Brownfields Redevelopment  Toolbox

Step 4 - Implementation  

STEP 4: Implementation (sub-directory)

Begin the Project

Implement Risk Management Strategies  

During the finalization and approval of redevelopment plans the municipality should be prepared to implement risk management strategies to avoid potential liability. Risk management strategies, tools and products, such as insurance products and the adoption of due diligence practices previously investigated, should now be purchased and/or implemented. 

The municipality as well as developers, stakeholders and practitioners that will be working on the brownfield project should be protected from liability and risk exposure.

Establish Timelines and Milestones

Upon any approvals and amendments required, the Municipal Team and developer should define and adhere to specific timelines and milestones. Flexibility should be built into the schedule. For example the remediation/cleanup of the project can be spread out over phases.

The municipality should continue to aid developers throughout the project to ensure success. For instance, the Municipal Team should prepare ahead of time documentation and required contact information for:

  • Regional contacts for provincial regulators and agencies,
  • Municipal departments and the Municipal Team,
  • Local professionals and other practitioners involved in the cleanup and development phase such as consultants, contractors, developers, planners, architects, labour unions, etc.
Decommission and Demolish

If a site requires decommissioning or demolishing there will be a lot of debris and materials on site that may be useful as raw materials. The background, historical uses of the site and information uncovered during site investigations should have provided a good base of information as to what materials are located on the site.

If construction debris can be reused on-site as fill materials, sold as commodities or used/reused in the actual construction of the project there will be a considerable savings in time and cost. Cost savings includes reduced transportation and tipping fees for disposal at a landfill or recycling depot as well as clean fill materials or new construction materials. 

The developer, municipality and regulators should assess the recovered materials, debris and waste on-site and agree as to which materials will comply with regulations and appropriate construction standards and not impact the risk assessment. 

 Remediate and Cleanup

The Phase II ESA and Integrated Site Management Plan should have provided a very strong base and direction for the development plans, and where cleanup and remediation should be directed.

Recall the Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments should have identified:
  • Chemicals of concerns (metals, hydrocarbons, and other inorganic and organic compounds)
  • Site-setting and applicable cleanup or assessment criteria selection (Ontario Regulation 153)
  • Concentration of contamination through sampling and modeling
  • Underlying structures
Utilize an Integrated Site Management approach to the cleanup process. Typical components include:
  • Risk assessment and criteria selection
  • Alignment of site development and remedial objectives
  • Demolition and source removal
  • On-site material segregation and management
  • On-site treatment and reuse of materials
  • Off-site treatment and/or disposal
  • Protective barrier installation during site redevelopment
  • Site monitoring and management
During the actual cleanup and remediation of the site, new problems or scenarios not identified in the site characterization performed in the Phase I and II Environmental Assessments may sometimes be uncovered. This often occurs at very old sites that were home to decades of various uses and industries.

Potential scenarios that may be encountered during cleanup may include:
  • Former infrastructure – process lines and hydraulic equipment
  • Fill materials – at variations in topography
  • Material storage – Above ground and Underground Storage Tanks (ASTs and USTs)
  • Buried wastes – generated on site or illegally dumped
  • Equipment – sumps, effluent retention and waste treatment equipment
  • Spillage of chemicals – hazardous or toxic
  • Contamination – new or off-site migration from adjacent site activities
  • Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs)
    • Pipe insulation
    • Spray on fire-proofing
    • Floor and ceiling tiles
    • Drywall joint compound
  • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) – stored chemicals and electrical equipment
  • Lead and mercury based paint – on materials, walls, equipment or stored/buried on-site
  • Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation (UFFI) – behind walls, ceilings and floors
  • Mold – behind walls, ceilings and floors
Manage Soil and Groundwater Impacts (Site Remediation or Restoration) through:
  • Source removal
  • Bioremediation
  • Phytoremediation
  • Dual-phase extraction
  • Chemical oxidation-reduction
  • Other in-situ and ex-situ techniques available
  • Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA)
  • Encapsulation
  • Engineered controls (e.g. permeable reactive barriers, treatment walls)
  • On-going monitoring (on-site and off-site)
The site should be cleaned up to guidelines and regulations as per site-specific Risk Assessments.

 Redevelop and Construction

Upon remediation, cleanup and disposal of unwanted materials, the site or phases of the site should be ready for redevelopment and construction of the new project(s). The redevelopment may also be carried out in phases, which will provide a quicker return of investment to the developer. 

The team may provide the developer with a list of contacts for local contractors, transportation services, raw materials and goods to not only aid in the speed of development but also to stimulate economic growth of the community and community acceptance. Providing employment and business opportunities to existing companies will always lead to building a stronger relationship with the constituents of the municipality.

 Landscape Site and Community Improvement Project Areas  

Remember that a brownfield redevelopment project involves community improvement. Attracting investors to redevelop adjacent sites and create economic development will require beautification of the brownfield redevelopment as well as identified community improvement project areas. The goal is to provide a brownfield developer, the same benefits a greenfield developer receives, which includes working in a community that is aesthetically pleasing.
  • The Municipal Team should work with the developer and a landscape designer/architect to convey a flow between the new redevelopment project and the surrounding community.
  • If the project has been undertaken in a severely dilapidated neighbourhood, it is worth an investment from the municipality to undertake community improvement of infrastructure, transportation corridors and pathways, and recreational parklands.
  • Designation of surrounding communities as a Business Improvement Area (BIA) and investment into the BIA.
 Good architecture coupled with strong landscaping can provide significant interest and acceptance from the community, interested stakeholders and developers that wish to reside, work or invest into your municipality. 

At this point the only role that the Municipal Team really needs to play for a site being redeveloped is that of a liaison and advisor. The coordinator can continue to provide guidance and assistance with approvals and marketing of the site, but in essence the playing field between a brownfields site and greenfield has now been levelled.