Inhofe, Markey lead Bipartisan Group of Senators in Introducing Brownfields Reauthorization

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:

Kristina Baum (EPW Majority) - (202) 224-6176

Giselle Barry (Markey) - (202) 224-2742

Mary Kerr /Kate Gilman (EPW Minority) - (202) 224-8832

Natalie Krings (Rounds) - (202) 224-6669

Monique Waters (Booker) - (202) 224-8150

Kyra Maples (Crapo) - (202) 224-5150

Inhofe, Markey lead Bipartisan Group of Senators in Introducing Brownfields Reauthorization

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), and Senator Edward Markey (D-Mass.), ranking member on the Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee for EPW, led a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing S. 1479, the Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2015 (BUILD Act). Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), ranking member of the E.P.W. Committee; Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), chairman of the Superfund, Waste Management, and Regulatory Oversight Subcommittee, Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Mike Crapo (R-Id.) are original cosponsors of the BUILD Act.

The Brownfields program, which is administered by the E.P.A. (EPA) and enjoys strong bipartisan support, provides grants and technical assistance to states, local governments, tribes, and redevelopment agencies to support the assessment, cleanup, and reuse of Brownfield sites. Among other things, the BUILD Act would provide backing for technical assistance grants to small communities and rural areas, expand the scope of eligible grant recipients to include non-profit community groups, and authorize backing for multi-purpose grants to tackle more complex sites.

"When I became Chairman of the E.P.W. committee, reauthorizing the Brownfields plan emerged as a key priority for our committee. I am proud to work together with my good friend, Senator Markey, and other members of the E.P.W. committee to enhance the Brownfields program," said Inhofe. "While Senator Markey and I may not see eye-to-eye on every environmental issue, the Brownfields plan is where we have found common ground to achieve real results in cleaning up contaminated sites while also promoting economic development across our states and in our local communities. The BUILD Act will make several overdue enhancements to the Brownfields plan that expired in 2006. Our bill directs E.P.A. to provide technical assistance grants to small communities, Indian tribes, rural areas, and disadvantaged areas, and provides greater certainty for long-term cleanups of more complex projects. I proudly stand with my colleagues in making a good E.P.A. plan even better, and I look forward to moving this legislation through the committee in the coming year."

"Senator Inhofe and I might not agree on all green jobs creation, but we're both committed to improving Brownfields utilization, and the BUILD Act is critical to cleaning up the decades of abuse our lands have experienced at the hands of corporate polluters," said Markey. "Cleaning up Brownfield sites is a win-win for Massachusetts and the country, helping to create jobs and spur economic activity while revitalizing underutilized and polluted lands. I look forward to working with Senator Inhofe and my colleagues to ensure that these Brownfield sites will no longer be part of the problem, but will be part of our economic solution."

"The BUILD Act is critical to ensuring that communities near contaminated sites will be cleaned up and revitalized," said Senator Boxer. "I look forward to working with my colleagues as we move forward with this bipartisan legislation in the Senate."

"A number of South Dakota communities have benefited from the Brownfields program," said Rounds. "Reauthorization of the plan will allow us to continue to clean up polluted areas so they are once again safe for use."

"As a mayor, I saw firsthand how the EPA's Brownfields plan could benefit and help revitalize communities like Newark." Senator Booker said. "I am proud to join this effort to expand the eligibility and scope of the Brownfields plan to support cleanup and development efforts in more communities across New Jersey and the country. This bipartisan legislation is critical to restoring the estimated 450,000 brownfield sites nationwide to productive uses and will contribute greatly to our nation's public and economic health."

"With the important assistance provided though the Brownfields program, many communities throughout Idaho have successfully been able to revitalize underutilized and contaminated sites, enabling redevelopment for businesses, parks and residential areas," said Crapo. "This legislation improves the already successful plan by increasing access for rural and small communities and providing much-needed certainty for long-term projects."

Highlights of the BUILD Act:

• Authorizes up to $7,500 in technical assistance grants to eligible entities in small communities, Indian tribes, rural areas, and disadvantaged areas.
• Expands the eligibility for Brownfields grants for nonprofit organizations to include certain nonprofit organizations, limited liability corporations, limited partnerships, and community development entities.
• Increases the backing limit for remediation grants to $500,000 for each site, with some exceptions for higher funding, and authorizes multi-purpose grants up to $950,000, which provide greater certainty for long-term plan financing.
• Allows certain government entities that do not qualify as a bona fide prospective purchaser to be eligible to gain grants so long as the government entity did not cause or contribute to a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance at the property.
• Allows eligible entities to use up to eight percent of their Brownfields grant backing for administrative costs.
• Directs E.P.A. in providing grants to give consideration to brownfield sites located adjacent to federally designated floodplains.
• Requires E.P.A. to establish a plan to provide grants of up to $500,000 to eligible entities and to capitalize a revolving loan fund to locate clean energy plans at Brownfields sites.
• Reauthorizes the Brownfield plan at the same authorized backing level ($250 million per year) through fiscal year 2018.

Background

A similar version of the BUILD Act (S. 491) was introduced by Sens. Lautenberg, Inhofe, Crapo and Udall in March 2013. The E.P.W. Subcommittee on Superfund, Toxics and Environmental Health held a hearing on the Brownfields plan in July 2013, and the full committee reported an amended version by voice vote on April 3, 2014. The BUILD Act introduced today reflects the amended version adopted by the E.P.W. Committee in the 113^th Congress.

On Jan. 11, 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act (PL 107-118) was enacted by President George W. Bush. The underlying bill (H.R. 2869) passed the House under suspension of the rules and the Senate under unanimous consent on Dec. 20, 2001. Authorization for the Brownfields plan expired in 2006.

For fiscal year 2015, Congress appropriated $189 million to E.P.A. for the Brownfields program.

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