Brownfields Industrial Community and Asbestos Concerns

"Brownfields" are abandoned, idled or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination, which can include the presence of hazardous materials such as asbestos or lead. Exposure to asbestos is known to cause serious diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer and asbestosis.

Since its inception in 1995, the Brownfields Program, has awarded 645 grants to assess Brownfield sites and to make loans to conduct cleanups.

To date, EPA’s Brownfields assistance has leveraged more than $4.6 billion in private investment, helped create more than 20,000 jobs and has resulted in the assessment of more than 4,000 properties. Every acre of reclaimed Brownfields saves 4.5 acres of greenspace, such as park and recreation areas.

"By training people to address their local Brownfields, we are not only helping to develop the skills needed to reclaim this land for the community, we are also training the next generation of environmental professionals," said Whitman. "This is a great program — one that builds new partnerships for environmental progress, so that our children and grandchildren can live in a cleaner and healthier America."