Transcript McKeesRocks
OLD P&LE RAILYARD MCKEES ROCKS Brownfields and Economic Revitalization of the Inner City Ipek Erzi Priscila Vargas Location • 100 acres – 30 acres in McKees Rocks Borough – 70 acres in Stowe Township • Bordered by the Ohio River to the east • Accessible from the McKees Rocks Bridge, PA Route 65 & 51 Location Overgrade Diesel shop MKR Bridge CSX Tracks Lockhart MKR M&E Shop Overgrade Site • Zoned commercial • Sold for $950,000 • Buildings - National Registry of Historic Places • 70 acres - Stowe Township • No major contamination • Bought by one person • 30 acres - McKees Rocks Borough • Diesel shop area • Bought by four people History Prior to Industrialization • Flat land, adjacent to Ohio River • End of 18th century: Farming and trading History Railroad and Industrialization • Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad started in1879, 89 miles from South Side to Youngstown through McKees Rocks • 1888: P&L.E.R.R. started maintenance and repair in McKees Rocks “Little Giant” History Three mills by the railroad: • 1881: Iron City Bridge Works • 1882: Pittsburgh Steel Works • 1882: Vulcan Forge and Iron Works, Long &Co. - later Lockhart Steel (1890). History P&LE Chronology • 1889: P&LE became a subsidiary of New York Central • 1968: Penn Central • 1970: Penn Central bankrupt • 1979: P&LE independent again • 1982-1986 P&LE loses money • 1996: P&LE bankrupt History Site Ownership • End of 1980s - ARPI-owned by one person • 1992 Three Rivers buys tracks • 1993 Three Rivers merges with CSXT • 1996 P&LE goes bankrupt • 1997 ARPI buys P&LE History • 1997 ARPI buys P&LE • Spring 1999 ARPI breaches contract with P&LE • 22 November 1999- site sold to tenants by the bankruptcy court Community Profile • • • • • Population: 7691 Households: 3291 Race: 6554 white, 1078 black, 59 other “Old” town Housing units: 3676 – Public&private water: 3671 – Public Sewer: 3663 *1990 US Census Data Community Profile Year 1989 – 1990 1985 – 1988 1980 – 1984 1970 – 1979 1960 – 1969 1950 – 1959 1940 – 1949 1939 or earlier Housing units 99 79 54 71 172 411 589 2201 Community Profile • Housing Units – Owner Occupied: 1637 – Renter Occupied: 1654 • Allegheny Public Housing – Two existing units – One more planned Community Profile Value Owner occupied units Less than $15,000 115 $15,000 - $25,000 311 $25,000 – $35,000 424 $35,000 – $45,000 289 $45,000 - $60,000 179 $60,000 - $100,000 78 $100,000 - $150,000 3 Environmental Aspects Activities Locomotive refinishing and repair Machine shop Pollution Metals, metal dust, organic compounds, solvents, paints, sludges Fuel supply Metals, VOC, degreasing agents, solvents, waste oils Metal such as chromium, lead, zinc Fuels, oil, grease Rail yards Petroleum, VOC’s PCB’s. Paint shop Environmental Aspects - Spills, Leaks • Related to P&LE – 1988: petroleum products to enter a sewer – 1989: 40 gallons of diesel enter soil – 1992: discharged petroleum products into a storm water facilities – Leaks from storage tanks – General pollution in the site Environmental Aspects - Spills, Leaks • Related to CSX – 1992: 1500 gallons of oil spilled from a ruptured locomotive fuel tank Environmental / Legal Aspects - Orders • P&LE – Nov. 1988: Notice of violation requesting soil and groundwater remediation – Sep. 1992: Order requesting: • Groundwater: Phase I, II, and III. • Soils: Phase I and II. Environmental / Legal Aspects - Orders • CSX – Nov. 1992: Request for information about the 1500 gallons spill + remediation. – 1993: Assessment and remediation is conducted. No further action. Environmental / Legal Aspects • Legal process after the order -P&LE – Oct. 1992: P&LE appeals the order – Jun. 1995: A Consent Order and Agreement is filed – P&LE agrees on: • Ground water: monitoring wells, recovery trench, and quarterly sampling. • In situ soil remediation. • Removal of waste drums in the property. • Phase II prior to sale. Environmental/Legal Aspects – March 1996: P&LE files for bankruptcy. – April 1996: DEP objected “motion” filed by P&LE. – 1997: Phase II is conducted. – 1998: Phase II is approved by DEP. – Since 03/96 other COA obligations suspended. Environmental Aspects • Phase II Findings – Soils: • • • • Four VOCs in soils Pesticides Lead and mercury No SVOC’s or PCB’s – Groundwater: • Two VOCs – A Phase III is still needed Environmental Aspects • Current Status – Major hazards removed. – Piles of debris, metals, old structures, abandon buildings still on site. – Pollution identified in Phase II still on site. Environmental Aspects • Current Status – Obligations from COA still valid (Diesel Shop Area): • Monitoring wells and recovery trench are installed, not operated. • Groundwater reports are not submitted. • Soil is not remediated. Environmental Aspects • Perspectives – Obligations under COA are still valid for the current owners of the land. – Eventually, DEP can ask for land cleanup (according to Phase II findings) or – Property owners can do it under Act 2 terms. – Nothing is being done. Tenants Tenant Building Clifton Steel Specialty Linings Specialty Railcar Services A.C. Railroad Service Company D.L. Smith Company Machine and Erecting Shop Paint, Color, Diesel, Office Freight Car Shop, Locker Room, Car Repair Shed Storehouse “A”, Blacksmith, Boiler and Tank Shops st Storehouse “A”, 1 floor DFM Equipment Rental Overgrade Map Diesel Shop Map McKees Rocks Bridge Map CSX Tracks Map Lockhart Steel Map McKees Rocks Map Machine and Erecting Shop Boiler and Tank Shop Map Overgrade Map Future • The tenants became the owners • ACS will expand its business • Who will be responsible for the diesel shop?