Texas Brownfields Site Assessments Program

Under its Brownfields Site Assessments Program, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) uses a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to carry out site assessments, including Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, for local governments and nonprofit organizations that are not responsible parties. The assessments support commercial real estate transactions and redevelopment.

In a Phase I ESA

TCEQ's brownfields sites are the Texas 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.

Two things follow from how the program works.

• Earlier assessments may already exist. The program's service is the assessment itself. If the property or a neighbor is on TCEQ's brownfields list, ask for the reports.
• The applicant is not a potentially liable or responsible party. TCEQ's eligibility rules leave out potentially liable or responsible parties, private owners and developers.

Who can use the program

TCEQ lists as eligible: states, cities, local governments, tribes, nonprofit organizations, regional councils of governments, and redevelopment agencies.

TCEQ lists as not eligible: potentially liable or responsible parties, private owners, and developers.

TCEQ lists two rule sets for the program: the Texas Risk Reduction Program rules, which govern the cleanup of most remediation sites in Texas, and the storage tank rules, which govern the cleanup of releases from petroleum storage tanks.

Where to look a site up

• TCEQ links a map viewer and a site list for its brownfields sites from the Brownfields Site Assessments Program page.
• Questions go to brownfields@tceq.texas.gov or 1-833-436-3271.
• The Railroad Commission of Texas has its own brownfields program. TCEQ's page links to it.

Getting the file

TCEQ offers three routes to its records: TCEQ Records Online for records already scanned, an email to the Central File Room (cfrreq@tceq.texas.gov) to view or copy paper and microform records, and a Public Information Request for records that are not available through the file room or that contain confidential information.

Sources

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality pages, read September 30, 2026:

• Brownfields Site Assessments Program, last modified May 29, 2026.
• Applying for the Brownfields Assessment Program, last modified August 12, 2026.
• Remediation Program Descriptions, last modified July 17, 2026.
• Remediation: Cleaning up Contaminated Sites, last modified March 18, 2026.
• Access Records from our Central File Room, last modified July 17, 2026.