Underground Storage Tanks

Advantages Of Petroleum Brownfield Sites For Small Businesses
Resources For Small Businesses At Petroleum Brownfield Sites
Small Business Success Stories At Petroleum Brownfield Sites

 

Advantages Of Petroleum Brownfield Sites For Small Businesses

An old, abandoned property contaminated by petroleum can be an excellent site for a new small business. Abandoned gas station sites often have traits that can make them excellent locations for a small business, including:

• Relatively small size that easily accommodates a small business;
• Prominent location, many times on a corner lot on busy thoroughfares;
• Already possesses necessary infrastructure, negating the need for expensive land clearing and for new access to water and power sources and other amenities; and
• Useable buildings are already in place.

In addition, many state and local areas have created incentives to foster the cleanup and reuse of these sites, including tax advantages or financial incentives.

Top of page

Resources For Small Businesses At Petroleum Brownfield Sites

For a basic introduction to the cleanup and reuse of petroleum brownfield sites and the resources available, see:

Toolbox For Cleanup And Redevelopment Of Contaminated Sites In Small Cities And Rural Communities (PDF) (29 pp, 3.9MB, About PDF)
Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO). 2007.

Funding Opportunities: A Directory Of Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, And Environmental Protection Assistance Programs (PDF) (59 pp, 890K, About PDF)
EPA State And Local Capacity Building Branch. 2004.
Beginning on page 10, includes information on federal and state assistance programs and private foundations.

The petroleum brownfield process varies by state. For petroleum brownfields, the state regulatory authority or state brownfields program is often the first place to seek information and assistance. Most states maintain Web sites with this information.

The U.S. Small Business Administration provides a wealth of information and assistance for small businesses.

The EPA Brownfields Program awards assessment and cleanup grants for brownfield sites.

Financial Resources
This page contains information on financing brownfields revitalization projects, including links to national and state-specific resources and to both private and public sources of information.

Identifying Petroleum Sites
This page discusses how to find petroleum brownfield sites, including links to inventories of sites.

Top of page

Small Business Success Stories At Petroleum Brownfield Sites

This section provides examples of small businesses that have successfully cleaned up and reused petroleum brownfield sites. The fact sheets and case studies described show a wide array of reuse options for these sites.

 

To learn more about petroleum brownfields, see:
Basic Information On Petroleum Brownfields
Financial Resources
Public/Private Partnerships
Success Stories, Lessons Learned, And Best Practices

Top of page