Senior officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) toured the future Foundries District, including Erlanger Park, "to learn how Chattanooga and Hamilton County are successfully reusing an industrial site for the good of the entire region, breathing new life into not only the former U.S. Pipe and Wheland Foundry properties, but the entire South Broad District," officials said.
Senior EPA leaders who toured the site include:Steven Cook, OLEM Deputy Assistant Administrator, Teresa Booeshaghi, OLEM Deputy Assistant Administrator for Policy, and Caroline Freeman, EPA Region 4 Superfund and Emergency Management Division director.
Officials said, "Foundry sand, which is common, relatively easy to remediate, and can be safely built upon, is the major environmental byproduct of a century of heavy industrial activity at the site. Both the EPA and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) have collaborated closely with the site's owners, engineers, and developers for decades to ensure the land receives proper remediation for reuse."
“We were thrilled to welcome senior EPA officials to the site to see the progress that has been made,” said Andy Stone, partner at Perimeter Properties. “It is a privilege to be able to honor our city’s rich industrial history by building a mixed-use stadium directly into the legacy buildings through the Brownfield Program while at the same time making this land more environmentally conducive for future use.”