Comparing contaminated property redevelopment for mandatory and Voluntary Cleanup Programs in California

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning
• Environmental Policy

Background:

• Contaminated property redevelopment is crucial for urban renewal.
• Two main cleanup approaches exist in California: mandatory (CalSites) and voluntary (Voluntary Cleanup Program - VCP).
• CalSites follow CERCLA liability, while VCPs use a risk-based approach (RBA) allowing residual contamination for non-residential use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare redevelopment outcomes for properties under mandatory versus voluntary cleanup programs in California.
• To determine if the risk-based approach of VCPs influences the type of redevelopment (residential vs. industrial).

Main Methods:

• Analysis of redevelopment data from California contaminated properties.
• Comparison of redevelopment proportions (residential, industrial, mixed-use) between CalSites and VCP properties.
• Statistical analysis to assess trends and differences between the two cleanup programs.

Main Results:

• A general trend towards increased residential redevelopment of contaminated sites was observed.
• VCP properties showed a weaker trend towards residential redevelopment compared to CalSites.
• This suggests the risk-based approach in VCPs may slightly favor non-residential (e.g., industrial) redevelopment.

Conclusions:

• Both mandatory and voluntary cleanup programs in California are leading to significant residential redevelopment of contaminated sites.
• The risk-based approach of the Voluntary Cleanup Program appears to moderately influence redevelopment choices, resulting in comparatively less residential development than the mandatory approach.
• Further research could explore specific factors within the RBA that influence redevelopment decisions.