A new law signed by Gov. Kay Ivey earlier this summer aims to boost economic development statewide by incentivizing brownfield redevelopment efforts.

Birmingham area leaders say this legislation will have a huge impact on the region’s growth for years to come.

Brownfields are “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant” according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Alabama’s new law, also called the Brownfield Remediation Law, offers liability protection to those who choose to participate in the state’s voluntary brownfield cleanup program and allows the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) to establish a Brownfield Remediation Reserve Fund to financially assist program participants.

“This law is a great opportunity to put to use a lot of vacant, blighted land across the state,” said bill sponsor Rep. Chip Brown, R-Hollinger’s Island. “Right now, we have properties all across the state that haven’t been put back in use. And this allows those sites to be cleaned up and to be sold to new owners who will utilize them and create jobs. So, I’m excited about the future.”