Congress Committee Focuses on Brownfields Cleanup

Washington, D.C. -- Following a House Bill providing small business liability exemption to the nation's Superfund law and a Senate Bill providing money and incentives for state cleanups, several House Energy and Commerce Committee members have announced plans to combine the two unanimously approved measures for votes this week. The new measure would provide $200 million per year for Brownfields cleanup and would encourage developers to build on the sites by protecting them from lawsuits if additional toxic wastes are found. The measure is co-sponsored by Reps. Paul Gillmore, R-Ohio, Billy Tauzin, R-La., John Dingell, D-Mich., and Frank Pallone, D-N.J.