Industrial pollution is a shameful mark on our national landscape, but industrial site rehabilitation can help. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists 450,000 industrial sites as brownfields, or properties that the presence of hazardous materials or pollution negatively affects. Abandoned industrial sites harm the beauty and morale of neighborhoods, encourage criminal activity and destroy the health and welfare of the people through contamination.

Starting in the 1990s, the federal government began an effort to identify brownfields, and help make funding sources available to reclaim those properties. If you're looking to invest in property that's industrial, rehabilitate industrial pollution instead and turn it into something good. You can improve the local tax base by creating new business, and help the environment.

When looking at properties to help rehabilitate industrial pollution, take the following steps.

1. Look at potential sites in need of industrial site rehabilitation.

2. Consider potential sources of funding for the cleanup project.

3. Visit other sites that have successfully changed from a brownfield to a greenfield, and confer with experts for help.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Browse the potential in industrial site rehabilitation

There are several organizations in the United States devoted to converting former industrial sites into usable land. These organizations maintain a list of properties needing industrial site restoration and can help you find a property that suits your requirements.

I recommend: The Center for Brownfields Initiatives at the University of New Orleans highlights industrial rehabilitation opportunities around the country with property listings. The National Brownfield Associations is a Chicago nonprofit agency that promotes green building on former industrial sites, and can refer you to a property needing investors.

Look into funding for industrial site cleanup

Industrial site rehabilitation usually requires a combination of public and private sources for funding. The U.S. government is a good place to start when looking into possible funding for an industrial site cleanup. State, local and private sources may also be available for your project.

I recommend: The EPA's Brownfields Program to revitalize land includes grants and loans to businesses that can help with assessment, cleanup efforts, and environmental training. PolicyLink lists federal, state and private funding sources with government incentives for industrial rehabilitation such as the Community Reinvestment Act.

Get professional help with commercial rehabilitation

When you take on the rehabilitation of an industrial site, you're bound to have some very technical questions. By bringing in the experts for your project to oversee cleanup efforts, you can help ensure that cleanup will happen safely and effectively.

I recommend: The Western Pennsylvania Brownfields Center provides case studies and national workshops on the progress of commercial rehabilitation of brownfield sites. The Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology Support Center (BTSC) provides technical help for stakeholders in the commercial rehabilitation process.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Be sure to get the community involved in your efforts to turn around your industrial site cleanup project. Contact the local newspaper with clean-up progress and stage a community event when the work is complete.