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  2. Hazardous Waste
  3. Hazardous Waste Management
  4. Cleanups

Redevelopment Economics at Hazardous Waste Cleanup Facilities

  • Learn About the Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program.
  • What is RCRA Reuse and Redevelopment?

On this page:

  • Overview
  • Economic Profiles
  • Economic Methodology
  • Related Studies

Overview

This is a picture of the former Honeywell facility in Baltimore, Maryland, was cleaned up and redeveloped.
The former Honeywell facility in Baltimore, Maryland, was cleaned up and redeveloped. Today, facility businesses employ about 2,600 people and generate nearly $2.5 billion in annual sales revenue.

Facilities cleaned up under the Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program contribute numerous benefits to their communities. Cleanups performed under the Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program can set the stage for continued use or a wide range of new developments – vibrant neighborhoods, shopping centers, office buildings, hotels, restaurants, or other uses. Hazardous waste cleanups also allow on-site businesses to continue operating while protecting human health and the environment. Cleanup facilitates continued operation of on-site manufacturers, chemical plants, waste handlers and other vital industrial and commercial uses.

EPA began collecting economic information for hazardous waste cleanup facilities in 2020. From 2020-2021, cumulatively, EPA collected economic data for a total of 79 hazardous waste cleanup facilities. Together, those 79 facilities support 1,028 businesses, which employ over 82,000 people with aggregated, estimated annual (inflation-adjusted) income of nearly $8 billion and cumulative (inflation-adjusted) sales of $39 billion. Since this analysis is from a small subset of the nearly 4,000 facilities being cleaned up, the benefits associated with all hazardous waste cleanups are likely much greater. You can find a breakdown of these benefits by year studied in the table below.

Summary of RCRA Corrective Action Economic Information (2020-2021), Selected Facilities
Year StudiedNumber of
Facilities Researched
with Economic Dataa
Number
of
Businesses
Number of JobsAdjusted Annual
Sales b
Adjusted Annual
Employment Incomeb
20204472452,289$28.2 billion$5.5 billion
20213530430,191$10.8 billion$2.4 billion
Totals791,02882,480$39 billion$7.9 billion
Notes:
a. Economic information for the facilities researched in 2020 was not updated in 2021. The 35 facilities researched in 2021 differ from the 44 facilities researched in 2020.
b. Adjusted to 2021 U.S. dollars (USD) using the Consumer Price Index (CUUR0000SA0, not seasonally adjusted, U.S. city annual average).

Some benefits associated with facility cleanup and reuse are easy to quantify. For example, commercial or industrial reuse of sites can bolster local economies by supporting jobs and generating sales revenue. However, not all sites in reuse involve an on-site business or other land use that employs people. Many sites have beneficial effects that are not easily quantified, such as properties providing ecological or recreational benefits (e.g., parks, wetlands, ecological habitat, open space). In addition, sites can support continued and new residential use for which the associated economic benefits may not be fully captured by site business data alone. Economic information is not available for all sites in reuse.

Screenshot of the RCRA Economics Dashboard
Click to enlarge.

Economic Profiles

EPA developed a series of facility profiles to describe the reuses and continued uses happening across the country at facilities cleaned up under the Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program. These two-page profiles highlight the sites’ economic vitality and other positive impacts for their communities.

Facility NameStateEPA Region Publication Year
American Hoist & Derrick Co. (PDF)Maine12022
General Dynamics Armament & Tech Product (PDF)Vt.12022
Polaroid Corp. (PDF)Mass.12022
Revere Transducers Inc. (PDF)Conn.12022
United Shoe Machinery (PDF)Mass.12022
UTC Fire and Security Americas (PDF)Maine12022
Waterbury Redevelopment (PDF)Conn.12022
Yarde Metals (PDF)Conn. 12022
Chevron Perth Amboy Refinery (PDF)N.J.22022
Fairchild Republic Co. (PDF)N.Y.22022
Novartis Pharmaceuticals (PDF)N.J.22022
DC Department of Corrections (PDF)Va.32022
Edgewater Steel Company (PDF)Pa.32022
General Services Administration (PDF)Washington, D.C.32022
Honeywell Baltimore Inner Harbor (PDF)Md.32022
Sparrows Point Terminal (PDF)Md.32022
U.S. Steel Fairless Works (PDF)Pa.32022
Chevron Products Company (PDF)Miss.42022
Motor Manufacturing Plant (PDF)N.C.42022
Sulfco (PDF)Ga.42022
Volunteer Army Ammunition (PDF)Tenn.42022
Former Allison Plant 2 / Speedway Redevelopment Commission (PDF)Ind.52022
Former GM/Delphi Energy and Engine (PDF)Ind.52022
M1 Concourse (PDF)Ill.52022
Willow Run Bomber Plant (PDF)Mich.52022
Brooks City Base (PDF)Texas62022
England Airpark (PDF)La.62022
Remington Arms Company (PDF)Ark.62022
Syngenta Crop Protection (PDF)La.62022
U.S. Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant McGregor (PDF)Texas62022
Foundry Disposal Area (PDF)Iowa72022
Gates Rubber Co. (PDF)Iowa72022
Nucor Steel (PDF)Neb.72022
BP Casper Former Refinery (PDF)Wyo.82022
Denver Federal Center (PDF)Colo.82022
Ninigret Technologies Park (PDF)Utah82022
Clean Harbors Arizona (PDF)Ariz.92022
GTE Operations Support Incorporated (OSI) (PDF)Calif.92022
Onyx Environmental Services (PDF)Ariz.92022
Tyco Electronics (PDF)Calif.92022
Safety Kleen Systems Inc. Auburn (PDF)Wash.102022
Safety Kleen Systems Inc. Lynnwood (PDF)Wash.102022

Economic Methodology

This is a picture of the Denver Federal Center in Colorado which is being cleaned up while continuing to serve as an economic engine for the region.
The Denver Federal Center in Colorado is being cleaned up while continuing to serve as an economic engine for the region. St. Anthony Hospital bought 50 acres of the facility and built a new medical campus that employs 1,500 people.

EPA obtains economic data for facilities in reuse or continued use from reputable sources. Information on the number of employees and sales volume for on-site businesses typically comes from the Hoovers/Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) database. When Hoovers/D&B database research is not able to identify employment and sales information for on-site businesses, EPA uses the Reference Solutions and Manta databases. These databases include data reported by businesses. Accordingly, some reported values might be underestimates or overestimates. In some instances, business and employment information come from publications such as company annual reports, business websites, and news media reports. Employee income is estimated using average wages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the specific industries at each site. In cases where there is uncertainty, EPA presents lower-end estimates to avoid overstating economic impacts. While some sites may cover large areas, if they support primarily residential use, or other uses that do not employ people or generate sales revenue, the site-related economic totals may appear lower than expected.

For more information about economic research methodology, read through the  Summary of 2021 RCRA Corrective Action Economic Benefits Study and Research Methodology (pdf) (356.67 KB) .


Related Studies

The economic benefits from hazardous waste cleanups go beyond those associated with on-site businesses. According to recent research, EPA’s Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program contributed to a $323 million increase in the value of homes near the 195 completed cleanups studied. By identifying and completing the cleanup of contamination, homeowners near the cleanups experience an average of a six to seven percent increase in the value of their homes. Another recent study notes that housing price increases are largest for lower-cost homes.

Learn more about these other studies below:

  • Hazardous Waste and Home Values: An Analysis of Treatment and Disposal Sites in the U.S.
  • Impacts of Hazardous Waste Cleanups on Housing Prices and Neighborhood Change.

Hazardous Waste

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      • Hazardous Waste Cleanup Program 2020 Goals Closeout
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      • Learn About Hazardous Waste Cleanups
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      • Sortable, Searchable Table of Resources
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      • Vision/ Mission/ Goals for 2030
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Contact Us About Hazardous Waste
Contact Us About Hazardous Waste to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on June 30, 2025
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