Danielle Jackson

Washington, D.C. -- A brownfields bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives by a voice vote today and was sent to the U.S. Senate for consideration. H.R. 2869 promotes the redevelopment of brownfields and was modified to ensure that the Davis-Bacon law, a federal prevailing wage law, would apply to a new state grants program for cleanups.

The bill combines two measures -- a Senate bill, S. 350, that would authorize money for brownfields cleanup and tighten some regulations governing them, and a House measure, H.R. 1831, that would exempt small businesses from liability under the federal Superfund law.

The bill's supporters are confident that the Senate will pass it before it adjourns for the holidays.