Ecological Reuse of Brownfield Properties Brownfields Conference April 4, 2011 Jeffrey Popp Land Restoration Manager Wildlife Habitat Council

Wildlife Habitat Council Mission The Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) works to increase the amount of quality wildlife habitat on corporate, private, and public lands.

 More than 2 million acres in 48 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries  120 Corporate Members –e.g. ExxonMobil, Dupont, BP, Bridgestone Americas Holding Inc., Lafarge, etc.  25 Conservation Organizations –e.g. Conservation Fund, Ducks Unlimited, etc.

WHC Mission This includes Brownfields!  Partnering with the EPA, encourage the restoration and reuse of contaminated lands using wildlife habitat enhancements and community partnerships.  develop means to increase rate of restoration using ecological enhancements

WHC Programs Wildlife at Work SM Certification (WaW)  voluntary efforts exceeding regulatory requirements  employee driven and managed  3 rd party recognition Corporate Lands for Learning SM Certification (CLL)  uses wildlife habitat as an outdoor classroom  fosters understanding of the interdependence of ecology, economics and social structures  relationship with community through education and outreach events.

WHC Programs Benefits –Improved employee morale –Stronger community relations –Increased public recognition –Potential for cost savings –Better relations with regulatory agencies –Enhanced wildlife habitat –Protection and restoration of biodiversity –Opportunities for environmental education

Case Studies 1. Woodlawn County Landfill- Port Deposit, MD 2. Joliet Army Ammunition Plant- Joliet, Il 3. Former Service Stations- Chicago, Il and Glendale, CA

Woodlawn County Landfill  Before WHC

A New Name – “New Beginnings - The Woodlawn Wildlife Area”

Wildlife Habitat Enhancements  planting of hundreds of native trees and shrubs  creation of native wildflower meadows on top of the landfill  raptor perches  bluebird/ songbird nest boxes  native warm season grasses and wildflowers  vernal pools  brush piles ...the list goes on!

Woodlawn County Landfill  After

Community Restoration Community Restoration

Woodlawn County Landfill Port Deposit, MD

Joliet Army Ammunition Plant  Former site of manufacturing, assembling, loading, and shipping bombs.  Clean up included removal of contaminated soils and offsite disposal.  End use goal- convert back to native prairie.

Joliet Army Ammunition Plant  2,300 acres used for industrial parks have been created on.  15,000 construction-related jobs and as many as 10,000 permanent jobs Photo courtesy of Photo courtesy of

Joliet Army Ammunition Plant ~20,000 acres transferred to USDA to establish the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie. (First National tallgrass prairie) Currently open to the public for passive recreation and environmental education

Service Stations  Former Service stations  Underground Storage tanks  Soil removal combined with phytoremediation using native plants Photo courtesy of

Service Stations  Community “Pocket Parks” in urban area  Small habitats for wildlife (birds, pollinators, etc)  Cost savings of $100,000’s per location  Reduce “Urban Heat Island Effect” Photo courtesy of

Before & After Photos courtesy of Photos courtesy of

Final thoughts…  Ecological enhancements can coincide with remediation  Ecological enhancements are a “good idea” for restoring greenspace during and after remediation  Public gains a community asset  Wildlife habitat is enhanced

Final thoughts…  Often reduce cost of cleanup which can be used for projects/ education on site.  Landowner regarded as a positive contributor to the community; = priceless PR!  Demonstration site for others to emulate

Thank You! Jeff Popp Wildlife Habitat Council