This special issue of Environmental Practice provides an overview of the major concepts useful for redeveloping brownfields, and the Editorial Office sincerely hopes you find it of interest. We are grateful to the many authors, reviewers, and editorial assistants who made this venture possible.

As this editorial goes to press, the United States is entering the second week of a war against Iraq. Members of the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) undoubtedly have multiple judgments about this conflict. Some will be called upon to serve directly, others will believe President Bush's choice was correct, and yet others will maintain that in some fundamental way the decision to go to war was flawed. In this way, NAEP's members are unlikely to be different from the American public as a whole.

a recent report has unusual significance for environmental professionals: iamerica's living oceans: charting a course for sea change. oceans, from the pew oceans commission, is a provocative overview of the utter inadequacies of current policy to protect marine ecosystems. although these ecosystems started the 20th century in good shape, their status at the start of the 21st century can only be described as disheartening and alarming. all of the good thinking in this special issue on conflict resolution will be needed to grapple with the issues raised by oceans!

As the editors of Environmental Practice, we welcome all readers to this special issue on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA has long been an interest of many environmental practitioners, perhaps especially those in the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP), whose incorporation came five years after NEPA was signed into law on January 1, 1970.

When the editors announced that there would be a special issue on brownfields they indicated that it might be a good idea to have an ethics editorial on brownfield–related challenges. I pulled out my notes taken during the time that “the brownfield solution” was just beginning to be formulated in the early 1990s. The whole program stemmed from a bad situation created by good inten- tions. The intention to clean up polluted areas affected the landowner, the property sold at tax auction, and the unwitting investor: huge expenses were involved, and there was an economic inability to deal with past choices of correction. The selected solution was to redefine environmental regulations where a full cleanup might not have any tangible ecological or health benefits. The classic argument was that if it was acceptable to cap a landfill, why did a person need to dig up a parking lot to remove chemicals already well sequestered in the ground below? The pollutants were doing little to no damage where they were. Leave them alone.

“The Ethics of Opposition” appeared in issue 4(4) of Environmental Practice and implied that there would be a second essay on the topic. The article has elicited some interesting response from the readers. Part Two, along with some reader comments, is presented here for your consideration.

Ever since 1970, environmental professionals have labored to make the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) live up to its worthy and lofty promises. Is it possible, however, that reform is needed in both NEPA and some long-standing practices in NEPA work? An impressive range of considerations in the American Journal of Public Health suggests both the law and practice may need change.

the environment has been the focus of degree programs widely available in american universities for slightly more than 30 years. nevertheless, there is no agreement on the content of environmental curricula or on the qualifications of those teaching students in the programs. graduates of environmental programs need more on–the–job training than those of other disciplines if they are to be effective practitioners in their chosen fields.

Dr. Lynton K. Caldwell, Professor Emeritus at Indiana University; Bloomington, Indiana, was one of the primary thinkers involved in writing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). He worked closely with the staff of the late Senator Henry Jackson (D, WA); Senator Jackson, together with the late Senator Edmund Muskie (D, ME), was a major leader in moving NEPA through the Congress to the desk of the late President Richard Nixon (R). President Nixon signed the bill into law on January 1, 1970.

We, as Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) practitioners, have a not-surprising tendency to rationalize when things “go off the rails.” We often point to unforeseen and arguably unforeseeable circumstances. The actions of various “unreasonable” stakeholders are commonly cited. EIA processes and documents are frequently lengthy, complex, controversial, and uncertain … all of which is well and good. But such contextual factors are not always at the root of the difficulties encountered in EIA practice. Sometimes the problems that emerge are at least partially attributable to the failure of EIA project managers and study teams to avoid readily identifiable pitfalls. Experienced EIA practitioners should be aware both of the potential pitfalls and of the means of preventing them from occurring—or, at least, of promptly ameliorating adverse consequences as they arise.

planning for management of yosemite national park is in the midst of heated public debate. stakeholders from every point of view, from limiting access to promoting more activities within the park, are expressing their deeply held beliefs. these often conflicting and usually contrasting points of view are illustrated by the following reflections:

The metropolitan area known as Detroit, Michigan, which unmistakably drives the southeastern Michigan economy most related to the auto industry, hosted the June 2002 annual conference of the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP). Environmental professionals, pledged to uphold the highest standards of environmental assay, planning, and management, met to conduct workshops, lead symposia on current topics, and launch for the first time a separate track in brownfields management. Michigan, having more than its fair share of brownfields due to its location near the epicenter of the “rust belt,” was a fitting place for the NAEP to move into the emerging field of industrial site management. Due to its history and location, Detroit is known for a number of dubious firsts that framed the conference and called for professionals to once again provide the leadership and technology development for which they are well suited. Thanks to the leadership of the NAEP, particularly Mr. Bruce Hasbrouck, the conference and the themes relied on past successes and looked forward to the needs of the future.

imagine this: the government is proposing that a new wildlife refuge be established in a rural area near your home city. wildlife officials claim that the refuge is needed to protect valuable wetlands in the area and provide needed habit for migratory waterfowl. they note that they have a responsibility to society to protect and preserve these resources for the public and for future generations. local and national supporters praise the proposal for its value in preserving biodiversity and protecting endangered species and ecosystems, but all are not happy with the proposal. one farmer, whose land would be included in the proposed refuge, noted, “my family has farmed this land for nearly 200 years and the government is not going to tell me what i can do with my land.” other landowners feel the same and organize to fight the refuge proposal.

The discovery of contamination on real estate can be the kiss of death for a land acquisition or development project. The label “hazardous waste” can spook buyers, sellers, banks, investors, landlords, tenants, and brokers. Government agencies acquiring property by purchase, eminent domain, condemnation, tax title, gift, or otherwise, get cold feet when waste is found before the purchase and sale. Developers disappear from the landscape when they see signs of hazardous waste. Business expansions are cancelled for the fear of disturbing past contamination. This fear of liability is natural, considering that innocent landowners can be liable for acquiring contaminated land even if they were not aware of the contamination at the time of acquisition. Although recent changes in the law offer help for parties in many regards, issues still need to be addressed.

Be it a prehistoric flint-striker for starting fires, a wrench for repairing an engine, or a computer model for simulating ground-water contaminant transport, tool making is one of the paramount traits distinguishing humans from other species. Progress witnessed in most disciplines, the sciences in particular, greatly depends on developing “tools of the trade.” While many environmental disciplines have benefited greatly from development of modern tools, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) has lagged noticeably. Rigorous tools, techniques, and approaches are needed if NEPA is to achieve its full potential.

Nature writing—that category of American literature that examines our relationship to the land—is enjoying a renewed popularity among adult readers of non-fiction. Since 1968, with the publication of Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire—an account of his years as a seasonal ranger in southern Utah—writers such as Annie Dillard, Barry Lopez, Diane Ackerman, and Rick Bass have reached ever wider audiences interested in both fine writing and the natural world. Much of this interest is due in part to the growing number of environmental problems that confront us as Americans and as global citizens. How we live in and with nature, and use and change it, is much in the headlines and on our minds.

Thanks for publishing Nalini Nadkarni's article on churches, trees, and environmental perspectives in Environmental Practice 4(4). For a number of years, I have been involved in trying to reach out to the faith community concerning not only environmental/lifestyle issues, but also addressing the holiness of creation as a reflection of God, and it's good to see this type of outreach highlighted. I belong to what most would consider a fundamentalist denomination, but I find that it's not difficult to work within this context since anyone wanting to truly go “back to the Bible” can find all that is needed there in terms of caring for the earth and not following our American cultural “directives” to consume. Trees form the bookends of the Bible, from the tree of life in the garden in Genesis to the tree of life along the river of life in Revelation, and the mandate in Genesis 2:15 to tend the garden also ends somewhat frighteningly in Revelation 11 with the seventh angel declaring that “the time has come for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

Environmental impact statements (EISs) and environmental assessments (EAs) are optimally authored by interdisciplinary teams comprised of specialists assigned to each environmental resource that is potentially subject to significant impacts. A typical team might include a biologist for addressing wildlife and threatened and endangered species, an economist for addressing employment and social services, a hydrologist or geo-hydrologist for addressing water resources, an archaeologist or historian for addressing cultural resources, and an urban planner for addressing land use and transportation. From its inception, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has directed agencies to use a “systematic, interdisciplinary approach” to ensure the “integrated use of the natural and social sciences and the environmental design arts” [42 USC 4322(2)]. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has stated that the disciplines of EIS preparers should “be appropriate to the scope and issues identified in the scoping process” (40 CFR 1502.6).

“evil–doers.” this memorable and provocative characterization of america's terrorist enemy was cast by president george w. bush in a stirring speech to a joint session of congress in september 2001, a few days after the horrific attacks of september 11th. “evil–doers” is a very vivid and negative characterization of a group of people and, not surprisingly, it impassioned the american people. by condemning the “evil–doers” and then issuing the threat to all others that “either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists” (bush, 2001), president bush drew a line in the sand between “us” and “them.” in so doing, he provided a timely and classic example of how the framing of identities and characterizations establishes the boundaries, dimensions, and intensity of a conflict.

The Northeast–Midwest Institute is a Washington, DC–based, private, nonprofit, and nonpartisan research organization dedicated to economic vitality, environmental quality, and regional equity in the traditional rust belt states of the Northeast and Midwest. Formed in the mid-1970s, the Institute fulfills its mission by conducting research and analysis, developing and advancing innovative policy, providing evaluation of key federal programs, disseminating information, and highlighting sound economic and environmental technologies and practices. The Institute is unique among policy centers because of its ties to Congress through the bipartisan Northeast–Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions. Co-chaired by Senators Susan Collins (R–ME) and Jack Reed (D–RI), and Representatives Marty Meehan (D–MA) and Jack Quinn (R–NY), the coalitions advance federal policies that enhance the region's economy and environment.