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What are brownfields?

Brownfields are "real property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant." This definition is from The Brownfields Revitalization and Economic Restoration Act of 2001. A brownfield site is property that was once used for commercial or industrial purposes and is now targeted for redevelopment. Brownfields sites can be abandoned factories, gas stations, oil storage facilities, and other businesses that used polluting substances. Such sites must be cleaned up and determined to be safe from any contamination before they can be re-used. State and federal brownfields programs assist developers in safely using former industrial sites for new uses such as housing, retail stores and parks.


Web Links from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
Hazardous Waste

More Links
Brownfields (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
Brownfields (Michigan State University)
Brownfields (Dept. of Housing and Urban Development)
Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment (Environmental Protection Agency)
Brownfields: Turning Bad Spaces into Good Ones (University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension) PDF Icon
Radioactive Contamination at Clean-Up Sites (Environmental Protection Agency)

Chemicals in Brownfields
Are these chemicals in MY environment?
Acetone
Ammonia
Arsenic
Asbestos
Benzene
Chlorine
Chromium
Diesel
Dioxins
Ethylene Glycol
Formaldehyde
Gasoline
Lead
Mercury
Perchloroethylene
Pesticides
Phthalates
Polychlorinated Biphenyls
Propane
Solvents
Toluene
Volatile Organic Compounds


Last Updated: December 09, 2008

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