The EPA Brownfields Programs Produces Widespread Environmental and Economic Benefits

EPA’s Brownfields Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Revitalizing brownfield sites creates benefits throughout the community.

Through fiscal year 2013, on average, $17.79 was leveraged for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 7.3 jobs leveraged per $100,000 of EPA Brownfields funds expended on Assessment, Cleanup, and Revolving Loan Fund cooperative agreements.

Brownfields sites tend to have greater location efficiency than alternative development scenarios. Results of five pilot studies show a 32 to 57 percent reduction in vehicle miles traveled when development occurred at a brownfield site rather than a greenfield. Fewer vehicle miles traveled means a reduction in pollution emissions including greenhouse gases. These same site comparisons show an estimated 47 to 62 percent reduction of stormwater runoff for brownfield site development.

Another EPA study found that residential property values increased by 5.1–12.8% percent once a nearby brownfield was assessed or cleaned up. The study determined that brownfield clean up can increase overall property values within a one-mile radius by $0.5 to $1.5 million. Initial anecdotal surveys indicate a reduction in crime in recently revitalized brownfield areas.

Opportunity to expand the assessment program and leverage funds and jobs has increased. Policy clarification allows the use of site assessment dollars for environmental assessments in conjunction with efforts to promote area-wide planning around brownfield sites. The use of funds for these purposes is particularly important in economically distressed areas. In certain instances where assessments reveal immediate threats to the environment or human health, EPA could implement a more programmatic use of removal funds.