WHITMAN UNDERSCORES ADMINISTRATION
COMMITMENT TO CLEANUPS
November 18, 2002
Tim Breen, Greenwire associate editor

The seventh annual national brownfields conference closed Friday after hearing U.S. EPA Administrator Christie Whitman rededicate the Bush administration to more and faster cleanups of the blighted urban sites. The financial commitments mentioned by Whitman are within the bounds of current law or administration policy, but she indicated federal agencies will still find ways of providing more help to local communities.

Under the drive dubbed the Federal Partnership Action Agenda, for example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will lead an interagency "Portfields" project focused on redeveloping sites in or around ports and harbors, according to EPA documents. Also, the Army Corps of Engineers will soon announce eight new pilot projects under its Urban Rivers Initiative. EPA further cited a "new, concerted effort" to share information with interested parties, "changing federal agency policies to facilitate brownfields redevelopment," and making assistance to brownfields communities a "budget priority at all federal agencies."

Speaking at the Charlotte conference, Whitman noted that Congress is likely to approve doubled brownfields spending -- from $98 million to $200 million in fiscal year 2003 -- per the administration's request (Greenwire , Nov. 14). She also noted that under the new initiative, EPA is committed to "potentially provide" $850 million over the next five years to local governments and other organizations involved in cleanups, although President Bush in January signed legislation allowing spending up to $250 million per year in that time. EPA reiterated that the relevant federal agencies -- such as the Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor and Interior departments, and the Economic Development Administration -- will make brownfields communities a priority in their grant programs.

Citing 2002 as one of the biggest years for the brownfields program and actual cleanups, Whitman told the 4,000-plus conference attendees that it "will be remembered as the year we knocked down the roadblocks, strengthened the partnerships, affirmed Washington's financial commitment, and unleashed the energy and creativity of the private sector." Overall, EPA's brownfields assistance has keyed more than $4.6 billion in private investment, resulting in the assessment of more than 4,000 sites, according to agency grantees.