Brownfield Remediation & Reuse

Brownfield properties, often referred to as “brownfields,” are properties where the presence or potential presence of a hazardous chemical or pollutant makes it challenging, risky, and costly to redevelop.

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.

Contamination or perceived contamination of brownfield properties results from manufacturing processes involving the use, storage, or mixture of chemicals which can create hazardous waste byproducts. At these sites, chemicals might have been intentionally dumped as waste before environmental regulations were in place, or accidentally spilled.

When active, brownfield sites 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 them.

In addition to harming resident health, brownfields also discourage economic investment in areas that desperately need it. This lack of tax revenue creates further burdens on already challenged municipal budgets in underserved communities that lack access to basic services and amenities.