Brownfields site assessments

For many years, prospective owners or investors shied away from undertaking the first step—site assessment—needed to determine the actual condition of a brownfields site. In fact, a significant percentage of brownfields sites have only limited amounts of contamination, and much of the contamination present does not pose a threat to human health or safety. Despite this reality, the fear of lengthy and costly site assessment requirements have impeded brownfield redevelopment. 

US EPA s support to brownfields cleanup started in 1995, just as the support to site assessments began. Although US EPA did not initially provide direct cleanup funds, it provided state and local governments with up to 1 million to create a revolving... 

Federal and state funding, first for site assessments, then later for cleanup, greatly accelerated the pace at which communities could start planning their brownfields redevelopment. More than 400,000 in site assessment and cleanup funding helped to move the Cos Cob redevelopment project forward quickly. 

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