Re: [CPEO-BIF] Hearing on S. 350, Brownfields Revitalization and Environmenta

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Wednesday we posted numerous links to statements and testimony from the
February 27, 2001 hearing on S. 350, the bi-partisan U.S. Senate
Brownfields legislation.

I excerpt here what I consider the most important news of the day, the
conditional endorsement of by bill by Christine Todd Whitman,
Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Once again, her
full testimony may be found at 
http://www.senate.gov/~epw/whi_0227.htm.

STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, ADMINISTRATOR
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON SUPERFUND, WASTE CONTROL, AND RISK ASSESSMENT
UNITED STATES SENATE
FEBRUARY 27, 2001

Good morning, Mr. Chairman, and members of the Subcommittee. It is my
pleasure to appear before you in my
first hearing as Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency to discuss an important priority for
President Bush and this Administration brownfields legislation.

I commend Subcommittee Chairman Chafee and Senator Boxer, as well as
Chairman Smith and Senator Reid
for their leadership in introducing S. 350, the Brownfields
Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of
2001. I am pleased to report that the Administration supports S. 350. As
we continue a more thorough review of
the legislation, we would appreciate the opportunity to offer
refinements that would be consistent with the
President's principles and budget. I look forward to working with all
members of this Committee to move this
important legislation to the Senate floor as soon as possible.

Brownfields cleanup is an important urban redevelopment tool that
provides an alternative to development of
greenfields. The Administration believes that brownfields legislation is
important enough to be considered
independently from other statutory reform efforts, such as Superfund. I
know that some members of this
Committee are interested in reforming Superfund and I am committed to
working with them, but I would urge
that Superfund reform issues not hold up passage of S. 350. As you may
know, President Bush is committed to
strengthen state and local brownfields programs based on the following
principles which he put forth during last
fall's campaign:

 Brownfields legislation should remove a significant hurdle to
brownfields cleanup by providing redevelopers
with protection from federal Superfund liability; 

 Brownfields legislation should ensure that states have the authority
and resources to run their own brownfields
programs while ensuring those cleanups are protective of human health
and the environment;

 Brownfields legislation should direct EPA to work with the States to
ensure that they employ high, yet flexible
cleanup standards, and allow EPA to step in to enforce those standards
when necessary; 

 Brownfields legislation should streamline and expedite the process by
which grants are given to states, and in
turn to local communities, so that they have maximum flexibility to use
the funds according to their unique needs;

 The federal government should focus additional research and
development efforts on new cleanup
technologies and techniques to clean up brownfields; and

 While not under the jurisdiction of this committee, the brownfields
tax incentive should be made permanent.
The Administration supports legislative efforts to make the tax
incentive permanent....

-- 


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
http://www.cpeo.org

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