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State of Colorado Issues New Publication on Brownfield Redevelopment

Cathy Schuster, Public Information Officer
Hazardous Materials and Waste Management
Division, Colorado Department of Public Health and
Environment
(303) 692-3308

DENVER – The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs have released a new publication entitled, “The Colorado Brownfields Handbook: A Local Government Guide to Site Reuse and Economic Redevelopment.”

Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized properties where real or perceived contamination has prevented redevelopment. Reuse of idle sites also limits the need to expand industrial areas or pristine undeveloped areas into “greenfields” by making more site choices available.

The Colorado Brownfields Handbook is the culmination of a three-year partnership between the Department of Public Health and Environment’s Voluntary Cleanup Program and the Department of Local Affairs’ Office of Smart Growth to promote the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields sites around the state.
The project partners enlisted the help of a number of state, local and non-profit agencies, including the Colorado Brownfields Foundation, to assist in the development of what is hoped to be a useful tool to help communities make the most of redevelopment opportunities.

These agencies helped to analyze and document the roles and relationships of various levels of government and identify potential institutional obstacles, as well as solutions, to cleanup and reuse brownfields.

Douglas H. Benevento, the Department of Public Health and Environment’s executive director, said, “The cleanup and reuse of brownfields properties is often undermined by issues, such as contested ownership responsibility and liability concerns. This handbook is designed to dispel many of the misconceptions about brownfields redevelopment and to encourage local communities to take a look at the possibilities of such redevelopment.”

The handbook incorporates lessons learned from pilot brownfields cleanup and redevelopment projects in Rangely and Alamosa. The handbook also provides a
comprehensive list of technical and financial resources; answers to frequently asked questions; and a suggested methodology for brownfields cleanup and redevelopment.

Mike Beasley, the Department of Local Affairs’ executive director, said, “The key to the success of these pilot projects was the level of collaboration between local government officials and staff, other community stakeholders and the state government partners. It is truly gratifying to see the on-the-ground results of effective intergovernmental cooperation.”

Eric Bergman, director of the Department of Local Affairs’ Office of Smart Growth, said, “The local success stories profiled in this handbook will provide an invaluable, ‘real world’ perspective for other communities working on brownfields cleanups.”

The Department of Public Health and Environment’s Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division established the state’s Voluntary Clean-up Program in 1994 to assist communities and private parties in facilitating the redevelopment of contaminated properties throughout Colorado. Since its inception, more than 500 cleanup applications have come through the program. A majority of the cleaned up sites have been put back into productive use and now are generating tax revenues and providing jobs. By taking advantage of available programs as described in the handbook, some property owners were eligible for substantial reimbursement of their cleanup costs.

Jesse Silverstein, executive director of the Colorado Brownfields Foundation, added, “Brownfields detract from Main Street vitality, hinder economic development efforts and often pose threats to water and air quality. It follows then that the cleanup and reuse of these properties can bring about a whole host of economic and public health benefits for the community.”

The handbook project and publication was made possible by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The handbook is available online at www.dola.state.co.us/smartgrowth  or at www.cdphe.state.co.us/hm/bfhandbook.htm. Copies also may be obtained by calling Andy Hill, a Department of Local Affairs staff member, at (303) 866-3785 or Debra Shaw, the program assistant for the Community Relations Program in the Department of Public Health and Environment’s Hazardous Materials and Waste Management Division, at (303) 692-3421.