National Information
Office of Solid Waste
Land Revitalization Brochure
Click here for recently updated information about land revitalization projects across the nation. (PDF: 4 pp, 2.55M,) About PDF)
As part of its mission to protect human health and the environment, U.S. EPA is dedicated to revitalizing land by restoring contaminated and potentially contaminated sites to productive economic and green space use. Through this web site, you can find a variety of information about revitalization and reuse in Region 4. This information includes revitalization tools and resources, hazardous site inventories with site profiles and information, funding information, and relevant publications and documents, as well as examples of land revitalization projects across Region 4. More Land Revitalization information...
EPA's Land Research website (http://www.epa.gov/ord/lrp) provides information on the innovative science solutions being developed by EPA's Land Research Program to preserve the nation's land, restore contaminated properties, and protect public health from exposure to environmental contaminants. The site includes a description of the program, fact sheets, science topic experts, links to ORD technical support centers, research publications, research accomplishments, and links to tools, models, and information.
Multi Vision Integration to Action
A process to get your community involved in environmental concerns.
Enviromental Toolkits
EPA Region 4 has created several useful centralized web-based toolkits to assist local governments, citizens, businesses and environmental regulators in identifying information to develop, evaluate, support, and/or expand programs in air quality, waste, revitalization projects and water. These toolkits offer detailed tutorials on various “how-tos” to help turn great ideas into positive accomplishments.
EPA’s Science Notebook
Home to ideas, questions,
drawings and data, it's a treasure trove of information about the scientific
process. EPA's Science Notebook offers a similar view into science
at EPA, featuring stories, scientist interviews, videos, podcasts and more.
Additions
The National Brownfields Conference is the largest, most comprehensive conference focused on cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned, underutilized, and potentially contaminated properties in the nation. Registration is free, and by signing up you gain access to more than 150 educational and learning opportunities, outstanding plenary sessions, 200 exhibitors, scores of networking events, special training sessions, film screenings, book signings, and much, much more. In addition to an outstanding educational program, the conference has plentiful networking and business development opportunities including the Brownfields Transaction Forum and the Brownfields 2009 Exhibit Hall. Whether you’re a newcomer to the world of economic and environmental redevelopment, or a seasoned professional looking to make new connections and increase your business, Brownfields 2009 offers something for you. Questions? Call the Brownfields 2009 Hotline at 1-877-343-5374 (toll free). Register today!
EPA's New Directive on Ecological Revitalization of Contaminated Properties
Ecological Revitalization: Turning Contaminated Properties Into Community Assets
EPA 542-R-08-003. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
U.S. EPA. February 2009
This document provides technical information to assist property managers and other stakeholders better understand, coordinate, and conduct ecological revitalization at contaminated properties during cleanup. Specifically, this document presents general planning and process considerations for ecological revitalization and provides technical considerations for implementing ecological revitalization of wetlands, streams, and terrestrial ecosystems during cleanup. This document also highlights EPA’s initiatives and resources that are available, and presents numerous site-specific examples and case studies where ecological revitalization has occurred.
An informational session is being developed for the remedial project managers meeting (NARPM) in June 2009. Internet seminars are also in the works. EPA's clean-up program directive is available on-line. You can find it at: http://www.clu-in.org/download/issues/ecotools/Ecological_Revitalization_Turning_Contaminated_Properties_into_Community_Assets.pdf.
Release of Report and Recommendations: Market Barriers to Green Development
EPA
Region 5, the Delta Institute and the Northeast-Midwest Institute released
Market Barriers to Green Development, a report on market based approaches to
increase green redevelopment projects. The report is also available at the
Delta Institute or the Northeast-Midwest Institutes websites:
http://www.delta-institute.org/marketbarriers or
http://www.nemw.org/brownfields.htm#Reports.
The report describes six principles for removing market barriers to green development, and recommends action projects and next steps to address these barriers and further promote green development practices. Throughout the report, case studies illustrate how different organizations or communities have tackled these barriers. Three supplemental documents are also available on the websites:
- Identifying the Market Barriers to Green Development, a summary of the May 2007 workshop
- Fostering Green Development Practices Roles of the Public Sector
- Using Incentives to Promote Green Building Practices
Organizations Receive $1.5 Million for Brownfields Training, Research, and Technical Assistance
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is awarding 10 grants for brownfields
training, research, and technical assistance projects with national scope
and impact. More than $1.5million in funding will support brownfields assessment,
cleanup, and revitalization across the country. More...
Kansas State University Provides TAB EZ Software for Assessment and
Cleanup Grants
Kansas State University (KSU),under the Technical Assistance to Brownfield Communities
(TAB) cooperative agreement #TR83389401 with EPA, has developed a software tool called
"TAB EZ". TAB EZ can assist communities that are applying for assessment and cleanup grants
under EPA's Fiscal Year 2009 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup
(ARC) grant competition. TAB EZ was developed by KSU and CABEM Technologies, Inc. as a
public service. TAB EZ is available free of cost to everyone nationwide. More information
about TAB EZ is available at http://www.tabez.org/.
Communities in 43 states, 2 Tribal Nations and 2 territories will
share over $74 million in EPA Brownfields Grants
These communities will share over $74 million in EPA Brownfields grants to
help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites, turning them from problem
properties to productive community use. Since the beginning of the Brownfields
program, EPA has awarded 1255 assessment grants totaling $298.6 million, 230
revolving loan fund grants totaling $217.7 million, and 426 cleanup grants
totaling $78.7 million. See the official EPA News Release, April 7, 2008.
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List of New Assessment, Cleanup, and Revolving Loan Fund Grant Awards
- Sorted by State with Links to Fact Sheets
- Sorted by EPA Region with Links to Fact Sheets
- Printer-Friendly List Sorted by EPA Region (PDF) (15 pp, 51KB, about PDF)
EPA's New Ecological Restoration Tool is Online!
This web site is a resource for project managers and others seeking information and guidance on ecological restoration and land revitalization.
The page includes a glossary of restoration terms and a set of principles for ecological restoration; as well as information and links to resources on soil health and amendments, native and invasive plant species, and ecosystem-based restoration.
Also featured is a comprehensive list of region-by-region and state-by-state federal and local resources for ecological restoration projects, including the Federal Highway Administration's publication, "Roadside Use of Native Plants." The website address is: http://www.cluin.org/products/ecorestoration/
New Website for Brownfield Insurance Programs
A new website is available for those needing information about and assistance with insurance for brownfield projects.
The site provides access to insurers, brokers, and attorneys with specialized capacities to address brownfield insurance matters. Additional brokers and attorneys are invited to add their qualifications and share documents they have written. Listing is free and easy to do.
The site also offer a library that includes funded reports, journal articles, and case studies of insurance usage, as well as a glossary of terms. Reports currently on the site include "State Brownfield Insurance Programs - 2006" and "Environmental Insurance Products Available for Brownfield Redevelopment- 2005."
BrownfieldsInsurance.org was developed by Kristen Yount and Peter Meyer of Northern Kentucky University under a cooperative agreement with EPA. For more information, go to www.BrownfieldsInsurance.org.
Information on US EPA's Brownfields Program is available at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/.
Land Revitalization Site Types
The graphic below contains the types of contaminated sites you will encounter when redeveloping a potentially contaminated or formerly contaminated site or property. To learn more about each site type, click on one of the types of contaminated sites below.
- Brownfield Sites
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. - Federal Facility
Sites
Federal Facility sites are properties operated by the United States Government that contain environmental contamination from unexploded ordnance, radioactive waste, or other hazardous substances. - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(RCRA) Sites
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 Sites
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 Tank Sites
Underground storage tank sites are sites that contain contamination from petroleum products or CERCLA hazardous substances that were released from underground storage tanks. - State Sites
State sites are contaminated sites not addressed by U.S. EPA through its regulatory authorities under CERLA and RCRA, but are instead managed by States rather than by EPA or through EPA programs.