The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has a program to help counties, cities and eligible property owners ascertain the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant, and remediate the hazard so the property can be safely and fully used.
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Catherine Jones, outreach coordinator for the DNR’s Brownfields Program, met late Thursday afternoon with members of the Trenton Downtown Improvement Association to discuss the program. She met earlier in the day with city of Trenton officials. The program is voluntary and the detection phases are free to property owners since they are funded by grants to DNR from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Should a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant be found, the DNR can help the property owner find financing to remediate the hazard, including tax credits, grants and low-interest loans.
The first detection phase involves assessing the history of use and ownership of a property to see whether the potential for a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant exists. If there is a potential problem, the second detection phase involves sampling and testing the soil, air and water to identify the contaminant and decide on the remediation method. The detection phases must be requested by a city, a county or a quasi-governmental entity, such as a regional planning commission, but can be made on behalf of a property owner or potential property owner. Often this type of environmental study is required for a bank loan to purchase a commercial property. The Department of Natural Resources contacts with four professional environmental assessment and cleanup companies to conduct the studies.
Environmental assessments conducted by a private company without DNR involvement typically cost $3,000 to $5,000 for the first detection phase and $12,000 to $20,000 for the second detection phase, Ms Jones said.
Remediation is voluntary, unless there is an eminent danger to people or the environment. Ms. Jones said that mandatory remediation of an environmental hazard detected through the voluntary Brownfields Program had occurred only twice since the program began in 1994, Ms Jones said. Sometimes remediation involves the removal or the contaminant and sometimes the contaminant is contained, she said. For example, a special sealant and paint can be used to contain lead paint rather than removing it from a wall. Often remediation involved the removal of contaminated dirt and the company hired to remove the dirt is responsible for its safe disposal, she said.
Properties that qualify for the Brownfields Program can be found in nearly every small town and city in Missouri. The locations of former gasoline stations are the most common Brownfields properties, she said.
About 500 properties have been assessed and cleaned up through this program.