Re: [CPEO-BIF] How frequently should the National BrownfieldsConference take place?

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Submitted by: Barry Trilling <BTrilling@wiggin.com>

Once a year is too often; every three years not often enough. Make it
every other year. 

No offense intended to my friends at EPA and ISMA, but here are some
frank suggestions:

Change emphasis dramatically away from public sector to private sector
and stop subsidizing all the entry level and lower management level
public sector workers and charge a modest, but reasonable, fee for
attendance by private sector people.

Also stop the flagrant self-congratulation and political speech-making
in the plenary sessions. 

Design programs that will attract the people and institutions in the
private sector that own and develop brownfield properties. As it has
been constituted the Brownfields conference has consisted of little more
than a convention for public sector employees who work on brownfield
issues and trade show for the environmental services industry.

Make the conference leaner and as practical and packed with information
(on a non-redundant basis) as the better private sector programs, such
as those put on by RTM and the American Bar Association. 

As for getting the message out to the public sector people who may miss
out if the subsidies are cut, don't worry: if the conference attracts
the right private sector people they'll find a way to get the message
across to those with whom they must deal in government. 

Barry Trilling 


Lenny Siegel wrote:
> 
> Late last week we circulated a request from U.S. EPA's Office of
> Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment  for feedback on the frequency of
> the thus-far annual national Brownfields conference. See
> http://www.cpeo.org/lists/brownfields/2005/msg00218.html
> 
> Since a large share of the people on this list participate in those
> annual events, I think it would be useful to discuss the question
> publicly via this forum. How frequently should the National Brownfields
> meeting take place/ Does it meet your needs? Is the continuously growing
> attendance a "market" indicator of continuing value?
> 
> Please send a reply e-mail to this list.
> 
> It appears that at least one of the sources of this discussion is a June
> 7, 2005 report from U.S. EPA's office of Inspector General: "EPA Can
> Better Manage Brownfields Administrative Resources," Report
> No.2005-P-00017. The full report may be downloaded from
> http://www.epa.gov/oig/reports/2005/20050607-2005-P-00017.pdf.
> 
> I am excerpting a portion of the Inspector Generals' office findings
> below, but there is more in the report, both in Chapter 4 and Appendix A.
> 
> Lenny
> 
> *********
> 
> EPA Could Reduce the Frequency of the Annual Brownfields Conference and
> Other Conference Attendance
> 
> EPA could potentially save $2.7 million every 2 years by holding the
> Brownfields conference only every other year. OBCR [Office of
> Brownfields Cleanup and Redevelopment] budgeted $2.6 million in FY 2003
> and $2.7 million in FY 2004 in contracts for the annual Brownfields conference.
> 
> The annual Brownfields conference, as well as other conferences and
> meetings, addresses one of the four primary goals of the Brownfields
> program. The four main goals that EPA Brownfields program provides
> financial and technical assistance for are:
> 
> * Protecting the environment by addressing Brownfields to ensure the
> health and well-being of America's people and environment;
> 
> * Promoting partnerships by enhancing collaboration and communication
> essential to facilitate Brownfields cleanup and reuse;
> 
> * Strengthening the marketplace by providing financial and technical
> assistance to bolster the private market; and
> 
> * Sustaining reuse by redeveloping Brownfields to enhance a community's
> long-term quality of life.
> 
> We believe the Brownfields conference primarily meets the second goal.
> EPA co-sponsors the annual Brownfields conference and described the 2004
> conference as a leading educational and networking event, focused
> entirely on Brownfields. The final evaluation report on the Brownfields
> 2003 conference identified that "by most accounts the conference was a
> success and participants found the various events, educational
> opportunities, and networking to be beneficial." This report also stated
> that past attendees mentioned "networking" in some form as one of the
> greatest benefits to the conference.
> --
> 
> Lenny Siegel
> Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
> c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
> Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
> Fax: 650/961-8918
> <lsiegel@cpeo.org>
> http://www.cpeo.org
> _______________________________________________
> Brownfields mailing list
> Brownfields@list.cpeo.org
> http://www.cpeo.org/mailman/listinfo/brownfields

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org
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