Brownfield Updates

With the real estate market strengthening, there is increased interest in urban redevelopment. Many of these infill projects must address challenges from historical contamination. MFA will be participating in several upcoming conferences to share successful brownfield redevelopment projects and lessons learned in this changing market.

MFA is the title sponsor for the Re-Using Contaminated Land Conference in Tacoma, Washington, on June 6. MFA President, Jim Maul, and Vice President Jim Darling will participate in the opening panel to set the stage for the day-long conference that examines risk management, financing, and integrating cleanup with redevelopment.

On May 9, project planner Seth Otto will be joining a panel of experts at an NEBC Luncheon to share the latest brownfield redevelopment trends and an update on brownfield policy in Oregon. Seth will focus his presentation on MFA’s recently completed brownfield policy work for Metro and the City of Portland.

From May 15 to May 17, MFA staff will be attending the National Brownfields Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. MFA will join in the national discussion on how to improve our environmental and land use policies to promote redevelopment of brownfields and expedite the cleanup of contaminated properties to facilitate smart growth.

In addition to applying our technical science and engineering expertise to specific contaminated properties, MFA has led a number of brownfield policy studies, including:

• Metro Regional Brownfield Scoping Project—MFA estimated the number of potential brownfield properties in the Portland Metro Region, worked with a multidisciplinary team to assess the economic, social, and environmental impact of those properties, and develop a toolbox of policies to spur cleanup and redevelopment.
• City of Portland Brownfield Assessment—MFA prepared a focused analysis on the need for industrial lands in the City of Portland to meet growth targets, the financial challenges facing these properties, and a targeted suite of policy recommendations to address this issue.
• Washington State Brownfield Policy Recommendations—MFA examined the financial, risk management, and administrative challenges facing brownfields in Washington State and offered a comprehensive set of policy recommendations. Some of these recommendations have been crafted into a bill that is currently being debated in the Washington State legislature.
• Guide to Leveraging Brownfield Redevelopment for Community Revitalization—MFA crafted a user-friendly manual for integrating cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated lands.

For more information on the technical and policy expertise MFA brings to brownfield redevelopment, contact Jim Darling at 800-896-4405.