Brownfields Program

The EPA has recently enacted program to revitalize and clean up contaminated properties. It is also designed to “target the redevelopment of brownfields sites in economic development projects and the increase of economic opportunities for low to moderate income persons.”

The Brownfields Program will receive about $100 million dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which will be used for “the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” The Brownfields Law was signed into law in 2002 by George Bush and amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act to aid in the clean up of brownfields. It will also create more job opportunities for redeveloping these areas. It is estimated that about 550,000 jobs in 187 cities may be created through this program. I think this piece of legislation is very beneficial to the management of hazardous wastes as well as the redevelopment of declining industrial areas.

An example of how this program is being implemented can be seen in the town of Dubuque, Iowa. Over the years, the industrial port’s petroleum plumes declined and were in dire need of redevelopment. The city received $200,000 in grants from the Brownfields Program to clean up a five-acre area contaminated by the plumes between a casino and hotel on the riverfront. Because this area is so close to the river, clean up was necessary to solve the problem of ground water contamination. Part of the grant also went to the MAV (multi- array vacuum) to extract petroleum hydrocarbons from the soil. This project received great recognition for their efforts to redevelop the area and was awarded the “2005 EPA Region 7 Pheonix Award (2).” The redevlopment of Dubuque, Iowa has influenced other cities along the Mississippi River to clean up contaminated industrial parks along the riverfront.

I think this piece of legislation is very beneficial to the clean up and redevelopment of contaminated areas. We talked about the management of toxic wastes in class, and since the Brownfields program has amended CERCLA, it is making great strides to clean up toxic industrial areas. I also think that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act along with the EPA is granting enough money to cities for brownfield redevelopment and I support the implementation of this law.