Brownfield land and what your soil remembers
Source: EPA FRS ACRES · EPA
580,074 former commercial sites in the federal database.
What it is
The federal record
Brownfields are former commercial or industrial properties where legacy contamination — heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, residual petroleum compounds — may persist in the soil. The EPA's ACRES database tracks 580,074 of them. Unlike Superfund sites, brownfields span a wide spectrum of severity: a former dry cleaner has a very different risk profile than a former gas station or a defunct print shop. Many sites have completed cleanup under EPA or state programs and operate with institutional controls; others have only been characterized, never remediated. The label by itself doesn't tell you which is which.
Key facts
At a glance
Tracked sites
580,074
EPA FRS ACRES
Analysis radius
3.1 mi
Growable Ground
Severity tier
High
Growable Ground
Why it isn't a verdict
The constructive read
Brownfields reward reading. Cleanup status, the property's historic use, and the contaminants of concern are all public — and once you have them, the path forward usually clarifies. Many brownfields have been transformed into community gardens with the EPA's Brownfields-to-Greenfields framework; the program exists precisely because raised beds with imported soil and barrier fabric let safe food production happen on land with a complicated past. The contamination is real, the constraints are real, and the affordances are real, too.
What to do
The playbook
Start with the property's history — former dry cleaners (PCE, TCE), gas stations (BTEX), and metal-working shops (lead, chromium) leave different fingerprints. Check the EPA ACRES record for cleanup status; partial or completed remediation reduces residual risk substantially. Test native soil for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium) and PAHs before growing food. For any food crop, raised beds with imported clean soil over a geotextile barrier are the conservative default — and the standard EPA Brownfields-to-Greenfields recommendation. With those steps, brownfield land becomes growable land.
Mitigation steps
Concrete moves, in order
- 1Check EPA brownfield remediation status — many sites have completed cleanup with institutional controls.
- 2Use raised beds with imported clean soil and barrier fabric over former commercial/industrial land.
- 3Test native soil for heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium) and PAHs before growing food crops.
- 4Former dry cleaners (PCE/TCE) and gas stations (BTEX) have different risk profiles — identify the former use.
- 5Community gardens on brownfield sites should follow EPA Brownfields-to-Greenfields best practices.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to garden on a brownfield?
Often, yes — with raised beds and imported clean soil. The EPA's Brownfields-to-Greenfields framework is built around exactly that pattern. Soil testing first, then a geotextile barrier and imported media, opens most brownfield sites to food production safely.
What contaminants are typical in a brownfield?
It depends on the former use. Dry cleaners leave chlorinated solvents (PCE, TCE); gas stations leave BTEX; older industrial sites often have lead, arsenic, and PAHs. The property's history is the best predictor — and most former uses are public record.
How do I find out if my land sits on a former brownfield?
The EPA ACRES database is searchable by address. State environmental agencies also maintain registries. The platform flags any ACRES-tracked site within 3.1 mi of your land.
See what's near your land
Enter your address. We screen all nine federal contamination sources against your exact location, then read the result alongside soil, sun, and climate.