By Adam Grob

The nation is making progress towards restoring its brownfields, as additional federal resources become available to planners and communities where these sites are located.

In May 1999, Vice President Gore announced that more than $30 million would be made available to help communities clean up and redevelop brownfields. "These grants ... will help bring to these communities new jobs and new opportunities," Gore said. Sixty-three communities across the nation are currently receiving funds to clean-up and redevelop abandoned industrial properties. These grants may also be used to set up revolving loan funds that provide low-interest loans to local businesses so that they can assist in efforts to return brownfields to productive uses.

Funding for brownfield restoration could increase further if legislation sponsored by Sen. John Chafee (R-R.I.) is approved. On May 20, 1999, Sen. Chafee introduced S. 1090, which would authorize $100 million annually for grants to state and local governments to identify and cleanup potentially reusable abandoned industrial properties. Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) introduced S. 1105, a bill similar to S.1090, on May 25, 1999. A counterpart bill in the House, H.R.1300, sponsored by Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.) and 67 co-sponsors, includes language to remove barriers to brownfields redevelopment and alleviate developers of liability concerns for brownfields.

In 1997, President Clinton launched the Administration's Brownfields Initiative to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together to assess, remediate, and sustainably reuse brownfield sites. The Initiative pledged to expand the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Program to more than 300 municipalities by 2000, and to increase federal support by $700 million.

Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Rodney Slater has pledged the department's support for the Brownfields Initiative. In communities with brownfield redevelopment initiatives, DOT is encouraging state and local transportation agencies to develop their improvement programs in conjunction with site remediation and redevelopment efforts. In addition, DOT is urging transportation agency sponsors to consider brownfields properties when siting projects as part of redevelopment efforts. The use of brownfield sites should occur only if those locations are consistent with the purpose and need for the proposed project. The cleanup and liability costs should be reasonable when considering the related costs and public benefits.

The EPA will be providing assistance and incentives to states, local communities, and the private sector for the assessment, clean-up, and economic reuse of these sites. In December 1999, EPA will hold its "Brownfields '99 Conference: Alliances for 21st Century Livability Environmental Challenges & Solutions," in Dallas, Texas. Further details about the conference will be announced later this year.

Today, brownfield restoration and reuse is a priority issue for many planners. APA held a session at the National Planning Conference in Seattle last April that addressed public and private partnerships in brownfield redevelopment, and discussed the methods planners could employ to assist the brownfield restoration process.

Brownfields have created extraordinary negative impacts on our towns and communities. During the 1940s and 1950s, there were vast developments in which low income neighborhoods were centered at or near to industrial waste sites. Today, these areas are dilapidated and worn out, the result of depressed economics and rumors of adverse effects on human health due to remaining toxins. Most people living in close proximity to a brownfield site tend to be minorities. With respect to S.1090, funding from this bill will spur the cleanup efforts necessary for these sites, making the communities more livable and giving residents a sense of place.

Including environmental issues, such as brownfields, into the planning process may help to rid the land of these undesirable elements. In addition to government officials coordinating efforts of restoration, the public needs to participate actively to garner attention. There is a vision of a cleaner, healthier tomorrow, but it is important to focus on land already developed and put serious consideration into reclaiming resources we may overlook.

Additional information about brownfields can be found on EPA's web site.

Adam Grob worked in APA's Washington, D.C., office.

July 1999