Amy Dzialowski (Oklahoma), Paul Nicholson, PEng (Ontario), Paula Hutchison, PEng (Ontario), Randy Brandt, PG (Nevada), and Howard Cumberland (Oregon), will present at the 2023 National Brownfields Training Conference at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan, August 8 through 11, 2023. Geosyntec is sponsoring the registration display and the community reception on the Detroit Princess Riverboat. Our practitioners will be available throughout the conference at booth 407.

Amy is a Senior Principal Consultant specializing in environmental planning, stakeholder engagement, public-private partnership development, compliance, and program funding.

Paul is a Principal Environmental Engineer with more than 18 years of experience focusing on assessing and mitigating human health risks associated with subsurface vapor intrusion.

Paula is a Senior Principal Engineer based in Ontario with more than 16 years of experience focusing on environmental due diligence and compliance, contaminated site management, and brownfield redevelopment on behalf of clients in Canada, the United States, and internationally.

Randy is a Senior Principal Geologist based in California with more than 30 years of management and technical experience with environmental and hazardous waste issues. He has focused on development and implementation of environmental restoration programs for contaminated hazardous waste sites and brownfields, ranging in size from gasoline service stations to closed military bases.

Howard is a Senior Principal Marine Scientist based in Oregon with more than 30 years of experience focused on remedial strategies. He often develops and implements remedial investigation, design, and restoration solutions associated with contaminated sediments and waterfront development activities.

The National Brownfields Training Conference brings together stakeholders from government, industry, and the community to share knowledge and best practices to support remediation and redevelopment of contaminated properties, known as brownfields. The conference features a range of sessions, workshops, and networking events that cover topics such as financing, liability, and community engagement, with the goal of promoting the cleanup and revitalization of contaminated sites across the United States.

Amy will present Placekeeping: Inclusive, Ethical, and Place-Based Brownfields Redevelopment.
August 10, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. EDT

Historically disadvantaged neighborhoods, experiencing growth through redevelopment, often face intense gentrification pressure as traditional development takes off. To prevent displacement, some community developers are creating a new model for placekeeping. Oklahoma City’s PlaceKeepers is a real estate and small business development program designed to empower minority residents and stakeholders. Placekeepers works to overcome generations of red lining and other obstacles by engaging residents as real estate developers, business owners, and job creators. Using training and mentoring and integrating developer networks and investment funds, PlaceKeepers expects to increase minority-led development and homeownership at levels that offset the displacement caused by gentrification. Panelists will provide their perspective on how they have successfully created opportunity, mentoring, and ally programs to prevent displacement and provide community-powered reuse.

Paul will present Vapor Intrusion Through the Brownfield Redevelopment Process.
August 9, 2023, at 12:05 p.m. EDT

The redevelopment of contaminated lands involves the revitalization of vacant or underused properties into productive uses. This process can often involve a change to a more sensitive land use (e.g., industrial to residential). The risk assessment process can identify areas requiring remediation to reduce risk prior to redevelopment; however, some level of risk management measures remain for newly constructed buildings on contaminated sites. Vapor intrusion (VI) is typically the key risk driver following redevelopment. Proactive consideration of VI through the brownfield process can reduce redevelopment costs and provide information for optimized vapor intrusion mitigation systems. Several example sites will be provided to show how including VI assessment throughout the process can result in the successful redevelopment of contaminated sites.

Paula will present Perspective from Ontario: Revitalizing Legacy Urban Properties for Industrial/Commercial Land Use.
August 10, 2023, at 12:05 p.m. EDT

When transforming vacant lands to viable properties, Ontario’s Record of Site Condition (RSC) process is used to redevelop brownfield sites. This regulatory program requires assessment of the environmental condition of a property and allows for redevelopment by meeting generic criteria or site-specific criteria developed through a risk assessment. This presentation will provide an overview of the RSC process. While the RSC process is mandatory when there is change to a more sensitive land use (e.g., industrial to residential), this brownfield framework has also been used to support redevelopment of complex contaminated sites for beneficial industrial/commercial/community reuse. Several examples of success will be shared. Warning: will use metric units and discuss vapour intrusion!

Randy will present Your problem? My problem? Whose problem is it? The LLP Conundrum.
August 9, 2023, at 11:45 a.m. EDT

The specter of strict, joint and several liability under CERCLA and analogous state laws, has been a primary driver for Environmental Assessments in Commercial Real Estate Transactions. Familiarity with CERCLA, and especially potential landowner liability protections (LLPs), is crucial to understanding potential liability exposure when purchasing Brownfield properties. In 2002, CERCLA Amendments established LLPs against CERCLA liability. Twenty-one years later, confusion still exists about what steps are necessary to rely on the LLPs, and many state laws don’t afford the same protections as the federal law. This session will discuss property pre-acquisition requirements, post-acquisition requirements, and implications of state laws on the LLPs. Case law summaries will be presented for current legal interpretations of LLPs for cases involving Brownfield property acquisition.

Howard will present Climate resiliency is just around the brownfield riverbend: A Waterfront Toronto Story.
August 9, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. EDT

The redevelopment of waterfront brownfield properties not only poses unique environmental challenges, but often also requires balancing an integrated climate resilient design with the desire and ability to reconnect and enhance a community’s connection to the water. Learn about how the Waterfront Toronto Port Lands Flood Protection and Enabling Infrastructure Project aims to construct an extensive park system and new naturalized river valley, approximately 1 mile long, through former industrial land, connecting the existing Don River to Lake Ontario. This project provides many lessons on implementing an integrated environmental design that incorporates beneficial reuse and climate resiliency while returning land to its naturalized state and opening up areas for development of a new neighborhood in the heart of Toronto.

More Information

About the event: Conference Overview | Brownfields 2023
For consultation regarding brownfields, contact Amy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Learn more about Amy: Amy Dzialowski | LinkedIn
Learn more about Paul: Paul Nicholson (geosyntec.com)
Learn more about Paula: Paula Hutchison (geosyntec.com)
Learn more about Randy: Randy Brandt (geosyntec.com)
Learn more about Howard: Howard Cumberland (geosyntec.com)