A large number of contaminated land sites (often referred to as 'brownfields') are emerging throughout developed and developing countries. Brownfields pose two problems: an environmental and public health hazard in densely populated areas and an obstacle to urban and local economic development as they remain unused since they cannot be developed usefully.

In China, land contamination has become a serious problem in both rural and urban areas, due primarily to poor industrial planning and inadequate pollution management dating back to industrialization and modernization process that started in the 1950s. This legacy of land contamination of industrial and commercial areas now presents a serious environmental and developmental problem for sustainable development.

Rapid urbanization in recent years has resulted in the need to redevelop industrial land once occupied, and contaminated by old industries. Many old and polluting industries are being relocated away from urban centers due to this rapid urban growth in China. As a result, an alarmingly large number of Brownfield sites are emerging throughout China that pose significant risks to human health and safety, the environment, and economic development and prosperity.

The most straightforward solution to the Brownfield problem is site remediation. If managed well, Brownfields sites can be an opportunity for urban renewal and development. Conversely, if Brownfields are untouched due to legal concerns or lack of financial resources, or not properly remediated, they can present a serious threat to public health and the environment and become a barrier to local economic development.

Fortunately, developing countries like China do not need to re-invent the wheel. Developed countries, such as the U.S.A., Canada, and those of the European Union, have accumulated experience through many years of tackling Brownfield problems and have developed comprehensive and proven frameworks for Brownfield site remediation and management.

The NCSD's was founded in 2000 to address the issues and risks of Brownfields in the U.S. The NCSD accomplished its objectives of environmental protection, community renewal and sustainable economic development through the Brownfield Stewardship Fund ("BSF") which was established and organized as a 509(a) not-for-profit supporting organization in 2001 by the NCSD. NCSD's mission under the BSF program is to bridge the public sector's interest in restoring Brownfields and returning blighted communities to economic viability and vitality with the private sector's requirement of a risk-adjusted market return.