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West Virginia Water Research Institute

Press

Brownfields Assistance Program goes Statewide

November 3, 2009

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia University and Marshall University are joining forces to help communities throughout the Mountain State redevelop blighted former industrial sites known as brownfields.

The two universities are seeking communities that would like to apply for up to $5,000 in assistance to redevelop their brownfield sites under a program known as Foundation for Overcoming Challenges and Utilizing Strengths (FOCUS) West Virginia Brownfields.

The program, administered by the Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center at WVU, began in 2009 and originally focused on sites in northern West Virginia. Next year, WVU will partner with Marshall's Brownfields Assistance Center to help communities statewide access financial and technical assistance to work on redevelopment efforts. It is funded by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

"We are pleased that this successful program has expanded to include all of West Virginia. Development professionals across the state will now be able to tap into the funding opportunities and technical assistance that the FOCUS WV Brownfields Program provides," George Carico, program coordinator for the Brownfields Assistance Center at Marshall University said.

The FOCUS WV Brownfields program provides direct financial assistance to communities in the form of small grants, and also helps eligible communities apply for assistance from other sources. According to Patrick Kirby, director of the Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center, communities can use the program's resources to better position themselves to compete for federal redevelopment funds, and to help bring additional resources and expertise to West Virginia.

More important, the program, "offers communities a starting point to create a plan of action to turn community eyesores into assets," Kirby said.

Communities often redevelop brownfield properties to include a strategic community interest, Kirby said. Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized properties that have not been redeveloped due to real or perceived environmental barriers. Examples include former gas stations, glass factories, machine shops, manufacturing and processing facilities, dry cleaners and mine scarred lands.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to participate in one of the web-based conference call training sessions on Dec. 1 and 3 at noon. RSVP to: focuswv@mail.wvu.edu or (304) 293-2867 x 5447.

Information about the FOCUS WV Brownfields Program is at www.wvbrownfields.com. The Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center is at the West Virginia Water Research Institute, at WVU's National Research Center for Coal & Energy; the Brownfields Assistance Center at Marshall University is in the Center for Environmental, Geotechnical and Applied Sciences.

Washington Coal Club Welcomes WVU Expert to Discuss Renewable Energy Production on Mined Lands in Appalachia

June 10, 2009

Morgantown, WV - Paul Ziemkiewicz, director of the West Virginia Water Research Institute of the WVU National Research Center for Coal and Energy, spoke to the Washington Coal Club about the work the WVWRI is doing that would help keep energy production a viable part of the Appalachian economy after coal is mined. The WCC meets monthly to hear from experts about the latest trends in energy.

Ziemkiewicz is recognized nationally and internationally for his work in mine land reclamation. In his presentation, Options for Post Mining Land use in Southern West Virginia, Ziemkiewicz described WVWRI studies to develop a framework for the establishment of sustainable energy production on mine-scarred lands. Many of these formerly mined sites offer outstanding opportunities for the development of renewable energy resources such as biomass, wind, and solar power. The strategy has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy while helping to support rural economies, said Ziemkiewicz.

Ziemkiewicz's presentation is available at: http://wvwri.nrcce.wvu.edu/docs/Washington_Coal_Club_10Jun09.pdf

The West Virginia Water Research Institute, a program of the National Research Center for Coal and Energy at WVU, coordinates programs focused on preserving and restoring the natural environment through research and partnerships with industry, government agencies, academia and the public. Using the expertise of faculty from across the campus of WVU, many of the Institute's programs focus on solving environmental problems associated with energy production in the Appalachian Region.

The Washington Coal Club is a District of Columbia non-profit organization which meets monthly to provide a forum with knowledgeable speakers to discuss coal and industry related matters. The diverse membership includes coal producers, users and transporters, federal and state legislators, associations focused on coal's role in the American economy, researchers, and policy makers.

For more information about WVWRI programs and services contact Dave Saville at 304-293-2867 x 5458.

NRCCE's Brownfields program helps WV communities win $1 million in Recovery Act funding

May 21, 2009

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a total of $1 million to four communities in northern West Virginia to assess, clean up and revitalize former industrial and commercial sites. The Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center (NBAC) at West Virginia University (WVU) was instrumental in helping these communities identify projects and find funding to address the problems associated with these sites. These grants will help turn problem properties, known as "brownfields," into productive community assets.

Patrick Kirby, Director of NBAC said, "These communities have worked very hard on their redevelopment vision. This funding will help move their communities to the next stage of revitalization. We're excited to continue assisting these communities as they work to realize their vision."

Funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 have been awarded to the City of Moundsville ($200,000) to clean up the Fostoria Glass Plant site where buildings and soil are contaminated; and to the Preston County Economic Development Authority ($200,000) to help assess properties impacted by acid mine drainage and erosion from timber operations. The EPA is providing general funds from its brownfields program to the Brooke-Hancock Regional Planning and Development Council ($400,000) to assess brownfields properties in the former nationally recognized steel manufacturing area; and to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP; $200,000) to assess hazardous materials brownfield sites with a focus on rural areas such as Ritchie County.

"These communities are initiating a process of effective management of potentially environmentally compromised properties and embracing smart growth initiatives that will improve the quality of life for their residents," said Ken Ellison, Director of the WVDEP Division of Land Restoration. "I am very excited about this expanded opportunity to inventory, assess, plan, remediate, and redevelop brownfield sites. This effort can provide much needed suitable land for development in West Virginia while increasing conservation of open spaces and greenfields."

The Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center is a program of the West Virginia Water Research Institute, a division of the National Research Center for Coal & Energy at West Virginia University.

For more information on these projects and the services provided by the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, contact:

Patrick Kirby, Director
Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center
West Virginia University
(phone) 304-293-2867 x 5459, (e-mail) Patrick.Kirby@mail.wvu.edu

 

WVU receives $550,000 EPA award for sustainable energy parks project

September 11, 2008

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University (WVU) researchers have a plan to turn abandoned mine property into fields capable of growing switchgrass and other biofuels. A team from WVU's West Virginia Water Research Institute has received a $550,000 award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its project to develop sustainable energy parks on mine-scarred lands.

Paul Ziemkiewicz (left), director of the West Virginia Water Research Institute at WVU received an award from Susan Janowiak, director of the Office of Brownfields and Outreach, EPA Mid-Atlantic Region, for a four-year project estimated to be $550,000 to convert mine-scarred lands into sustainable energy parks.Curt Peterson, vice president of the WVU Office of Research and Economic Development congratulated the research team, saying that, the award is "an outstanding compliment to the work West Virginia University is poised to execute as part of its advanced energy initiative.

The announcement came during the 2008 West Virginia Brownfields Conference Wednesday (Sept. 10) in Huntington.

Mine-scarred lands qualify as brownfields – properties that once had been used for industrial or commercial activity – under the EPA's brownfields program.

During the four-year project, the WVU team will produce an inventory of abandoned mine sites throughout the state that are suitable for redevelopment into biofuel and other alternative energy production sites called sustainable energy parks.

The project team will identify large tracts of mine-scarred land that can be used for renewable energy production, conduct surveys of potential sites and engage affected communities. One community will be selected for the development of a comprehensive pilot program to showcase sustainable energy park concepts.

Curt Peterson

Curt Peterson, WVU's vice president for research and economic development, said the award is "an outstanding complement to the work West Virginia University is poised to execute as part of its Advanced Energy Initiative – a strategy that will tackle America's energy problems with innovative research and public policy development."

"Creation of sustainable energy parks on mine-scarred lands is the kind of strategy that this nation and its best thinkers and leaders must pursue in the drive toward energy independence," he said. "We are excited about the EPA announcement and proud of the WVU team that captured this competitive award."

Gov. Joe Manchin added, "Brownfields reclamation work has resulted in successful reuse of commercial property in our state that has benefited West Virginians. The EPA award will help WVU's researchers identify brownfields sites for growing switchgrass and other renewable biofuels that can help meet our energy needs while making good use of reclaimed mine lands."

(From left to right) were State Senator Robert Plymale, Secretary of the WV Department of Environmental Protection Randy Huffman, Director of the West Virginia Water Research Institute at West Virginia University Paul Ziemkiewicz, and Director of the Office of Brownfields and Outreach, EPA Mid-Atlantic Region, Susan Janowiak.

Paul Ziemkiewicz, WVWRI director and leader of the project team, credited Sen. Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, for his vision in supporting the creation of the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Centers at WVU and Marshall University with his colleagues in the state legislature.

"The Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, located at the WVWRI at WVU, is developing a track record of success in assisting communities who want to turn sites that may be liabilities into economic assets," Ziemkiewicz said. "The EPA award is an example of how state, federal and academic efforts combined have the potential to be a force for regional economic development."

Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center

Combustion Byproduct Recycling Consortium

Monongahela Basin Mine Pool Project