The site of the Charlotte eco-industrial development ReVenture Park has been taken off the federal Superfund hazardous waste list, its developers say.

The site, bordering the Catawba River in western Mecklenburg County, had been listed on Superfund's National Priorities List since 1983. Groundwater was contaminated after decades of dye and chemical manufacturing, and the ongoing cleanup is expected to take years.

ReVenture developer Forsite Development owns an uncontaminated portion of the 667-acre site. Forsite leases the contaminated part from owner Clariant Corp. and will assume responsibility for continuing the cleanup, said ReVenture spokeswoman Terri Bennett.

Clariant has spent more than $40 million to remedy contamination that it inherited when it bought Sodyeco Inc.

The ultimate goal is for state officials to designate the site a brownfield, or contaminated site that is deemed suitable for redevelopment. The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources will continue to monitor cleanup of the site.

Environmental Protection Agency official Franklin Hill, Superfund director for the Southeast, said in a statement the transition "is an example of EPA's commitment to support beneficial reuse of sites, using cleanup programs to ensure protection of future users."

ReVenture Park last year scaled back plans to build a waste-to-energy power plant fueled by Mecklenburg County garbage. Since then, Bennett said, "the scope and scale (of the development) has grown significantly," with further announcements expected soon.

ReVenture envisions a wide range of clean-energy developments and research at the site.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities has proposed building a $250 million wastewater treatment plant on Long Creek, near ReVenture, to serve western Mecklenburg. The Catawba Lands Conservancy last month closed on 175 acres along Long Creek, adjacent to the ReVenture site.