Nation’s Mayors, Cities, Counties and Regions Applaud Passage of Brownfields Reauthorization included in the Omnibus Bill

Bill Marks Critical Step Forward in Developing Contaminated Properties

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties and the National Association of Regional Councils today released the following statement applauding passage of the Brownfields Reauthorization language that was included in the FY18 Omnibus Appropriations bill:

“We commend the President, the Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives for passing this important legislation in a bipartisan manner. This legislation is a major victory for our communities, providing local officials not only with much-needed funding, but also the flexibility to tailor their brownfield redevelopment to meet the individual needs of their cities, counties and regions. 

“For many people, brownfields are just the neighborhood eyesore or the former industrial site, but for Mayors, county leaders and other local officials, they also represent unrealized potential. We see the redevelopment of brownfields as a chance to bring jobs back to a community, revitalize neighborhoods, increase our tax base, and reuse and enhance already existing infrastructure in a more sustainable way.

“We appreciate that members of the House and Senate invited local officials to testify and incorporated many of our suggestions to improve the program. We thank them for their sustained efforts that will allow us to build upon our past successes as we continue to redevelop the more than 400,000 brownfield sites across the country.”