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According to the rail companies, a common hurdle in disposing of railfields is the misconception that all rail properties are large, polluted areas. Although fueling stations and large transportation hubs are heavily polluted, there are many former rail properties that have minimal or no contamination. Many rail companies are interested in confronting the stigma associated with their properties by working with local groups and state and federal agencies. Through the EPA Railfields initiative which includes Successful Rail Property Cleanup and Redevelopment,many of these rail properties are returning to productive use through the efforts and partnerships of communities, rail companies, and other stakeholders.

The history of railroads in the United States began almost two centuries ago when the first charter for a railroad was awarded in 1815. After the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, the growth of the railroad industry continued rapidly, and by 1916 the rail network had grown to 254,000 miles. However, in the mid-twentieth century, the rail industry began facing significant competition. Competition led to declines in the rail industry and significant consolidation over several decades. By the second half of the twentieth century, the miles maintained by the entire rail system had decreased by 50 percent, leaving an extensive legacy of underutilized, contaminated, and sometimes abandoned rail properties also known as railfields, across the United States (EPA, 2005).

Brownfields, of which railfields are a subset are located in rural, urban, and suburban areas, and vary greatly in size and former usage. Railfelds include rail tracks, right-of-way, rail depots, industrial areas, and other support facilities. Residual contamination including herbicides, petroleum products and byproducts, metals, and creosote, is often present as a result of former railroad operations and associated industrial activities. However, a majority of rail companies perform an environmental review on every property transaction as an evaluation process to determine if there are significant contamination concerns. A wide variety of activities take place at a railroad yard that can result in environmental problems. These activities can be broken down into roughly four areas:

Contamination resulting from locomotive and engine maintenance are degreasing solvents, polychlorinated biphenyls, and heavy metals. Solvents and heavy metal based paints can be found in the area surrounding rail car refurbishing and maintenance operations. Further environmental problems can result from creosote and pentachlorophenol from the rail ties. The slag base for the railroad ties can contribute to heavy metal contamination. Finally, contamination from the transportation operations can be from diesel fuel associated with the fueling as well as possible contamination from spillage or leakage of hazardous cargo during transport.

Railfields resources are available in the Links to Resources for Railfields Exhibit.

Exhibit: Links to Resources for Railfields