Brownfields Program

Brownfields Redevelopment Act  

The primary goals of the Brownfields Redevelopment Act are to reduce public health and environmental hazards on existing commercial and industrial sites that are abandoned or underused, create financial and regulatory incentives to encourage voluntary cleanup and redevelopment of sites, and derive appropriate cleanup target levels.  Additionally, the act  provides a process for obtaining a "No Further Action" letter using risk-based corrective action principles along with  the opportunity for environmental equity and justice. Please view the Memorandum of Agreement between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Region 4 for complete information.

Brownfields Program Incentives:

• Voluntary Cleanup Tax Credits (VCTC).
  • Partially offsets the cost of site rehabilitation or solid waste removal.
• Cleanup liability protection as provided under Florida Statute (F.S.) 376.82.
• Regulatory framework for cleanup:
  • Risk-based corrective action.
  • Dedicated staff.
  • Expedited technical review.
• Up to $2,500 Job Bonus Tax Refund:
  • For each new job created by an eligible business on or abutting a site with a Brownfield Site Rehabilitation Agreement (BSRA).
  • This bonus is available to any eligible company, including those that do not fall under one of the targeted industries.
  • This incentive is approved by Florida Commerce (formerly the Department of Economic Opportunity [DEO]). To apply, please contact Maureen Smith by email or phone at 850-245-7227.  
• Refund on Sales and Use Tax Paid on Building Materials:
  • Offered through the Department of Revenue (DOR), this refund applies to building materials used in the construction of a qualified home, affordable housing, or mixed-use affordable housing projects built on or abutting a site with a BSRA.
  • The completion of the following two DOR applications is necessary to apply:
    • DOR Form DR-26S.
    • DOR Form DR-26RP.
• For a list of possible local incentives, read section 376.84, F.S. and contact your local government.

Brownfield Areas and Sites:

• Brownfields Designated Area and Site Rehabilitation Agreement Documentation by County.
• DEP Brownfields Geoviewer - a mapping tool designed to help you locate existing brownfield areas and sites in the state of Florida.
• DEP Monthly Reports:
  • Designated Brownfield Areas.
  • Executed BSRAs.

 BSRA Documents:

• Model BSRA with Site Access Agreement.
• Model RCRA BSRA with Site Access Agreement.
• Model BSRA Amendment.
• Model Assignment and Assumption Agreement for BSRA.
• BSRA Checklist.

Brownfield Grant Opportunities:

• The Site-Specific Activity (SSA)/Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) Program, which is authorized and funded by Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation Liability Act (CERCLA) Section 128(a) under the State and Tribal Response Program (SRP), is designed to help communities — especially those without EPA Brownfields Grants — minimize the uncertainties of contamination often associated with brownfields.
• EPA’s Brownfields Program provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, tribes, and others to assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated properties. 

Other Florida Brownfields Program Resources:

• With the goal of better understanding the impacts of federal funding on communities through brownfields redevelopment, DEP utilized U.S. EPA CERCLA 128(a) grant funds to initiate a collaboration with the Center for Brownfields Research and Redevelopment at the University of South Florida. This ongoing partnership resulted in the development of the Florida Brownfields Redevelopment Atlas, an online geospatial tool that can be used to evaluate social, economic and environmental metrics in the areas surrounding Brownfields.
• Brownfields District Contacts.
• Brownfields Contacts for Delegated Counties.
• DEP Geospatial Open Data.
• EPA EnviroMapper.
• Brownfields Redevelopment Program Annual Reports.
• Outreach Materials:
  • Florida Brownfields Program Brochure (updated 02/28/2024).
  • SSA / TBA Informational Flyer (updated 02/28/2024).

Subscribe for Brownfields Program updates.
For more information, contact the Brownfields Program Manager:

Scott Sweeney, Environmental Manager
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Mail Station 4535
2600 Blair Stone Road
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400

850-245-8958

Scott.L.Sweeney@FloridaDEP.gov