Brownfield Issues in the 110th Congress (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Nov. 30, 2007 |
| Report Number |
RS22575 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Mark Reisch, Resources, Science, and Industry Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
The Brownfields Act authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to award grants for the assessment and cleanup of sites that pose a less serious threat to human health and the environment than sites addressed by the Superfund program. The authorization expired on September 30, 2006. In the 109th Congress, a reauthorization bill, H.R. 5810, was reported (H.Rept. 109-608, Part 1), but went no further. Appropriations in the last four years have been between $163 million and $170 million. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) also has a small Brownfields Program, and approximately 20 other agencies have programs or activities that foster cleanup and development. In the 110th Congress, the House passed H.R. 644, a bill making HUD brownfields grants more accessible to smaller communities. Because reauthorization was not enacted in the 109th Congress, it may be an issue for the 110th.
For more background information on the origins and development of the Brownfields Program, see CRS Report RL30972, The Brownfields Program Authorization: Cleanup of Contaminated Sites, and CRS Report 97-731, Superfund and the Brownfields Issue, both by Mark Reisch.
