House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee opens markup on Brownfields reauthorization

The House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Environment opened a markup on legislation to reauthorize the Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields grants program and the state response program.

Chair said the Brownfields Revitalization for a Better Tomorrow Act would update policy to help communities reuse existing infrastructure at brownfield sites and address challenges rural areas face in assembling competitive grant applications. "This legislation reauthorizes the Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields grants program and the state response program," the Chair said.

The Chair said the bill includes several program enhancements: increased grant award amounts; allowance for waiving cost-share requirements for small or disadvantaged communities; and additional oversight of revolving loan funds. The Chair also said the legislation would "support use of brownfields grant funding to help local communities clean up and redevelop former military installations and locate the building of critical infrastructure at brownfield sites."

The measure would build on existing requirements for states receiving state response program funding by directing states to publish an inventory of sites on which that funding was used, the Chair said, and would require EPA to issue guidance to help federal agencies make more efficient use of site-specific information and prior environmental reviews in redevelopment decisions.

The Chair framed the reauthorization as consistent with recent appropriations, acknowledging some Members want higher authorization levels and saying the Subcommittee intends to continue discussions with minority and Senate colleagues about funding. "We plan to continue discussions with our minority and senate colleagues on authorization funding levels," the Chair said.

The markup proceeds without a final vote reported in these remarks; the Chair expressed hope the Subcommittee could advance the bill and avoid letting the program's authorization lapse.