Encyclopedia of Environmental Science and Engineering, Volume I and II

BROWNFIELDS 165

helped to streamline the evaluation and regulatory process

for each site. Both reduced the time needed to collect back-

ground information on sites, thereby lowering the costs of

site evaluation.

This and other brownfield cleanups in Seattle and King

County were facilitated by:

1. A 5-year project to improve the science for char-
   acterizing and guiding the cleanup of petroleum-
   contaminated sites statewide. The changes to state
   law recommended by this project were ecological^
   as part of the revisions to Washington’s Model
   Toxics Control Act Regulation.


2. An interagency project that provided the
   Duwamish Corridor Groundwater Study of an
   industrial area by a river that is important to ship-
   ping. The area included parts of south Seattle and
   adjacent King County.


3. The creation of a technical-assistance center
   (the EES) run by the nonprofit Environmental
   Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS), which pro-
   vides direct, door-to-door assistance to manufac-
   turing and industrial businesses in environmental
   cleanup and pollution-prevention practices.


4. A revolving loan fund for environmental cleanup
   for which a partnership among King County, the
   city of Seattle, the city of Tacoma, and the state of
   Washington manage the EPA grant money.

CONCLUSION

Brownfield programs are a highly successful phase of envi-

ronmental cleanups in the United States. The first phase was

science-based and regulation-driven cleanups. That phase

began in 1976 and continues to this day. Occasionally, these

cleanups involve economically viable properties that go

right back into use. More often, the cleaned-up sites involve

abandoned, idled, or underutilized properties. In those cases,

the expansion or redevelopment is complicated because of

the potential or confirmed contamination. Therefore, the

brownfield approach was added in 1993 as a phase that

ideally works with the cleanup and then continues through

redevelopment. The two approaches continued concurrently.

When the federal tax to fund Superfund cleanups was sun-

setted in 1995, the number of cleanups began to decline. As

Superfund monies run out, brownfield funding will become

more important. Brownfield programs coordinate agency and

private-sector interests to work together to create jobs and

put abandoned properties back into productive use. Problems

may arise when the brownfield cleanups are underfunded,

the local economy is weak, or cooperation is not achieved.

Despite these obstacles, brownfield pilots and projects

have been documenting success stories for over a decade.

Brownfields have sparked social economic movements such

as EJ and economic revitalization of grayfields.

The next phase of environmental cleanups has not yet

arrived. Currently, brownfield programs are active across the

United States. Their goal is to have all contaminated sites

cleaned cooperatively and put back into use. If cleanup and

brownfield sites remain clean and no further sites are cre-

ated, cleanup programs may work themselves into obso-

lescence. Related movements like EJ and grayfields begun

from brownfields will separate as their goals differ. However,

brownfields are likely to remain at a smaller and increasingly

more sophisticated level for decades.

REFERENCES^

ASTM, Standard for Process of Sustainable Brownfields Redevelopment,

E-1984–98, November 10 (1998), published January 1999.

http://discover.npr.org/rundowns/segment.jhtml?wfld=1760130

http://dnr.metrokc.gov/swd/brownfields/demonstration.shtml

http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/guidebook/vol1/doc7c.pdf

http://state.nj.us/dep/srp/brownfields/bda/

http://stlcin.missouri.org/cerp/brownfields/stlouis.cfm

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/OUA/RRCMH/borwnf.htm

http://www.brownfields2003.org/

http://www.ci.chi.il.us/Environment/Brownfields/History.htm

http://www.cpeo.org/lists/brownfields/1997/00000118.htm

http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/local_gov/envirodir/toolkit_g.htm

http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/glossary.htm

http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/html-doc/97aa_fs.htm

http://www.epa.gov/R5Brownfields/

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/97608.html

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/ecyhome.html

http://www.environews.com/Features/env_justice.htm

http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/contentView.do?contenteId=10033&con

tentType=GSA_OVERVIEW

http://www.hmdc.state.ng.us/brownfields/history.html

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/economicdevelopment/programs/bedi/

index.cfm

http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/economicdevelopment/programs/bedi/

index.cfm

http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/news/2000/120500.htm

http://www.nemw.org/brown_stateimpacts.pdf

http://www.nemw.org/cmclean1.htm

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/oct1702.html

http://www.planersweb.com/w226.html

International City/County Management Association, Brownfields Blue-

prints, A Study of the Showcase Communities Initiative, 2000.

United States Environmental Protection Agency, Brownfields, Office of

Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5102G), EPA 542-B-97-002.

LEE DORIGAN

King County Department of Natural Resources

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