[CPEO-BIF] Pennsylvania BF bill would reimburse 75% of site redevelopment charges

["Robert Hersh" <b_hersh@verizon.net>]

Cost of fixing brownfields might be paid
Under bill, up to 75 percent of industrial site redevelopment charges would
be reimbursed.

Times Leader
9/11/07
By Rory Sweeney


(Pennsylvania) There soon might be a lot more green incentives than just
environmental sensibilities for redeveloping old industrial sites if a
recently proposed state Senate bill gets passed.

Filed for introduction on Wednesday by state Sen. Rob Wonderling, R-Bucks,
Senate Bill 1062 would make redevelopers of the sites eligible for
reimbursement of up to 75 percent of the remediation costs. "Brownfields,"
often former industrial sites, are lands contaminated with hazardous
pollutants but that are considered re-developable.

Those responsible for the original contamination wouldn't be eligible for
the refund, and the reimbursement combined with any tax exemptions couldn't
exceed 75 percent of the remediation cost. Additionally, the reimbursement
would be made in installments to coincide with the construction progress on
the redevelopment project. The secretary of the state Department of
Environmental Protection would negotiate the redevelopment agreements and
use certain criteria to make the decision, including project feasibility,
community impact created by the project and the likelihood that the project
would generate more in property taxes than the reimbursement amount.

Despite its good intentions, the legislation is decidedly silent on its
source of funding. And while it might prevent the polluters from scoring the
refunds, offenders from other sites could get them for the site in question.
Likewise, the legislation creates no firewalls to prevent the liable
polluters from funneling the money through another entity.

For the entire article, see:
http://www.timesleader.com/news/20070910_10brownfield_redevelopment_ART.html


Bob Hersh
CPEO



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