Normandy Park Apartments is a 9-acre residential complex in Temple Terrace, Florida, built on land where Gulf Coast Recycling operated a battery recycling and lead extraction facility from 1953 to 1963. That operation left lead, antimony, arsenic, and cadmium in both soil and groundwater. The site was proposed for the National Priorities List on February 13, 1995, and remains in proposed status today. The complex houses 144 units, a playground, a clubhouse, and a laundry facility, meaning residents including children continue to live there.
EPA sampling confirmed contamination in the early 1990s. Cleanup began with concrete caps and wooden decks placed over contaminated soil. A formal cleanup plan issued in May 2000 called for excavating the top two feet of exposed soil and removing material down to the groundwater table. The responsible party, now called Envirofocus, completed most of that excavation by 2001 and replaced the removed material with clean dirt and sod. Additional soil was removed from tree plazas in 2017 and 2018, totaling about 79.9 tons. All contaminated soil not covered by permanent structures has been removed. Groundwater is being addressed through monitored natural attenuation, meaning contamination is allowed to break down over time while EPA tracks progress. Sampling for lead and antimony continues twice yearly.
The 2021 Five-Year Review found the remedy is currently protective of human health and the environment because no completed exposure pathways exist. Human exposure is under control, and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Physical construction is not yet complete, and the site has not yet achieved sitewide readiness for anticipated reuse. Long-term operations and maintenance are ongoing, with the next five-year review estimated for August through October 2026. Institutional controls restrict future soil and groundwater use. A restrictive covenant requires EPA and Florida Department of Environmental Protection approval before any paved areas or buildings are removed, and any such plans must include steps to address soil contamination underneath. The Southwest Florida Water Management District also requires approval before any new wells are placed in the area.
A Five-Year Review is currently underway. Community members can attend public meetings, review public notices, and access site records at the Temple Terrace Public Library at 202 Bullard Parkway, Temple Terrace, Florida 33617. For questions, residents can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager.
