[CPEO-BIF] Six blind men

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Bill Walsh wrote,

> The original thrust of brownfields was not to clean up Brownfields
> sites, but to separate new development from liability and allow the new
> developer to proceed with an economically beneficial endeavor.  

The All Appropriate Inquiries Negotiated Rulemaking Committee often 
compared ourselves to the Six Blind Men and the Elephant. For those who 
don't remember their early education, this is a story (poem?) that 
illustrates that where one stands depends upon where one sits.

Some people think the primary purpose of brownfields programs is 
liability relief. Some think it's primarily property redevelopment. Some 
think it's neighborhood revitalization. To others, it's environmental 
cleanup. And yet others see it as an opportunity to practice their 
professional skills.

I believe that we can develop brownfields policies that serve all those 
goals. That is, we don't all have agree which of those objectives is 
most important to work together to devise win-win brownfields strategies.

I therefore propose that U.S. EPA convene a multi-stakeholder dialogue 
to review the universe of cleanup programs to figure how to improve 
disclosure and environmental response while still rewarding those who 
seek to combine cleanup and redevelopment.

Lenny
--


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



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