According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), brownfields are properties that were previously developed, but where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence (or potential presence) of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. An example would be an old abandoned paint factory. There are currently more than 450,000 brownfields in the United States, and there have been extensive efforts undertaken to redevelop brownfields, beginning in the mid-1990s. Efforts continued with the 2002 Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Investments in revitalizing brownfields continue with the 2018 Brownfields Utilization, Investment and Local Development (BUILD) Act, the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The “EPA’s Brownfields Program provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, tribes and others to assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated properties.”
See also: The EPA’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program History
[Last updated in July of 2024 by the Wex Definitions Team]