Greening a Brownfield: Rails-to-Trails Phase II Assessment

EnSafe helped set the stage, both in the forefront and behind the scenes, for the redevelopment of a 13.34-mile-long eyesore — an abandoned rail corridor — into a Greenfield that will provide health and economic benefits for the residents of Shelby County, Tennessee, as well as the surrounding metropolitan area numbering 1 million.

In the course of performing the Phase II Environmental Site Assessment, EnSafe also worked on a thorny issue unique to Shelby County that had plagued the environmental and regulatory community: What are the appropriate background concentrations for arsenic locally?

The investigation and remediation of this property — using the Soil Management Plan EnSafe developed — is leading to its restoration to beneficial reuse for Shelby County residents; ridding the county of an eyesore; promoting economic development through the creation of a park/greenway/recreational property; and eliminating risks to human health and/or the environment while promoting healthful activities.

EnSafe also assisted the county in obtaining the Site-Specific Brownfields Assessment grant that funded the investigation.

Services Provided

• Grant-writing
• Phase II Environmental Site Assessment
• Sampling
• Soil Management Plan
• Direct-Push Technology
• Community relations
• Regulatory liaison/negotiation