Flying Site Case Study #31
The EPA awarded the Tampa Radio Control Aircraft Club (TRAC) the Region 4 Excellence in Site Reuse Award. This AMA club had achieved great success in improving and operation of their landfill/flying site.
Many club members put forth untold hours of effort to locate and obtain this site. The club members are to be congratulated for their overall efforts to work with the community. The best reward a club can receive is having a great place to fly. TRAC has certainly done that!
This success story is something that I hope many clubs will learn from and work toward creating a similar flying site in their area.
This award is presented by the EPA Region 4 division. The site that won this award is the Taylor Road Landfill in Tampa, Florida. This is the location of the TRAC flying site. The club worked with the local landfill authority along with the County Parks Department, Solid Waste Department, and the EPA to obtain use of the site.
Over time, the clubs constant effort to be a good steward of the site paid off and the club was able to obtain more and more area, including land that was part of the EPA Superfund area of the Taylor Road Landfill.
Region 4 established the Excellence in Site Reuse award for those who have supported the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative through outstanding efforts when redeveloping a Superfund Site. Region 4 has been successful in facilitating the redevelopment of Superfund Sites.
Many developers, site owners, and local governments have worked closely with Region 4 to ensure that sites are redeveloped in a manner to enhance the remedial actions taken and/or minimize the agency's responsibilities for long-term care and maintenance. This award was established to recognize these outstanding efforts.
Evaluation Criteria for Excellence in Site Reuse Award
I. Enhancement of the selected remedy
2. Reduction of EPA's long-term stewardship responsibilities
3. Effect on local community
4. Enhanced monitoring of institutional controls
5. Design of redevelopment complementary with long-term implementation of selected remedy.
Note how the EPA places importance on the club's work to maintain the site. A great relationship with your site owner is worth everything!