PROJECT INFORMATION
"An Evaluation of the Risk-Based Approach to Brownfields Remediation and Redevelopment"
ABSTRACTAs a result of rapid deindustrialization of the nation’s older industrial regions, numerous manufacturing facilities and industrial sites that are contaminated or potentially contaminated now sit abandoned. These sites, known as brownfields, pose a number of challenges to cleanup and reuse. A major barrier to cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields is the determination of feasible cleanup standards. The overall objective of this research is to provide a brief overview of the risk-based approach and evaluate the effectiveness of its use to overcome some of the numerous barriers to brownfield development and expedite the return of abandoned industrial sites to productive reuse.. Using results from a national survey designed by the Brownfields Center at Carnegie Mellon University, annual reports and regional case studies obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), this research investigates the current usage of the risk-based approach from three perspectives – national, state, and local. At the national scale, many states are incorporating risk-based approaches into their state cleanup programs. Pennsylvania’s Voluntary Cleanup Program, also known as Act 2, reveals many similarities to the process of Risk-Based Corrective Action. A regional perspective shows that many sites utilize a variety of options, characteristic of the risk-based approach, to remediate and redevelop sites. From all views, the risk-based approach is increasingly used. Application of the risk-based approach serves to reduce some of the barriers of brownfield redevelopment by establishing consistent cleanup requirements and reducing the costs associated with remediation of these sites. However, there are a number of concerns associated with the use of risk-based approaches, including the uncertainty in risk assessment and questionable short-term effectiveness and long-term reliability. An improved understanding of the science of risk assessment and further development of strict monitoring programs will aid in the integration of risk-based approaches into the mainstream. Risk-based approaches are found to be an important component to brownfield redevelopment, therefore they must be continued to be understood and studied, though cautiously applied.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTSI am deeply indebted to Professor Dharni Vasudevan who served as my advisor and who provided invaluable advice, insightful comments, encouragement, and support. I would also like to thank Deborah A. Lange, Executive Director of The Brownfields Center, and Professor Mitch J. Small, CMU, for their helpful suggestions, wisdom and guidance throughout my research. I would also like to thank members of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection, who assisted in the compilation of case studies. Finally, I am grateful to National Urban Fellows, Inc. and the Vira I. Heinz Endowments for their generous financial support.
PERSONAL INFORMATION Catherine A. Rakestraw Research Fellow and Special Assistant, The Brownfields Center Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering