Georgia
Brownfield Program
Georgia Brownfield Program
Georgia's brownfield program is run by the Brownfield Unit of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) under the Georgia Brownfield Act, which EPD cites as O.C.G.A. 12-8-200 and which was formerly the Hazardous Site Reuse and Redevelopment Act. The Act gives prospective purchasers of contaminated properties liability protection from third party claims arising from past releases and from groundwater cleanup. In exchange, they must investigate and clean up soil and source material to meet the state's risk reduction standards.
In a Phase I ESA
EPD's brownfield properties are the Georgia form of the state brownfield records that ASTM E1527-21 lists as a standard source. The general reading of a brownfields listing is on the Brownfields page. Four Georgia details shape how to read one.
- The bargain is about soil and source material. The cleanup duty EPD describes covers soil and source material, and the protection covers groundwater cleanup. Read what the file says about groundwater at a brownfield property.
- The protection is for prospective purchasers. The Act's liability protection is open to prospective purchasers. EPD says the corrective action plan approval letter serves as the prospective purchaser agreement, and the final limitation of liability certificate serves as the ready for reuse determination.
- A non-residential cleanup is a land use limit. EPD says the certification of compliance with the residential or non-residential standard functions as a de facto land use restriction. A property certified to the non-residential standard is subject to revocation of its limitation of liability certificate if it is later used or developed for residential purposes, and to enforcement under the Hazardous Site Response Act.
- Engineered controls bring a covenant. Where source material or soil cannot be removed or decontaminated, engineered controls are required, with a restrictive covenant detailing their maintenance and monitoring. EPD says the covenant runs with the land and binds current and future owners. See Uniform Environmental Covenants.
A tax incentive passed in 2003 lets a prospective purchaser recoup eligible brownfield costs through abatement of property taxes. EPD certifies the costs, and the purchaser applies to the local taxing authority.
What the record shows
EPD says it has kept a public record of properties where voluntary actions are underway or complete under the Act since receiving federal funding in federal fiscal year 2004. The record has two parts.
The Brownfield Public Listing is a summary table of properties for which a brownfield application has been received. Both Hazardous Site Inventory properties and other properties are shown.
| What the listing shows | How EPD says to read it |
|---|---|
| Cleanup plan date | The approval date of the corrective action plan |
| Cleanup complete date | The approval date of the compliance status report |
| Risk Reduction Standard | The residential or non-residential standard achieved. To Be Determined (TBD) while investigation and cleanup are underway |
| Use Restricted | Restricted means the soil was brought into compliance with the non-residential standard, or exposure is controlled through engineered and institutional controls. TBD while work is underway |
| Type 5 RRS | Yes where compliance was achieved through engineered and institutional controls |
A property still under investigation or cleanup has only a cleanup plan date. The standards are on the Risk Reduction Standards page.
The larger part is the documents: approved corrective action plans, approved compliance status reports, plan approval letters, final limitation of liability certificates and risk assessment comments, among others.
Petroleum has its own reviewer: a unit of the Underground Storage Tank Management Program reviews closure reports and corrective action plans for petroleum groundwater impacts at sites under the Brownfield Program.
Where to look a site up
- The Brownfield Public Listing, linked from EPD's Brownfield page.
- GEOS, the Georgia EPD Online System. EPD says more recent submittals may be available there for general users to review. Since July 1, 2020, EPD no longer accepts physical documents for brownfield applications and reporting.
- The Brownfield Unit is at 404.657.8600.
Getting the file
EPD says the files for brownfield properties are available for review by appointment at 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 1052, East Tower, Atlanta, from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. An appointment is requested by email at the address on EPD's Land Branch Open Records Requests page. Requests under the Georgia Open Records Act go through EPD's Open Records Request Portal.
Sources
Georgia Environmental Protection Division pages, read October 7, 2026:
- Brownfield, last modified August 14, 2026.
- LPB Program and Units, last modified June 30, 2026.
- GEOS Training and Technical Assistance, last modified October 5, 2026.
- Land Branch Open Records Requests, last modified July 29, 2026.