brownfields haz waste
MARCH 07, 2013
LAUTENBERG, INHOFE, UDALL, CRAPO INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BROWNFIELDS REAUTHORIZATION BILL
BILL WOULD HELP COMMUNITIES CLEAN UP AND REDEVELOP CONTAMINATED SITES
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Tom Udall (D-NM), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize and improve key elements of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Brownfields Program. Since 2002, the successful program has funded the rehabilitation of abandoned and polluted properties to increase safety and attract new businesses to communities. All four Senators are members of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, which oversees the Brownfields Program.
"The Brownfields Program has a proven track record of helping communities replace abandoned, polluted properties with new businesses, parks and residential areas. As we move forward, I am encouraged by the strong bipartisan support for this legislation to protect and strengthen the Brownfields Program," said Lautenberg. "The continued revitalization and clean-up of abandoned properties will create communities where businesses prosper, jobs are created, and families are protected from dangerous chemicals. In New Jersey we have much to gain from turning old brownfields into new vibrant hubs to grow businesses and enhance communities, and I'll keep working to pass this important redevelopment initiative."
"The Brownfields program has been a tremendous help to Oklahoma, and I am proud to author the program's reauthorization with Senator Lautenberg," said Inhofe. "The program has helped communities throughout Oklahoma clean up buildings contaminated by lead paint, asbestos, and mold so that they can be successfully redeveloped. This reauthorization, among other things, will amend the program to allow small communities access to technical assistance and to streamline projects so that they can be completed more efficiently."
"Smart development and revitalization of our urban areas require the transformation of sites that are contaminated by pollution and hazardous chemicals - often referred to as brownfields," said Udall. "In New Mexico, we have a great history of turning brownfields around, like the Santa Fe Railyard and sites along Route 66. The BUILD Act will further expand our ability to turn these cherished areas into economically productive destinations and neighborhoods that will attract commerce and reduce unnecessary urban sprawl."
"There are currently 224 brownfield eligible sites in Idaho from virtually every part of the state," said Crapo. "This legislation would increase access to the brownfields grant programs for rural communities, a key change in the law pushed for by states with smaller populations."
Brownfields sites are properties affected by the presence of environmental contamination such as hazardous waste or other pollution. These properties are often former industrial sites where contamination presents a health hazard. Even when Brownfields do not pose a threat to human health, the mere perception of contamination can discourage redevelopment. The Brownfields Program provides funding to clean up any contamination and prepare the site for redevelopment.
Since the inception of the Brownfields Program, EPA has provided approximately $1.5 billion in grants, which have leveraged $19.2 billion in additional investment. As a result, the Brownfields Program has assessed more than 20,000 properties and created more than 86,000 jobs nationwide. Despite these successes, the EPA estimates there are 450,000 brownfields sites across the United States. In New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) estimates there are 10,000 brownfields sites in the state.
The "Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act of 2013" would improve the existing grant process by increasing the limit for cleanup grants and expanding grant eligibility for certain publicly owned sites and non-profit organizations. The bill would authorize EPA to make multi-purpose grants, which provide greater certainty for long-term project financing. In addition, the legislation identifies opportunities for waterfront properties and brownfield sites appropriate for clean energy development, allows grant recipients to collect administrative costs, and provides technical assistance to small, rural, and disadvantaged communities. States would also be eligible for additional targeted funding. Finally, the bill would reauthorize the program at current levels through FY 2016.
The legislation is supported by the National Brownfields Coalition, which includes the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities.
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-109shrg42282/html/CHRG-109shrg42282.htm
[Senate Hearing 109-1042]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
S. Hrg. 109-1042
OVERSIGHT OF THE SUPERFUND PROGRAM
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON SUPERFUND AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
of the
COMMITTEE ON
ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
\_________\_
JUNE 15, 2006
\_________\_
Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/
congress.senate
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
42-282 PDF WASHINGTON : 2008
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COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS
ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma, Chairman
JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia JAMES M. JEFFORDS, Vermont
CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri MAX BAUCUS, Montana
GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut
LINCOLN CHAFEE, Rhode Island BARBARA BOXER, California
LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York
JIM DeMINT, South Carolina FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia BARACK OBAMA, Illinois
DAVID VITTER, Louisiana
Andrew Wheeler, Majority Staff Director
Ken Connolly, Minority Staff Director
----------
Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management
JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman
JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia BARBARA BOXER, California
CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri MAX BAUCUS, Montana
JOHNNY ISAKSON, Georgia FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
C O N T E N T S
....
JUNE 15, 2006
OPENING STATEMENTS
Baucus, Hon. Max, U.S. Senator from the State of Montana......... 17
Boxer, Hon. Barbara, U.S. Senator from the State of California... 6
Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma... 1
Jeffords, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont,
prepared statement............................................. 49
Lautenberg, Hon. Frank R., U.S. Senator from the State of New
Jersey......................................................... 10
Lieberman, Hon. Joseph I., U.S. Senator from the State of
Connecticut.................................................... 50
Obama, Hon. Barack, U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois...... 12
Thune, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of South Dakota.... 3
WITNESSES
Bodine, Susan Parker, Assistant Administrator, Office of Solid
Waste and Emergency Response, Environmental Protection Agency.. 20
Prepared statement........................................... 50
Cantwell, Hon. Maria, U.S. Senator from the State of Washington.. 16
Durbin, Hon. Richard, U.S. Senator from the State of Illinois.... 14
Porter, Winston J., president, Waste Policy Center............... 36
Prepared statement........................................... 71
Probst, Katherine N., senior fellow and director, Resources for
the Future..................................................... 34
Prepared statement........................................... 61
Responses to additional questions from:
Senator Boxer............................................ 68
Senator Jeffords......................................... 68
Spiegel, Robert, executive director, Edison Wetlands Association. 43
Prepared statement........................................... 108
Steinberg, Michael W., Superfund Settlements Project............. 41
Prepared statement........................................... 102
Trasande, Leonardo, M.D., MPP, assistant director, Center for
Children's Health and the Environment, Department of Community
and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine........ 40
Prepared statement........................................... 74
Responses to additional questions from:
Senator Boxer............................................ 101
Senator Obama............................................ 101
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL...