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.
This description is based on the information found in the Web links listed with this topic. Web Links from MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) Hazardous Waste
More Links Brownfields (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Brownfields and Land Revitalization home page (Environmental Protection Agency) Brownfields Frequently Asked Questions (Dept. of Housing and Urban Development) Brownfields: Turning Bad Spaces into Good Ones (University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension) (PDF — 8.28 MB) Public Health and Brownfields (Wisconsin Department of Health Services) Radioactive Contamination at Clean-Up Sites (Environmental Protection Agency)
Chemicals in Brownfields Are these chemicals in MY community? Acetone Ammonia Arsenic Asbestos Benzene Bisphenol A (BPA) Cadmium Chlorine Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Chromium Crude Oil Diesel Dioxins Endocrine Disruptors Ethylene Glycol Ethylene Oxide Formaldehyde Gasoline Lead Mercury Methane Methanol Perchlorate Perchloroethylene (PCE, PERC) Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Pesticides Phthalates Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Propane Solvents Styrene Toluene Uranium Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Last Updated: November 13, 2012
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