NEW YORK - Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia was joined by Middlesex Borough Mayor John Madden and other essential partners as she presented the EPA’s National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award for work at the Middlesex Sampling Plant Superfund Site. The award recognizes the outstanding collaboration among federal agencies, states, local partners, and developers in restoring and reusing contaminated land at sites for which the federal government is the responsible party, as is the case with this former uranium handling facility.
“The Middlesex Sampling Plant is a remarkable example of how contaminated sites can be transformed from environmental liabilities into community assets,” said Region 2 Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “This award celebrates the hard work and dedication of all the partners involved in cleaning up and redeveloping this site for the benefit of the people of Middlesex and beyond. The site, which was once a source of environmental and health risks, is now a model of sustainable redevelopment and community revitalization.”
“There is tremendous strength in federal agency partnerships, and today we celebrate the results of our collective efforts,” said Ms. Lara E. Beasley, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Environmental Division chief. “As a result of the significant work performed by our partners at the Department of Energy’s Office of Legacy Management, with support from our USACE New York and Kansas City districts, this collaborative effort will provide direct benefits to the borough of Middlesex. It’s an honor and a privilege to stand beside everyone today to recognize this valuable work and we will continue to advance our efforts under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program to protect the health and well-being of communities and the environment.”
“Overseeing the disposition of unneeded federal property is an integral part of GSA’s mission,” Francis Thomas, GSA Regional Administrator, said. “GSA— working together with partner federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit organizations, business groups, and citizens— leaves a lasting positive impact on communities by making valuable government assets available for numerous public purposes.”
“My DEP colleagues and I congratulate Middlesex Borough on this award, which recognizes the municipality’s stellar partnership with the EPA in returning land that had been contaminated by atomic weapons research into productive use for the town,” said Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “By collaborating on projects such as this, state, local and federal partners are making our neighborhoods whole again. We thank Administrator Garcia and the EPA for this continued commitment to New Jersey’s communities.”
Middlesex Borough Mayor John Madden, Assistant Commissioner David Haymes of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and other essential federal, local and private partners attended the event.
The Middlesex Sampling Plant Superfund Site was once a uranium sampling and handling facility for the nation’s atomic weapons program. From 1943 to 1967, the Manhattan Engineer District, a government organization that helped develop the first atomic bomb, used the site to sample, store, test, and transfer ores containing uranium, thorium, and beryllium. The site was designated for federal cleanup under the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program in 1980 and listed on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in 1999. After decades of remediation, the site is ready to be transferred to the borough of Middlesex to construct a public works facility and road that will serve the local community.
Background
EPA has ongoing cleanup at 175 federal facility National Priorities List (NPL) sites, some of the largest and most complex sites within the national Superfund program. The Agency also promotes innovative, cost-effective cleanups at other federal facilities by working with federal agencies, tribes, state and local governments, and community representatives to ensure that facilities meet environmental standards and undergo redevelopment for public and private-sector reuse. EPA created the National Federal Facility Excellence in Site Reuse Award to recognize outstanding collaborative outcomes at federal facility sites.
EPA presents this award to project teams, including federal agency project managers; developers; reuse authorities; or state, tribal and local partners. The awardees must have demonstrated excellence in working cooperatively with EPA to ensure the reuse of a Federal Facility site complements the cleanup actions taken. Award winners have demonstrated excellence in:
- Working cooperatively and forming partnerships
- Complementing redevelopment design with the selected remedy
- Innovating beneficial use outcomes
- Considering the impacts on and inputs from the local community
- Creating jobs, fostering economic development or recreational opportunities, or maintaining mission support
Learn more about all the 2023 award winners by visiting here.
Learn more information about cleanups at federal facilities here.
Learn more about the Middlesex Sampling Plant Superfund site here.
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