removing the environmental risk/uncertainty associated with the property. With funds from EPA, the City is able to support environmental site assessment activities on properties where the current owner or prospective purchaser may be unwilling and/or unable to perform assessments independently. Program participation is particularly helpful where a property is perceived to have an environmental problem, although one may not actually exist.
Why would property owners want to participate?
Participation in a Brownfields project brings resources to the property owners and prospective purchasers that facilitate re-development. The project can help clarify environmental concerns and plan redevelopment to address real or perceived environmental issues. If your property is selected, project-provided services might include (1) All Appropriate Inquiries (Phase I and Phase II Environmental Assessments) and (2) Clean-up/redevelopment Planning.
If I am a property owner and I participate what happens if environmental contamination is found?
The answer to this question depends on the historical activities at the site, potential contaminant sources, types of contaminants and the regulatory agency that would have jurisdiction over the site. The City has specialists who will consult with property owners to answer this question BEFORE testing is conducted. In this way a property owner knows exactly what the ramifications are if indeed contamination is found and helps them make an informed decision before authorizing testing on a site.
What if redevelopment opportunities are not identified?
Although specific redevelopment opportunities do not necessarily need to be defined before work is performed, a general plan for generating redevelopment opportunities is typically needed to obtain EPA approval to spend grant funds on assessment work. In addition, the City will seek to prioritize sites for funding based on the site’s redevelopment potential and plans.
What if I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
Please contact Reina Clark, with Mid-Atlantic Associates, at (919) 250-9918 or rclark@maaonline.com. You can also reach Ms. lark via the contact form below.
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