In March, members of the US Conference of Mayors—the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more—urged Congress to pass the Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2001 (S. 350), which cleared the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee with a 15-3 vote.
This legislation will incentivize private developers to redevelop brownfields, which are abandoned or underutilized properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.
The key provisions of S. 350 include:
- Authorization for $150 million in funds for assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites;
- New legal protections through Superfund liability relief for innocent parties, such as contiguous property owners, prospective purchasers, and innocent land owners;
- Authorization for $50 million per year for state cleanup programs, and creation of appropriate limits on federal enforcement authority in deference to state programs;
- Creation of a public record of brownfield sites, and enhanced community involvement in site cleanup and reuse; and
- Provisions for deferrals of listing sites on the National Priorities List, if states are taking action at sites.
For more information, contact Kevin McCarty or Jubi Headley at the US Conference of Mayors by calling (202) 293-7330.
