Brownfield land

Brownfield land

Brownfield land is land that used to have factories or gas stations, but is now empty. This land might have pollution from old oil spills or chemicals left behind. Because of the pollution, it can be hard and costly to clean up and use the land again.

Examples of brownfield land are old factories, places where coal ash was stored, landfills, dry cleaning shops, and old gas stations. These places can have harmful substances such as oil, solvents, pesticides, asbestos, and heavy metals like lead.

Sometimes, cleaning up brownfield land costs more than the land is worth, so it stays unused. Hidden waste under the ground can make cleaning up even harder and more expensive. Special methods are needed to find the best way to reuse or clean up these places.

Definition

A brownfield is land that used to have buildings or factories but is now empty or not used much. This land might have pollution from what happened there before.

In Canada, the government says brownfields are old commercial or industrial places in cities that have pollution but could be used again.

In the United States, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says a brownfield is land where it might be hard to build because of pollution or possible pollution. The idea of brownfields started in the United States in 1992. In 2002, a law was passed to help local governments clean up and reuse this land.

In the United Kingdom, brownfield land is the same as land that used to have buildings. This includes the area around those buildings. Some lands, like farms or places for mining, are not considered brownfields.

Locations and contaminants

Brownfield land is often found where factories or other industries used to be. These places may be empty now, but they can still have harmful substances left over.

Small brownfield sites can also be in older neighborhoods, like old dry cleaning shops or gas stations. Common pollutants on these lands include hydrocarbon spills, solvents, pesticides, lead from old paints, and asbestos. Old maps can help find areas that need testing.

Brownfield status by country

The main issue for all countries trying to reuse brownfield sites is the spread of industry around the world. This affects how long these sites can stay useful after being cleaned up.

Canada has about 200,000 places with some pollution, such as old mines, airports, and military bases. Local governments mainly handle these sites, but they have fewer tools to help clean them up. Still, Canada has successfully cleaned some areas and attracted new businesses, like the rail yards in Moncton.

Denmark focuses on cleaning up and reusing old industrial areas, especially around Copenhagen, working closely with local communities.

France keeps a list of polluted sites, with thousands of places needing attention.

In Hong Kong, turning these old sites into housing is very popular, with enough space for many new homes.

Germany loses green space quickly for new buildings, and each local area decides how to reuse its old industrial sites.

The United Kingdom has many old industrial areas that could be used for new homes, with laws to help with cleanup.

The United States has over 500,000 sites with some pollution, and started programs in the 1990s to encourage their reuse.

Redevelopment

Cleaning up and using brownfield land needs special appraisal methods. This is because pollution can change what the land is best used for and its value, both before and after cleaning it up. Normal appraisal methods often don’t work, so experts use more advanced ways like contingent valuation, case studies, or statistical analysis.

There are many ways to clean up brownfield sites. Some methods include using heat to treat the soil where it lies, using tiny living things called bioremediation to break down pollution, and adding binders to stop chemicals from leaking. Plants can also help clean up heavy metals from the soil through a process called phytoremediation. Scientists are testing if crops like soybean, corn, canola, and switchgrass can grow on these sites to help clean them up.

Brownfield sites often stay unused for many years because cleaning them up can cost more than the land is worth. But as space becomes scarce in busy areas, more people are finding ways to reuse these sites. Governments have created programs to help developers clean up and use these lands again. Sometimes, unexpected pollution can make cleanup harder and more expensive, so many developers study the site very well before starting any work.

Post-redevelopment uses

Commercial and residential

As of 2006 the Atlantic Station project in Atlanta was the biggest brownfield redevelopment in the United States. Dayton is building Tech Town to bring technology companies and new life to the downtown area. In Homestead, Pennsylvania, a place that used to be Carnegie Steel is now a busy shopping area called The Waterfront.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has turned many old steel mill sites into homes, shops, and offices. Some examples in Pittsburgh include:

• In the Squirrel Hill neighborhood, an old waste pile from steel mills became a home area named Summerset at Frick Park.
• In the South Side neighborhood, a place that used to be a LTV Steel mill is now Southside Works, where people can shop, eat, work, and live.
• In Hazelwood (Pittsburgh), a former Jones and Laughlin steel mill site is now an office area called Pittsburgh Technology Center.
• On Herr's Island, a place that used to load animals and meat is now Washington's Landing, a spot for business, making things, fun activities and fancy homes.

Solar landfill

A solar landfill is an old landfill that has been changed into a place for solar arrays or solar farms.

Regulation

Further information: Brownfield regulation and development

United States

In the United States, rules about brownfield land are mostly handled by state groups working with the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA. In 1995, the EPA started a program to help clean up brownfield land. This program grew in 2002 with the Brownfields Law. The EPA and local and national governments can offer advice and money to help check and clean up these places. They can also give tax incentives for cleanup costs, meaning these costs can be fully tax-deductible in the year they happen. Many important rules are found in state laws, which can be different in each state.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, rules about polluted land come from Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Local authorities are in charge of making a list of polluted land. For places with unclear past or current uses, the local planning authority might ask for a study. The main rule for brownfield land happens through the land use planning system when thinking about a new use for the land.