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Environmental Health: Brownfields

The Environmental Protection Agency defines brownfields as “abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.”

Every community has brownfield properties. They can have a big effect on local economies and neighborhood property values. Yet the public health impacts of redevelopment efforts are important, too.

At the local level, the planning, zoning, or economic development office is typically responsible for redeveloping brownfields. Local health departments play a role in ensuring public safety during these efforts.

Brownfields and public health

Brownfield properties contain many potential health hazards. Most have physical health hazards, like uncovered holes, unsafe structures, and sharp objects. They can also have chemical contamination or drums of chemical waste left behind from past industrial activities.

When people enter these properties or children use them as playgrounds and places to explore, they can be exposed to these dangers.

It’s a big task to investigate, clean up, and draw businesses back to these properties. It can also be very expensive. Without incentives for cleanup and redevelopment, contaminated properties may continue to pose public health hazards long into the future. For this reason, brownfield redevelopment programs can protect public health by removing health hazards from our communities.

Public health agencies’ involvement in redeveloping brownfields

For brownfield properties with widespread and complex contamination problems, health agencies can play an important role in recognizing dangers, evaluating health risks, and recommending appropriate cleanup actions. The intended future land use can determine what level of contamination poses a health hazard. In these cases, the health agency’s involvement can serve to assure the community that redevelopment plans will protect public health.

For cleaned up properties with lingering health questions, health agencies’ evaluation may help lower community concern about redevelopment.

Learn more in our Public Health and Brownfields in Wisconsin, P-44980 (PDF) fact sheet.

More resources

For more information, contact us at 608-266-1120 or dhsenvhealth@dhs.wisconsin.gov.

Last revised June 12, 2023