Jeremiah Smith: “Today, the chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, ranking minority member of the committee, chairman…”

“Today, the chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, ranking minority member of the committee, chairman of the Subcommittee on Superfund, and ranking minority member of the subcommittee, have come together to introduce a bill that protects the environment, encourages community involvement, promotes economic redevelopment, encourages the preservation of green spaces, and sets the stage for future efforts of comprehensive Superfund reform. As a nation, our industrial heritage has left us with numerous contaminated abandoned or underutilized ``brownfield'' sites. Although the level of contamination at many of these sites is relatively low, and the potential value of the property may be quite high, developers often shy away from developing these sites. One reason for this is uncertainty regarding the extent of contamination, the extent of potential liability, or the potential costs of cleanup. With the introduction of the Brownfield Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2000, we focus on the uncertainty facing developers, property owners, and communities as to the status of low-risk contaminated sites.”