Senators Introduce Legislation that Expands Economic Benefit of Brownfields

Lynn Schenkman

Washington, D.C. -- Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., Jim Jeffords, I-Vt., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, introduced legislation March 18 that would assist communities in developing Brownfields sites. Pointing to the potential for economic growth, the senators’ proposal, the Brownfields Redevelopment Assistance Act of 2003, expands the Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration initiatives that provide $60 million annually for five years for Brownfields redevelopment. The grant money could be used for business development, collaborative economic development planning, eco-industrial development and revolving loan funds.