Pennsylvania's Land Recycling Program (Voluntary Cleanup Program) was established by a series of legislation enacted in 1995. This package (Acts 2, 3 and 4 of 1995) serves as the basis for what is more familiarly known as the Land Recycling Program or simply 'Act 2.' The Land Recycling Program encourages the voluntary cleanup and reuse of contaminated commercial and industrial sites.
The Land Recycling Program is built on four cornerstones that break down redevelopment obstacles:
- Uniform cleanup standards: enables the remediator to clearly understand the extent and cost of site cleanup. The selection of standard(s) assures that a site is protective of its present and future use. A property used for industrial development need not be as clean as a residential site.
- Liability relief: addresses the concerns that previously inhibited site redevelopment and sale of properties, the liability protection extends to future owners.
- Standardized reviews and time limits: provides date certainty. Consistent reporting requirements and standardized review procedures provide a definite time frame for report review.
- Financial Assistance: provides grants and low-interest loans for assessment or remediation. These programs are available to people who did not cause or contribute to contamination at the site.
The goals of the Land Recycling Program are to encourage private sector cleanup of contaminated, vacant or otherwise underutilized properties and return them to productive use. Further development of brownfield properties stimulates economic growth, encourages local government partnerships with business, and maximizes the use of existing infrastructure, thereby preserving prime farmland, open space and natural areas.
What’s New
Registration is now open for the 2026 PA Brownfields Conference!
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Engineers Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP) are excited to invite you to Bethlehem, PA for the 2026 PA Brownfields Conference! Our theme this year is Revitalizing Communities that Built America: A Trajectory for Transformation, and our planning committee has been hard at work putting together an unforgettable program for you:
- Opening reception at Twisted Tees
- Mobile workshops in Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton
- State and federal updates
- Grant writing workshop
- Our new college career day
- Four concurrent tracks, with topics such as PFAS Removal, Vapor Intrusion, Environmental Justice, Coal Fields, Data Centers on Brownfields, and many success stories
- And more!
Explore the full conference program here: Program | ESWP
Don't miss out on everything the 2026 PA Brownfields Conference has to offer!
Fact Sheets and Other Information
- Summary of Act 2 of 1995 (PDF)
- Overview of the Land Recycling Program (PDF)
- Cleanups Using the Background Standard (PDF)
- Cleanups Using the Site-Specific Standard (PDF)
- Cleanups Using the Statewide Health Standard (PDF)
- Special Industrial Areas (PDF)
- Summary of Companion Legislation to Act 2 of 1995 (PDF)
- Opportunities for Public Participation in the Land Recycling Program (PDF)
- Land Bank Participation (PDF)