PREPARED Municipal Workbook Main Page

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

PREPARED Municipal Workbook

(Process for Risk Evaluation, Property Analysis, and Reuse Decisions)

The challenges of reusing brownfield properties are many and varied. The process described in these interactive web pages follows the risk management framework outlined in the PREPARED workbook developed by USEPA New England and its contractors. It is designed to guide municipalities through the critical tasks in the PREPARED evaluation of potential brownfield reuse projects.

PREPARED (Process for Risk Evaluation, Property Analysis, and Reuse Decisions) utilizes a multi-step, iterative process to:

Identify, clarify, and gain support for brownfield reuse goals and objectives,
Identify and assess options for involvement in a particular brownfield property,
Evaluate the risks associated with different levels of involvement, and
Formulate strategies for eliminating or minimizing those risks.

The PREPARED Workbook can be a valuable tool for managing the complex process of redeveloping a brownfield site. It can help municipal decision-makers identify and manage potential risks, including environmental liability and foster effective communication and coordination with Licensed Environmental Professionals (LEPs), legal counsel, and other internal and external professionals engaged in the redevelopment project. Use of the PREPARED Workbook tool is optional.

Brownfields Website Tools: Clean Energy and PREPARED Municipal Workbook Remediation Roundtable Presentation (February 2016) (begins on slide 54)

How to Use The PREPARED Workbook Website

Review Each Task. Successful brownfield reuse projects have demonstrated the value of 9 distinct tasks in an iterative evaluation framework for such projects (see the diagram below). Explanatory text is provided for each task along with links to specific sections in the PREPARED Workbook for additional information on a task.
Complete the Worksheets. A worksheet is provided for each task to guide and document the information collection and evaluation. Instructions are provided for each worksheet.
Use Resources as Necessary. Links are provided in the explanatory text to appropriate sections of the PREPARED Workbook and to pertinent state and federal information on the Resources webpage.
Use Contact Information. State and federal contacts are provided.
Revise and Reinforce. Information collected for one task will impact the details in other tasks. The worksheets are meant to be evolving documents and should be revised as new information is developed.

How to Get Started

Select the Stakeholder Engagement step in the figure to begin the process or an individual step to view information for that step.

The Big Picture - The PREPARED process involves 9 tasks or steps to be completed by stakeholders. Stakeholder Engagement underlies all steps. Worksheets and resources are available for each task.

Informational videos are also available for the Property Reuse Assessment Step and the Due Diligence Step on their respective PREPARED webpages

View additional information on the PREPARED Workbook and download the PREPARED Workbook.

First Step: Stakeholder Engagement

Brownfields Main

Content Last Updated February 11, 2019

Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection