Overview: U.S. courts have held that a buyer, lessor, or lender of property may be held responsible for remediation of hazardous substance residues on that property, even if a prior owner caused the contamination; performance of a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, according to the courts' reasoning, creates a 'safe harbor' known as the 'Innocent Landowner Defense' for such a new purchaser or his lenders.

Environmental Management arranges for environmental site assessments (ESAs) to be performed on prospective UAB property acquisitions so that the University can claim the Innocent Landowner Defense if necessary. These assessments are designed to identify potential and existing pollution liabilities associated with these properties. If contamination is found, Environmental Management is also responsible for ensuring that the appropriate remediation of soils and/or groundwater is accomplished per the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) Brownfield Redevelopment and Voluntary Cleanup Program. We coordinate closely with the UAB Real Estate Office in scheduling these ESAs, interpreting the data in the reports and arranging for any needed remediation.

Contact Person: J. David Hagan

Phone number: 205-934-8576
Email address: jdhagan@uab.edu

Forms or Guides:
ADEM: Brownfields Cleanup

Links:
ADEM: What Are Brownfields?