What's in a Brownfields Redevelopment?

Treating Contamination

Numerous options exist for remediating brownfields that are found to contain harmful substances during the Phase II Environmental Assessment. The methods chosen may depend on the end use that is envisioned for each site.

Some common methods include:

Excavation

• Removes contaminated soil, which is disposed of at an approved landfill
  
• Cleanup occurs quickly, but at high cost

Cap

• Made of clay, concrete or similar materials and contains contamination to prevent it leaking into groundwater
  
• Useful when end use involves a roadway or parking lot

Slurry wall

• Similar to a cap, but uses a blend of bentonite and water in a trench to reduce groundwater flow
  
• May be used when waste mass is large or poses a threat to drinking water

Bioremediation

• Uses yeast, fungi or bacteria to convert contaminants to be less hazardous
  
• Beneficial for sites with fuel or VOCs
  
• Low cost, but requires lengthy cleanup

Phytoremediation

• Plants are placed onsite to destroy or filter hazardous substances
  
• Metals, pesticides, solvents and other substances can be extracted
  
• Low cost, but requires lengthy cleanup

Institutional controls (ICs) are administrative or legal actions that limit the future uses of the site to control the potential for exposure to any contaminants left on site. ICs may be used in conjunction with engineering controls, such as those listed above, to prepare a site for redevelopment.

Source: International Economic Development Council, Brownfields Redevelopment, 2002