April 2006

With the changing landscape of many San Francisco Bay Area communities, residents are living closer to former industrial properties. Manufacturing processes have left a legacy of hazardous substances on and around these facilities. Residents are now faced with the potential impact of soil or groundwater contamination in their neighborhoods. Regulatory agencies oversee the environmental investigation and cleanup at former industrial sites to ensure the properties are safe for redevelopment.

Read Original Article at CA DTSC web site.

Kraftile, a 16-acre site in Alameda County, is an example of an industrial property that was safely transformed to meet the housing needs of the area. For 70 years, Kraftile manufactured tiles using clay mined directly from areas located on the property. The empty clay pits were backfilled with soil, construction debris and slag. Slag, a by-product of steel manufacturing, typically contains metals and was likely brought onsite from the nearby steel manufacturing operations

The property owner came to Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) to ask for oversight when they determined that the proposed residential site had contamination. DTSC issued an Imminent and Substantial Endangerment and Remedial Action Order to Kraftile to investigate and cleanup the site. 20,500 cubic yards of soil contaminated with zinc and chromium was excavated and removed from the site for treatment or disposal. An additional 1,300 cubic yards of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons was also removed.

The property was cleaned up to meet residential standards and in late December 1997, the site was certified. Following the cleanup, developers constructed homes on this site and on adjoining properties within the area. The complete transformation of a site like Kraftile reinforces the positive outcomes that are possible when brownfield properties are investigated, cleaned up, and put back into productive use.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 18th, 2008 at 11:02 am and is filed under ●Brownfields Success Stories.

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