[CPEO-BIF] House bill restores BEDI funding

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

For Immediate Release
June 29, 2005 

JOHNSON AMENDMENT TO RESTORE BROWNFIELDS 
CLEANUP FUNDING PASSES HOUSE

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed an
amendment offered by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson to H.R. 3058 -
the 2006 Transportation, Treasury, HUD, Judiciary, District of Columbia
Appropriations Act, which restores millions of dollars for the continued
cleanup of Brownfields sites nationwide.  Without the amendment, HR 3058
would have eliminated funding for the Department of Housing and Urban
Development's Brownfields Economic Development Initiative Program or
(BEDI).  The goal of the program is to return contaminated sites to
productive uses with an emphasis on creating substantial numbers of jobs
for lower-income people in physically and economically distressed
neighborhoods. 
 
The Brownfields amendment offered by Congresswoman Johnson increases
grants available under (HUD's) Community Development fund by $24
million. The money would be directed toward Brownfields redevelopment
activities.  BEDI grant funds are primarily targeted for use with a
particular emphasis upon the redevelopment of Brownfields sites in
economic development projects and the increase of economic opportunities
for low-and moderate-income persons as part of the creation or retention
of businesses, jobs and increases in the local tax base. 
 
"The assessment and cleanup of Brownfields are critical to the economic
and environmental health of cities like Dallas and communities
nationwide," said Congresswoman Johnson. "Within the City of Dallas, a
federal investment of less than $2 million has leveraged more than $370
million in private investments and created or helped retain 3,000
permanent, full-time jobs."
 
According to the Government Accountability Office or (GAO), there are
more than 500,000 Brownfields sites across the country. Currently, the
U.S. Conference of Mayors cites the lack of funds to cleanup these sites
as the most frequently identified impediment to meaningful redevelopment.
 
"The City of Dallas should be a model for the rest of the country when
it comes to Brownfields cleanup," Johnson said. "More than 1,600 units
of housing, including 134 units of affordable housing have been
developed on former Brownfields sites."
 
Congresswoman Johnson also authored an amendment to the 2006
Interior-Environment Appropriations bill that boosts funding for the
Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfields Program. That amendment
passed the House last month. The bill is currently being debated in the Senate.

Congresswoman Johnson is the ranking Texan on the House Transportation
and Infrastructure Committee and serves as the ranking Democratic Member
of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. Johnson also
sits on the Aviation and Railroads Subcommittees.

###

For the original press release, see
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/tx30_johnson/JohnsonCleanupAmendmentPassesHouse.html
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