Brownfields are a big concern in the U.S. due to the environmental, economic, and political issues they represent. A Brownfield site is a property whose sale or reuse is prevented due to the presence of contaminants or pollutants. While these properties often pose liabilities for the communities they are a part of, they also represent business opportunities for environmental consulting firms and can be a springboard for community redevelopment and economic revitalization because of the EPA’s Brownfields Program.
The US EPA is behind many of the developments concerning Brownfield sites. This US EPA provides grants and technical assistance to communities to assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse contaminated properties. The grants make way for ensuring clean air, water, and land preservation and restoration.
A study done in 2015 proves the economic value of cleaning Brownfield properties outlining the benefits to communities and citing positive outcomes like residential property value increasing by up to 15% within 1.5 miles from the affected site. Every year the US EPA assesses its accomplishments among the nation’s communities. The most recent and comprehensive results as of May 1st, 2017 include: 26,722 properties assessed nationwide, 124,760 jobs leveraged from the results, $23.950 BN dollars leveraged, and 67,419 acres anticipated to be ready for use again. These numbers are promising in the developments at Brownfield sites. In Pennsylvania for example, the state received $1.8 million in funding to examine Brownfields. This enacted local organizations to take on many new projects while making significant progress in impacting contaminated sites.
While the benefits of the EPA Brownfields program are clear, challenges remain for property developers and environmental professionals who are tasked with cleaning up and remediating these sites before they are cleared by regulators for re-use. Perhaps most notably, vapor intrusion from soil and groundwater contaminants is often a problem that must be mitigated. As risk standards and other compliance issues associated with contaminant vapor intrusion continually evolve, engineered controls like those offered by Land Science provide a practical, cost-effective solution to eliminate risks.
Recent advances in contaminant vapor intrusion mitigation developed by Land Science have assisted developers, engineering firms, regulators, and land owners by providing technically sound solutions effectively mitigating these issues. These solutions include Geo-Seal Vapor Intrusion Barrier for new building construction, and Retro-Coat Vapor Intrusion Coating for existing structures.
Land Science is a vital part of Brownfield developments in the environmental industry. Land Science contracts with environmental consultants and developers to remediate contaminated Brownfield sites using effective technology and product solutions. There is a lot of value in cleaning up Brownfields that positively affects not only the environment but our economy and communities. Land Science takes pride in Brownfield development efforts nationwide. Most notably, in 2016 Land Science won the Phoenix Award for an impressive brownfield revitalization project. The project was a severely contaminated site that was remediated and redeveloped into the Cardinal Health Center in Michigan. Additionally, Land Science attends Brownfield conferences annually which focus on environmental rejuvenation to stimulate economic activity in contaminated areas.
Sources:
https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/environmental-protection-agency-budget-cuts/