What We Do
Greater Ohio Policy Center (GOPC) endeavors to unlock the potential of Ohio’s 9,000+ former industrial and commercial sites that are unusable in their current condition. GOPC has documented the positive economic impact that brownfield cleanups can have on Ohio’s cities and town. Additionally, GOPC is a leading voice on policy changes that allow former industrial sites to be put back into productive use - which include both regulatory reform and the identification of a sustainable funding source for a brownfield clean-up and redevelopment program.
Our 2025-26 Public Policy Agenda
Responsible Growth, Sustained Prosperity
Greater Ohio Policy Center’s 2025-2026 Public Policy Agenda
Unlocking Acres of Prime Land
Ohio has hundreds of sites with utility infrastructure, transportation access, and nearby workers, which are currently unusable. Environmental contaminants from previous uses are the only barrier to their future use. In the last four years, Ohio has invested $700 million to assess and clean-up a portion of these brownfields sites. These funds have leveraged millions of additional private and public dollars.
GOPC is proud to have championed this investment, working with policymakers to reactivate land that will house new businesses, homes, and recreation spaces. However, thousands of brownfields still exist across Ohio.
Establish a permanent funding source for brownfield remediation.
Ohio needs a permanent brownfields grant program that has its own source of dedicated and predictable funding. This program should complement existing programs at the U.S. and OhioEPA, JobsOhio, and other agencies. Such a program will help Ohio’s legacy communities and the state’s growing metro regions access developed or developable land, and, in turn preserve agricultural land and green space from unnecessary conversion.
What We Have Accomplished
Over the past five years, GOPC has successfully advocated for the investment of $700M in funding by the State of Ohio to identify and clean-up hundreds of brownfield sites across Ohio. We have also worked with Ohio lawmakers to provide more gateways to redevelopment of brownfield sites and continually track the progress and successes of Ohio’s current brownfield program (the Brownfield Remediation Program) and former program (the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund), all in an effort to sustain strong support for brownfield remediation in Ohio.
GOPC Join’s NBC 4 Daytime Columbus to Discuss Brownfields
Greater Ohio Policy Center's Aaron Clapper and Jason Warner join the NBC 4 program Daytime Columbus to discuss our work advocating for brownfield remediation efforts and the impact this has had cleaning-up former industrial sites around the greater Columbus region.
This segment originally aired on Monday, April 15, 2024.
Ohio’s Brownfield Remediation Program
In 2021, Ohio’s legislature created the Brownfield Remediation Program, dedicated $350 million in one-time funds to help identify and clean-up environmentally contaminated brownfield sites across the state of Ohio. Lawmakers earmarked a further $350 million to the program in 2023. All together, the Brownfield Remediation Program has directed a minimum of $2 million to each of Ohio’s 88 counties while providing $524 statewide through first-come, first-serve grants.
GOPC has been proud to serve as the leading nonprofit advocate for the creation and maintenance of the Brownfield Remediation Program (BRP).
Bona Fide Prospective Purchase Defense
In 2020, Ohio’s legislature enacted the Bona Fide Purchase Defense (BFPD) into state law. Establishing the BFPD in Ohio law will encourage the redevelopment of lightly contaminated brownfields sites. The state’s Voluntary Action Program (VAP) remains the gold standard in the state for liability protection, and will continue to be utilized for heavily-contaminated brownfield sites. BFPD provides an alternative pathway for purchasers, allowing liability protection through an affirmative defense for purchasers who complete certain due diligence steps.
GOPC was the leading nonprofit advocate for the creation of the BFPD Law.
Documenting the Success of Brownfield Clean-ups
When funding programs for brownfield redevelopment are available, communities across the state experience economic development that can lead to increases in jobs, tax revenue, business development, and new housing. Research by GOPC, and others, shows that the high cost of brownfield remediation is more than paid back through the economic output of the clean-up itself, new construction, and ongoing tax revenues from the new businesses or homes on the remediated site.
GOPC continues to track the impact of the former Clean Ohio Revitalization Program and the new BRP.
Related Publications
The Benefit Of Brownfields: Analysis Of The Brownfield Remediation Fund's Round 1 Awards & Preliminary Programmatic Recommendations
An analysis of the first round of grant awards for the Brownfield Remediation Fund which makes the case for additional funding for environmental clean-up, as well as programmatic design changes.
Investing In Brownfields: The Economic Benefits of the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund
Based on 21 CORF projects selected for diversity in their degree and type of end use, geographic location, and other characteristics, the GOPC study found the CORF generated substantial direct and indirect economic impacts.
Greater Ohio Policy Center will continue to work with interested parties, local governments, and the Ohio Department of Development to ensure that the brownfield remediation program continues to make the important impact it was created to achieve statewide.