The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines Brownfields as "abandoned, idled or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination."  In a broader sense, Brownfields may be any property where actual or suspected contamination impairs the property value.

Since its inception in 1995, EPA's Brownfields Program has grown into a proven, results-oriented program that has changed the way contaminated property is perceived, addressed and managed.  EPA's Brownfields Program is designed to empower states, communities and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse brownfields.  A brownfield is a property, the expansioin, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.  It is estimated there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S.  Cleaning up and reinvesting in these properties increases local tax bases, facilitates job growth, utilizes existing infrastructure, takes development pressures off of undeveloped, open land and both improves and protects the environment.  Initialy, EPA provided small amounts of seed money to local governments that launched hundreds of two-year brownfield "pilot" projects.  Through passage of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, effective policies that EPA had developed over the years were passed into law.  The Brownfields Law expanded EPA's assistance by providing new tools fo the public and private sectors to promote sustainable brownfields cleanup and reuse.

Brownfields grants continue to serve as the foundation of EPA's Brownfields Program.  These grants support revitalization efforts by funding environmental assessment, clean and job training activities.  Brownfields Assessment Grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning environmental assessments and community outreach.  Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants provide funding to capitalize loans that are used to clean up brownfields.  Brownfields Job Training Grants provide environmental training for residents of brownfields communities.  Brownfields Cleanup Grants provide direct funding for cleanup activities at certain poperties with planned greenspace, recreational, or other nonprofit uses.

EPA's investment in the Brownfields Program has resulted in many accomplishments, including leveraging more than $6.5 billioin in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment funding from the private and public sectors and creating approximately 25,000 new jobs.  The momentum generated by the Program is leaving an enduring legacy.  The Brownfields Program and its partners have provided guidance and incentives to  support economic revitalization and empowered communities to address the brownfields in their midst.  EPA's Brownfields Program continues to look to the future by expanding the types of properties it addresses, forming new partnerships and undertaking new initiatives to help revitalize communities across the nation.