Revitalizing Communities Through Redevelopment: County Brownfields Primer
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Charlotte Mitchell Duyshart
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Nearly two out of every three counties (64 percent) have an identified brownfield property. Cook County, Ill. alone has more than 600 properties, the most of any county with a brownfield site, with the median number of sites for brownfield counties reaching five properties. These sites are concentrated in rust-belt and other former industrial- heavy regions of the country. With more than 450,000 total estimated sites, brownfields impact every county to varying degrees.
Brownfield properties can come in many shapes and sizes. Often, they are thought of as large abandoned industrial complexes, but it is more common for brownfield sites to be smaller properties like former gas stations, dry cleaners or automotive repair garages. Brownfield sites can also be agricultural, residential, railroad sites, chemical manufacturing plants or public buildings.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency releases new definition of the “waters of the United States”
On November 17, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released a proposed rule defining what constitute the “waters of the United States” and are subject to federal regulation under the Clean Water Act. The new definition is narrower than previous rules and codifies the decision of U.S. Supreme Court in the 2023 case Sackett v. EPA.
County Countdown – Nov. 17, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership.
Restoration efforts turn former Texas oil field into flood buffer and wildlife sanctuary
Harris County, Texas helped purchase the land to restore a former oilfield, creating a buffer for flooding.
Milwaukee County showcases beach renovation
MIlwaukee County, Wis. dramatically improved the poor water quality that was affecting South Shore Park's reputation.
House and Senate committees advance reauthorization legislation for NOAA’s Digital Coast program
On September 17, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed the bipartisan Digital Coast Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize the Digital Coast program through 2030.
Counties grapple with data center boom
Data centers' drain on electricity and water and residents’ complaints of noise and rising utility bills aer reaching county leaders as those developments spread across the country.
FAA-NACo Airport Land Use Compatibility
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. - 4:300 p.m. ET
Counties play a crucial role in our nation’s aviation system, owning and operating hundreds of airports across the country. And even in places where the county may not own the airport, county planning departments and development organizations work to maximize the value of this asset to the community’s economic and overall wellbeing. Join NACo and staff from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Airports Planning and Programming to learn more about the FAA’s “Advisory Circular on Airport Land Use Compatibility Planning,” which will enable counties work smarter to integrate airports into broader planning efforts for land use, economic development and more. FAA staff will also be available to answer questions from county leaders about planning needs in their community and how the Advisory Circular can guide those efforts.
Speakers:
- Jacqueline Essick, Associate Director, Jacobsen|Daniels
- Amber McNair, Founder & Principal Investigator, AV McNair, LLC
- Michael (Mike) Hines, Manager of Airports Planning and Environmental Division, FAA
- Jean Wolfers-Lawrence, Manager of Environmental Planning Branch, FAA