[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 63 (Wednesday, May 14, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H2653-H2654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SUCCESSFUL BROWNFIELDS CLEANUP

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bateman). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Connecticut [Mr. Shays] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut 
[Mr. Maloney].
  Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.
  Following its closing after years of industrial activities of a brass 
manufacturer, a 100-acre factory site fell into disuse in the city of 
Waterbury. I worked to secure funding for the environmental cleanup of 
the site. Once clean, the site was made available to the private sector 
for reuse. This fall the residents of Waterbury will see the opening of 
one of the largest retail shopping malls in all of New England.
  This new-use, successful brownfields cleanup will add hundreds of 
millions of dollars to Waterbury's tax base and will create 4,000 new 
jobs in Connecticut. The brownfield approach can of course also be used 
for commercial and industrial reuse and even for public recreation.
  In Derby, CT, for example, we are working to reclaim an old 
industrial waste site known as O'Sullivan's Island for a combination 
waterfront park and marina. The O'Sullivan's Island project will both 
reclaim a valuable environmental asset and draw thousands of people 
every year to downtown Derby.
  Successes like the Waterbury Mall and the planning now under way for 
Derby, can and should be replicated across the country. The Shays/
Maloney Brownfields Economic Revitalization Act will ensure that that 
happens. It will ensure that communities and businesses have a more 
streamlined process which will allow them to stimulate economic growth. 
It will attract needed investments and stimulate welcome activity. 
Connecticut's, and America's, businesses, employees, homeowners and 
families need and deserve this legislation, and I and the gentleman 
from Connecticut [Mr. Shays] are committed to making it a reality for 
all of us.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, our legislation increasing the funding from 
$37 million to $87 million would provide a $200,000 maximum grant to 
each site assessment and redevelopment plan. It enables a community to 
go out throughout the community and determine what are the brownfields 
in their community, why these buildings are not being developed.
  In some cases they will find the absence of knowledge has led people 
to stay away. When they come and make a more thorough review of these 
sites, they realize they do not have the contamination problems they 
might think they have, and the community is able to promote the 
development of this land. This money also becomes a leverage to bring 
in private money as well as State and local money.
  It also provides a capitalization revolving loan fund of $500,000 
each in addition to the $200,000 grant. We also are providing in our 
legislation $25 million to HUD for each of the next 4 years to provide 
for brownfield activity to leverage some of the State and local and 
private funding.
  I think one of the most important features of this is that it 
provides tax incentives. A business that comes in can expense out in 
the year of cost the cleanup of the sites, which makes it far more 
attractive to a business so that they can recoup their costs much 
earlier and not have to amortize it over 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 years.
  Mr. Speaker, we have seen the success that has happened, that it has 
provided Bridgeport. We are seeing the kinds of success in cities like 
Waterbury with cleaning up old industrial sites. We are looking to make 
brownfields into greenfields. I cannot emphasize enough the need for 
allowing businesses to see land in urban areas as having a positive 
land value, not a negative land value.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut [Mr. Maloney].
  Mr. MALONEY of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I just conclude by making an 
observation that frequently people have suggested that economic 
development and environmental protection are inconsistent. What this 
legislation does is clearly demonstrate that we can accomplish both 
goals simultaneously. We can in fact take property that has been 
environmentally degraded, put it back to use, clean it up from an 
environmental perspective and then, putting that property back to use, 
stimulate and encourage and expand economic growth.
  This is legislation that is good for the environment. It is good for 
the economy. It is good for the people of this country. I urge my 
colleagues to support it.

[[Page H2654]]

  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, we are eager to have cosponsors on this 
legislation. This is bipartisan. It is a Democrat and Republican bill. 
It has the endorsement of the President of the United States and the 
cooperation of the EPA. This in fact is legislation they would like to 
see become law, like to see these additional funds. We are looking 
forward to seeing it become law.

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