The report highlights a broad range of programs and various approaches taken by industry, government, educational institutions, community and other groups to prevent pollution. The challenges of measuring pollution reductions achieved through prevention programs and other issues associated with finding creative solutions to reducing waste also are discussed in the new report. The report is available through EPA's pollution prevention homepage . EPA Brownfields Home Page Brownfields overview, initiatives and pilots, contacts, and related links. Brownfields Many cities are plagued by abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities in donwtown areas.
Redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.
Developers and industries are not willing to take on the potential environmental liability of the contaminated site, when pristine sites are available elsewhere. EPA initiated the Brownfields Program to improve the effectiveness of the Superfund program. Brownfield sites are not Superfund site which have been designated by EPA as highly contaminated property. Brownfield sites have a lesser degree of contamination, which typically is a manageable problem. The environmental contamination that is found at most Brownfield locations is most likely to be some form of soil, ground water or building surface contamination, perhaps containing gasoline, PCBs, chlorinated solvents, or asbestos.