UNITS / TERMS:
Brownfields - With certain legal exclusions and additions, the term "brownfield site" means real property of which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.
BACKGROUND FACTS:
Waste and contaminated lands are particularly important to environmental health because they may expose land and living organisms to harmful material if they are not properly managed.
Municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, and radioactive waste are the only types of waste that are consistently tracked on a national basis. Many states have information about contaminated sites within their boundaries. Aggregated data for the whole nation generally does not exist.
Many of the contaminated sites that must be managed and cleaned up today are the result of historic contamination. Contaminated sites vary considerably and can be the result of small non-toxic spills or single leaking tanks. In some cases, contaminated sites are the result of abandoned mines that have contaminated large acreages of land.
The most toxic abandoned waste sites in the nation are listed on the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Environmental Indicators Initiative - Better Protected Land
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: National Priorities List
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Where You Live - Search Your Community
TESTING:
A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is relatively non-intrusive and includes a background and historical investigation, as well as a preliminary site inspection. The Phase I ESA is designed to be a cost effective overview of a site which identifies indications of recognized environmental conditions. To keep the cost of the investigation at a reasonable level, the typical Phase I ESA involves no collection or testing of samples and is limited to information available through public sources, interviews, or first hand observation. Conducting a Phase I ESA allows a buyer to determine if there is an indication of a problem or an increased risk associated with a particular property, and whether or not a Phase II ESA is necessary.
A Phase II Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) is more extensive and is often recommended after a Phase I analysis. A Phase II includes sampling activities (typically involving soil, air, and water) to identify contaminants and their concentrations, as well as the areas of contamination to be cleaned. Phase II assessments involve the collection of samples for analysis, and often require several rounds of testing before the evaluation is complete.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Targeted Brownfields Assessments
