Brownfields 101
WHAT IS A BROWNFIELD?
A brownfield property is “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.”(Source: US EPA)
Common Examples of Brownfields (Illustrative examples, may include, but not limited to, vacant or underutilized sites):
- Light-industrial factory sites
- Gas Stations
- Dry-cleaning facilities
- Manufactured gas plants
- Metal-plating factories
- Electronics manufacturing
- Pharmaceutical plants
- Chemical manufacturing
- Automobile manufacturing
- Tannery factory sites
- Utility Substations
- Textile Mills
- Oil-tank farms
- Shunting yards and rail corridors
- Municipal buildings with asbestos insulation
- Methamphetamine labs
- Graveyards and burial grounds
The term brownfield does not include: (A Short List)
- A facility that is the subject of a planned or ongoing removal action
- A facility that is listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) or is proposed for listing
- A facility that is the subject of an administrative order, court order or judicial consent decree
For more information on criteria that exclude facilities from qualifying as a brownfield sites please review the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act H.R. 2869
For information on the brownfields law download the The New Brownfields Law Brochure.
Click here for information on the the EPA’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program.
