Kris Wernstedt

Understanding brownfields regeneration in the US

Abstract Federal, state and local initiatives have emerged in the United States over the last decade to address the increasing number of ‘brownfield’ properties that are perceived to be contaminated. These initiatives are based on the beliefs that the social and financial benefits provided by redevelopment exceed the costs imposed by the interventions and that the reuse of sites can further local sustainability objectives by reducing growth pressures in undeveloped areas. This paper provides an examination of the current state of the practice of brownfields within which these interventions should be based. We summarize brownfields problems and federal, state and local efforts to address these problems. We then present ten stylized propositions about brownfields and draw on a range of surveys of the public and private sectors and other sources to explore the reality behind these. Finally we use the propositions to tie brownfields regeneration to sustainable local development through an area wide approach to redevelopment rather than a site base approach which benefits a wider community or geographic area.

Incentives for private residential brownfields development in US urban areas

Abstract Public agencies in the US have committed resources to encourage private investment in reusing contaminated sites. With public funds in short supply, the effectiveness of their efforts matters both to the agencies and the development community. This paper draws on a mail survey of private developers that uses conjoint choice experiments to investigate the relative attractiveness of incentives to promote residential infill on contaminated property. Results suggest protection from third party liability offers the most value, with protection from cleanup liability and relief from public hearing requirements also important. The findings indicate several opportunities for planners to promote infill on contaminated sites in a socially and environmentally appropriate manner.

What Drives Participation in State Voluntary Cleanup Programs? Evidence from Oregon

Virtually all U.S. states have now created voluntary cleanup programs (VCPs), offering liability relief and other incentives for responsible parties to remediate contaminated sites. We use a multinomial probit model to analyze participation in Oregons two VCPs. In contrast to previous VCP research, we find that these programs attract sites with significant contamination, not just clean ones. Furthermore, we find that regulatory pressure—in particular, the public listing of contaminated sites—drives participation. These findings imply Oregon has been able to spur voluntary remediation via public disclosure, a result that comports with themes in the literature on voluntary environmental regulation.

Insuring Redevelopment at Contaminated Urban Properties

Environmental insurance (EI) can facilitate the redevelopment of potentially contaminated sites in distressed urban areas by providing a means to manage the environmental and financial risks at these properties. We draw on a survey and interviews of private brownfield developers to provide information on current EI utilization, factors that affect this, and ways in which public officials can facilitate its use when appropriate. We find that EI appears particularly relevant at sites where high-risk financing capital is used, off-site contaminant migration is likely, institutional controls are prevalent, or when developers lack adequate risk spreading across their project portfolios. Local governments and nonprofit organizations can promote EI use at both private and public properties through information dissemination, direct use of insurance-based risk transfer tools, and financial subsidies to developers for EI use.

Grounding hazardous waste cleanups: a promising remedy?

Abstract The linking of cleanups at contaminated sites in the US to the sites’ expected land uses may offer a more rational and cheaper cleanup process, economic development in the local communities that host such sites, and more community control of cleanups. Interviews with national-level stakeholders, information from a large database of contaminated sites, and a detailed case study suggest these presumed benefits are problematic. Misunderstandings about the current role of land use in cleanup, the likelihood of economic development at contaminated sites, the viability of institutional controls, the willingness of communities to accept partial cleanups, and public involvement warrant more attention.

Gauging the Vulnerability of Local Water Systems to Extreme Events

Water utilities that rely on surface water may be vulnerable to future droughts and floods, a vulnerability that may be magnified by climate perturbations as well as shorter-term and, in some cases, ongoing changes in the political and regulatory environment in which utilities operate. Unfortunately, day-to-day responsibilities currently occupy most utility operators, leaving little time to plan for inherently uncertain effects. The record of actual responses to past droughts and floods can be illuminating, however, particularly when placed in the context of plausible hydrologic disruption and pressures such as population growth, floodplain development and new regulatory demands. This paper draws on interviews with water utility operators in the northwestern USA to highlight opportunities and constraints that water utilities may face vis-à-vis such disruptions. Key considerations affecting vulnerabilities include water rights, institutional barriers to efficient utility operations, hazard management policy and the fiscal status of utilities.

Environmental Protection in the Russian Federation: Lessons and Opportunities

Environmental managers in Russia face severe problems, both from Soviet-era and continuing environmental degradation and due to the weakness of current institutions with responsibilities for environmental protection. This paper draws on surveys, a case study of water pollution and workshops on Russian environmental decision making to explore prospects for environmental improvements. Using concepts from the regulatory reform literature, it focuses on the use of market incentives, the construction of a civil society and community involvement, and emphasizes that Russian non-governmental organizations may have a particularly important role to play in improving environmental management. Solidifying their legal base, coalition-building skills and the capability to conduct independent, pragmatic policy analyses would enhance their contribution.

Land Use, Risk, and Superfund Cleanups At the Nexus of Policy and Practice

In the Superfund reauthorization debate, many argue that protective cleanups can be achieved more efficiently by utilizing broader risk-based approaches that eliminate the pathways by which individuals are exposed to unacceptable levels of contamination. These approaches rest centrally on assumptions made about the future land use at a site. Assumptions help risk assessors and regulators determine who may be at risk at a site, how much risk these individuals may bear, and how much contamination should be removed, treated, or contained to ensure protective cleanups. This article first describes how future land use assumptions are currently incorporated into Superfund cleanup decisions, a subject of considerable confusion. It then examines the repercussions of this policy in relation to the transparency of cleanup decisions, the participation of various stakeholder groups, and the longterm management of contamination left on site via institutional controls.

RESEARCH ARTICLE: Community Revitalization Through Areawide Brownfield Regeneration, Community Land Trusts, and Progressive Finance

Many successful residential and other redevelopments have appeared at individual brownfield sites, yet the larger transformation of mixed-use urban neighborhoods distressed with numerous smaller, less marketable contaminated sites remains elusive. In this article, we discuss the use of three innovative mechanisms to move beyond a single parcels boundaries to address larger-scale regeneration of contaminated areas: areawide brownfield approaches, community land trusts, and progressive financing. In addition to their conceptual appeal, each of these mechanisms has a record of implementation. For instance, community land trusts have helped revitalize communities burdened with contamination and other stresses for the benefit of lower-income and moderate-income residents, most notably in the context of affordable housing. Areawide brownfield initiatives under way in several states and municipalities have helped decrease environmental assessment costs through economies of scale. And progressive finance, although not yet applied in a contaminated-land context, has shown success in revitalizing distressed urban cores.

Commuter Adaptation in Response to Hurricane Sandy’s Damage

AbstractUsing survey data from nearly 400 commuters, this paper identifies factors associated with commuter changes after Hurricane Sandy. Adaptations included changing transportation modes, routes...