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INNOVATIVE RESEARCH FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
SMARTe: An Online Resource for Improving Revitalization Decisions
for Potentially Contaminated Sites
Research Value:
Land use decisions are largely
responsible for loss of ecosystem
services that are necessary for
basic survival and provide us
with quality of life. Individuals
and communities have to deal
with the consequences of past
and ongoing land use decisions.
Some of these past land use
decisions have created
brownfields, properties with the
presence or potential presence of
a hazardous substance or
contaminant.
Brownfields and Superfund sites
contaminated from hazardous
waste often occupy prime real
estate. EPA estimates that about
450,000 abandoned and polluted
waste sites nationwide have been
affected by oil or chemicals or
impacted by use by various
industries. It is important to
encourage the revitalization of
previously used lands. This
should occur in a way that
maintains existing social and
environmental systems and
enhances the local economy.
Cleaning up and reinvesting in
previously used properties
preserves natural areas, working
farms and ranches, protects
wildlife, improves water, soil,
and air quality, and protects
human health.
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA)
collaborated with the German
Federal Ministry for Education
and Research (BMBF) and the
Interstate Technology Regulatory
Council (ITRC) to develop a
website for facilitating
revitalization of potentially
contaminated sites (e.g.,
brownfields).
Successful revitalization: The
previously contaminated Yards at
Union Station (Portland, OR) now has
321 apartments, businesses and
restaurants in a renovated Union
Station with a pedestrian bridge
connecting to downtown.
Research Details:
The U.S.-German Bilateral
Working Group developed
SMARTe, a web-based decision
support tool. SMARTe stands for
Sustainable Management
Approaches and Revitalization
Tools - Electronic and is
available at www.SMARTe.org.
SMARTe will aid stakeholders
who are developing and
evaluating options for reusing
potentially contaminated
properties. The site is free for
anyone to use. The site is
updated on an annual basis.
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organizations, and anyone with a
financial or legal stake in a
brownfield property.
One major goal of SMARTe is to
help groups who want to develop
sites overcome obstacles
associated with revitalization of
brownfields. These obstacles
include identifying cost and
benefits of different options,
identifying financing options,
and evaluating and
communicating environmental
risks.
SMARTe contains four
components:
An ^Document that provides
information on the revitalization
process and ideas for overcoming
obstacles
A My Project space that enables
the user to evaluate reuse options
A toolbox to analyze and solve
revitalization issues
A search engine for information,
tools, and best practices
The SMARTe site has
information that can help to put
together a revitalization plan,
choose a revitalization team, and
assess options for future land use
based on realistic scenarios from
past projects. The site also has
suggestions for ways to fund the
project and ways to motivate
stakeholders to get involved.
Outcomes and Impacts:
In 2010, the My Project section
of the web site reached a total of
approximately 80 active projects.
On average, SMARTe receives
40,000-50,000 visits per month
from users in over 90 countries.
There are numerous brownfield
site revitalization success stories
involving partnerships between
regional decision makers, the
EPA, businesses and
communities. SMARTe was one
tool used in the successful
sustainable community pilot in
Stella, Missouri. The Stella
project, which is ongoing, helped
to launch the EPA sustainable
communities program, PLACES
(Planning Land and Communities
to be Environmentally
Sustainable).
Community members/advocates for
Stella, MO who wished to remove an
abandoned hospital (previously a
brownfields site) and revitalize the
site.
CONTACTS
Ann Vega, Technical Inquiries.
513-569-7635, EPA/OSIM
vega. ann@epa. gov
Roger Yeardley, Communications.
513-569-7548. EPA/ORD/LRPCD
veardlev.roger(@,epa.gov
Web Resources
http://www.smarte.org
http://www.bilateral-wg.org/
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
http//: www.epa.gov/nrmrl/lrpcd
http//:www.itrcweb.org
REFERENCES
Vega, A., R. Argus, T. Stockton, P. Black, K.
Black, and N. Stiber. SMARTe: An MCDA
Approach to Revitalize Communities and
Restore the Environment. Chapter 9, A.
Marcomini, G. W. Suter II, and A. Critto
(ed.), Decision Support Systems For Risk-
Based Management Of Contaminated Sites.
Springer Science + Business Media, LLC,
New York, NY, (Section 2): 179-204, 2009.
Agostini, P., and A.M. Vega. Decision
Support Systems (DSSs) for Contaminated
Land Management - Gaps and Challenges.
Chapter 13, A. Marcomini, G.W. Suter II, and
A. Critto (ed.), Decision Support Systems For
Risk Based Management of Contaminated
Sites. Springer Science + Business Media,
LLC, New York, NY, (Section 2):275-280,
2009.
Vega, A.M., and J.H. McCready. SMARTe
2007 Tutorial January 2007 Revision. (CD).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Washington, DC, EPA/600/C-07/003, 2007.
Yeardley, R.B. and Hansen, V., PLACES
Program Helps Communities onto the Path of
Sustainability. U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, Cincinnati, OH, EPA/600/F-11/005,
2011.
National Risk Management Research Laboratory
Land Remediation and Pollution Control Division
EPA/600/F-11/028
November 2011
www.epa.gov/nrmrl
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