Brownfields Assessment

During the past couple years, the Planning Office of the Autonomous Municipality of Canóvanas (the Municipality) has been collecting the necessary information on abandoned properties suspected of contamination establishing an inventory database.

MARLIN was tasked by the Municipality to conduct an inventory for the Brownfields Assessment Petroleum and Hazardous Substance Programs. The main goal of updating the property inventory is to revitalize Downtown Canóvanas and highly used areas. The proposed inventory update is an effort of continuance that will help the Municipality with its intention of revitalizing impacted areas throughout its territory, especially the urban center and the Ausubo Forest area. Land revitalization puts previously contaminated properties back into productive use. Reusing clean-up sites protect public health and the environment by preventing sprawl, preserving green space and reinvigorating communities.

Sites were selected based on a series of criterions such as redevelopment potential, population and environmental health, legal aspects, and financial considerations. These criterions allow to conduct a leveled, fair, appropriate, and overall verifiable evaluation of each site, and comprehensive to any person not familiarized with the evaluation process.