Brownfields to School Sites: How Can the State Facilitate Cleanup To Build Essential Schools?

This document presents background information and testimony concerning the cleanup of potentially contaminated vacant or underutilized property for use as future school sites in low-income and minority communities. Various proposals are offered that would allow the state, where necessary, to facilitate the cleanup of these "brownfields" to create safe schools and meet the demand for classroom space in underprivileged areas. Testimony covers the need to remediate brownfields for school sites in urban areas; the current process for evaluating environmental conditions and conducting cleanup; and the current funding mechanisms. The final section provides a roundtable discussion on how to make the process work better. (GR)