FROM THE ARCHIVE
Senate passes brownfields bill
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APRIL 26, 2001 Environmentalists and President George W. Bush on Wednesday praised the Senate for passing a bill to provide tribes and states with about $1 billion over five years to clean up toxic industrial sites. By a vote of 99 to 0, the Senate approved a bill which provides funds to tribes, states, and local governments to clean up abandoned sites, known as brownfields. Yearly funding for the program will be increased from $92 million to $200 million. The passage represents the Senate's first major bipartisan approval of one of the Bush administration's environmental priorities. The President pushed brownfields cleanup in his fiscal year 2002 budget proposal and said yesterday he was "pleased" with the Senate vote. But otherwise, lawmakers aren't entirely happy with Bush's green goals. While the brownfields bill affects private industry sites, the proposed budget for Department of Energy slashes funds to clean up the government's own contaminated lands. Slated for cuts is a program to clean up about 2,300 acres of land and return it to San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico. Cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington, built on Yakama Nation ceded land, is also requested cut for fiscal year 2002. Since both projects require completion by 2007, future DOE budgets would have to include money for the cleanup. Environmental programs at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Interior have also been the subject of debate. This week, the Senate began holding hearings on Bush's budget, criticizing Interior Secretary Gale Norton in particular for proposed cuts. The Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2001 approved yesterday is aimed at cleaning up an estimated 450,000 sites throughout the country. The EPA defines brownfields as abandoned or under-used industrial sites which pose potential health and environmental threats. Most are located in the Eastern and Midwestern states. But a number of sites are located on or near tribal lands throughout the country. The Puyallip Tribe of Washington, the Seneca Nation of New York, Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico, and the Metlakatla Indian Community in Alaska are a few that have been working to clean up sites in Indian Country. Should the bill be approved, it would provide increased funds to tribes since the EPA's proposed budget includes no significant increases to Indian programs. The bill now goes on the House for consideration. Relevant Links:
Brownfields, EPA - http://www.epa.gov/brownfields Related Stories:
Norton hit on environment, budget (4/25)
DOE Budget: Uranium cleanup funds cut (4/24)
EPA Budget: No new funds for tribal grant programs (4/13)
DOE budget: Pueblo cleanup, Indian funds cut (4/13)
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