Political Quotes

“this brownfields legislation is important. It provides three important steps to directly spur cleanup and reuse of these abandoned and contaminated sites. No. 1, it provides critically needed money to assess and clean up abandoned and underutilized sites which will create jobs and increase tax revenues and preserve great parks and open space. It is estimated this legislation will bring tax revenues to local governments of up to $2.4 billion. No. 2, it encourages cleanup and redevelopment by providing legal protections for innocent parties, such as contiguous property owners, prospective purchasers, and innocent landowners. Under the present state of the law, these places are left abandoned because people are afraid if they purchase these properties or lease them, they will be subject to Superfund liability. This legislation negates all that. No. 3, it further provides for funding and enhancement of State cleanup programs and a balance between providing "certainty" for developers and others but still ensuring protection of public health. We reported this bill out of committee by a vote of 15-3. A couple of Senators had some problems. We worked literally day and night on a staff level to resolve those problems. For example, the Senator from Ohio had some suggestions. I told him at the committee that we would work with him, and we have. We have satisfied Senator Voinovich's problems with this legislation. We need to do this.…”