Last year, the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Underground Storage Tanks launched the USTFields pilot program by
providing ten states $100,000 each to cover the costs associated with the
cleanup of petroleum-contaminated sites. These funds could be used to assess,
clean up, and monitor petroleum affected, federally regulated underground
storage tank (UST) sites. The use of these funds was found to remove barriers
to …
Parts of the Midwest are
more heavily industrialized. Areas along the Gulf, West Coast and the Great
Lakes have waterfront issues that are as serious. Some Sunbelt cities may
have similar crowding and sprawl issues. But only the Mid-Atlantic region
faces all those problems—and more.
The …
When the folks at Brownfield News asked me to write a
column, my initial reaction—who can I bill this time to?—was
swiftly followed by a strong desire to do this, provided that Brownfield
News was interested in an idiosyncratic opinion piece, laced with some
occasionally inflammatory suggestions. Well, those weren’t …
If we are to unlock the keys to private investment in
the rejuvenation of brownfield properties, then we must first understand
the context that has contributed to their abandonment.
Brownfield sites were not abandoned just because they
were contaminated. The contamination rather must be viewed as just another
…
Over the last decade, cities across America have faced
both municipal and military airport closures with significant concern. With
job losses, thousands of acres of potentially fallow land and a tangle of
jurisdictions looming before them, the federal government, local
authorities and developers have found some surprising new uses for …
At first glance it would appear that brownfield
transactions would decrease due to the recent economic slowdown and
volatility in the stock market. There is less money available to finance
transactions, decreased demand for property, and a high degree of
uncertainty in the corridors of many corporations. But to the …
This summer the city of Chicago will open the Midwest
Center for Green Technology in an industrial area three miles west of
downtown. It will house Spire Solar Chicago, a manufacturer of solar energy
equipment employing 100 people, along with Greencorps Chicago, the
city’s own community greening and job skills …
In the article about
Kansas City in the January/February issue of Brownfield News there are some
inaccuracies and omissions of important facts. First, the article pictured
former Mayor Emanuel Cleaver II; however, the current mayor of Kansas City,
Mo. is Kay Barnes. There are also a number of success stories …
Illustrations by Charlie Smith
An article in the December 1999 issue of Brownfield News analyzed two new environmental insurance products, the cleanup cost cap and pollution liability policies, which have proven to be key factors in the success of some contaminated property transactions. The article explained that, to achieve this success, environmental insurance experts need to tailor the policy to the transaction and to the liability for which …
Information pours into the offices of Brownfield News and we keep you on top of the latest trends, issues, and information in brownfield development.
EPA News
If you’d like a copy of the 1999 Brownfields National Partnership Agenda Accomplishments Report go to www.epa.gov/brownfields/99a.htm. The report is a very useful compendium of …
When Brownfield News began examining brownfield policy and development on a city-by-city basis in 1998 it was obvious that there was no single, one-size-fits-all approach.
The history and economy of different cities led to different kinds of industrial development and consequently to the creation of different kinds of brownfields. In some …
Federal Resource Guide
While states and cities are in the forefront of brownfield development, the federal government has a large number of programs scattered through many agencies that deal with brownfield issues. As expected, the EPA´has taken the lead, but others, such as Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Defense and the Economic Development Administration also play important roles. Other agencies, such as the National …
For over a hundred years, the metal finishing industry has existed in America, quietly touching our lives without being noticed by the general public. The industry exist as a portal through …
A Summit on Eastern European Brownfields
Ostrava, located in the eastern portion of the Czech Republic, near Poland and Slovakia, is a much more attractive town than some believe. Despite being characterized by the Lonely Planet guide as a Soviet throwback, it more like a Central European Pittsburgh, a steel town cleaning its air, land and water, finding some architectural treasures, and building some new ones.
In June, I had the pleasure …
A Wave of Internet Companies Brings New Life to the
Bay Area’s Transportation Hub
Mayor Jerry Brown
It’s a sunny July
afternoon in downtown Oakland, a few blocks away from the waterfront.
…
All real estate
development, whether on formerly contaminated sites or not, benefits from
efficient, clear, expedited entitlement processes. Communities can
encourage either greenfield or brownfield development by making applications for
building permits, site plan approvals, zoning changes, and other
entitlements smoother and easier. Communities concerned about smart growth
should therefore give thought to which type of development—greenfield …
Ralph Nader
While issues such as education, health care, and
military preparedness dominate the presidential campaign, brownfields, and
related issues such as sprawl, rebuilding industry, job creation, and
environmental policy, are …
