An environmental milestone for Pima County as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9 and the Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD) celebrated a significant grant to rehabilitate a former wastewater facility. According to the Pima County Newsroom, a cleanup grant of $492,681 was announced at an event at Agua Nueva Park on October 18, acknowledging the funds allocated for asbestos and lead-based paint removal from the site, thus progressing its redevelopment.
The grant origin stems from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, intending to convert the once-polluted Roger Road facility into a community space. "With this funding, coming from the historic federal investment of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA is helping Arizona transform polluted, abandoned sites such as the former Roger Road facility into thriving community assets," Martha Guzman, U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator, was quoted saying at the event. She emphasized that the grant would directly contribute to creating almost 50 acres of usable green space and opportunities for redevelopment.
Operating from the 1950s through 2014, the decommissioned site currently presents as a brownfield due to contamination concerns from its previous industrial use. It rests adjacent to parks and the Santa Cruz River, highlighting its potential as a community asset. "Pima County is excited about the countless opportunities that the redevelopment of the former Roger Road facility presents," Dr. Sylvia Lee, Pima County District 3 Supervisor, detailed the aspirations for the site's future.
The total investment to prepare the property for future use is nearing three-quarters of a million dollars, with prior EPA and Arizona Department of Environmental Quality contributions amounting to around $280,000 for environmental assessments. "This award is a triumph for the wildlife that already uses the decommissioned Roger Road property, as well as for the community that wants to see this property returned to beneficial community use," Kimberly Baeza of RWRD communicated, signaling the importance of remediating the site for environmental and public benefit.
Local residents, such as Kevin Daily, president of the Flowing Wells Neighborhood and Community Coalition, have expressed support for the redevelopment, with the cleanup project expected to commence this winter and conclude by Summer 2025. Concurrently, an independent recycling center is to work on a reuse planning effort, further molding the vision for the former wastewater site's function within the community.
