MassDEP outlines how residents, cities can identify and remediate brownfields

Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection officials told residents that vacant or underused former industrial properties—commonly called brownfields—can pose health and safety risks but also offer opportunities for cleanup, open space and housing when properly assessed and remediated.

At a virtual Q&A, Deneen Simpson, director of environmental justice at the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, asked what local people should look for and whom to contact if they suspect a brownfield in their neighborhood. "Brownfields properties are sites that are typically commercial or industrial in the past... and so importantly, it's underutilized," said David Foss, a certified professional geologist and licensed site professional who serves as MassDEP's statewide brownfields coordinator. Foss said underuse can be driven by actual contamination in soil or groundwater, or even by the "perception" that contamination exists, which can stall redevelopment.

The issue matters because neglected sites can be public-safety hazards and environmental health risks, and because cleanup can deliver community benefits. "One of the biggest improvements that we can do with brownfields redevelopment is actually eliminating contamination," Foss said, noting common cleanup tasks such as removing contaminated soil or building materials that contain asbestos or lead paint. He added that redevelopment can create parks, community gardens, waterfront access and new housing, including workforce and affordable units.

Foss and Abby Anderson, MassDEP's Bureau of Waste Site Cleanup brownfields and environmental justice coordinator, urged residents to start with their local board of health if they believe a property is hazardous. Foss said MassDEP maintains regional brownfields coordinators and staff in all regions of the state who can provide site history, explain testing already performed, and coordinate with municipalities to secure unsafe properties (for example, by fencing or boarding doors and windows).

MassDEP also enforces state cleanup regulations and provides technical continuity and oversight for long-running sites. "We have staff that have been involved with the site often for the whole time that it's been in our regulatory system," Foss said, adding that work can span years or decades and that department staff help ensure parties performing assessments and cleanups follow the regulations. He said a newer function is providing a network for community engagement, with staff who assist environmental justice communities and municipal officials in understanding what testing and cleanup steps are needed.

On funding, Foss said MassDEP began receiving a second type of federal funding in 2024 to support assessment and, in some cases, cleanup for properties—focusing on gateway cities, urban areas and communities with environmental justice concerns. "We can work with those cities to actually identify properties for assessment... and in some cases, we can assist with cleanup," Foss said. Anderson added that MassDEP's environmental justice coordinators and regional outreach coordinators can connect residents with the staff most familiar with a specific city or town.

The officials emphasized that not every vacant or run-down building is a brownfield in the technical sense, and that the first public-safety steps often concern securing an abandoned building. Foss said residents should report hazards or suspected contamination to their local board of health and to MassDEP if they want the department to provide technical or regulatory support.

For questions about a property, Abby Anderson said, "please do not hesitate to reach out to me," and noted that MassDEP has environmental justice coordinators in each regional office who can connect callers with local outreach staff.

MassDEP officials did not propose any new regulations or local actions during the session; the discussion focused on explaining existing programs, outreach channels and the departmental role in enforcing cleanup requirements and supporting assessment and community engagement.