Brownfield land

Brownfield land is land that has been used for things like factories or gas stations before, but is now empty or not being used. This land might have pollution from things like oil spills or old chemicals left behind. Because of this pollution, it can be hard and expensive to clean up and use the land again.

Examples of brownfield land include old factories, places where ash from coal 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 underground can also make cleaning up even harder and more expensive. Special methods are needed to figure out the best way to reuse or clean up these places.

Definition

The term brownfield describes land that used to have buildings or factories but is now empty or not used much. This land might have pollution from what was done 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 in areas where factories, steel mills, or other industries used to operate. These places might be empty now, but they can still have harmful substances left over from the past.

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 identify 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. Some big cleanup projects, like the Port Hope site in Ontario, have taken many years and lots of money.

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

Acquiring, adapting, and selling a brownfield site needs special appraisal methods. This is because the pollution on the site can affect its best use and 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 even testing if crops like soybean, corn, canola, and switchgrass can grow on these sites to help clean them up while also making useful products.

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 also created programs to help developers clean up and use these lands again. Sometimes, unexpected pollution like old underground tanks can make cleanup harder and more expensive, so many developers make sure to study the site very well before starting any cleanup work.

Post-redevelopment uses

Commercial and residential

As of 2006 the Atlantic Station project in Atlanta was the largest brownfield redevelopment in the United States. Dayton is developing Tech Town to bring technology companies and bring 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 $243 million 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 a $104 million office area called Pittsburgh Technology Center.
• On Herr's Island, a 17-hectare (42-acre) island on the western bank of the Allegheny River, 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 environmental groups working together with the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA. In 1995, the EPA started a program to help clean up brownfield land, and this program grew in 2002 with the Brownfields Law. The EPA and local and national governments can offer advice and some money to help with checking and cleaning up these places. From 2002 to 2013, the EPA gave out nearly 1,000 grants totaling almost $190 million for cleaning up. 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 about responsibility 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, sometimes as a requirement in planning applications. However, land that is unused or left empty is usually not considered polluted land, mainly because of possible risks to health.

The main rule for brownfield land happens through the land use planning system when thinking about a new use for the land.