Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial properties where financing expansion or redevelopment is complicated by actual abandoned building on a brownfield site or suspected environmental contamination as a result of past uses.
For example, a dry cleaning business may have disposed of chemical solvents down the drain, contaminating the groundwater. Or, older buildings may have been constructed with asbestos containing materials like pipe insulation which is a serious health hazard when disturbed during demolition or renovation.
This 4 1/2-minute video on the process of assessing the remediation needs of brownfields was put together by John Aziz of Macalester College for Minnesota Brownfields. It’s titled Environmental Assessments: Phase I/II environmental site assessments.
Image credit: Minnesota Brownfields.