Proponents of a brownfield remediation and redevelopment bill approved by lawmakers and Gov. Kay Ivey say it could lead to new uses for old and potentially polluted industrial sites in Alabama.
“It’s going to allow individuals to sell their industrial sites,” Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollingers Island, told Alabama Daily News about House Bill 378. “It allows buyers to come in and not assume liability — that’s always been the issue on these big, old industrial sites.”
A brownfield, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is property “which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.”
Under the new law, owners of brownfields can voluntarily work with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to have the property assessed for pollutants. The department will create a Brownfield Remediation Reserve Fund and assess a $500 per acre fee on properties.
The fund would be used for remediation costs, capped at $4 million per property.
Once the property is assessed, new buyers only have responsibility for any damage to the property from the time they take ownership.