Lance Committee Advances Bill to Clean Up 419 New Jersey Sites

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today secured passage of H.R. 3017, the Brownfields Enhancement Economic Redevelopment and Reauthorization Act, through the House Energy and Commerce Committee.  The measure would reauthorize the successful Brownfields Program that is tasked with remediation and redevelopment of 419 sites in New Jersey.

“This is a tremendous win for environmental protection, economic development and for communities that have struggled with contaminated sites.  The Brownfields Program has worked – transforming over 59,000 sites nationwide into parks, commerce, housing or other public uses.  Federal authorities have the expertise to come in, clean up these sites and relieve neighborhoods of these hazards.  Our bill directs this work to reduce pollution and prepare these lands for conservation or economic development,” said Lance after the committee action.

The Brownfields Program assists localities with the cleanup of properties where redevelopment or preservation is complicated by environmental contamination.  Brownfields sites are often abandoned, closed, or under-utilized industrial or commercial facilities, such as an abandoned factory in a town, a closed commercial building or warehouse, or a former dry cleaning establishment or gas station.  The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the United States, and each of these sites has the potential to encourage economic development through the Brownfields Program.

“The Brownfields Program has already prompted $22 billion in private investment – a major return on a minimal, though important, federal investment.  I hope the U.S. House passes this bill as soon as possible,” added Lance.