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Wednesday, October 29, 2008

EPA Gives Tallahassee First Award in Nation for Excellence in Site Reuse

EPA Gives City First Award for Excellence in Site Reuse - History was made again in Cascades Park today as the City of Tallahassee received the "Excellence in Site Reuse" Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Today marked the first time EPA has ever given this award, which recognizes the City's innovative and environmentally sensitive work to remove contaminants from the area so it can be developed into a world-class public park.

Cascades Park, located between Monroe, Gaines and Bloxham streets, and the CSX Railroad, was owned by the State from 1966 to 2004, when an agreement was signed between the City and State to return ownership of the property to the City. The park has not been available for public use for nearly 20 years due to contaminated soils on park properties after contamination was discovered in the late 1980s. In the late 1990s the City and State began work at the site to determine the extent of contamination, and in 2006 the City, now as sole owner of the property, contracted with WRScompass to remove contamination. The clean-up activities removed over 80,000 tons of contaminated soil.

Nancy passes this park on the way to work daily. It is just south of the Capitol - about 3/4 miles from our house.

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