Brownfield / Abandoned Brownfield Cleanup Program

Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 32-760, 32-768 (Chapter 588gg)

CGS § 32-760 defines a "brownfield" as any abandoned or underutilized site where redevelopment, reuse or expansion has not occurred due to the presence or potential presence of pollution in the buildings, soil or groundwater that requires investigation or remediation. The Abandoned Brownfield Cleanup Program under CGS § 32-768, administered by the Commissioner of Economic and Community Development (DECD) in consultation with the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), provides liability relief to an eligible person who intends to acquire title to a brownfield that has been unused or significantly underused for at least five years, who did not establish the contamination or affiliate with the responsible party, and where the party responsible for the pollution is indeterminable, no longer in existence, or otherwise unable to perform the remediation; the eligible person is shielded from liability for pre-acquisition contamination so long as they enter and comply with the voluntary remediation program and do not exacerbate conditions.