United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA500-F-97-108
April 1997
and
Minimization
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower States, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived
contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA's Brownfields Initiative strategies include
funding pilot programs and other research efforts, clarifying liability issues, entering into partnerships, conducting
outreach activities, developing job training programs, and addressing environmental justice concerns.
OVERVIEW
The Brownfields Initiative is designed primarily to
help communities return brownfields to productive
use once they have been cleaned up. Beyond this
initial objective, however, is the commitment to
preventing these sites from becoming environmental
and health hazards in the future and to support them
in becoming models for sustainable redevelopment.
Pollution prevention and waste minimization are key
strategies the Brownfields Initiative supports to meet
these long-term objectives.
Pollution prevention, also known as source reduc-
tion, means reducing or eliminating the amount of
any hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant
entering the environment. In other words, the envi-
ronmental impact of waste can be lessened by not
creating it in the first place. Opportunities for pollu-
tion prevention exist through technology or equip-
ment changes, product redesign, substitution of raw
materials, and improvements in routine maintenance.
Recycling is another important waste minimization
method to reuse valuable materials and reduce waste
destined for disposal.
ACTIONS
Pollution prevention and waste minimization can
reduce the health and environmental impacts of new
development at a brownfields site— whether indus-
trial, commercial, or residential. Source reduction
and recycling can be achieved within industrial set-
tings by: changing processes to use fewer toxic
chemicals; substituting hazardous raw materials with
non-hazardous materials; practicing proper mainte-
nance and housekeeping to eliminate spills and leaks;
and modifying equipmentto enhance in-line material
recovery or recycling options. In transportation,
"clean" fuels can be developed to reduce pollution,
more efficient transportation practices can be em-
ployed, or transportation needs can be reduced. In
commercial settings, waste can be reduced by using
energy-efficient appliances and lighting, installing
water-efficient equipment, purchasing recycled and
recyclable materials, and working with suppliers to
reduce the amount of packaging. At home, citizens
can recycle and reuse, buy products with less packag-
ing, and reduce the use of household chemicals.
EPA encourages source reduction and recycling ac-
tivities, and, through its voluntary pollution preven-
tion programs, can provide information and other
incentives to businesses and communities who would
like to adopt source reduction and recycling prac-
tices. Several of the voluntary programs can provide
pollution prevention information relevantto redevel-
oping brownfield sites.
Climate Wise encourages the reduction of energy use
and greenhouse gas emissions. The program helps
businesses by demonstrating the economic and
productivity gains associated with "lean and clean"
management and thereby changing the way companies
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view and manage for environmental performance;
and by allowing participants to identify the actions
that make the most sense for their organization and
thereby fostering innovation. Climate Wise
companies save money, receive technical assistance
and support for identifying financing options, meet
and work with other leading industries and select
service providers, and receive public recognition for
environmental leadership and performance.
Design for the Environment helps businesses incor-
porate environmental considerations into the design
and redesign of products, processes, and technical
and management systems. Some of their current
projects include: environmental accounting, which
helps businesses to understand the full spectrum of
their environmental costs and to incorporate these
costs into decision-making; curriculum development,
through the University of Michigan; the Green
Chemistry program which works collaboratively with
chemists in academia. industry, and government to
encourage the design and redesign of chemical prod-
ucts and processes so as to minimize impacts on
human health and the environment; and working with
the insurance industry to incorporate pollution pre-
vention activities into daily operations in exchange
for reduced insurance premiums.
Energy Star Buildings seeks to maximize energy
efficiency and profits in commercial and industrial
buildings while reducing atmospheric pollution by
encouraging and providing technical assistance related
to energy-efficient lighting, building tune-ups, HVAC
load reductions, improved fans and air-handling
systems, and improved heating and cooling.
Energy Star Residential Programs works with home
builders to build energy-efficient new homes and
works with utility companies and suppliers to en-
courage production of more energy-efficient home
products such as furnaces, air conditioners, and ther-
mostats. In addition, a variety of financing options
are linked to Energy Star Homes.
Green Lights Program encourages and provides
technical assistance to institutions to use energy-
efficient lighting.
Indoor Environments Program uses the best science
available to develop and disseminate information,
guidance, and solution-based technologies to ensure
that the air quality in all indoor environments will
protect and promote human health and welfare. In
addition to seeking reductions to radon and tobacco
smoke, the Indoor Environments Program also works
with manufacturers to reduce indoor air emissions of
their products.
Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program re-
duces risk by providing technical assistance, recogni-
tion, and other information to those seeking to reduce
agricultural and non-agricultural use of pesticides.
Use of pesticides in homes, office buildings, and
other non-agricultural uses account for one-quarter
of all pesticides currently used in the U.S.
Transportation Partners Program works with and
provides technical assistance to local governments
and citizens' organizations to reduce carbon dioxide
emissions from the transportation sector by reducing
vehicle miles travelled. It also promotes
telecommuting, transit- and pedestrian-oriented com-
munity design, and market-based reforms.
Water Alliances for Voluntary Efficiency currently
works with and provides technical assistance to hotels
and lodging associations to promote water and energy
efficiency, and plans to expand to involve schools
and office buildings in the future.
WasteWiSe works with a variety of industrial and
service companies and organizations and provides
technical assistance to reduce generation of munici-
pal solid waste and thereby conserve energy and
natural resources. Companies participate by reduc-
ing the waste they generate, collecting recyclables,
and increasing the manufacture or purchase of re-
cycled products.
Whether brownfields are reused industrially, com-
mercially, or rcsidcntially, reducing pollution before
it is created will ensure that sites cleaned up today
remain that way in the future.
CONTACT
For more information on pollution prevention and
waste minimization and how they can support
sustainable reuse of brownfields sites, please contact
the RCRA/Superfund Hotline at (800) 424-9346.
Brownfields Fact Sheet
April 1997
Brownfields—Pollution Prevention and Waste Minimization
EPA500-F-97-108
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