CITY PLANNING COMMISSION CITY OF NEW ORLEANS MITCHELL J. LANDRIEU ROBERT D. RIVERS MAYOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LESLIE T. ALLEY DEPUTY DIRECTOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY & HAZARDOUS SITES INVENTORY PREPARED ON: MARCH 28, 2018 PREPARED BY: NICOLETTE JONES PAUL CRAMER LARRY MASSEY BROOKE PERRY RACHAEL BERG AMOS WRIGHT KELLY BUTLER JAMES GILLIE Revised On: Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 1 A. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 4 Background ............................................................................................................................................... 4 Scope of Work .......................................................................................................................................... 8 Study Goals ............................................................................................................................................... 8 B. Regulatory Framework ............................................................................................................................. 9 Federal Environmental Regulations .......................................................................................................... 9 Federal Brownfield Programs and Grant Opportunities ......................................................................... 13 State Environmental Regulations ............................................................................................................ 17 State Environmental Programs................................................................................................................ 18 Regional Brownfields Programs ............................................................................................................. 21 Local Environmental Regulations ........................................................................................................... 21 C. Nationwide Best Practices ...................................................................................................................... 25 Austin ...................................................................................................................................................... 25 Baltimore ................................................................................................................................................ 31 Baton Rouge............................................................................................................................................ 32 New York ................................................................................................................................................ 34 Pittsburgh ................................................................................................................................................ 39 Lessons Learned from Other Communities ............................................................................................ 42 D. Analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 44 Inventory of Known Landfill Sites ......................................................................................................... 44 Inventory of Open Dumps ...................................................................................................................... 49 Inventory of Incinerator Sites ................................................................................................................. 51 Master Plan Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 57 Former Industrial Districts ...................................................................................................................... 60 Environmental Justice/Low-Income Communities Correlation .............................................................. 60 New Orleans Program Deficiencies ........................................................................................................ 61 E. Public Comments & CPC Responses ..................................................................................................... 63 Comments from October 24, 2017 Public Hearing ................................................................................. 63 Written Public Comments ....................................................................................................................... 63 F. Recommendations ................................................................................................................................... 65 Recommendations: Land Use Policy & Planning ................................................................................... 65 Recommendations: Brownfields Management & Revitalization ............................................................ 66 Recommendations: Leveraging Resources and Grants ........................................................................... 68 Recommendations: Cultivating Partnerships .......................................................................................... 69 Recommendations: Education and Outreach .......................................................................................... 71 G. City Planning Commission Meeting (March 27, 2018)……………………………………………………. 72 Map Attachments Executive Summary Purpose of Study The City Council Motion directed the City Planning Commission to include the following subject matter in the study: Develop an Environmental Plan, to create an inventory of waste disposal, waste incineration, or other known sites where environmental toxins exceed federally mandated safety standards. Contemplate limiting certain types of developments/uses on contaminated sites to ensure that future uses will not negatively impact surrounding residents and citizens. Study Goals The City Planning Commission staff developed the following goals and objectives to guide the Environmental Study and its recommendations: 1. Identify types of brownfield sites (e.g. waste disposal, waste incineration, or other known sites where environmental toxins exceed federally mandated safety standards). 2. Provide an overview of New Orleans environmental concerns and conditions. 3. Raise public awareness of environmental conditions of land in New Orleans and educate the public on resources for how to check the conditions or status of particular sites. 4. Develop programs to facilitate the use of available resources to improve environmental conditions, enforce and monitor environmental standards, improve City staffing and capacity, reporting procedures, and partnerships. 5. Provide recommendations to promote the appropriate reuse of sites with known environmental conditions. Key Findings Based on the review of nationwide practices and the analysis of the situation in New Orleans, the following key findings informed the proposed Environmental Plan Study recommendations: New Orleans has a number of landfill, incinerator, dump sites that should be further studied for appropriate reuse. Environmental conditions may be present at sites based on past land use or vehicle emissions. The City of New Orleans formerly had a brownfields program with staffing. All other cities studied have long-established brownfields programs and managers. Many other cities provide local tools and incentives for site remediation and redevelopment. New Orleans has the framework for such a program in restoration tax abatement. Recently passed federal legislation may result in areas of New Orleans being designated as Opportunity Zones, which would provide federal tax incentives for development in distressed areas, including any brownfields sites within the designated area. While the City of New Orleans has economic development organizations, the City lacks a brownfields manager who can work with established organizations, property owners and developers, focusing on the intersection of brownfields remediation and economic development. 1 Recommendations Land Use Policy & Planning 1. Conduct area studies to systematically analyze the challenges related to multiple brownfield sites and incorporate site-specific assessment and cleanup into larger community revitalization efforts. 2. Take steps to modify Future Land Use Map designations and zoning classifications for appropriate re-use of sites with environmental conditions. 3. Promote voluntary soil testing generally and consider soil testing requirements for certain areas proposed for residential and institutional uses. 4. Consider policies to prohibit residential or school uses on landfill sites. 5. Identify additional “Opportunity Sites” and related policies that would be appropriate for inclusion in the Master Plan. Brownfields Management & Revitalization 1. Designate brownfields personnel to collaborate with state and federal environmental agencies, secure sources of seed money, and manage resources. 2. Perform outreach to educate property owners as well as the general public of the need to consider environmental conditions of certain sites, and of the resources available to perform assessments. 3. Focus on redevelopment of City-owned sites in need of cleanup and appropriate reuse. 4. Ensure up-to-date