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Regional Information |
Revitalization
Revitalization, in the broadest sense, means to impart new life, energy, or
activity to something.
The EPA is committed to restoring land and other natural resources into sustainable
community assets that maximize beneficial economic, ecological and social uses
and ensure protection of human health and the environment. The revitalization
initiative seeks to resolve barriers to reuse and promote the reuse of sites
that are being or have been cleaned up. EPA works to reuse and redevelop various
contaminated sites, including Brownfield properties, Superfund sites, RCRA (Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act) sites, Underground Storage Tank (UST) sites,
and more.
Put simply, the days of erecting chain link fences around a property and posting
"Keep Out" signs are over. Cleaning up contaminated areas for reuse
can help reinvigorate communities, preserve greenspace, protect natural systems,
and prevent sprawl. Revitalized land and waters can be used in many ways—from
the creation of public parks to the construction of hospitals, the restoration
of streams and rivers to support wildlife and recreational uses, to the establishment
of new businesses. By restoring sites to productive economic and greenspace
use, EPA is helping secure a sustainable quality of life for future generations.
Region 8 Cleanup Programs
The following links summarize the types of contaminated sites you will encounter when redeveloping a potentially contaminated or formerly contaminated site or property. To learn more about each cleanup program, click on one of the types of contaminated sites below.Brownfields
Brownfield sites are real properties, the expansion, development, or reuse of
which may be complicated by the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant,
or contaminant.
Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Past and present activities at RCRA facilities have sometimes resulted in releases
of hazardous waste and hazardous constituents into soil, ground water, surface
water, sediments, and air; requiring the investigation and cleanup, or remediation,
of these hazardous releases.
Superfund
Superfund sites are uncontrolled or abandoned sites or properties where hazardous
waste or other contamination is located, possibly affecting local ecosystems
or people. Superfund sites can include properties on the National Priorities
List, as well as removal action sites.
Underground Storage
Tanks
Underground storage tank sites are sites that contain contamination from petroleum
products or CERCLA hazardous substances that were released from underground
storage tanks.
