With funding provided by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the City of Dothan began environmental remediation of a former utilities sub-station site on Monday March 1, 2021. The project was carried out by the environmental consulting firm of Bullock Environmental, LLC, while Action Environmental served as the site contractor. Site work was completed on March 19, 2021.
Cleanup work complied with the Site-Specific Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) approved by both The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) and US EPA Region 4, Brownfields Section. Under the QAPP, the top two feet of soil was removed from the site and replaced with pre-screened, clean fill material. The addition of the clean topsoil completed the site remediation project. The property transfer to Aunt Katie’s Garden occurred under ADEM’s Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP), via the Dothan Downtown Re-development Authority (DDRA). Adding this property to the adjacent Aunt Katie’s Community Garden provided for needed expansion of the Garden’s operations by making space available to construct two to three additional High Tunnel Houses. High Tunnel House farming technology is a leading-edge food production process. Tunnel Houses provide for year-round production of fresh greens and vegetables in a highly efficient and productive manner.
We encourage everyone to stop by the Community Garden located at the corner of Whiddon and Linden Streets. A model High Tunnel House is already in full production at the existing garden site. The City of Dothan, Alabama is proud to have partnered with Aunt Katie’s Garden, DDRA, US EPA, and ADEM to make this leading-edge urban farming practice available here in our city.