NALGEP Alert on Brownfields Appropriations

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

NALGEP <NALGEP@spiegelmcd.com>
Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund programs (RLFs) in Jeopardy
Friday, September 18, 1998

On September 17th, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO) and 66 of her House
colleagues sent a joint bipartisan letter to the House-Senate conference committee that will reconcile the House and Senate versions of the FY 1999
VA/HUD/Independent Agencies appropriations bills urging their support
for the House's version of the bill, H.R. 4194.  While both the House and
Senate versions of the bill support full funding of EPA's brownfields program, the Senate version of the bill, S. 2168, includes a provision which
prohibits EPA from funding local revolving loan fund programs (RLFs).  H.R. 4194 does not contain a prohibition on the use of the funds for RLFs.  The
Conference of Mayors has stated that "local government revolving loan funds are essential for leveraging private investment in what we call the 'dead
zones' or brownfields, of America's communities."

The VA/HUD and Independent Agencies appropriations conferees are
expected to meet on Tuesday, September 22, to consider FY 1999 funding for the EPA's brownfields program.

The VA/HUD/Independent Agencies appropriations conferees include:

Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO)                   
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK)
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)
Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO)
Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV)

Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Rep. Bob Livingston (R-LA)
Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX)
Rep. James Walsh (R-NY)
Rep. David Hobson (R-OH)
Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI)
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
Rep. Mark Neumann (R-WI)
Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Rep. Louis Stokes (D-OH)
Rep. David Obey (D-WI)
Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Rep. Carrie Meek (D-FL)
Rep. David Price (D-NC)

For a copy of the letter, contact Nick Karamanos in Rep. DeGette's
office at
202-225-4431.

Founded in 1993 by a group of local officials, the National Association
of Local Government Environmental Professionals (NALGEP) is the premier
national organization representing local government professionals
responsible for environmental compliance and the development and
implementation of local environmental policy.  For more information,
contact
NALGEP at (202) 638-6254 or visit our web site at www.nalgep.org.

-- 

Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 222B View St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/968-1126
lsiegel@cpeo.org
Effective August, 1998, CPEO has adopted its own Internet domain,
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