Excellence in Site Reuse Award Presented to the Town of Arlington, Tennessee

On June 17, 2009, Franklin Hill, Director of Region 4, Superfund Division, presented EPA's "Excellence in Site Reuse" Award to the Town of Arlington, Tennessee. The award was presented for their redevelopment of the Arlington Blending and Packaging Superfund Site as Mary Alice Park. This redevelopment enhanced EPA's selected remedy and resulted in the revitalization of the property and the surrounding neighborhood.

Since purchasing the property in 2005, the Town of Arlington has worked cooperatively with EPA to coordinate the park's development with EPA's implementation of the selected remedy. The Town of Arlington's efforts have enhanced the cleanup and the long term protectiveness of EPA's actions. For example, The Town of Arlington's pledge to enforce the Shelby County ordinance prohibiting the installation of water well(s) within a half-mile of a Superfund site is consistent with the remedy.

This commitment assures EPA that institutional controls are being monitored to preclude human exposure to the contaminated groundwater until it is returned back to beneficial use.

By turning the site into a public park, the town has benefited the local community by providing public greenspace that can be enjoyed by everyone. Additionally, the town has reduced EPA's long term stewardship responsibilities. The town, in conjunction with the responsible party, Memphis Environmental Center (MEC), now maintains the Site. Consistent with EPA's Ready for Reuse Determination, the Town of Arlington and MEC continue to work together to maintain the site. Additionally, the layout of Mary Alice Park was designed to minimize the impact to the existing groundwater monitoring well network and allow EPA and MEC easy access to the monitoring wells for annual sampling.