Brownfields

While many people think of brownfields as large, abandoned factories or chemical processing plants, the true scope of brownfield properties is more expansive, often including abandoned gas stations, automotive repair facilities, dry cleaners, farms where pesticides were used, and residential structures built using lead or asbestos-containing materials.

Brownfield properties are challenging to redevelop because, when active, they might have been home to businesses and industries that used chemicals harmful to human health and the environment. Over time, arsenic, asbestos, lead, petroleum and hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other contaminants can infiltrate soil, groundwater, airborne particles, and structures due to spillage, improper storage, or container and property deterioration. These pollutants can endanger community health if people are exposed to the contaminant particulates or vapors.

Many communities dealing with brownfields know about their negative impacts, but lack the capacity, knowledge, and resources to remediate and redevelop them. Local governments often have valid concerns about their liability in entering the chain of title for these sites and the heavy lift of environmental investigation and cleanup.