Efforts on brownfields applauded

Lake County hasn’t exactly been a hotbed for properties that have met the criteria to be considered brownfields — thankfully. Even so, it’s good to see that current or previous brownfields in the area either have been remediated properly or are active works in progress.

We offer that assessment after reading a recent News-Herald story outlining efforts being made to introduce new life to brownfield sites in Lake County.

“Brownfield” is the widely applied term referring to land and structures on property previously used for industrial or commercial purposes which are determined to have been contaminated with hazardous waste or pollution.

One reason why brownfields are not as prevalent in Lake County is because the area is more residential and suburban, said Peter Zahirsky, director of coastal development with the Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority.

“Obviously we have a strong manufacturing sector, but you go to a place like Cuyahoga (County) and then you’re seeing a lot of this stuff,” he said.

However, not all brownfields in Lake County are the sites of former manufacturing plants.

Two brownfields projects undertaken in the past by the city of Painesville, and completed under the Voluntary Action Program, were the remediations and demolitions of the former LakeEast Hospital and the former Holiday Inn.

The city received state grants that helped pay for the demolition of both structures.

One of the more recent brownfield initiatives took place last year when Madison Township and the Lake County Land Reutilization Corp., more commonly known as the Lake County Land Bank, teamed up to demolish an abandoned Sohio gas station on the northeast corner of Chapel and Hubbard roads.

The property had been unoccupied since the early- to mid-2000s and, due to various legal hurdles, had remained vacant.

The Land Bank secured $250,000 to finance and complete the cleanup project, which Trustee Board Chairman Ken Gauntner had been working on since 2014. He had candidly described the former gas station as “one of the biggest eyesores in Madison Township.”

However, the largest brownfield project in Lake County, and one of the biggest in the United States, is the 1,100-acre former Diamond Shamrock industrial complex site in Fairport Harbor, Painesville and Painesville Township, Zahirsky confirmed.

“The cleanup began in the late 1990s, and it’s divided into separate operating units,” he said, adding the separation makes the assessment and remedial activities more manageable, which is typical for a site so large.

“Some of them have been released, cleared for redevelopment and reuse, but some of them are still getting to that point, in various stages,” he said.

“Hopefully, they’re all within a few years of being released. Because of the level and nature of the contaminants, this one’s been tough.”

The primary contaminant at the site, Zahirsky added, was hexavalent chromium, a form of the metallic element chromium. Inhaled hexavalent chromium is recognized as a human carcinogen.

Financial factors and corporate changes have been largely responsible for the stretch of time it’s taken to fully remediate the site, in addition to the bifurcated units.

Currently, New York-based Glenn Springs Holdings Inc. principally owns the property.

The company only recently became directly involved in this effort at the former Diamond Shamrock Painesville Works Site, said Site Coordinator Rick Passmore.

“Glenn Springs is committed to working with the stakeholders on reuse plans that meet the community’s needs and objectives,” Passmore said. “For example, there have been several bird-watching events at the site and we look forward to working with groups, such as Lake Metroparks and Lake County Port Authority, on developing other opportunities for public access.”

In conclusion, The NewsHerald commends everyone who has played a role to remediate and bring new development to brownfield sites in Lake County.

Hopefully their efforts can provide insight and inspiration to other communities, local government agencies and private developers in the United States that are trying to address similar challenges.