The self-funded voluntary remediation program allows companies to obtain state concurrence with their independent cleanup activities. The number of participants increased 65 percent between 1996 and 1997. In recent years, many cities have been concerned about the problem of brownfields in city neighborhoods. Brownfields are abandoned, idled or underused business properties where environmental contamination, either real or perceived, hampers expansion and redevelopment.
Environmental issues can add cost, time and uncertainty to a redevelopment project.
A brownfield site may be as small as the vacant corner gas station or as large as an abandoned factory. No one knows exactly how many brownfield sites Indiana has, but they may number in the hundreds or even thousands. By redeveloping brownfields, economic vitality and jobs are linked with environmental protection. Recycling brownfields into productive use discourages urban sprawl while retaining or creating new jobs for surrounding communities. Neighborhoods can be revived when abandoned properties return to the tax rolls and long-standing eyesores are removed.