New Environmental Solutions

EPA’s land revitalization initiatives are producing significant environmental 

benefits and helping to transform communities into more sustainable and 

livable places. The strategy of encouraging market-driven redevelopment of 

brownfields and other contaminated sites for economic reuse is proving to be 

a successful approach at many sites. However, challenging real estate markets 

and economic realities can leave some formerly contaminated properties 

unused, possibly for a long time. New approaches are needed to revitalize 

these sites and protect human health and the environment.

EPA’s Land Revitalization Team is working with communities, states, other federal 

agencies, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and the private sector 

to develop and test new approaches that recognize valuable reuse alternatives for formerly contaminated properties. Building green infrastructure to help 

manage stormwater runoff and floods, promoting safe soil management to 

support urban agriculture, and siting renewable energy on contaminated sites 

can bring environmental, ecological, and social benefits to communities. Unlocking the potential value of these underused properties often requires creativity 

and close collaboration with many public and private partners. These projects 

can help stabilize communities and spur economic development.

Land Revitalization Fact Sheet

Revitalization Along 

Historic Highways

T

here are about 200,000 brownfields 

with petroleum contamination issues 

across the U.S. Abandoned gas 

stations and other petroleum-impacted 

properties typically are small and widely 

dispersed sites throughout communities. These properties present unique 

challenges that often require tailored 

approaches to overcome the economic 

and environmental conditions that limit 

their cleanup and revitalization. 

In 2008, EPA adopted a Petroleum Brownfields Action Plan that lists four initiatives 

and 17 specific actions that promote 

the Agency’s enhanced commitment 

to the cleanup and reuse of petroleum 

brownfields. EPA’s petroleum brownfields 

program is jointly managed by the Office 

of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, 

which oversees the Brownfields program, 

and the Office of Underground Storage 

Tanks, which promotes the cleanup of 

leaking underground storage tank sites. 

Under the Petroleum Brownfields Action 

Plan, EPA supports targeted projects 

to redevelop petroleum brownfields 

in defined geographic areas or corridors. These corridor initiatives focus on 

economic development areas, environmental justice communities, and other 

areas of special need that would benefit 

from enhanced revitalization of petroleum brownfields. EPA provides technical 

assistance to help with site identification, 

assessment, cleanup, redevelopment 

planning, community outreach, or other 

needs identified by the communities and 

organizations impacted by these sites. 

Several of these corridor projects focus 

on revitalization along historic highways 

that once were vibrant transportation 

arteries. Current corridor projects span 

the country, from the Tamiami Trail (US 

Highway 41) in Florida and the Historic 

Voting Rights Trail in Alabama, through 

the nation’s mid-section along the 

old Lincoln Highway and Route 66, to 

California’s Highway 99 and Washington’s Tacoma Way petroleum brownfields 

revitalization corridor.

The goal is to inventory petroleum 

brownfields and bring new life to these 

abandoned properties. EPA headquarters 

and Regional offices are partnering with 

states and federal and private-sector 

partners to ensure that redevelopment 

and reuse of these sites is realized. 

These projects demonstrate what can 

be accomplished when coordinated 

remediation and revitalization efforts by 

public and private partners are applied 

to a defined geographic area, such as a 

transportation route or corridor.

Planning for Revitalization of Petroleum Brownfields Along the 

Selma to Montgomery National Historic Voting Rights Trail 

Since 2009, EPA and Alabama’s 

Department of Environmental 

Management (ADEM) have engaged 

local communities in planning for 

revitalization of numerous former gas 

stations and petroleum-contaminated 

brownfields along the Selma to 

Montgomery National Historic Voting 

Rights Trail in Alabama. The 54-mile 

trail commemorates events, people, 

and the route of the 1965 Voting Rights 

March. It begins in Selma and continues along U.S. Highway 80 to the State 

Capitol in Montgomery. 

Many active and former gasoline 

stations along the trail have the potential to cause contamination from petroleum releases. The goal of the Historic 

Voting Rights Trail project is to assess, 

clean up, and implement community 

revitalization plans for these sites that 
United States Office of Solid Waste and EPA 560-F-11-018

Environmental Protection Emergency Response April 2011

Agency (5105T) www.epa.gov/brownfields/

More Information:

EPA’s Petroleum Brownfields Action Plan: http://www.epa.gov/oust/pubs/petrobfactionplan2year.pdf

EPA Land Revitalization Program: http://www.epa.gov/landrevitalization/

Area-Wide Planning for Revitalization of Abandoned

Gas Station and Nearby Brownfields Ogden, Iowa 

EPA, in partnership with the Iowa 

Department of Natural Resources 

(IDNR), is providing redevelopment 

planning support to the City of Ogden 

for revitalization of its downtown, 

including three centrally located 

properties and the abandoned gas 

station that sits at the gateway to 

downtown.

With funding from the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, EPA’s 

assistance supports the preparation 

of a market analysis and needs study, 

development of a project web portal, 

and conducting a design charette to 

engage the community in planning for 

reuse of the sites. EPA also provided 

training on the brownfields assessment 

and cleanup process and on how to 

promote expanded partnerships with 

other state and federal agencies. 

The project began a few years ago with 

EPA Region 7’s Historic Highways Initiative, which includes the identification of 

abandoned gas stations. The initiative 

focuses on identifying barriers to redevelopment of abandoned gas stations 

along the former Route 66 in Missouri and 

Kansas, and along the former Lincoln 

Highway in Iowa and Nebraska. Region 

7 currently is working with a number of 

communities, including Ogden, under 

its Historic Highways Initiative.

In Ogden, the city purchased vacant 

properties from current owners. This gave 

the city greater control over planning for 

downtown redevelopment. Ownership 

also enabled the city to receive additional 

support from IDNR for assessment and 

cleanup work on each of the brownfield 

properties. Once the properties were 

assessed and cleaned up, the city demolished the three vacant buildings and 

graded the sites for redevelopment. 

Using support from EPA’s Land Revitalization Program, the city sought community input on property reuse and an 

overall vision for the revitalization of 

downtown Ogden. As a result, city 

leaders will move forward to ensure 

downtown Ogden meets the needs of 

the community and becomes a destination for those in the area. 

EPA delivered its recommendations 

to the city in December 2010. EPA’s 

report to the city includes redevelopment concepts based on market data, 

community needs, and site conditions. City officials will be able to use 

these products to move forward with 

marketing new business opportunities 

and promoting the revitalization of 

downtown Ogden.

are consistent with community needs 

and national historic site goals. EPA 

Region 4 provided 18 Targeted Brownfields Assessments for sites along the 

trail. In 2010, EPA awarded a Brownfields petroleum assessment grant to 

ADEM to continue assessment of former 

industrial and commercial sites along 

the trail. Developing green jobs also is 

an important part of the effort.

Community engagement is at the 

heart of this project. Combining 

community desires with leveraged 

federal and state resources, ADEM 

and EPA are facilitating communitybased revitalization, environmental 

benefits, and economic development 

activities along the trail. Since spring 

2010, EPA, ADEM, and other federal 

partners (including the U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers, National Park Service, 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development, Department of Agriculture, 

Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. 

Geological Survey, and Maxwell Air Force 

Base) have been meeting with local 

communities to offer technical assistance 

and share information. With funding 

from EPA’s Land Revitalization program, 

Region 4 and ADEM conducted outreach 

meetings to gather input from community 

groups on their visions for redevelopment and revitalization in Hayneville, 

West Montgomery, Selma, and Selmont. 

In fall 2010, EPA sponsored a sustainability conference in Selma that 

brought together representatives from 

ten federal agencies and stakeholders 

from many of the communities along 

the trail. These sessions were a positive 

experience that allowed citizens to 

work together with local, state, and 

federal agencies to identify recycling 

programs, reuse options, and plans 

for the affected communities. Stakeholders continue to work together on 

other development projects in many 

communities, including improvements 

to water resources, transportation, and 

education.

Rendering of proposed Civil Rights 

Museum in Hayneville, AL