Environment

Environmental Remediation

We are actively involved in redevelopment initiatives – including proactively managing and remediating our own properties and facilitating redevelopment of others – that are intended to enhance economic, social and environmental value for the community. Our program follows a stakeholder outreach process involving community relations at each site.

At a site formerly owned by Columbia Gas of Ohio in Toledo, Ohio, a manufactured gas plant (MGP) was owned and operated by the former Toledo Gas Light and Coke Company from at least 1887 to 1918. At this site, we committed to a comprehensive environmental remediation of the property, including areas that previously contained underground storage tanks and various elements of the former plant that were removed or left in place prior to 1961.

A local firm approached us about possible future redevelopment of the property. Working with the City of Toledo and the firm, we arranged to sell the site to facilitate remediation and redevelopment. After entering into an agreement to sell the property, we agreed to provide matching funds in support of a Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grant. A $3 million grant was awarded in November 2010 to remediate and redevelop the former MGP, which was ultimately sold in March 2011.

Similar remediation projects are underway in Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia. In total, we’ve invested more than $40 million remediating former MGP sites and other legacy sites into usable real estate and parks that help contribute to the local community. The goal of these projects will be to remediate environmental concerns and return the sites to a condition that can support economic development opportunities for the community.