How to clean up toxic eyesores in your neighborhood

Ever heard of a ‘brownfield’? You probably drove past one today and didn’t even know it. They’re underused or abandoned properties with some kind of contamination; typically places like gas stations, dry cleaners, industrial sites, or landfills. Since these sites need expensive remediation they can be hard to sell and can sit idle for years as festering sores delaying the growth of surrounding areas. One of our clients works for the Oregon Public Health Division and we were surprised when she told us that there is government assistance available to help clean up these sites and make them productive once again. We weren’t surprised when she told us that Oregon is doing things a little differently than the rest of the country…

What is a brownfield?

It doesn’t take much to qualify as a brownfield… a property just has to have perceived contamination and be abandoned or underutilized. If you’ve ever tried to sell a house (or buy one) with an underground oil tank, then you know exactly why these properties can be such albatrosses. Potential sellers may face more in cleanup than the property is worth, and few buyers want to take a risk on a property that might need expensive cleanup down the line. The property can’t be used, can’t be sold, and investment in it makes no economic sense, so it becomes an obstacle to any other neighborhood improvements. Brownfields can bring down values of other properties, starting a spiral that does no one any good.

When did interest in brownfields begin?

Because of the drag brownfields create on neighborhood development, efforts to clean them up started at the federal level in the 1990s. An executive order provided resources for cleanup and redevelopment while also addressing environmental justice concerns in underrepresented communities. Cleanup efforts vary across the country and are supported to varying degrees by local and state governments. In Oregon, the state has brownfields programs at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the Business Development Division (Business Oregon) and at the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) under the Public Health Division. Since 2010, the OHA has received funding from a branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) to support community health projects related to brownfield sites. Metro and the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) at the City of Portland have brownfields programs as well.

What does the Public Health have to do with brownfields?

Oregon’s involvement of Public Health partners in brownfields cleanup is unusual, but the advantage is that Public Health can help with… well, with the public health aspects of brownfields! Public Health professionals provide expertise in toxicology, epidemiology, health data, GIS mapping, education, community engagement, and coalition building. Just as they do with other community health issues, Public Health creates coalitions of local citizens, governments, and businesses to ensure each project responds to the health and environmental needs of the community. For instance, if a community has a nearby brownfield, could they work together to redevelop it into a grocery store that supplies fresh fruits and vegetables the residents are missing? Or could they unite to build a community center with inter-generational, culturally adapted programs? Or what about a community garden, or a well-lit park with playgrounds and restrooms? All these possibilities and more can be realized with collaborative efforts from OHA, the counties, the City, community groups, DEQ and Business Oregon.

What kind of projects has Public Health has been involved in?

OHA’s first project was in the Linnton neighborhood in far NW Portland, home to the Portland Harbor superfund site, industrial brownfield sites, and not coincidentally, a large number of people. Public Health worked with the community to explore options for brownfield redevelopment that would support community health and provide access to the river at the same time. OHA facilitated the project over the course of a year, with monthly meetings culminating in a community photovoice project and furthering pursuits of two key brownfield sites (Kingsley Park and the former Linnton Plywood Mill).

OHA’s Brownfield Initiative and Environmental Health Assessment Program (EHAP) teamed up to examine the possibility of a park built on a former landfill in NE Portland’s Cully Neighborhood. Public Health’s involvement put the community in the driver’s seat throughout the risk assessment process for the property. Other groups used a similar model with the City of Portland Brownfields Program to assess the community garden site within Cully Park (check out the great photos on this site!).

OHA and other health partners are currently involved in supporting the community to develop ways to track the health benefits that will result from the park itself over time. The first phase of park development includes a community garden, a playground, a tribal gathering garden, a basketball court, a youth soccer field, a picnic area, an off-leash dog area and walking fitness trails. Parking and pedestrian access improvement efforts are also underway.

You can see more of the projects OHA and Public Health have been involved in by going to www.healthoregon.org/ehap and clicking on the link for “Brownfields and Land Reuse Initiative”

Can I get help cleaning up a brownfield?

If you have a potentially contaminated eyesore blighting your neighborhood, and you and your neighbors would like to see it cleaned up or redeveloped, then there are local (Metro, City of Portland Brownfields Programs) or state (OHA, DEQ, Business Oregon) programs to help. It’s even easy; just email or call the contacts below…