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Historic Highways Project
The goal of the Historic Highways Project is to remediate and reuse abandoned or underutilized former gas stations along the former Route 66 (Missouri and Kansas) and the former Lincoln Highway (Iowa and Nebraska). For three weeks in summer 2007, 217 former gas stations were documented by driving the length of these highways.
Project Update - April 2009
EPA Region 7 is reaching out to local communities in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska to address the former gas stations identified during the driving tour. In February 2009, EPA sent letters to 191 officials in 83 communities in Region 7 that have abandoned or underutilized gas stations in EPA's Historic Highways inventory. The letters went out to mayors, city clerks, city administrators and economic development officials. Information in the letter (PDF) (2 pp, 144K About PDF) introduces the project and solicits involvement by local officials. EPA received responses from 17 communities expressing an interest in participating in the project. Those communities were asked to submit detailed information on the sites in their communities that are listed in the inventory. After reviewing this information, EPA and it's partners will prioritize the sites and initially select one or two in each state to identify and eliminate barriers leading towards redevelopment.
Project Update - January 2008
The project partners set the standards for prioritizing the former gas stations identified during the driving tour, and began examining those properties in their states that are most likely to be reused. The partners want to work with communities to revitalize those properties.
These actions by our state partners followed the review of information gathered on the tour:
- The Iowa Department of Natural Resources quickly identified two properties in Carroll and Jefferson, and began working with those communities. The former gas station in Carroll might be turned into a winery, but it's contaminated below the surface. The department will determine which of their clean-up programs will best move the property toward reuse. The Jefferson community wants to turn that property, which is near a bicycle trail head, into a welcome center. The property likely needs to be assessed for contamination, and EPA funds might be available to help pay for any cleanup.
- The Kansas Department of Health and Environment prioritized six properties in Galena, Baxter Springs, and Riverton, and discussed available redevelopment resources with the Kansas Department of Commerce. The department also wants to consult with the mayors in those three communities about working with the partnership.
- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources submitted a proposal to use state funds to pay for environmental assessments of properties along Route 66 and in the St. Louis area. The department is prioritizing the former gas stations in their state, based on their records and the standards developed by the partners.
- After reviewing their records, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality focused on a property in Wood River and plans to approach that community about potential reuse. The department also talked to the Nebraska State Historical Society to see if they have any available redevelopment funds.
This project began under the leadership of the EPA Region 7 Land Revitalization Team. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality are partnering on this project with the National Park Service offices in Omaha, Neb., and Santa Fe, N.M., EPA Region 7's Brownfields and Underground Tanks Programs, and EPA Headquarters' Office of Underground Storage Tanks.
Please return to this page for progress updates.
For more information, please contact David Doyle, EPA Region 7, at (913) 551-7667 or doyle.david@epa.gov
Abandoned or underutilized former gas stations along Route 66
Locations of stations pictured below (left to right):
Top row: Between Pacific & St. Clair, Mo., in St. James, Mo., and in Springfield,
Mo.
Second row: In Heatonville, Mo., near Galena, Kan., and in Baxter Springs,
Kan.
