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Since its inception in 1995, EPA's Brownfields Program has grown into a proven, results-oriented program that has changed the way contaminated property is perceived, addressed, and managed. EPA's Brownfields Program is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties increases local tax bases, facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, takes development pressures off of undeveloped, open land, and both improves and protects the environment. Initially, EPA provided small amounts of seed money to local governments that launched hundreds of two-year brownfield "pilot" projects. Through passage of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, effective polices that EPA had developed over the years were passed into law. The Brownfields Law expanded EPA's assistance by providing new tools for the public and private sectors to promote sustainable brownfields cleanup and reuse.
Brownfields grants continue to serve as the foundation of EPA's Brownfields Program. These grants support revitalization efforts by funding environmental assessment, cleanup, and job training activities. Brownfields Assessment Grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach. Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants provide funding to capitalize loans that are used to clean up brownfields. Brownfields Job Training Grants provide environmental training for residents of brownfields communities. Brownfields Cleanup Grants provide direct funding for cleanup activities at certain properties with planned greenspace, recreational, or other nonprofit uses.
EPA's investment in the Brownfields Program has resulted in many accomplishments, including leveraging more than $14.0 billion in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment funding from the private and public sectors and leveraging approximately 60,917 jobs. The momentum generated by the Program is leaving an enduring legacy. The Brownfields Program and its partners have provided guidance and incentives to support economic revitalization, and empowered communities to address the brownfields in their midst. EPA's Brownfield Program continues to look to the future by expanding the types of properties it addresses, forming new partnerships, and undertaking new initiatives to help revitalize communities across the nation.
- Brownfields and Land Revitalization General Brochure, October 2009 (PDF) (2 pp, 1.5M)
- Los Programas de Sitios Contaminados (Brownfields) y Revitalización de Tierras de la EPA: Mejorando la Tierra y la Calidad de Vida Americana, October 2009 (PDF) (2 pp, 1MB, about PDF)
- EPA's Brownfields Mission:
EPA's Brownfields Program is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. EPA's Brownfields Program provides financial and technical assistance for brownfields activities through an approach based on four main goals:
- Protecting the Environment Addressing brownfields to ensure the health and well-being of America's people and environment.
- Promoting Partnerships Enhancing collaboration and communication essential to facilitate brownfields cleanup and reuse.
- Strengthening the Marketplace Providing financial and technical assistance to bolster the private market.
- Sustaining Reuse Redeveloping brownfields to enhance a community's long-term quality of life.
- Brownfields Definition: Provides a complete legal definition of the term brownfields.
More Basic Information about Brownfields
- Anatomy of a Brownfields Redevelopment, October 2006 (PDF) (7 pp, 3M, about PDF)
Provides an overview of the brownfields cleanup and redevelopment process from a real estate development perspective. The document identifies key challenges in brownfields redevelopment, critical participants in brownfields transactions, and important stages throughout processes such as pre-development, assessment, cleanup and development, and long-term property management. Example scenarios from projects using private, public-private, and public funding sources are included. The document also provides a brief glossary of key terms, as well as additional resources for those looking to clean up and redevelop brownfields.
- Brownfields Success Stories
Highlights accomplishments reported by EPA Brownfields Grantees across the country.
- Land Use and Institutional Controls
Includes resources for land use and institutional controls.
- Protecting Public Health
Includes resources for communities concerned about any potential impact of brownfields on public health.
- Related EPA
Cleaning up active facilities, or abandoned hazardous waste sites and preparing the land for redevelopment or redeployment occurs in various EPA programs. This page offers information about the different cleanup programs managed by offices within the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.