Strategies for Brownfields Redevelopment

Real estate developers and investors, and their environmental consultants, need strategies to deal with contaminated properties, especially as commercial and residential projects increasingly target previously developed parcels in urban areas and village centers.  Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and “smart growth” projects commonly reuse sites that have a history of environmental impairment, to accomplish Brownfields redevelopment.

For instance, Governor Patrick’s current plan for 10,000 new housing units per year prioritizes development of sites in urban areas and village centers.  Although those properties may be perfect for re-use, it is likely that the developer or contractor will encounter some amount of oil or hazardous materials prior to the acquisition or during construction, or both.

In the past, environmental contamination could stop a good redevelopment plan in its tracks.  However, current regulations and industry practices can be used to manage the risk and facilitate redevelopment. 

Here are some points from a talk I recently gave to Licensed Site Professionals (LSPs) and environmental consultants on Brownfields Redevelopment and Environmental Due Diligence:

1.                   Chapter 21E creates the “Eligible Person” and “Eligible Tenant” categories to provide liability protection for new owners and new tenants that did not cause or contribute to the contamination.  An Eligible Person can receive liability protection after cleaning up the property and an Eligible Tenant can receive protection if the contamination was previously reported to the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

2.                  If an Eligible Person needs liability protection before completing the cleanup, the Attorney General’s office can issue a “Brownfields Covenant Not to Sue”, to provide liability relief while the cleanup is underway.  In addition, the Covenant Not to Sue can be used to protect a prospective purchaser as well as a responsible party who caused the contamination as long as the cleanup revitalizes an area and provides public benefits.

3.                   Chapter 21E provides liability relief for a “Secured Lender” to protect banks while they are servicing a loan as well as after a foreclosure.  The Secured Lender must satisfy several conditions to maintain this status but they are not onerous on their face.  In addition, subsidized environmental insurance under the Brownfields Redevelopment Access to Capital (BRAC) program can provide an additional level of comfort for lenders, with Pollution Legal Liability and Cleanup Cost Cap policies.

4.         Similar liability relief is provided to municipal entities such as a redevelopment authority, community development corporation, and economic development and industrial corporations.  Thus, public projects can proceed with a level of comfort.

5.         The Brownfields Tax Credit program has provided up to a 50% credit of the response action costs to achieve a cleanup within economically distressed areas, of which there are many under the applicable State program.  However, Governor Patrick vetoed an extension of this program last year and lawmakers have until August 2013 to conclude action on a further extension.

6.         The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ASTM E1527-05) is often considered the industry standard for conducting environmental due diligence in real estate transactions.  However, the scope of E1527-05 does not cover many issues that are frequently of concern in a real estate deal, such as indoor air quality or vapor intrusion, asbestos material, wetlands, regulatory compliance, business environmental risk, and subsurface (soil, groundwater) sampling.  Thus, it is important for the developer and environmental professional to consider the appropriate scope of due diligence in cases where the relatively limited scope of ASTM E1527-05 may not be sufficient.  (Also note that E1527-05 is due to be reissued this year, so some of the provisions may change, including for the soil vapor pathway.)

7.         It will be important to follow DEP’s current proposed amendments to the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP), to determine how the final regulations might affect Brownfields redevelopment.  The current draft includes changes regarding vapor intrusion, future construction on sites with remaining contamination, the close-out process (e.g., eliminating Response Action Outcome (RAO) in favor of Permanent Solutions with or without Conditions and Temporary Solutions), and the deed riders known as Activity and Use Limitations (AULs) restricting future use of a parcel.

Please contact me if you or a colleague has any questions regarding Brownfields Redevelopment, environmental contamination, or real estate or business transactions.