A primary component of the political context for the Easton Iron Works environmental remediation project is the owners and shareholders of the property. The City of Easton and the Easton Redevelopment Authority are joining in an agreement to make this project possible. The City of Easton plans to purchase the former Easton Iron and Metal Co. that is on Bushkill Dr. However, the property’s current owner, The Easton Redevelopment Authority, has applied for grants to remediate the property. The former owner of the property, Jacob Stein of Forks Township, passed away in 2016 leaving the “Jacob Stein Revocable Living Trust” as the listed property owner (Tatu, 2018). However, the unnamed executor of the trust has left the property vacant and unattended since January 2016 when Jacob Stein passed (Tatu, 2018). The Easton Redevelopment Authority has since purchased this property with the goal of remediating the space. This property would be eventually incorporated into the Easton Parks and Recreation program in order to provide a public space for the Easton community. Public spaces are an important asset to any city: “They provide people many opportunities to come together and engage with the community. If public spaces are successful they are inclusive of the diversity of groups present in our cities and create a social space for everyone in the society to participate in” (Jagannath, 2018). There are many characteristics of an effective public space which include accessibility, comfort, ability to facilitate socialization, and access and linkages (Jagannath, 2018). Such components should be taken into consideration when they become relevant in the decision making process of the Easton Iron Works property project. At this point in our analysis, we remain mainly focused on the environmental remediation of the project site in order for such the development of a public space to be possible.
Dave Hopkins is the Director of Public Works for the City of Easton and is a primary shareholder of the Iron Works remediation project. The City of Easton has political interest also because groundwater contamination has the potential risk to negatively impact human health, so the project has greater capacity. As of the first week in October, “the city received the maximum grant amount of $1 million through the ISRP program” (Dave Hopkins). The ISRP (Industrial Sites Reuse Program) is used to provide grants and low-interest loan financing to perform environmental site assessment and remediation work at former industrial sites (Industrial Sites Reuse Program (ISRP), 2020). This program is ideal for a project like the environmental remediation at the former Easton Iron Works property. Our primary focus within the scope of this report is limited to the environmental remediation of the site rather than the future uses of the remediated space. Mr Hopkins also provided that the future uses of the property remain unclear but the short term plan calls for demolition and environmental remediation.
There are various policies that are in place for sites like this one to be remediated but within certain policy constraints. The Easton Iron Works property will require environmental remediation projects in accordance with Act 2 of the Remediation Process as well as specific cleanup plans (Email Communication with Dave Hopkins). Act 2 outlines the requirements of public remediation projects in Pennsylvania which include applying land recycling remediation standards to the property and following official remediation standards (Department of Environmental Protection, 2019). These standards are extremely relevant to our project at the Easton Iron Works site. The first stage of this plan is to characterize the site while considering options for remediation: “Characterization of a release includes the identification of specific contaminant concentrations throughout soil and groundwater media, discharges to surface water and air, and any other conditions that may pose a risk to human health and the environment associated with the release” (Department of Environmental Protection, 2019). Through this characterization a site can submit notices of intent to remediate (NIRs) if there is documentation of release of regulated substances or for properties affected by off property releases of regulated substances for which the remediator is not responsible (Department of Environmental Protection, 2019). In the case of the Easton Iron Works project, the former owner is now deceased and the City of Easton has stepped in to act as the remediator. Additionally, Act 2 calls for environmental remediation projects to adhere to the Background Standard, the Statewide Health Standard, Site-Specific Standard, and a Combination of Standards (Department of Environmental Protection, 2019). The Background Standard is most useful in cases of releases migrating from off-property, for widespread contamination, or naturally occurring conditions. These standards are varying but all provide certain requirements to remediation efforts. Figure 2.0 is a site characterization decision tree included in the Department of Environmental Protection’s Act 2 Remediation Process. This figure provides a guideline for how to approach the site characterization process in order to successfully and accurately characterize the site based on remediation standards. This visual aid benefits our research process because it provides a clear and concise method for approaching a complex environmental assessment.
Figure 2.0: Site Characterization Decision Tree (DEP, 2019)
The Statewide Health Standard is achieved when medium-specific concentrations (MSCs) depending on the substance and its environment. The most pertinent standard to our project at the Easton Iron Works property is the Site-Specific Standard: “Cleanup levels may be developed which pertain specifically to the unique exposure pathways at a site. This is a more detailed process, both technically and administratively. The human and ecological receptors at the site need to be addressed either through the elimination of the exposure pathways or a risk assessment. A site-specific cleanup also provides an opportunity for public participation” (Department of Environmental Protection, 2019). Dave Hopkins, primary shareholder and Director of Public Works for the City of Easton highlights the need for community engagement throughout the environmental remediation process as well (Tatu, 2019). Similarly, Act 2 includes a “Public Involvement Plan” which requires a 30-day period for community members to be able to comment on whether the municipality wishes to be a part of the cleanup and reuse of the project site (Department of Environmental Protection, 2019). Community collaboration is encouraged in the development of the public involvement plan, and may include measures such as public meetings, development of a proactive community information and consultation program, public access for document review and discussion, formation of a community-based group to solicit suggestions and comments, and/or other public involvement measures that align with the needs of the community. Community engagement is an effective method of approaching engineering development projects that is also more ethical and sustainable than a techno-centric approach: “The assumption is that participatory approaches empower local people with the skills and confidence to analyse their situation, reach consensus, make decisions and take action, so as to improve their circumstances. The ultimate goal is more equitable and sustainable development” (Lucena, Schneider, & Leydens, 2010). The environmental remediation project that occurs at the Easton Iron Works property should follow these recommendations in order to best meet the needs of the Easton community.
The City of Easton cares about this project because groundwater pollution is a serious environmental threat, and also because sustainability aligns with Easton’s values as they are outlined in Easton Matters Report by the Nurture Nature Center. The Nurture Nature Center (NNC) is a science-based local community organization in Easton, PA. The NNC is focused on engaging community members in learning about environmental science and local environmental risks. For this reason they are uniquely situated to handle the communication of needs between Easton’s residential community and the local officials that handle environmental policy. The NNC created the Easton Matters Public Handout which outlines the environmental issues that matter to the Easton community. Among the most prevalent issues which are “related to litter and recycling, traffic, pedestrian safety and walkability, and the main- tenance of sidewalks and street trees. The desire for more green space, access to healthy affordable food, easier access to the Delaware and Lehigh Rivers, code enforcement, and building re-use were also issues discussed” (The Nurture Nature Center, 2020). A clean environment is important to the Easton community, and the environmental remediation project at the Easton Iron Works property not only upholds this value, but does so in line with specific desires of the City of Easton. Additionally, the demolition of the former Iron Works building allows for potential green space or other public space that could be incorporated into Easton’s Parks and Recreation Program. The City of Easton has additional political interest in purchasing this property for remediation because “within the last couple years, city officials have intensified their efforts to go after run down properties” (Tatu, 2018). The political context that surrounds the Easton Iron Works property and the process through which the subsurface conditions are to be remediated is complex. Even once the bioremediation technique or techniques are selected, there will need to be follow up on water quality for many years (EPA, 2015). In order to successfully carry out a project like this one, community needs must be taken into consideration as with community engagement, all while following the existing policy required by the state of Pennsylvania.
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