1. Brownfield Redevelopment Dylan Harrington- University of Connecticut

2. What are Brownfields?  Properties which development is hindered by the presence of contaminants.  The EPA defines brownfields as “is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant”(Brownfields and Land Revitalization 2012).  Brownfields can lead to public health problems and environmental degradation.

3. Affect of Brownfields on Public Health  Southeast Baltimore: Study done in 2002 examined 480 abandon or underused properties with areas >1 acre.  Concentrations of heavy metals, solvents, and insecticides linked to these properties are know to be toxic to humans (Litt et al. 2002).  Research showed a disparity in the number of deaths from illnesses reported in southeastern Baltimore communities in comparison to Baltimore and the rest of the U.S. (Litt et al. 2002).  For communities living in the highest brownfield zone (zone 3) experienced statistically higher mortality rates due to cancer (27% excess), lung cancer (33% excess), respiratory diseases (39% excess) compared to communities in the lowest brownfield zone (zone 1) (Litt et al. 2002).

4. Figure 1: Map of the city of Baltimore. Flags indicate a vacant lot (n=480) with area >1 acre. The city is divided into 3 zones. Zone 1 represents the lowest risk communities from brownfields and zone 3 represents the highest risk communities.

5. Figure 2: This graph shows the cause of death (per 100,000 people) of people over the age of 45 in Southeast Baltimore in comparison with the city of Baltimore, Maryland, and the United States.

6. Brownfields and Property Value  Do brownfields impact property value in the surrounding area?  Cincinnati, Ohio- Research in Cincinnati suggests that the price of a one family homes is significantly devalued in relation to its proximity to a brownfield. (Mihaescu, Hofe 2012)  For properties adjacent to brownfields, housing prices dropped 19.96% and 21.93% (based on two different models) (Mihaescu, Hofe 2012).  For the average priced house of $94,595 the average (mean) devaluation of the house was $18,881 and $20,745 (Mihaescu, Hofe 2012).

7. Figure 3: Distribution of Brownfields in Connecticut generated from EPA.gov “Cleanups in My Community” website.

8. Brownfields in Connecticut  According to the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP), there were a total of 284 brownfield sites in Connecticut (Connecticut Brownfields Inventory 2011).  There are properties that are potentially brownfields which are not recorded either because they have not been full investigated by DEEP or they do not fully match the criteria of a brownfield (Connecticut Brownfields Inventory 2011).  It is the responsibility of the municipality to report a potential brownfield site to DEEP. (Connecticut Brownfields Inventory 2011).

9. Legislation  The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA): Enacted on December 11 th, 1980.  Established:  Requirements and procedures for closing and/or abandon waste sites.  Provides for liability against individuals who are responsible for the emission of hazardous waste.  Created a trust fund when an individual could not be found responsible for the unlawful emission of hazardous waste at a site (CERCLA Overview 2011).

10. Bridgeport Ecotechnology Park  Before the Ecotech Park began development, there were plots of land which were vacant or underutilized by companies who had downsized or moved to other locations (BGreen 2020: A Sustainability Plan for Bridgeport, Connecticut 2013).  Boot Camp Farms Urban Agriculture Center  Located on top of a 3.8 acre brownfield.  Will consists of three 40,000 square ft. hydroponic greenhouses which will produce around 800,000 pounds of high quality produce per year.  Offer free job training in urban agriculture provided by UConn's Department of Agriculture. (BGreen 2020: A Sustainability Plan for Bridgeport, Connecticut 2013).

11. Green Energy Park in Seaside Park  Located on top of the cities retired 50 acre municipal landfill.  United Illuminating Company plans to build a renewable energy facility directly on top of the landfill.  Will consist of:  Solar panel and hydrogen fuel cell facilities.  Estimated 3-5 megawatts of clean energy generated per year.  The city will receive $7,083,000 in property tax and lease payments over 20 years

12. Green Energy Park in Seaside Park http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/24/36/71/5369452/3/628x471. jpg Figure 4: Map of City of Bridgeport municipal landfill which will provide a location for a solar panel and hydrogen fuel cell facility.

13. References  BGreen 2020 A Sustainability Plan for Bridgeport, Connecticut [Progress Report]. (2013). Retrieved from BGreen 2020 website: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/876874/23930066/1384975982157/Bgreen-2020-2013- Progress-Report.pdf?token=XvNAWHCfRC4zz783BNcH1OMXxRk%3D  CERCLA Overview. (2011, December 12). Retrieved April 26, 2015, from EPA.gov website: http://www.epa.gov/superfund/policy/cercla.htm  Connecticut Brownfields Inventory. (2011, October 18). Retrieved March 25, 2015, from State of Connecticut website: http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2715&q=488996&deepNav_GID=1626  Litt, J. S., Tran, N. L., & Burke, T. A. (2002). Examining urban brownfields through the public health “macroscope”. Environmental Health Perspectives,110(Suppl 2), 183–193.  Mihaescu, O., & Vom Hofe, R. (2012). The impact of brownfields on residential property values in Cincinnati, Ohio: A spatial hedonic approach. Journal of Regional Analysis & Policy, 42(3), 223-236. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.lib.uconn.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1316195030?ac countid=14518