Understanding Brownfields

What might brownfields look like in your community? What you can do about them?

The following fact sheets provide a simple and visual introduction to brownfields, including:

• the process of assessing brownfield sites;
• where they may be found; 
• frequently reported contaminants and ways exposures may occur; 
• common cleanup methods; and,
• future reuses of cleaned brownfields. 

These fact sheets can support the outreach efforts of community organizations and local leaders to identify, address, and clean up brownfield sites so they can be safely reused in ways that meet community needs and contaminant threats to public health and the environment can be reduced. 

• Assessing Brownfield Sites.pdf (pdf) (EPA 560F20175)
  Fact sheet describes steps of a Phase I environmental site assessment and a Phase II environmental site assessment and links to information about all appropriate inquiry.
• Evaluacion de Sitios Brownfield (pdf)
• Past Property Uses May Result in a Brownfield Site (pdf) (EPA 560F19006 )
• Los Usos Pasados de las Propiedades Pueden Resultar en un Sitio Brownfield (pdf)
  Past Property Uses May Result in a Brownfield Site (Spanish).
• Environmental Contaminants Often Found at Brownfield Sites (pdf) (EPA 560F19007)
• Contaminantes Ambientales que se Encuentran a Menudo en Sitios Brownfield (pdf)
• Cleaning Up Brownfield Sites (pdf) (EPA 560F19181)
• Limpieza de Sitios Brownfield (pdf)
• Reuse Possibilities for Brownfield Sites (pdf) (EPA 560F19182)
• Posibilidades de Reutilización para los Sitios Brownfield (pdf)