One of the issues that has prevented local governments from being more aggressive in addressing brownfields has been liability concerns associated with existing environmental contamination. Prior to 2009, some local governments learned the hard way that placing their name in the chain of title as an "owner" exposed the local government to liability under CERCLA (i.e. Superfund) or other environmental statutes.
Ohio Passes Limited Environmental Liability Protection
Ohio attempted to address this gap in the law back in 2009. Ohio Revised Code 5722.22 provides the following liability protection to County land banks:
R.C. 5722.22 Immunity of land reutilization corporation.
A county land reutilization corporation is not liable for damages , or subject to equitable remedies, for breach of a common law duty, or for violation of sections 3737.87 to 3737.891 of the Revised Code or Chapter 3704., 3734., 3745., 3746., 3750., 3751., 3752., 6101., or 6111. of the Revised Code or any rule adopted or order, permit, license, variance, or plan approval issued under any of those chapters in connection with a parcel of land acquired by the county land reutilization corporation.
This broad immunity provision appears to allow County land banks to assemble brownfield parcels without fear of exposing the entity to liability for pre-existing contamination. However, what clearly is missing from the list of statutes in R.C. 5722.22 is a reference to CERCLA. This is because a state cannot pass legislation that provides immunity from CERCLA, only Congress could create such an exception.
Involuntary Acquisitions
Local governments are entitled to a liability defense if they acquire contaminated property involuntarily. Pursuant to § 101(20)(D) of CERCLA, a unit of state or local government will not be considered an owner or operator of contaminated property (and thus is exempt from potential CERCLA liability as a PRP) if the state or local government acquired ownership or control involuntarily. This provision includes a non-exhaustive list of examples of involuntary acquisitions, including obtaining property through bankruptcy, tax delinquency, abandonment, or “other circumstances in which the government entity involuntarily acquires title by virtue of its function as sovereign."
While this provision is useful, there are times when a municipality or land bank would like to help facilitate brownfield redevelopment by proactively acquiring property. In those circumstances, the local government will have to perform proper environmental due diligence just like any other buyer.
Municipalities and the Bona Fide Purchaser Defense
If a local government does not come into ownership of contaminated property involuntarily, it must proceed with caution in order to protect itself from liability. In situations where a local government would like to acquire contaminated property voluntarily, it must act like a private party in order to establish CERCLA liability protection- It must meet the requirements of EPA "All Appropriate Inquiries" (AAI) Rule in order to establish the Bona Fide Purchaser Defense (BFPD) to CERCLA.
EPA specifically identifies these steps in its CERCLA guidance document regarding local government acquisition of contaminated property:
While many abandoned properties that are of interest to land banks and redevelopment authorities are not likely to be contaminated, local governments should be aware that contamination and potential CERCLA liability may exist. A local government may increase the likelihood that the land bank or redevelopment authority is eligible for CERCLA liability protection by ensuring that the land bank or redevelopment authority conducts AAI prior to acquiring the property. Not only is AAI a critical requirement for obtaining most CERCLA landowner liability protections, but it also aids local governments in making informed property acquisition decisions. When acquiring abandoned contaminated properties, EPA encourages local governments to obtain BFPP status prior to acquisition if it is unclear whether other exemptions, affirmative defenses, or liability protections may apply.
Under the BFPD, the local government must perform an ASTM 1527-13 compliant Phase I environmental assessment prior to taking ownership. If potential contamination is identified, then the local government will also have to take "reasonable steps" to prevent exposures or stop ongoing releases of contamination.
County Land Banks Focus on Residential Property
Despite the environmental liability risks, some cities have been aggressive in attempting to manage brownfield properties. Municipal land banks, such as the City of Cleveland Industrial-Commercial Land bank, have assembled and even cleaned up some brownfield sites.
As discussed above, pursuant to R.C. 5722.22, County land banks have greater immunity from environmental liability pursuant to state statutes or common law. Despite these protections, County land banks have been less proactive when it comes to brownfield properties.
Right now, County land banks are much more focused on addressing vacant residential properties. A current review of property held by the Cuyahoga Land Bank shows a long list of residential properties:
With the foreclosure crisis, its logical that County land banks would be focused on the residential property issue.
However, the reason the Ohio General Assembly inserted the environmental immunity provisions contained in R.C. 5722.22 was to encourage land banks to address brownfield properties.
County land banks that perform a limited amount of due diligence in advance of taking ownership (i.e. BFPD), coupled with the state immunity provision in R.C. 5722.22, can be powerful allies in addressing brownfield properties. We need to see more examples of County land banks working collaboratively to facilitate cleanup and redevelopment of these properties.