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Key Issue Spotlights
The "spotlights” provide a quick look at topics relevant to brownfields projects and identify helpful resources.
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All Appropriate Inquiries All Appropriate Inquiries (AAI) is the process of evaluating a property’s history and environmental condition to determine whether any contamination may be present. AAI investigations are required to be performed for a future property owner to be considered an innocent landowner, contiguous property owner, or bona fide prospective purchaser under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), or Superfund » More |
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Challenging Cleanups Some brownfields sites are contaminated with chemicals that are highly mobile, hard to find or difficult to treat. Contaminants may be hard to clean up because they are difficult to capture or separate, located in hard-to-reach areas or do not degrade naturally. These factors present a variety of challenges during site characterization and cleanup, which can result in additional costs and time throughout a brownfields project. » More |
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Data Quality: The Key to Making Robust Site Decisions Successful brownfields projects rely on environmental data that accurately represent actual site conditions. These data must be of defensible quality to support robust decision-making so that a brownfields project can proceed in a manner acceptable to all stakeholders and in accordance with government oversight programs. » More |
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Greener Cleanups Cleanup actions, while protective of the environment, also have their own “environmental footprint”—they use energy, water and materials. To reduce this footprint, cleanups can be performed in a “greener” manner by considering environmental effects of remedy implementation and incorporating options to minimize the impact of cleanup actions. » More |
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High-Resolution Site Characterization and In Situ Technologies The advent of innovative site characterization technologies and strategies and the development of more effective treatment methods may provide brownfields stakeholders with new options for faster and more effective site cleanup. New approaches promote more targeted or “surgical” options for cleanup by enabling a better understanding of subsurface features, contaminant distribution, volume, mass and behavior over time. » More |
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Project Life Cycle Conceptual Site Model A Conceptual Site Model (CSM) is a graphical and written summary of what is known or hypothesized about environmental contamination at a brownfields site. An effective CSM is easy to understand and helps technical teams, communities, and stakeholders communicate with each other and learn about the nature, extent, exposure, and risk associated with contamination. » More |
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Redevelopment Initiatives: Connecting Cleanup and Reuse Several EPA programs and initiatives help brownfields stakeholders learn how to more efficiently and collaboratively prepare contaminated properties for reuse. » More |
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Supporting Tribal Revitalization Federally recognized tribes in the United States are authorized to develop their own environmental policy, establish standards, and manage their environmental protection and natural resource management programs. EPA provides technical and financial assistance to tribes for the restoration of contaminated tribal lands and the implementation of more effective approaches to attaining productive reuse of sites. » More |
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Understanding the Role of ICs at Brownfields Sites Institutional controls (ICs) are a broad spectrum of administrative and legal tools used to help minimize the potential for exposure to residual contamination and to protect physical cleanup measures (engineering controls [ECs]) at contaminated sites. » More |
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Vapor Intrusion Vapor Intrusion (VI) occurs when toxic vapors enter structures, become concentrated and contaminate the indoor air. The vapors, which come from chemicals in contaminated soil or groundwater, migrate through foundation cracks, fractures in basement floors or walls, crawl spaces and small gaps around pipes and utility lines. » More |
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The Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology Support Center
Provided by the U.S. EPA, Argonne National Laboratory, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers