Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
(2) characteristics of the waste (e.g., toxicity and waste quantity), and (3) people or sensitive
environments (targets) affected by the release. Four pathways can be scored under the
HRS: (1) groundwater migration (drinking water), (2) surface water migration (drinking
water, human food chain, sensitive environments), (3) soil exposure (resident population,
nearby population, sensitive environments), and (4) air migration (population, sensitive
environments). After scores are calculated for one or more pathways, they are combined
using a root-mean-square equation to determine the overall site score.
The electronic scoring tool Quickscore* can be used to do the scoring calculations. If
all the pathway scores are low, the site HRS score is low, although the site score can be
relatively high even if only one pathway score is high. This is an important requirement
for HRS scoring, because some extremely dangerous sites pose threats through only one
pathway.
†
This distinction and weakness with HRS is important to understand when these
sites are chosen for new development or redevelopment, because a low score may mean a
low national priority but a high risk to environmental and(or) human health could still be
present.
5.7.5 Brownfields
The term
brownfield site
refers to lands that are contaminated, and for which the expansion,
redevelopment, or reuse is complicated by the presence of hazardous substances, pollut-
ants, or contaminants.
‡
Projects are leveraged $18.68 per dollar expended by the EPA, and
nationwide, a total of 61,023 jobs are attributed to the Brownfields Program. In addition,
stormwater runoff from brownfields redevelopment is 47%-62% lower than alternative
greenfields scenarios, and residential property values are expected to increase by 2%-3%
when nearby brownfields are rehabilitated. Section 101 of CERCLA provides several exclu-
sions and amendments. In general, the term brownfield site does not include facilities that
are the subject of planned or ongoing removal action under CERCLA; facilities on the
NPL list or is proposed for listing; facilities that are subject to unilateral administrative
order, a court order, or judicial consent decree; or facilities for which a permit has been
issued by the United States or an authorized state under Solid Waste Disposal Act, Federal
Water Pollution Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, or the Safe Drinking Water Act. There
are additional provisions in the Act that allow site-by-site determination of what may be
defined as a brownfield site and qualify for redevelopment assistance.
Sites that meet the definition of a brownfield site are contaminated by a controlled sub-
stance
§
; are contaminated by petroleum or a petroleum product excluded from the defini-
tion of “hazardous substance” under section 101; are sites determined by the Administrator
or the State as appropriate to be relatively low risk as compared to other petroleum-only
sites in the State; are sites for which there is no viable responsible party and which will
be assessed, investigated, or cleaned up by a person or corporation that is not potentially
liable for cleaning up the site; are not subject to any order issued under section 9003 (h)
of the Solid Waste Disposal Act
¶
; or is mine-scarred land. In general, the cleanup costs for
brownfield sites are much lower than a typical NPL sites, the cleanup times are faster, and
numerous grants are available from the EPA to assist with the additional costs compared
*
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/npl_hrs/quickscore.htm (accessed June 25, 2010).
†
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/programs/npl_hrs/quickscore.htm (accessed June 28, 2010).
‡
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/ (accessed June 28, 2010).
§
A controlled substance is defined in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802); http://www.
justice.gov/dea/pubs/csa/802.htm (accessed June 28, 2010).
¶
42 U.S.C. 6991 b(h); http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/overview/glossary.htm (accessed June 28, 2010).
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