I believe that the discussion to date, which
has focused on what each one of us might get out of attending an annual
Brownfields Conference, misses an extremely important, though less tangible
point: the influence that that Conference has on the brownfields
“industry.”
Remember, the “field” of
Brownfields is young. It was not until the mid-1990s that it was acknowledged
that there was a need to address the estimated 600,000 brownfield sites that
exist across this country. In 2002, the federal Small
Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed; and many states have
only recently passed brownfields laws (though some are in their 2nd
or 3rd generation of statutes). New York’s
first brownfields law did not pass until October 2003.
While these laws create financial
incentives, limit liability and help establish a framework to encourage
brownfields redevelopment, the practical implementation of the laws is only now
being tested and understood. And, what is clear, is that there are statutory,
regulatory and administrative interpretations and amendments that are needed to
advance the sustainable re-use of brownfields, and that how these laws are
interpreted, and whether or not these changes are made, affect everyone in the
industry -- lenders, developers, nonprofits, government agencies, etc.
The annual EPA brownfields conference is the
key place where the broadest spectrum of stakeholders in the industry come
together. The underlying structure, rhythm and direction of the framework that
governs public and private brownfields transactions and policy decisions are
informed and influenced by what takes place at this annual conference:
- There
are tremendous formal and informal networking opportunities – Not
just the panel discussions, but what takes place in the hallways of the
convention center, at the cocktail receptions, even on the plane on the
way to and from the conference.
- There
is unparalleled access to senior level EPA staff from the Regional office
and headquarters;
- As
the conference has been so successful in bringing in senior State and
local agency staff, it also provides tremendous access to these
individuals.
The brownfields industry is only now
beginning to mature at the Federal, State and local government level, and in
the private sectors - all at the same time, but not at the same pace. This
annual conference provides a forum for key stakeholders to catch up with
each other, to discuss and understand:
- Interpretations
of federal law and policy
- Interpretations
of State law and policy
- Opportunity for
government officials and other decision-makers (and those who seek to
influence decision-makers) to hear how it is done elsewhere and learn from
those experiences
I believe we each have a responsibility to
attend the annual conference and to continue to share our experiences in the
field, as we, together, mold and shape this industry. The annual conference
provides a forum, however imperfect or uneven it may be, to share
information. I wholeheartedly support the continuation of the brownfields
conference on an annual basis.
Submitted by Jody Kass,
Co-Director of New Partners for Community Revitalization, a NYC-based
nonprofit organization,
working to advance community revitalization in low and moderate income
neighborhoods with a particular focus on brownfields redevelopment.
Charlie Bartsch
<cbartsch@nemw.org> wrote:
I agree with Lenny -- local brownfield practitioners and interested
parties with the most to gain from the event often have the least
resources to travel to it. "Driving range" has always been a big
factor
in determining attendance.
Charlie Bartsch
-----Original Message-----
From: brownfields-bounces@list.cpeo.org
[mailto:brownfields-bounces@list.cpeo.org] On Behalf Of Lenny Siegel
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2005 8:48 PM
To: Brownfields Internet Forum
Subject: Re: [CPEO-BIF] How frequently should
theNationalBrownfieldsConference take place?
Norella's personal experience with the Brownfields conference may
actually be an argument for more frequent meetings. She attended last
year because the conference was held in her region. In fact, if I recall
correctly, a large share of the attendees each year come from the region
of th! e country (not exactly the same as the EPA region) in which the
event is held. If it moved to alternate years, there would be fewer
opportunities for people to attend at convenient locations.
Lenny
--
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
http://www.cpeo.org
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