Barriers to Redevelopment of Brownfields
Posted on:3/30/2006
| Many contaminated brownfield sites sit idle and unused for decades, because the cost of cleaning them up to safe standards is more than the land would be worth after redevelopment. |
Many contaminated brownfield sites sit idle and unused for decades, because the cost of cleaning them up to safe standards is more than the land would be worth after redevelopment. However, redevelopment of brownfield sites has become more common in the first decade of the 21st Century, as developable land grows less available in highly populated areas, the methods of studying contaminated land become more precise and techniques used to clean up environmentally distressed properties become more sophisticated and established.
Many federal and state programs have been developed to assist developers interested in cleaning up brownfield sites and restoring them to practical uses. Some states and localities have even spent considerable money assessing the contamination present on local brownfield sites, to quantify the clean up costs in an effort to move the brownfield redevelopment process forward.
In the process of cleaning contaminated brownfield sites, surprises are frequently encountered, such as underground tanks or buried railroad tank cars containing wastes. When unexpected circumstances arise, the cost for cleaning up the land increases and sometimes clean up work ceases.
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