What is a “Brownfield”?

1. What is a “Brownfield”? • A brownfield site is real estate where the use or expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be limited by the presence of contamination in the soil, groundwater or within the building itself. It is not just industrial property. http://www.epa.gov/boston/brownfields/success/westfield.htm

2. Brownfields Come in Many Forms

3. What is done with a Brownfield property? • CT DEP and the U.S. EPA encourage the redevelopment of “Brownfields” because • Reduces the number of new and pristine undeveloped areas which get developed (greenfields) • Revitalizes neighborhoods • Enhances property value

4. But it is not easy! • Cleanup of contamination adds to the costs of any development project • Future liability • Finding loans and funding • So state and federal governments provide financial incentives

5. Some organizations have been very successful at developing Brownfield properties • In New England, Home Depot and Stop and Shop have been the principal Brownfields developers or tenants • Municipalities have been successful with projects such as Adriaen's Landing project in Hartford, or Bridgeport’s new stadium – home to the Bridgeport Bluefish • The Brass Mills Mall in Waterbury is an example of a brownfield project. http://www.djc.com/news/en/11135649.html

6. Detecting Soil and Groundwater Contamination • Usually a portable drilling rig is brought to the site • A well is installed. Soil is sampled as the well is drilled. • Groundwater is sampled and analyzed for the suspected pollutants. • Wells are installed downstream from the source of pollution. Remember groundwater flows downhill just like surface water http://www.apolloenvironmental.com/drilling.htm

7. How do they clean up (remediate) Brownfields? • Brownfields cleanup usually goes through a multi-step process. • Once the pollutants are identified, the site is investigated to determine the extent of the pollution. • Then, usually with input from the public and the CT DEP the site is cleaned by physical or biological techniques.

8. Physical Remediation Techniques • Excavation refers to physically removing contaminated soil, normally for disposal at a landfill. Excavation is generally accomplished with heavy machinery. New soil is needed after the excavation. • Geotextiles are a synthetic blanket-like material. They can be used after the excavation process to provide a protective barrier, impermeable to contaminants which may otherwise migrate into the new soil after excavation. One concern with geotextiles is that the fabric can tear, allowing contaminants to pass through into the new soil. • Soil washing is a technique which involves the physical removal of the contaminated soil, followed by treatment at a plant on or off-site. After the contamination is removed through the treatment process, the soil is put back into the ground. • Soil vapor extraction involves the installation of wells and pipes in the soil, through which soil contaminants are extracted in vapor form.

9. Biological Remediation Techniques • Microbial remediation refers to the use of microbes in degrading contaminants into a less toxic form. This technique can be very effective in the treatment of hydrocarbons, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons's, pesticides, and PCB's. • Phytoremediation is the process of using plants to degrade organic contaminants or to extract toxic metals from the soil and transport them into the above-ground shoots. In the case of extraction, the contaminated plants must later be disposed of. • Fungal remediation refers to the use of certain species of fungus to degrade contaminants, particularly hydrocarbons. • Compost remediation involves the addition of compost to the soil. It is not a true remediation technique, as the contaminants generally remain intact in the soil. The addition of compost can, however, be used to create a raised bed, in which the plant roots may not reach the contaminated soil.

10. Your task • Choose a Brownfield site from the following link: http://www.ct.gov/deep/lib/deep/site_clean_up/brownfields/brownfieldsinventory.pdf • Your task is to formulate a question about this site that may be answered through scientific investigation and to design the investigation. • Write a general plan for your investigation including the independent and dependent variables to be studied, general procedures you will follow and the data you will collect. Include a control group if appropriate.