The Tamiami Trail (U.S. Highway 41) Petroleum Brownfields Revitalization Initiative is intended to advance local economic development and greenspace projects, and support historic preservation efforts along the 70 miles of scenic Highway 41. The corridor includes the cities of Bradenton, North Port, Palmetto, Sarasota, and Venice. EPA Region 4 and the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection are working with other federal, state and local partners to provide technical assistance to communities in Manatee and Sarasota County, Fla. with the goal of revitalization of abandoned or underutilized properties, primarily former gas stations, that may be contaminated with petroleum and related contaminants.
Under EPA’s Land Revitalization Initiative and Petroleum Brownfields Action Plan, the agency is supporting targeted projects at petroleum Brownfields in defined corridors, and provides technical assistance to help with site identification, assessment, cleanup and redevelopment planning, community outreach, and other needs identified by communities. In many communities, these properties represent untapped resources for economic and community revitalization.
The Tamiami Trail initiative began with a kick-off meeting in March 2009, a workshop in June 2009 and subsequent outreach meetings to convey the initiative’s objectives. The Sarasota/ Manatee Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is the leadership vehicle for community engagement, working with representatives from local municipalities, the Florida DOT, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, Chambers of Commerce and a host of other interested stakeholders.
EPA has funded the development of an integrated user-friendly inventory tool and provided it to the MPO and local governments to assist with this effort. Inventories of existing and former gas station sites and other Brownfield properties will assist with prioritizing properties that may need environmental site assessment, and create a portfolio for identifying land revitalization opportunities. EPA is also providing contractor assistance in the form of Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs). Eight Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs) and two Phase II ESAs, including environmental sampling, have been conducted to characterize the extent of contamination, if any, and to identify site cleanup needs.
One of the priorities of the local efforts is preserving the quality, character, and integrity of historic structures on contaminated sites, and helping counties and cities develop design standards that are compatible with the vision and corridor management plan. Existing strategic and community plans provide a road map for short-term and long-term activities along the corridor.
The initiative’s plans include expanding the partnership to include the other state and federal agencies, nonprofit groups, business, environmental consultants, underground storage tank owners and operators, cleanup contractors, site managers, and additional communities along the corridor. Additional leveraging of resources also is planned.
