A “Superfund” site is contaminated land under the supervision of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 1980, Congress gave the EPA authority to take control of designated sites to oversee cleanup and to hold polluters responsible for the cost. Here is a more detailed explanation from the EPA.

Perhaps include thus from the EPA website as a reason why it is important for FBC to be involved: “The goal of Superfund community involvement is to advocate and strengthen early and meaningful community participation during Superfund cleanups.”

The Barge Canal was added to the National Priority List under “Superfund” in 1983. A manufactured gas plant operated on the land for 60 years, dumping toxic waste in the woods and the water for that whole time. Other nearby industries in the area also contributed to extensive pollution of this site.

Of the 28 acres at the Barge Canal, the City of Burlington currently owns 11, acquired in the 1970s with the intention of building a highway through the site. The other land is privately owned. All but the 8 acres along Pine Street are zoned “RCO” (Recreation, Conservation and Open Space) by the city.

Jovial King, a local entrepreneur, has contracted to buy the land. Her plan is to build a Nordic-type bathhouse (“Silt Bathhouse”) on four acres at 453 Pine Street (across from Dealer.Com). The State of Vermont granted her $6 million in economic development funds to pay for the engineering required. Her hope is to break ground in Spring, 2024. At this point, the rest of the privately-owned land (approximately 13 acres) will be transferred to municipal ownership for conservation. In addition, local developer Kurt Schueler has been permitted by the city review boards to establish a “drive-up food court” on a 1/10 acre parcel on Pine Street across from Jackson Terrace apartments. We are also following this project.

FBC made a decision in 2022 to focus on conserving, protecting and restoring the remaining 24 acres of wild land. We have been closely monitoring both King and Schueler’s development plans and will continue to “bird dog” them to ensure that the interests of the land and its wild inhabitants are given primary consideration.

Yes and maybe. The land is essentially unfenced and Burlington residents have been walking, camping and even swimming and fishing (!) there for decades. At the same time, the EPA has identified 56 “contaminants of concern” in the soil and water at the Barge Canal. The risk to human health was last studied closely in 1992 (by Metcalf & Eddy, environmental consultants). They determined, in technical bureaucratic language, that “the upper bound excess lifetime cancer risk estimates were determined to be within or close to EPA's target risk range” for occasional visitors to the site. Because most of the contaminants -- notably coal tar -- are five feet underground and deeper, walking and working on the surface is generally safe. Be sure to use gloves and to wash well any exposed skin.

A very qualified yes. You should be aware of contaminants on site (see #7) and be sure that children do not dig in the dirt or get water in their mouths. During the spring, summer and fall, there is also considerable poison ivy on the site. In addition, despite our cleanup efforts, there are still occasional used hypodermic needles and other dangerous kinds of refuse found on the Barge Canal land.

No. Despite the 1992 assessment that the surface water is generally within acceptable risk limits, you should prevent your dog from swimming in the canal. This is to protect both your dog and the wildlife that live in and around the water. If you walk your dog at the Barge Canal, please scoop all the poop. The presence of wetlands and proximity to the Lake make this a priority.

As “vacant” land, the Barge Canal has attracted unhoused people looking for a place to camp, groups looking for a party spot, people who needed to dump unwanted trash. This has been going on for decades. FBC began cleaning up the area in 2022 on GreenUp Day. We have followed up with three subsequent cleanups. GreenUp Day 2023 (May 6), we will gather again with anyone who wants to help.

When the EPA announced their “Record of Decision” about the Barge Canal in 1998, they put specific restrictions (“institutional controls”) on the land. This included no residential development and no child care centers. It was feared that such long-term exposure to the contaminants in the soil could cause health problems. The institutional controls are still in place.

Since the early 1990s, the EPA, through various contractors, has monitored the flow of hydrocarbon pollution – particularly in the form of coal tar – toward the Lake. Their efforts to “cap” the bottom of the canal had this as a primary goal. They have also installed a “weir” at the mouth of the Barge Canal to control the water flow from the Superfund site to the Lake. Contractors for the development activities (“Silt Bathhouse”) currently underway are required to install monitoring wells to keep tabs on the flow of groundwater toward Lake Champlain. Certainly, there is some pollution from the Superfund site that reaches the Lake, but, according to the EPA, this has not been significant. EPA conducts 5-year reviews to monitor this situation. The 4th 5-year review was completed in 2021. Protecting and monitoring the natural area of the Barge Canal is essential to protecting Lake Champlain.