Brownfields

• What are brownfields?
• Why is brownfield redevelopment a good thing for the environment and my health?
• What is the Government of Ontario doing to encourage brownfields redevelopment?
• What is a Record of Site Condition?

What are brownfields?

Brownfields are abandoned, idle, or under-utilized industrial and commercial properties where the previous property use caused environmental contamination. The land may need to be cleaned up before it can be redeveloped.

There may be as many as 30,000 such sites in Canada. They include old and abandoned refineries, former railway yards, old waterfronts, crumbling warehouses, abandoned gas stations, former drycleaners and other commercial properties where toxic substances may have been used or stored. Left idle and unmanaged, brownfields pose risks to human health and the environment because of the toxic materials left behind.

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Why is brownfield redevelopment a good thing for the environment and my health?

Redeveloping contaminated sites helps protect the environment and health of Ontarians – not only for those living or working near them.

Brownfields remediation turns abandoned, contaminated lots into useful, safe land. Redeveloping a brownfield eliminates health and safety hazards and leads to improved air, water and soil quality. The environmental benefits include increased land preservation, more brownfields sites cleaned and reused, less urban sprawl and increased preservation of open spaces.

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What is the Government of Ontario doing to encourage brownfields redevelopment?

• Read about what the Government of Ontario is doing to encourage brownfields redevelopment.
• Read about the Deloro Mine Site Cleanup Project.

What is a Record of Site Condition?

Read about Records of Site Condition – Ontario Regulation 153/04, technical updates and guidance documents