| name | brownfields-agreement |
| title | Brownfields Agreement |
| description | Drafts Brownfields Agreements for contaminated-property transactions under CERCLA, EPA brownfields programs, and state voluntary cleanup programs. Structures BFPP liability protections, All Appropriate Inquiries documentation, remediation obligations, institutional controls, cost allocation, and long-term stewardship covenants. Use when drafting brownfields purchase agreements, prospective purchaser agreements, voluntary cleanup MOAs, or environmental covenant frameworks. |
| author | CaseMark |
| author_url | https://github.com/CaseMark/skills/tree/main/skills/legal/brownfields-agreement |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| version | 0.1.0 |
| execution_mode | open |
| jurisdiction | us |
| practice | environmental |
| language | en |
| tags | ["agreement","drafting","regulatory"] |
Brownfields Agreement
Drafts a transaction-ready agreement covering due diligence through long-term stewardship with CERCLA liability protections, remediation obligations, and institutional controls.
Prerequisites
- Phase I/II ESA reports — contaminant data, sampling results, remedial alternatives, cost estimates
- Party identification — legal names, addresses, organizational details for all signatories (owner, purchaser, lenders, governmental entities)
- Property records — legal description, site maps, historical use records, prior regulatory correspondence
- Regulatory program — applicable state VCP or brownfields initiative; EPA grant award details if applicable
- Cleanup standards — ARARs, state risk-based standards, intended future use (residential / commercial / industrial)
- Financial terms — funding sources (EPA grants, TIF, private capital), cost-sharing arrangements, financial assurance requirements
Agreement Structure
Preamble and Recitals
Property location and legal description, contamination history, brownfields eligibility under CERCLA §§ 101(39)–(40), AAI completion per ASTM E1527-21 or 40 CFR Part 312, EPA grant references.
Definitions
Source from CERCLA statutory language, 40 CFR Parts 300–312, state VCP rules, ASTM standards. Define: Hazardous Substance, Release, Remediation, Institutional Controls, Engineering Controls, AAI, BFPP, ARARs.
Environmental Liability
BFPP continuing obligations (CERCLA § 101(40)), innocent landowner and contiguous property owner defenses, mutual indemnification, third-party claim procedures.
Remediation Scope
Investigation, cleanup, and monitoring activities; ARARs-based performance standards; contingency protocol for unexpected conditions.
Institutional and Engineering Controls
| Control Type | Mechanism | Recording |
|---|
| Land use restriction | Deed restriction / environmental covenant | County land records |
| Groundwater prohibition | Restrictive covenant, well permit condition | Record + notify water authority |
| Cap/barrier maintenance | Engineering control covenant | Record + dedicated maintenance fund |
| Vapor intrusion | Sub-slab depressurization covenant | Record + inspection schedule |
|
