The end of 2006 marked a number of milestones in the history of brownfields: The estimated 60,000th brownfield property went through a state voluntary cleanup program (VCP) on its way to revitalization; The federal brownfields law finished its first five-year run, and awaits reauthorization; A ruling on Fleet Factors, the court case that triggered the lender liability fears that spawned both the capital flight from previously used central city sites and the brownfield movement, was handed down 15 years ago.

So, how did we get here? It has been, to quote Paul McCartney, “a long and winding road.” In the early 1990s, several court interpretations of the Superfund law brought lightly contaminated sites under the CERCLA regulatory umbrella and also brought lenders into the chain of control and liability. This led to numerous project failures from “resource starvation” as capital fled from developed cities in the face of fears, mostly perceived. This, really, was the birth of the brownfield issue as we know it. ...

You need to register to view the rest of the article. Click here to subscribe.