Cleanup Mission

Cleanup Mission: How We’re Doing It

RACER Trust works cooperatively with federal and state environmental regulators, and in consultation with community and neighborhood leaders and residents, to design and aggressively implement cleanups that remove contaminants from the environment and are protective of human health.

Committed to Environmental and Social Justice

A number of RACER Trust properties are located in areas of communities historically underserved or poor and with disparate environmental and/or social impacts resulting from historic contamination, blight, and a lack of employment opportunities. In addition to its public outreach activities, RACER Trust has acted as an advocate for our communities, identifying and sharing grant opportunities, connecting local leaders with state and national resources, hiring local contractors to perform cleanup activities and incorporating local infrastructure
needs with site remediation and redevelopment plans. By addressing abandoned, blighted and contaminated properties with transparency, outreach
and communication; mitigating public health risks via safe and protective cleanups; site and infrastructure improvements; selection of buyers and development plans which satisfy the criteria for sales in the Settlement Agreement and that comply with local, state and Federal laws; creating jobs and restoring tax revenues locally; and supporting local efforts for community revitalization, RACER Trust has contributed to fixing the root causes of these injustices in our communities and will continue to
do so.

Community outreach and transparency are essential and fundamental components of our environmental program.
We post on our website environmental data, reports, and remedial action plans for each property where cleanups are required to address historic contamination. We regularly host public meetings to update our communities and answer questions from community members about the progress of environmental activities. We publicize these meetings and other environmental activities in the local media, on social media and through personal contacts with local elected officials and community leaders.

Our environmental information is available to the public on
the RACER Properties Information Hub for each property.
For example, environmental information about the Buick City Property in Flint can be found here. Environmental information about our other properties is provided through our Properties search page via the interactive map or advanced property search feature.

In communities with high levels of interest and engagement, RACER has proactively communicated with stakeholders by various media, including personal correspondence at regular intervals, written contributions to neighborhood newsletters, property tours for local residents, and creation of standalone pages on its website, such as the one dedicated to information about environmental activities at Buick City. Interested parties are notified when new content is added to such pages.

Environmental cleanup to address historic contamination
was required at about 60 former GM properties transferred
to RACER Trust in 2011. In most cases, these properties can
be sold or leased even before cleanups have been started or completed, provided the Trust is guaranteed access for
cleanup activity.

RACER Trust is undertaking investigations and cleanups at these properties, under the oversight of state and federal regulatory agencies, to achieve the regulatory objective applicable to each property. Our goal is to achieve no further action status for all locations where cleanups are needed. RACER Trust was provided with nearly $500 million to conduct these investigations and cleanups. A list of the initial property-specific funding is provided at the below link.

Environmental Response Trust Property Funding for Environmental Activities

RACER’s cleanup managers work in close coordination with our redevelopment team, administrative trustee, environmental regulatory agencies, and community leaders and residents to perform remedial activities on a schedule and in a manner that is protective of human health while also supporting redevelopment of the property and removal of contaminants from the environment in the shortest possible timeframe.

To reach RACER Trust by phone, call 1-855-RACER-411.