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[DOCID: f:s1079is.txt]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1079
To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to
provide assistance to communities for the redevelopment of brownfield
sites.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 21, 2001
Mr. Levin (for himself, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Kennedy, Ms.
Stabenow, Mr. Reid, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Corzine, Mr. Sarbanes,
and Mr. Dayton) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to
provide assistance to communities for the redevelopment of brownfield
sites.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Brownfield Site Redevelopment
Assistance Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
Consistent with section 2 of the Public Works and Economic
Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3121), the purposes of this Act
are--
(1) to provide targeted assistance, including planning
assistance, for projects that promote the redevelopment,
restoration, and economic recovery of brownfield sites; and
(2) through such assistance, to further the goals of
restoring the employment and tax bases of, and bringing new
income and private investment to, distressed communities that
have not participated fully in the economic growth of the
United States because of a lack of an adequate private sector
tax base to support essential public services and facilities.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
Section 3 of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965
(42 U.S.C. 3122) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (10) as
paragraphs (2) through (11), respectively;
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated)
the following:
``(1) Brownfield site.--
``(A) In general.--The term `brownfield site' means
real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse
of which may be complicated by the presence or
potential presence of--
``(i) a hazardous substance (as defined in
section 101 of the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980 (42 U.S.C. 9601)); or
``(ii) any other pollutant or contaminant,
as determined by the Secretary, in consultation
with the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency.
``(B) Exclusions.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (C), the term `brownfield site' does not
include--
``(i) a facility that is the subject of a
planned or ongoing removal action under the
Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42
U.S.C. 9601 et seq.);
``(ii) a facility that is listed on the
National Priorities List, or is proposed for
listing on that list, under that Act;
``(iii) a facility that is the subject of a
unilateral administrative order, a court order,
an administrative order on consent, or a
judicial consent decree that has been issued to
or entered into by the parties under that Act;
``(iv) a facility that is the subject of a
unilateral administrative order, a court order,
an administrative order on consent, or a
judicial consent decree that has been issued to
or entered into by the parties, or a facility
to which a permit has been issued by the United
States or an authorized State, under--
``(I) the Solid Waste Disposal Act
(42 U.S.C. 6901 et seq.);
``(II) the Federal Water Pollution
Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.);
``(III) the Toxic Substances
Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.);
or
``(IV) the Safe Drinking Water Act
(42 U.S.C. 300f et seq.);
``(v) a facility--
``(I) that is subject to corrective
action under section 3004(u) or 3008(h)
of the Solid Waste Disposal Act (42
U.S.C. 6924(u), 6928(h)); and
``(II) to which a corrective action
permit or order has been issued or
modified to require the implementation
of corrective measures;
``(vi) a land disposal unit with respect to
which--
``(I) a closure notification under
subtitle C of the Solid Waste Disposal
Act (42 U.S.C. 6921 et seq.) has been
submitted; and
``(II) closure requirements have
been specified in a closure plan or
permit;
``(vii) a facility that is subject to the
jurisdiction, custody, or control of a
department, agency, or instrumentality of the
United States, except for land held in trust by
the United States for an Indian tribe;
``(viii) a portion of a facility--
``(I) at which there has been a
release of polychlorinated biphenyls;
and
``(II) that is subject to
remediation under the Toxic
Substances Control Act (15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.); or
``(ix) a portion of a facility, for which
portion, assistance for response activity has
been obtained under subtitle I of the Solid
Waste Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6991 et seq.)
from the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust
Fund established by section 9508 of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
``(C) Site-by-site inclusions.--The term
`brownfield site' includes a site referred to in clause
(i), (iv), (v), (vi), (viii), or (ix) of subparagraph
(B), if, on a site-by-site basis, the Secretary, in
consultation with the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, determines that use of
the financial assistance at the site will--
``(i) protect human health and the
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environment; and
``(ii)(I) promote economic development; or
``(II) enable the creation of, preservation
of, or addition to parks, greenways,
undeveloped property, other recreational
property, or other property used for nonprofit
purposes.
``(D) Additional inclusions.--The term `brownfield
site' includes a site that meets the definition of
`brownfield site' under subparagraphs (A) through (C)
that--
``(i) is contaminated by a controlled
substance (as defined in section 102 of the
Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802));
``(ii)(I) is contaminated by petroleum or a
petroleum product excluded from the definition
of `hazardous substance' under section 101 of
the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42
U.S.C. 9601); and
``(II) is a site determined by the
Secretary, in consultation with the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency, to be--
``(aa) of relatively low risk, as
compared with other petroleum-only
sites in the State in which the site is
located; and
``(bb) a site for which there is no
viable responsible party and that will
be assessed, investigated, or cleaned
up by a person that is not potentially
liable for cleaning up the site; and
``(III) is not subject to any order issued
under section 9003(h) of the Solid Waste
Disposal Act (42 U.S.C. 6991b(h)); or
``(iii) is mine-scarred land.''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(12) Unused land.--The term `unused land' means any
publicly-owned or privately-owned unused, underused, or
abandoned land that is not contributing to the quality of life
or economic well-being of the community in which the land is
located.''.
SEC. 4. COORDINATION.
Section 103 of the Public Works and Economic Development Act of
1965 (42 U.S.C. 3132) is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(a) Comprehensive Economic Development
Strategies.--'' before ``The Secretary''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Brownfield Site Redevelopment.--The Secretary shall
coordinate activities relating to the redevelopment of brownfield sites
under this Act with other Federal agencies, States, local governments,
consortia of local governments, Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations,
and public-private partnerships.''.
SEC. 5. GRANTS FOR BROWNFIELD SITE REDEVELOPMENT.
(a) In General.--Title II of the Public Works and Economic
Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 210 through 213 as sections
211 through 214, respectively; and
(2) by inserting after section 209 the following:
``SEC. 210. GRANTS FOR BROWNFIELD SITE REDEVELOPMENT.
``(a) In General.--On the application of an eligible recipient, the
Secretary may make grants for projects to alleviate or prevent
conditions of excessive unemployment, underemployment, blight, and
infrastructure deterioration associated with brownfield sites,
including projects consisting of--
``(1) development of public facilities;
``(2) development of public services;
``(3) business development (including funding of a
revolving loan fund);
``(4) planning;
``(5) technical assistance; and
``(6) training.
``(b) Criteria for Grants.--The Secretary may provide a grant for a
project under this section only if--
``(1) the Secretary determines that the project will assist
the area where the project is or will be located to meet,
directly or indirectly, a special need arising from--
``(A) a high level of unemployment or
underemployment, or a high proportion of low-income
households;
``(B) the existence of blight and infrastructure
deterioration;
``(C) dislocations resulting from commercial or
industrial restructuring;
``(D) outmigration and population loss, as
indicated by--
``(i)(I) depletion of human capital
(including young, skilled, or educated
populations);
``(II) depletion of financial capital
(including firms and investment); or
``(III) a shrinking tax base; and
``(ii) resulting--
``(I) fiscal pressure;
``(II) restricted access to
markets; and
``(III) constrained local
development potential; or
``(E) the closure or realignment of--
``(i) a military or Department of Energy
installation; or
``(ii) any other Federal facility; and
``(2) except in the case of a project consisting of
planning or technical assistance--
``(A) the Secretary has approved a comprehensive
economic development strategy for the area where the
project is or will be located; and
``(B) the project is consistent with the
comprehensive economic development strategy.
``(c) Particular Community Assistance.--Assistance under this
section may include assistance provided for activities identified by a
community, the economy of which is injured by the existence of 1 or
more brownfield sites, to assist the community in--
``(1) revitalizing affected areas by--
``(A) diversifying the economy of the community; or
``(B) carrying out industrial or commercial
(including mixed use) redevelopment projects on
brownfield sites or sites adjacent to brownfield sites;
``(2) carrying out development that conserves environmental
and agricultural resources by--
``(A) reusing existing facilities and
infrastructure;
``(B) reclaiming unused land and abandoned
buildings; or
``(C) creating publicly owned parks, playgrounds,
recreational facilities, or cultural centers that
contribute to the economic revitalization of a
community; or
``(3) carrying out a collaborative economic development
planning process, developed with broad-based and diverse
community participation, that addresses the economic
repercussions and opportunities posed by the existence of
brownfield sites in an area.
``(d) Direct Expenditure or Redistribution by Eligible Recipient.--
``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), an eligible
recipient of a grant under this section may directly expend the
grant funds or may redistribute the funds to public and private
entitie
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s in the form of a grant, loan, loan guarantee, payment
to reduce interest on a loan guarantee, or other appropriate
assistance.
``(2) Limitation.--Under paragraph (1), an eligible
recipient may not provide any grant to a private for-profit
entity.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. prec.
3121) is amended by striking the items relating to sections 210 through
213 and inserting the following:
``Sec. 210. Grants for brownfield site redevelopment.
``Sec. 211. Changed project circumstances.
``Sec. 212. Use of funds in projects constructed under projected cost.
``Sec. 213. Reports by recipients.
``Sec. 214. Prohibition on use of funds for attorney's and consultant's
fees.''.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) In General.--Title VII of the Public Works and Economic
Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3231 et seq.) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``SEC. 704. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR BROWNFIELD SITE
REDEVELOPMENT.
``(a) In General.--In addition to amounts made available under
section 701, there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out
section 210 $60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2002 through 2006, to
remain available until expended.
``(b) Federal Share.--Notwithstanding section 204, subject to
section 205, the Federal share of the cost of activities funded with
amounts made available under subsection (a) shall be not more than 75
percent.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of
the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. prec.
3121) is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to title
VII the following:
``Sec. 704. Authorization of appropriations for brownfield site
redevelopment.''.
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