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this is about brownfields
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Brownfields 101
Land Recycling ProgramPennsylvania DEP
What is a brownfield?
Definition of Brownfield
"real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the
presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant“
Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, 42 USC 9601 (39), enacted January 11, 2002
Definition
Is this a Brownfield?
Is this a Brownfield?
Is this a Brownfield?
Is this a Brownfield?
Is this a Brownfield?
Is this a Brownfield?
• Do I have one brownfield in my community?
Is this a Brownfield?My Community
What is brownfield redevelopment?
Brownfields redevelopment seeks to environmentally assess existing
brownfield properties, prevent further contamination, safely cleanup polluted properties, and design plans for reuse
What is brownfield development?
Where did the term “brownfield” originate?
• Traced to Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA, or Superfund)
• Greenfields ≠ Brownfields• Definition amended in 2002
Origin of Brownfield
Why do we have brownfields?• Energy Exploration (1800’s to present)• Steel production (1870’s to 1980’s)• Manufacturing (1800’s to present)
History
Steel is KingThe coming of mass-produced steel in the 1870s created a modern industrial society in Pennsylvania.
This mighty industry simply collapsed in the 1980s. The economic impact was catastrophic in Pennsylvania’s steel towns. In the years that followed many steel workers struggled to find new job and their communities struggled to reinvent themselves.
Credit: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
The Steel Industry
And we’re living here in Allentown…
Other types of brownfields• Former gas stations• Old dry cleaners• Car repair facility• Former military bases• Power plants• Manufacturing plants• Aviation facilities• Abandoned railroads or switching yards• Foundries
Types of Brownfields
How many brownfields does PA have?
Number of Brownfields
Why do we care about brownfields?• Perceived or real contamination• Land has economic value
• Access to existing infrastructure (roads, sewer)• Additional tax revenue• Availability of existing buildings
• Removes stigma of blight• Reduces sprawl
Why Brownfields?
Why are brownfields challenging?• Cleanup costs can be uncertain• Long term liability is a concern• Perception of property can be a hurdle
The Challenge
• Act 3 of 1995 - Economic Development Agency, Fiduciary and Lender Environmental Liability Protection Act– …preempts laws imposing environmental liability on
[lenders, fiduciaries and economic development agencies] in order to promote economic development
Why Risk It?
