Environmental Justice Implications of Brownfield Redevelopment in the United States

This article discusses environmental justice implications of brownfield development. Although many argue that brownfield development can be an excellent alternative to the Superfund Act for a new toxic waste policy in the United States, providing environmental as well as economic improvements, such views are based on anticipated rather than proven or actual benefits. Questions pertaining to the environmental justice consequences of brownfield development discussed in this article include who lives near brownfield sites and which sites are cleaned up first, whether lowering cleanup standards for brownfield development is safe for human health, whether brownfield development can provide economic benefits without any adverse consequences of development to local residents, and how public participation should be included in the process of brownfield development.