HERC Cleanup Alternatives: Public Comment Invited

Photo of one old HERC buildings with the second superimposed announcing Cleanup Alternatives Public Comment 3-27 to 4-24 2026.

Public Comment Being Accepted on HERC Cleanup Alternatives

The City of Homer is inviting the public to review and comment on a draft Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA) for the Homer Education and Recreation Complex (HERC).

The draft ABCA, prepared in partnership with the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), evaluates five cleanup alternatives for the HERC property. The goal is to choose a remediation option to address Hazardous Building Materials (HBM) and support future redevelopment of this brownfield property.

How to Review the Report

The draft ABCA is available online at:

Hard copies are available at:

  • Homer Public Library, 500 Hazel Avenue
  • City Clerk's Office, Homer City Hall, 491 E. Pioneer Avenue

How to Submit Comments

The public comment period is open from March 27 through 5:00 p.m. April 24, 2026.

You can submit your comments by clicking the comment link on the DEC Brownfields HERC ABCA webpage listed above
or by email to Flannery Ballard at Flannery.ballard@alaska.gov  

DEC will respond to all comments using its public notice/comment system. The finalized ABCA will be posted online following the comment period.

Questions?

The DEC Project Manager for this project is Flannery Ballard, Project Manager within the Contaminated Sites Program. You may also contact Julie Engebretsen, Community Development Director at the City of Homer. They can be reached at the following:

Flannery Ballard                                                 Julie Engebretsen
(907) 465-5368                                                   907-435-3119
Flannery.ballard@alaska.gov                          jengebretsen@ci.homer.ak.us

About the HERC Property

The HERC is located at 450 Sterling Highway in Homer, Alaska (parcel number 17510070). The site is approximately 4.3 acres and has two buildings. HERC 2 is the smaller building; it was abandoned after it was deemed unsafe. HERC 1 is the larger building that is still in use. The gymnasium and activity room on the lower level are currently host Community Recreation activities and programs; the upper-level hosts office space, surplus storage, equipment storage and workshop space for the Public Works Department. The HERC buildings were constructed in the 1950's when HBM were commonplace.

While a number of hazardous building assessments had been done on both buildings over the years, there were still data gaps. The City of Homer partnered with DEC through the DEC Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup grant program to fill HBM data gaps and conduct an ABCA. Their 2023 Hazardous Building Assessment confirmed the presence of asbestos-containing materials (ACM), lead-based paint (LBP), and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-containing materials (PCBCM) in both buildings, but not the soils.

After completing the HBM, DEC began developing what options there were for cleanup activities. In February 2026, DEC presented the draft Analysis of Brownfields Cleanup Alternatives (ABCA), which summarizes results of HBM assessments and soil analysis and presents five options to address HBM.

The City of Homer is seeking public input on the report and cleanup alternatives before the ABCA is finalized. The goal is to choose a remediation option address HBM and support future redevelopment of this brownfield property.

For a deeper dive into the project go to: https://www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/planning/herc-hazardous-material-cleanup-and-revitalization-plan. 

  • Printer-friendly version