Louis Stokes: “I am sorry it is necessary to offer this amendment. I wish the committee had not included the language limiting the…”

“I am sorry it is necessary to offer this amendment. I wish the committee had not included the language limiting the amount and usage of the Environmental Protection Agency's brownfields money. I think the provision included in the reported bill that reduces brownfields funds from the administration's request of $91 million to $75 million is misguided; and I think the language restricting the brownfields money to assessments, prohibiting the capitalization of local government and revolving fund loan funds for cleanup, is also misguided. My amendment is very simple: By deleting the brownfields limitation, it would allow the EPA to spend up to the budget request of $91 million for the program. This is approximately the same amount as was made available for the program in each of the last 2 years. It would also allow brownfields funds to be used for revolving fund capitalization. That is to say, the funds could be used not only for assessments but also for cleanups. This past January, the United States Conference of Mayors issued a report entitled 'Recycling America's land: A National Report on Brownfields Redevelopment.'”