[CPEO-BIF] Florida Brownfields Law

[Lenny Siegel <lennysiegel@gmail.com>]

PRESS RELEASE
The Florida Brownfields Association
July 1, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Brownfields Association ("FBA"), Florida's 
statewide Brownfields organization, announces that Governor Charlie 
Crist signed into law yesterday an important Brownfields cleanup and 
redevelopment bill passed by the Florida Legislature during the 2008 
session. The FBA applauds the enactment of this legislation, which was 
strongly supported by the FBA. This bill will enhance and improve 
Florida's Brownfields program and the restoration of 
environmentally-impaired properties throughout the State in a variety of 
key ways.

According to FBA President Roger Register: "Yesterday's enactment of 
House Bill 527 by Governor Crist will move the state's Brownfields 
program to a new level. In these tight fiscal times, Brownfields 
redevelopment can provide a local economic stimulus to Florida 
communities with properties which are abandoned and underutilized. House 
Bill 527 is the first state Brownfields legislation to specifically 
provide an incentive for health care facilities built in a brownfield 
area. This enhancement will broaden the accessibility of health care 
while at the same time providing cleanup of the environment and 
protection of public health. The FBA is excited and looks forward to 
working with local communities to assist in the enactment of these new 
incentives of the Florida Brownfields program."

According to FBA Board Member and Legislative Committee Co-Chair Jason 
S. Lichtstein: "The FBA is extremely excited about the Governor's 
approval of this bill, which will provide important incentives and tools 
to encourage the voluntary cleanup and restoration of Brownfields and 
contaminated sites throughout the State and bring a range of added 
benefits and value to Florida's communities. We are very happy and 
excited about what these enhancements will do for Florida's Brownfields 
program and for its continued success."  As background, this bill 
provides several important additional incentives and program 
enhancements to restore Brownfield properties in Florida, and by doing 
so, will provide a range of economic, environmental, and public health 
benefits to the State of Florida and to the communities in which 
Brownfields and contaminated sites are located.

House Bill 527 provides the following, among other things:

* Enhances state tax credit incentives to further encourage the cleanup 
and redevelopment of certain abandoned former landfills or dump sites in 
Florida, which are environmental and economic drains on the communities 
in which they are present. The bill provides incentives to encourage the 
removal and appropriate management and reuse of solid waste materials 
from these former solid waste disposal sites as part of their 
environmental cleanup and redevelopment.

* Adds a new state tax credit incentive to encourage the construction of 
new health care facilities (such as health care clinics) on Brownfield 
sites in order to serve the public health and medical needs of local 
communities.

* Clarifies and improves certain Brownfield designation procedures for 
parties participating in Brownfield designations, cleanups, and 
redevelopment.

* Improves and clarifies a range of state tax credit application 
procedures to assist parties in accessing these important financial 
incentives, to allow more time for their submission and review each 
year, and to allow the Florida Department of Environmental Protection 
("FDEP") and parties more opportunity to put together complete tax 
credit applications.

House Bill 527 was sponsored by Representative Trudi Williams, the Chair 
of the House Committee on Environmental Protection, and a companion 
Senate bill was sponsored by Senator Lee Constantine. The FBA applauds 
and thanks Representative Williams and Senator Constantine for their 
efforts and support of this important bill and of Florida's Brownfields 
Redevelopment program. The FBA also thanks FDEP for its efforts and work 
during the 2008 legislative session.

Background Information

Florida Brownfields Association. The Florida Brownfields Association, 
founded in 2002, is a non-profit statewide organization made up of a 
wide range of Brownfield stakeholders in Florida: from local, state, and 
federal agency representatives and community group leaders to 
developers, landowners, and academics in the field. The FBA seeks to 
promote a host of Brownfield-related goals, such as environmental 
protection, economic revitalization, environmental equity and justice, 
and public health.   The FBA currently has more than 350 members.

Florida's Brownfields Redevelopment Program. Florida's Brownfields 
Program, which was established in 1997, seeks to encourage parties to 
voluntarily cleanup and redevelop Brownfield sites through a variety of 
regulatory and financial incentives. Under Florida's program, 
Brownfields are "real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse 
of which may be complicated by actual or perceived environmental 
contamination." Since 1997, more than 165 Brownfield areas have been 
designated by local governments in Florida and more than 110 voluntary 
Brownfield cleanup agreements have been executed. Florida's Brownfields 
Program is also a strong engine of economic growth and development, 
leading to the creation since 1997 of 8,595 new direct jobs in Florida, 
7,264 new indirect jobs, and approximately $883.7 million in capital 
investment in designated Brownfield areas.

To download the original press release, go to
http://www.floridabrownfields.org/PDF/PRSigningJuly08.pdf

A bill summary is attached.

--


Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
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

Attachment: Legislative Summary 2008 Final.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document

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