Since its inception in 1995, EPA’s Brownfields Program has grown into a proven, results-oriented program that has changed the way contaminated property is perceived, addressed, and managed. EPA’s Brownfields Program is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields.
A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties increases local tax bases, facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, takes development pressures off of undeveloped, open land, and both improves and protects the environment.
In 2018, the Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act (BUILD Act) amended the Brownfields provisions of the Comprehensive Environmental Responses, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The 2018 BUILD Act aims at increasing funding, “authorizing” appropriations for Brownfields projects of $200 million starting in the 2019 fiscal years, including projects that protect flood prone areas. The new Act establishes a program to provide grants to eligible entities. These grants would allow for spending for assessing, planning, and remediating Brownfields sites within a designated area as well as promoting waterfront redevelopment and clean energy redevelopment within a Brownfields site. The Act increases funding to $500,000 for remediation at each site and allows for up to 5% of grant monies to be spent on administrative costs.
EAS, Inc can perform all scopes of environmental due diligence services for a property located within a brownfield. Historical records, brownfield designation letters, as well as any additional supplementary material will be provided for our clients to assure that during the transaction, all different stakeholders have a comprehensive view of the property and the history of it’s brownfield designation.