Overview


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) entered into a Bilateral Agreement in 1990 to study each country's efforts in developing and demonstrating remedial technologies. The overall objective of the Bilateral Agreement is for each partner country to gain a comprehensive understanding of the other's approach and to foster the exchange of know how and information between both countries and thus to open up synergies. It is planned to initiate common projects in order to evaluate promising and innovative approaches and tools that would facilitate redevelopment projects. The bilateral agreement is being implemented in a phased approach: Phase I and II, 20 technologies at sites in the United States (U.S.) and Germany were evaluated according to U.S. and German protocols. Phase III will focuses on providing tools or techniques to reduce or remove barriers to the redevelopment of contaminated sites.

Redevelopment of sites contaminated with environmentally toxic or hazardous materials is a global concern that requires an integrated approach to mitigate the risks to human health and the environment. Many of these types of sites are referred to as brownfields. There are many issues associated with redeveloping lands. These sites are idle, under-utilized sites from old industrial cities or smaller rural towns located near mining and timber mills. The underlying theme or deterrent to redeveloping brownfields sites is the real or perceived contamination. The third phase of the U.S./German Bilateral Agreement focuses on four areas:
  1. understanding approaches to redevelopment in each country
  2. demonstrate innovative approaches to redevelopment
  3. mutual participation in developing a strategy for sustainable land management
  4. facilitate sharing of ideas and experiences.
To identify innovative approaches, tools, or technologies that would facilitate the redevelopment of contaminated sites, EPA and the BMBF are applying a systematic approach. EPA and the BMBF have examined the influences of redevelopment including regulatory enforcement, risk, funding, community involvement, and exposure mitigation as they relate to Superfund and brownfields sites. Phase III of the U.S/German bilateral workgroup allows each country to learn more about the partner's environmental regulations, policies and guidelines. This understanding may influence the evolution of cleanup and assessment approaches to redevelopment in each country and may help to standardize processes on an international level.

Characterization (German Summary)