Coal Ash at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

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Photo of Police Headquarters sign in front of building

The Town of Chapel Hill is working to address the presence of coal ash at the 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. property, which is currently home to the Chapel Hill Police Department. In the 1960s and 1970s, before the Town took ownership, this property served as a coal ash and construction debris fill site. While the Town didn’t place the coal ash at the property, we view it as our responsibility to manage it.

The Town is entering into a Brownfields Agreement with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ). The agreement outlines what future uses the NCDEQ will and won’t allow on the property, as well as remediation measures for the possible uses.

The Brownfields Agreement says:

  • We can’t put housing on the property. We also can’t put childcare centers, adult care centers, and schools on the site.

  • We could use the site for a municipal services center, recreational space, transit access, office, retail, and parking – all with NCDEQ-approved coal ash remediation.

We’ll update this page with opportunities for engagement and input, both in person and on this site.

The Town of Chapel Hill is working to address the presence of coal ash at the 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. property, which is currently home to the Chapel Hill Police Department. In the 1960s and 1970s, before the Town took ownership, this property served as a coal ash and construction debris fill site. While the Town didn’t place the coal ash at the property, we view it as our responsibility to manage it.

The Town is entering into a Brownfields Agreement with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ). The agreement outlines what future uses the NCDEQ will and won’t allow on the property, as well as remediation measures for the possible uses.

The Brownfields Agreement says:

  • We can’t put housing on the property. We also can’t put childcare centers, adult care centers, and schools on the site.

  • We could use the site for a municipal services center, recreational space, transit access, office, retail, and parking – all with NCDEQ-approved coal ash remediation.

We’ll update this page with opportunities for engagement and input, both in person and on this site.

  • Tropical Storm Chantal Update

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    The Town’s environmental engineering consultant, Hart & Hickman, has completed soil sampling work to help us understand the potential impacts from Tropical Storm Chantal. Based on the results of the soil sampling completed in the vicinity of the trail outside of the silt fencing—and conservative evaluation of the sample results—potential exposure risks to recreators (trail users) and non-residential workers (e.g., construction workers) is considered within DEQ and EPA acceptable risk levels. This segment of the Bolin Creek Trail, which was closed shortly after the storm, will remain closed for the foreseeable future. We’ll share these same results with DEQ.

  • 828 Survey Closes Thursday, July 10

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    There’s still time to weigh in with your thoughts about how we should use the property at 828 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. The feedback form will close at midnight on July 10th.

    Community input is one of many factors the Council will consider in its decision-making process. Review materials posted here and fill out a short feedback form by clicking the tab above this post.

  • June 11th Update to Council

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    Here's the link to the update on 828 MLK Property on the June 11, 2025 Town Council agenda. The staff memo and draft presentation describe the Town's work to:

    • finalize the Brownfields Agreement with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, and
    • learn what future use(s) for the property and tradeoffs are most important to our community.


  • Three New Reports Available

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    Three new reports are available on this site that provide information about the latest sampling results and site conditions, as well as updated environmental justice and cost evaluations related to coal ash disposal options. The main takeaways from these reports are summarized within the materials from the April 21 Open House.

  • Take Our Online Survey

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    On April 21st, we held an open house to talk about the presence of coal ash at the 828 police station property and to share about possible future uses allowed under our Brownfields Agreement with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Because community input is one of many factors the Town Council will consider in its decision-making process, we invite you to review the materials shared at the open house and provide your feedback through this brief survey.

  • Open House on April 21st

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    Join us on Monday, April 21, from 6 to 8 p.m. in meeting room B at the library to talk about the presence of coal ash at the 828 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. property. This is an opportunity to learn about possible future uses of the property and share your perspective.


  • Town to Seek Input About Coal Ash this Spring

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    On Wednesday, 3/12, the Town Council authorized the Town Manager to enter into a Brownfields Agreement addressing coal ash at 828 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. This Spring, we’ll engage Town staff, Town Council, and community members about what we’ll do with the property.

    The Brownfields Agreement, with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ), outlines what future uses NCDEQ will and won’t allow on the property, as well as remediation measures for the possible uses.

    We’ll update this page with opportunities for engagement and input, both on the site and in person.

Page last updated: 03 Sep 2025, 02:54 PM