6D(6) Brownfields Grant Agreement - former RR property south of Studebaker Stamping

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CITY OF SOUTH BEND DEPARTMENT January 11, 2010 STEPHEN J. LUECKE, MAYOR OF PUBLIC WORKS Ms. Ann Kolata, Senior Redevelopment Specialist City of South Bend Department of Community & Economic Development 227 West Jefferson Blvd, 12th Floor South Bend, Indiana 46601 RE: Eligibility Evaluation for a Cleanup Application for St. Joseph County, Indiana Property Tax ID Numbers 18- 8021 - 084905 & 18 -8006 -0338 (the Site) - Related to a U.S. EPA Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Dear Ms. Kolata: I have reviewed a South Bend Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Preliminary Application prepared by the City of South Bend Redevelopment Commission (the Redevelopment Commission) for the Site. The Site is generally located south of the former Studebaker Stamping Plant property, north of the Norfolk Southern Railroad right -of -way, east of Kendall Street, and west of Franklin Street in South Bend, Indiana. The RLF has been awarded to the City of South Bend (the City) by the U.S. EPA for the purpose of assisting with the cost of environmental cleanups, and is administered by the City's Board of Public Works. Furthermore, the funds applied for by the Redevelopment Commission have been awarded to the City pursuant to the United States American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant program awarded to certain eligible entities by the U.S. EPA. As part of my review, we have also reviewed a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (Phase I ESA) prepared by Hull and Associates, Inc. for the Site in January 2007; this Phase I ESA complies with ASTM Standard E 1527 -05, which specifies All Appropriate Inquiry (AAI) procedures. I understand that a portion of the Site was formerly operated as a rail yard supporting operations of the former Studebaker Corporation. The Site is currently vacant land that was purchased by the Redevelopment Commission in April 2007. No specific Recognized Environmental Conditions (RECs) were identified by Hull in the January 2007 Phase I ESA. However, based on the history of the Site, the unavailability of persons familiar with historical operations, and known groundwater impacts in the vicinity of the Site, the potential for RECs was identified in the Phase I ESA. Accordingly, Hull conducted Phase II ESA activities concurrently during the completion of the January 2007 Phase I ESA and identified areas where environmental cleanup activities in soils are likely required. Based on those prior investigations, chemicals of concern (COCs) associated with soils at the Site are semi - volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) and U.S. EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act metals (RCRA) metals. In consideration of the information provided by the City and the Redevelopment Commission, and contained in Hull's Phase I ESA, the Redevelopment Commission appears to be an eligible entity who has not contributed any contamination to the Site. Furthermore, the Redevelopment Commission purchased the Site after completion of the aforementioned AAI- compliant Phase I Department of Public Works Engineering Water Works Central Services Streets Environmental Services Gary A. Gilot, Director Carl P. Littrell, P.E. David Tungate Matt Chlebowski Sam Hensley John J. Dillon, Ph.D. 574/235 -9251 574/235 -9251 574/235 -9322 574/235 -9316 574/235 -9244 574/277 -8515 Fax 574/ 235 -9171 Fax 574/ 235 -9171 Fax 574/ 235 -5595 Fax 574/ 235 -9007 Fax 574/ 235 -9272 Fax 574/ 277 -8980