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Research Activities

Research Activities

Brownfields and Land Revitalization Research

Issue

A Brownfield is a property on which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In 1995 the U.S. Government Accounting Office estimated that there were up to 450,000 Brownfield sites in the nation.

The Land Research Program (LRP) in EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD) partners with EPA's Brownfields Program, and others, to provide the science and technology to support cleanup efforts and economic revitalization of property that may be contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants.

Science Objective

With the development of tools, approaches, methods, and technologies, the LRP facilitates revitalization efforts while encouraging stakeholders to incorporate a balance of social, economic, and environmental interests and objectives into growth and development.

For example, a decision support tool called SMARTe Exit EPA Disclaimerprovides information about the entire revitalization process, helps stakeholders overcome obstacles to revitalization, and assists them in the complex selection of reuse options.

The program conducts research to improve the scientific basis for making decisions about land revitalization and offers training and technical support to EPA, states, and local governments to remediate property for reuse or revitalization. These properties are referred to as Brownfields sites.

Research includes:

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