What are "brownfields" and why are they so important? Essentially, brownfields are unused industrial properties that are cleaned up and restored to productive use through an environmental, legislative, and industrial collective. The program exemplifies teamwork through its unique cohesion of sectors that do not always see matters on the same level. Brownfields programs find environmentalists, industrialists, and community leaders hashing out differences to create regional assets from dead property. 

The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines 'brownfields' as, "abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination". Since the EPA awarded its first brownfields pilot to Cuyahoga County, Ohio in November of 1993, that site (the abandoned Sunar-Hauserman property) has netted local government over $1 million and created almost 200 new jobs! Further pilots have been awarded since, with seventy-five (75) $200,000 assessment pilots to be awarded in 1998. Since this initial success, states have followed the federal suit. Indeed, the federal brownfields program seeks to empower regional government and industry through a cleaner environment, an enhanced tax base, new jobs, and revitalizing optimism. 

Potentially, everyone stands to win with Brownfields: states (enhance their tax base without building further infrastructure), municipalities (lighten the financial load for regional clean-up projects), environmentalists (clean-up standards remain high while preventing exponential growth into open spaces), residents (cleaner living space and economic revitalization), and industry (maintain good standing in their respective communities through such good faith measures and exemption from environmental liability during remediation). The teamwork associated with brownfields programs will certainly prove beneficial in lightening the estimated $650 billion to remediate up to 450,000 sites nationwide.

SCE Environmental Group is in the business of enhancing property values through in-house and associated expertise. 

SCE Environmental Group services for restoration and value enhancement of environmentally impaired (Brownfield) properties that can be applied to both operating and closed industrial and commercial facilities, as well as undeveloped land, include:

Strategic construction and cost strategies Reduction/Elimination of environmental liabilities Construction management Financial partnering relationships

What sets SCE Environmental Group apart from its competition is its global approach to the real estate transaction and the guarantee of success with both routine and difficult environmentally impaired property projects.
 

Our Approach

SCE Environmental Group’s approach to maximizing property value for sale or re-use is comprehensive and integrated - that is, real estate analysis, construction limitations, future land use ideas, and environmental risk reduction strategy happening as a coordinated effort. It is SCE's aim to complement the owner’s and engineer's expertise to complete the process successfully. The differences in SCE's effort project-to-project will depend on what answers are already known and how much expertise the owner or engineer/consultant has in-house. SCE has teamed up with developers, engineers, consultants, and real estate professionals to locate, acquire, investigate, clean up and reuse distressed properties throughout the Eastern United States.

• Land use opportunities and constraints
• Integration of resources
• Reduction of remedial efforts
• Guarantee of costs
• State-certified completion
• Turnkey project management
• Increase in property value

Early steps of the preparation process include discovering the opportunities and constraints of the project. 

Environmental cleanup cost estimates are developed by SCE concurrent with the consultant's re-use alternatives planning to reduce risk by controlling exposure to the contaminated areas and media that in turn will reduce cleanup costs. The remediation plan for the property cleanup is integrated with the land re-use plan.  Once the environmental impairments to a property are thoroughly known, SCE can price the cleanup at a guaranteed cost. This can be done because of the depth of SCE personnel expertise and the ability to obtain insurance against variances. 

The culmination of this integrated and comprehensive effort to prepare a property for sale or re-use will be an increase in market value. Having represented both buyers and sellers in property transfer transactions, SCE personnel maintain relationships with investors and developers that may be interested in the acquisition of a Brownfield property. 

Commercial Approach. There are several contractual approaches that can be utilized by clients to address the preparation of a property for sale or re-use. The approaches are dependent upon client in-house capabilities and desire for support. Each approach emphasizes different aspects of the managerial chain of responsibilities. 

SCE could serve as a turnkey single point-of-contact for a client directing all engineers, consultants, subcontractors, and specialists. In this capacity, SCE would retain full responsibility and liability for the project and would provide a client with indemnification and performance bonds as required. 

If you have distressed property to sell or would like a teaming partner on an existing property, please Contact Us for a confidential evaluation of your project.