Brownfield and Demolition Industries Work in Tandem

By Michael R. Taylor, CAE

The redevelopment of environmentally impaired properties often includes demolition. Property owners, developers, planners, architects, environmental engineering contractors and government agencies are turning to the demolition industry when revitalizing sites. Fortunately, most of today’s demolition specialists possess the skill set needed to clean up brownfield sites. 

Many demolition contractors are regularly brought in to work in tandem with those responsible for the complex job of environmental remediation and site clearance.
Some contractors are called in to perform in emergency environmental situations, such as hazardous material spills or underground tank leakage, while others are involved in long-range, planned remediation.

Staffing of most demolition contracting firms that also handle environmental remediation may include technical managers, engineers and an experienced HAZMAT labor force to support the effort. These specialists need to know how to recognize, identify, collect, and remove hazardous substances that may be present in the structures and the surrounding soil and possibly, groundwater.

Demolition contractors can get structures down and cleaned up in the most cost-effective manner that protects the environment. Remediating sites and revitalizing them has become a core business for both the demolition and construction industries.

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