Faith Stephens, Vice President
Do you own land? Is it old, and mysterious with lots of unspoken history?
Has it “been around the block”, so-to-speak? Is it a Brownfield?
In simple terms, a Brownfield can often be a piece of land that is not
living up to it’s full potential because of pollution concerns
from past uses. Very often the environmental condition of the land is
a mystery waiting to be solved.
The Environmental Protection Agency defines Brownfields as real property,
the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by
the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant,
or contaminant. Brownfields often look the part: abandoned and underutilized;
but, with potential.
The Louisiana Brownfields Association collectively can help shed light on challenged properties that fit the Brownfields profile, and ultimately change the way people think about development and redevelopment of commercial properties. If the goal of Brownfields redevelopment is to put environmentally challenged sites back into productive use, then one main charge of the LBA is to facilitate this process where possible.
Ideally, the added impetus from networking and educational opportunities provided by the LBA can only help Brownfields redevelopment across the state.