The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) continues an ongoing partnership to gain an understanding of each other's approach to the cleanup of chemical contamination in order to protect human health and the environment. This partnership has now entered its third phase with a new focus on providing a variety of tools, approaches, and technologies that could facilitate streamlined, cost-effective cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites, or brownfields. The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC), a key state-led organization, is also a significant contributor to the third phase activities. In 2000, the US-German Bilateral Working Group (EPA, BMBF, ITRC, and others) conducted studies to identify elements of brownfields redevelopment and understand which elements posed the most difficulties during a redevelopment effort. The Working Group discussed tools that could be developed to assist stakeholders in overcoming the barriers to redevelopment that were identified. SMARTtech is one of these tools. SMARTtech is a compilation of four searchable databases (characterization technologies, remediation technologies, monitoring technologies, and cultural heritage case studies) designed to facilitate redevelopment of potentially contaminated sites.

Title from disc label. "April 2004." "Interstate Technology Regulatory Council." Shipping list no.: 2004-0025-E. "EPA/600/C-03/081."

The Site-Specific Management Approaches and Redevelopment Tools (SMART) provides potential solutions for facilitating the redevelopment of brownfield sites. The term "brownfield site" refers to previously developed property whose reuse may be complicated by the presence of hazardous substances or contamination. Brownfields may refer to commercial and industrial facilities, or other properties.