Brownfields Policies for Sustainable Cities

Abstract

"In this article, I explore the nexus between sustainable development and another revolution in environmental law: the proliferation of state and federal policies designed to combat the brownfields phenomenon (the existence of abandoned or underutilized urban sites that sit idle in part due to concerns over environmental contamination). Brownfields sites remain idle in part be-cause of the threat of liability for brownfields developers under CERCLA or its state analogues. The consequences of this threat include the migration of jobs and tax revenues to suburban greenfields locations. Thus, states and the federal government are developing and implementing policies designed to promote the redevelopment of brownfields sites, such as voluntary cleanup programs, prospective purchaser agreements, innovative funding arrangements, and so forth."