#Brownfields

[wachinyeya]

Brownfields—abandoned or underutilized properties with potential environmental contamination—exist in nearly every community. While these sites present challenges related to remediation, regulatory compliance, and financial feasibility, they also offer significant opportunities for economic growth, environmental restoration, and social revitalization.

Understanding the Brownfield Challenge

Brownfields range from former industrial zones and gas stations to abandoned manufacturing plants and contaminated commercial properties. While each site presents unique challenges, common barriers to redevelopment include:

Environmental Contamination Risks – Soil and groundwater contamination must be assessed and managed.

Regulatory Complexity – Federal, state, and local regulations dictate remediation requirements and land-use approvals.

Financial Uncertainty – Cleanup costs and perceived investment risks can deter developers.

Community Concerns – Public perception and community engagement are crucial to securing support and funding.

Despite these challenges, brownfields represent a strategic opportunity to repurpose underutilized land, drive economic development, and enhance environmental quality.

[greenlens]

Why did the brownfield go to therapy? It had abandonment issues!

I am excited to share that Morgantown, West Virginia, has secured a significant grant from the EPA aimed at revitalizing brownfield sites within our community. This funding, totaling nearly $2 million, represents a pivotal moment for our city's environmental and economic future.

Why is this Funding Important for Morgantown?

Morgantown faces unique challenges with its industrial past. Many old industrial sites, like the former crude oil tank farm in White Park, have left behind more than memories—they've left behind environmental legacies that need our attention

Revitalizing these brownfield sites isn't just about cleaning up messes; it's about unlocking the economic potential behind what has been left. By turning blighted areas into usable spaces, we attract new businesses, create jobs, and increase property values—benefits that ripple through our entire community.

Brownfields are like time capsules from the industrial age—remnants of our past that deserve a second chance. These sites, once bustling with activity, now sit idle due to potential environmental contamination, waiting for a new lease on life.

As Morgantown embarks on this journey of brownfield cleanup and revitalization, we're not just fixing problems; we're building a better future. Together, we'll turn challenges into opportunities and make Morgantown a shining example of environmental stewardship and community resilience.

[unplaces]

W Reppto St, Brownfield, Texas.

[meriol-lehmann]

friche industrielle, chemin de saint-edgar, new richmond

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

New York, Ohio and Indiana have collectively retired 47 coal plants in the past two decades. Of these, only 11 have been successfully redeveloped—converted mostly into gas-fired power plants, but also into data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations. 

And the Great Lakes region is far from an outlier. Across the United States, retired coal plants sit vacant and rusting, with little to no chance of revival. They are, in many cases, the picture of neglect: abandoned lots with murky ash ponds and dirt berms, visible to locals only through barbed wire fences. In some cases, the deserted structures have been known to catch fire or unexpectedly collapse. 

Yet they also occupy some of the country’s most valuable plots of land—large, contiguous parcels abutting major waterways, often within walking distance of a population center. These qualities make them attractive locations for parks, industrial centers, or, as in the case of Nanticoke, clean energy hubs. Why, then, are they so rarely redeveloped?

The answer to that question involves shadowy companies, secret agreements, and false promises—but it begins 40 feet below the Tanners Creek ash ponds. Before any redevelopment can occur, the site must be purged of the harmful toxins such as arsenic, boron and radium that decades of burning and dumping coal allowed to leach into the soil. All told, decommissioning and remediating a retired coal plant can cost anywhere from $3.5 million to $200 million. What’s more, thanks to a 1980 federal environmental law, a botched remediation job can trigger lawsuits against the original polluter, even if they no longer own the property. 

Former coal plant sites, then, are not so much attractive assets as they are a monkey on the back of power plant operators desperate to offload them. 

Dave Altman is the president of Cincinnati-based environmental law firm AltmanNewman. In his five decades of litigating remediation cases, he has witnessed the creative tactics companies employ to jettison contaminated sites. Initially, he says, “the dream of any polluting company was to turn over their contaminated property as a gift to the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, or a church.” That way, when the full scope of contamination was discovered, elected officials would opt to clean it up with state funds rather than sue the “mom-and-pop nonprofit” that had unwittingly agreed to assume ownership of the site. Altman says people eventually caught on to this tactic; he himself warned Xavier University against accepting an exploded chemical plant as a gift in 2000.

With few willing recipients and no desire to maintain the properties, power plant operators now pay millions to offload the sites and, in doing so, unburden themselves of the environmental liability. That has spawned what Altman calls “an entire industry for taking the liability off the books.” Around the country, companies purporting to specialize in brownfield redevelopment have sprung into existence. These companies, Altman said, sign “secret deals” with power plant operators to take over their contaminated properties and associated liabilities.

A closer look at these companies raises more questions than answers. Take the example of Tanners Creek. The property’s official owner, Tanners Creek Development LLC, was incorporated only seven months before assuming control of the site and seems to have no other assets. Altman said this structure is by design. “They set up a separate, small limited liability organization to take hundreds of millions in liability,” he said. Under this structure, the parent company can reap the profits of the land transfer while the small pockets of its subsidiary limit the amount it might have to pay out in the event of a lawsuit, effectively shielding the parent company from responsibility. As an added benefit, he said, “it makes it appear that they’re different companies to regulators who are asleep at the switch.”

Land transfers are often followed by vague statements about redevelopment. But the redevelopment companies’ economic incentives point in a different direction. “They get paid millions of dollars to do the minimum they can do to get out,” Altman said. “If you resolve your uncertainty with a phony cleanup, nobody is going to touch the property. Everybody knows it, but the utility has got it off its books.” In other words, having cashed in on the liability transfer, the new owners would prefer to perform “cosmetic cleanup” than to take on the substantial remediation costs involved in developing. 

[music-sadness-shetland]

Cialyn - Silent Dailies [Full Album] - YouTube

[itradiant]

ITRadiant Optimizes Supply Chain Efficiency with SAP for Supply Chain Solutions 

Discover how ITRadiant leverages SAP for supply chain solutions to streamline operations, enhance visibility, and maximize efficiency in your supply chain management. Unlock the power of SAP technology for a more agile and responsive supply chain. 

[whisperhillforo]

[handypolymath]

Bonus round toss-up:

remember X only when you cannot do X; use opportunity to slosh on more bad feelings and judgments

make breakthrough/mental progress on X when you physically cannot even note the idea down

X becomes The Stupid Thing you can't even look at directly because Why So Difficult?!

blow the fuse that gives a shit about X so the Real deadline blows through a numb and empty you like trash-laden wind

spend enough time trying to remember & cajole yourself to do X that several months later you'd swear you'd taken care of it

feeling like the consequences of late or absent X is just The Fair Price You Pay for Sucking

one of the worst adhd things ever is wanting to trick yourself into doing tasks so you make up fake deadlines to give yourself a sense of pressure but then your adhd goes ‘is that a Real deadline with immediate consequences or a fake one to make our life more organized? :/‘ and then you go ‘it’s a fake one to make our life more organized 😔’ and then the task doesn’t get done

[wachinyeya]

Mushrooms Help Turn Toxic Brownfields into Blooming Meadows https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/mushrooms-help-turn-toxic-brownfields-into-blooming-meadows/

[semanticlp]

Coal India and DVC Sign MoU to Set Up ₹16,500 Crore Ultra Supercritical Power Project in Jharkhand

In a significant step toward expanding its footprint in thermal power generation, Coal India Limited (CIL) has entered into a strategic partnership with Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) to set up a 2×800 MW Ultra Supercritical Power Plant in Jharkhand. The proposed ₹16,500 crore project will be a brownfield expansion of DVC’s existing Chandrapura Thermal Power Station (CTPS), which currently…

[cricketchirp]

Bogging With Bridie

We parked on the little dirt connector road between Route 160 and Lord Hill Road, close to Bog Road, because we knew the conditions would be such that driving into Brownfield Bog would be impossible. Besides, walking would offer more time to catch up on each other’s lives. Well, I’m afraid I did most of the talking, but at least my friend Bridie is up to speed on my life. Hers is so full of…

[handypolymath]

(@jeannetterankin tags)

the cycle

[youthbuildfoundation]

Difference between greenfield and brownfield projects

Greenfield and brownfield projects are two distinct situations. They require different management strategies and techniques to ensure success.

Greenfield projects are new, ground-up developments that are built from scratch. They typically involve creating new facilities, infrastructure, or products, and often require a significant amount of planning and investment. In greenfield projects, managers have the opportunity to start with a clean slate and implement the latest technologies, processes, and best practices from the outset.

Brownfield projects, on the other hand, are projects that are existing and have already been developed. These projects may involve upgrading existing facilities, repairing or retrofitting infrastructure, or modernizing or expanding   existing product line or projects. Brownfield projects often require a more complex management approach, as they must work within the constraints of existing structures and processes.

However the risks are heavy in Greenfield projects as entrepreneurs and managers trade altogether new path in an unknown territory. When managing greenfield projects, managers must be proactive and take a forward-thinking , well informed approach. They must be able to identify and mitigate potential risks, plan and manage resources effectively, and ensure that the project stays on track. Additionally, managers must be able to communicate effectively with stakeholders and ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards the same goals.

Brownfield projects, on the other hand, require a different approach. Managers must be able to assess and understand the existing infrastructure, systems, and processes, and determine the best way to integrate new technologies and improvements. They must also be able to work within the constraints of existing systems and processes, and be able to manage risk effectively in a complex and often challenging environment without disturbing working in the existing project.

Finally, greenfield and brownfield projects do differ in terms of risk. Greenfield projects carry a higher degree of risk as they often involve the development of new and untested technologies, as well as the creation of new infrastructure in an unknown environment. Brownfield projects, on the other hand, typically carry a lower degree of risk as they use existing facilities and infrastructure  already in place.

The strategies for these two types of projects depend on variety of factors, including the specific needs and requirements of the project, the level of environmental impact, cost, and risk. Understanding such differences is critical for making informed decisions and ensuring the success of   a project. However effective project management remains critical to success in either project viz  time,  budget, and quality.

[spilladabalia]

Taylor Demp - You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive (Campfire Acoustic)