United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5102G)
EPA 542-F-01-037
September 2001
http://clu-in.org/bfwebsite
www.epa.gov/TIO
EPA Status Report:
Initiatives to Develop Web Sites
Including Information about
Brownfields Properties
Fact Sheet and Order Information
•SEW
Status Report:
Initiatives to Develop Web Sites
Including Information about
Brownfields Properties
In 2000, the EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER)
undertook a study to assess whether it was feasible for the agency to establish a
national brownfields site exchange web site. EPA undertook the study in the belief
that such a web site could enhance the exchange of information nationally between
owners of brownfields properties and potential purchasers of those properties. EPA
believed the exchange also could be a venue for informing companies that support
the cleanup of brownfields properties about potential opportunities. The study
revealed a number of "hurdles" that make it difficult for EPA to proceed with the
establishment of the web site, and EPA has determined that other organizations
may be better suited to proceed with that effort.
EPA believes that the result of the study is the most comprehensive national analysis
that has been conducted of web sites and databases that include information about
brownfields properties, both current and planned. EPA is providing this report
about the study and its findings to assist other organizations that are developing
and operating web sites that include information about brownfields properties.
The key findings of the study are:
• There are numerous similar efforts at the national, state, and local levels to develop web sites and data bases including
information about brownfields properties.
• Developing web sites and databases is costly and there are opportunities to leverage the experiences of others and
combine efforts to save resources and time.
• A minimum number of data elements must be present in order to provide potential users with sufficient information
to make web sites a useful tool for identifying brownfields properties.
• There are a number of issues and concerns that may reduce the effectiveness of using web sites to provide information
about brownfields properties to the public.
Through its study, EPA gained extensive insight into the types of information that would be of value to individuals interested in
brownfields properties. To assist others in developing their web sites, EPA prepared a web site design that offers one possible
approach to designing a web site and a companion sample functional requirements document that offers a general framework
for developing more detailed procedures for designing and operating web sites that include information about brownfields
properties. The structure and data elements of the design are built upon the components that were found frequently in other web
sites and appear to be widely accepted. The design includes approximately 60 data elements that were selected in an effort to
strike a balance between the traditional items that purchasers of commercial properties request to evaluate properties and information
that describes the extent to which a purchaser may need td resolve cleanup and liability issues associated with brownfields
properties. The design suggests a minimum set of 13 data elements that should be present to list a property and includes search
and report capabilities. The functional requirements document describes the relationship between the screens of the web site design
offered by EPA, procedures for entering data to the web site, definitions of the suggested minimum data elements, procedures
for searching the web site, and a sample search report. The web site design offered by EPA and the sample functional requirements
document will be available at in October 2001.
As part of the study, approximately twenty states were contacted to determine whether they have collected or plan to
collect information about brownfields properties and make that information available to the public. The report provides
information on each of their initiatives, plus more specific information on the data elements and property listings for
three of the states. The report also provides other suggestions to assist entities who are planning, designing, and operating
web sites that include information about brownfields properties.
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EPA
United States
Environmental Protection Agency
Technology Innovation Office (5102G)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for private Use $300
EPA542-F-01-037
September 2001
Status Report:
Initiatives to Develop Web Sites
Including Information about
Brownfields Properties
Fact Sheet and Order Information
Order Form
To order Status Report: Initiatives to Develop Web Sites Including Information about Brownfields Properties
(EPA 542-R-01-017), please call 1-800-490-9198, or complete this form and mail or fax it to:
National Service Center for Environmental Publications
P.O. Box 42419
Cincinnati, OH 45242-2419
Fax: (513)489-8695
Name
Company
Address
Order on line at
City/State/Zip
Phone_ Fax E-mail.
Please note that this document will be available for downloading or ordering on line from the Hazardous Waste
Clean-Up Information home page at in October 2001.
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