Brownfields and Solid Waste

In Alaska, brownfield redevelopment and solid waste management often overlap in communities dealing with petroleum contaminated soils, abandoned structures, legacy dump sites, or remote disposal challenges. Many brownfield properties contain waste streams such as petroleum contamination, buried drums, construction and demolition material, or historical community dumps that must be managed safely. Many rural communities in Alaska rely on Class III unlined landfills, which have more restrictive requirements for the types of waste that can be accepted. These limitations can complicate brownfield cleanup projects, especially when debris, contaminated soil, or demolition materials cannot be disposed of locally.

Waste management must meet the ADEC Solid Waste regulations and specific landfill permitting before redevelopment can move forward. DEC supports communities at this intersection by:

Evaluating waste during brownfield assessments to identify materials that require special handling or disposal.
Coordinating with the Solid Waste Program when brownfield sites involve old landfills, unpermitted dumps, or waste disposal areas that now pose environmental or public health risks.
Ensuring proper waste characterization and disposal planning so that contaminated soil, building debris, hazardous building materials, or other waste from cleanup activities can be managed in compliance with Alaska regulations.
Integrating redevelopment goals with local waste infrastructure, ensuring that cleanup activities do not overwhelm community disposal capacity.

By linking brownfield assessment with solid waste management expertise, DEC helps communities clean up properties, protect health and the environment, and prepare sites for safe and productive reuse.

These resources provide practical guidance on how to handle and dispose of wastes commonly found at brownfield sites safely and in compliance with state requirements: