Ohio Voluntary Action Program (VAP)
The site is a 35-acre former unregulated and unlicensed landfill located a ½-mile south of Interstate 76 in close proximity to the High School in Barberton, Ohio. No activity had occurred at the site for several decades until BJAAM performed a property transaction investigation in the late 1990’s. Based on the results of the investigation, the potential purchaser passed on acquiring the property and it remained idle until an emergency removal of approximately four hundred (400) 55-gallon drums occurred in 2003 under the supervision of the Ohio EPA.
In 2006, BJAAM began negotiating with the site owner to remediate the property through the Ohio VAP program. Due to BJAAM’s specialized knowledge of the site, its history, and the environmental conditions, BJAAM facilitated the transfer of the site in early 2008 from the site owner to a third party company specializing in Brownfield Redevelopments. Approximately 13 soil borings, including five groundwater monitoring wells were installed through various fill and native materials. Chemicals of concern (COCs) were detected in soil and groundwater. A Property Specific Risk Assessment was conducted to evaluate COC relative to applicable exposure pathways. Comparison of COC concentrations in various environmental media, in conjunction with modeling results indicated that concentrations of COC did not exceed applicable standards. Due to its location and freeway access, the site will be remediated through the Ohio VAP and developed for an economically viable beneficial reuse, generating millions of dollars for the local economy. Remediation through the Ohio VAP program commenced in early 2008 and the Certified Professional issued the NFA in February 2009.
The NFA was submitted to the Ohio EPA and the Covenant not to Sue (CNS) was issued by the Director of the Ohio EPA in June 2010. The final cost of the remediation through the VAP program was approximately $175,000. Due to the unknowns associated with the former landfilling operations at the site, remedial estimates ranged anywhere from $250,000 to over $1-million dollars.
