Brownfield Petroleum Inventory

CCDC’s $200,000 Brownfield Petroleum Assessment Grant, awarded by the EPA, is being used to identify underused, potentially contaminated properties within CCDC’s three urban renewal districts in Downtown Boise. The ultimate goal of this project is to enhance or restore vitality and economic well-being to area properties that are underused due to real or perceived environmental liabilities. Maxim Technologies, an environmental consulting firm with offices in Boise, began the inventory process in the late summer of 2005 by reviewing historic land use records such as Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and underground storage tank inventories available through the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the City of Boise. These sources, plus interviews with people familiar with specific properties resulted in a list of 56 sites (see map below) that appeared as though they may have used or stored petroleum products at some point in their history and thus be reasonable candidates for further assessment under the brownfield program. Some of the sites identified in the initial inventory were known service stations or automotive repair shops, while others were places that may have housed businesses affiliated with the railroad or other industries that made use of petroleum products.

After developing the initial list, the playing field was narrowed by evaluating current uses of the identified properties. Locations that are already realizing their highest and best use, for example, were removed from the list as were those where plans for redevelopment already exist or are in the works. In other instances, documentation is available at IDEQ confirming that old storage tanks have already been removed from the property and the site has received a clean bill of health. Finally, in some cases, property owners have indicated that they have no interest in participating in the brownfield program or for other reasons do not meet the EPA’s eligibility criteria. This culling process eventually resulted in a short list of sites that may be eligible for additional assessment by CCDC with petroleum assessment grant money. Additional properties are under consideration and may be added to this list. The presence of a property on any of these lists should in no way be construed to indicate that contamination actually exists on a property. These are only planning tools to help identify potential brownfield properties.

At this time, efforts are underway to advance the project into the next phase by confirming site eligibility and obtaining landowner permission to conduct Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs). Once the Phase I ESAs are complete, plans for cleanup of the site (if necessary) and redevelopment can move forward.

Click on image to open petroleum inventory map. ( 600K PDF)

Petroleum inventory site details. (2MB PDF)

Coming Up:

Winter 2006 – Phase I Assessments will be conducted on the final candidate properties.

Look for another CCDC brownfield program newsletter following completion of the Phase I ESAs in Spring 2006!