On Tuesday, March 11th, the House Energy and Science Subcommittee on the Environment held a hearing focused on brownfields and economic revitalization in preparation for considering reauthorizing EPA’s brownfields programs. The National Brownfields Coalition was represented by Christa Stoneham, the CEO of the Houston Land Bank, who spoke about the value of EPA’s brownfields programs overall, specific brownfields projects in Houston, and how staff or funding cuts at EPA could harm the program.
During the “Maximizing Opportunities for Redeveloping Brownfields Sites: Assessing the Potential for New American Innovation” hearing on Tuesday, Representative Morgan Griffith (R-VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, opened the hearing by recounting the history of the brownfields program, outlining the opportunity to reauthorize the program, and describing the ways that redeveloped brownfields can support economic growth. Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY-20), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, then highlighted the impact of the program in his district, the surge in funding provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and its value, and his concerns about the Trump Administration’s stated intent to make severe cuts to EPA programs.
“Since 2002, tens of thousands of acres of idle land have been made ready for productive use, increasing property values and local tax revenue, preserving greenfields, and creating jobs.” – Representative Paul Tonko on the impact of EPA’s Brownfields programs
After opening remarks, the chairman introduced the four witnesses, all of which provided five minutes of opening remarks. The witnesses included Stoneham, the director of a planning district in rural Virginia, a private sector redeveloper, and Mayor Bollwage of Elizabeth, New Jersey, who represented the U.S. Conference of Mayors. All four witnesses described the economic opportunities brownfield revitalization creates and expressed a need for additional funding for the program.
During her testimony on behalf of the Coalition, Ms. Stoneham emphasized the way that brownfields, if left unaddressed, can act as barriers to housing, jobs, and economic prosperity. She discussed the situation in Houston, where a lack of zoning laws means contaminated brownfields sites often sit next to homes, schools, and other community assets, posing health risks and driving down property values. Stoneham then detailed the value add of public entities, such as land banks, who take on the most challenging brownfields sites when the market fails to step in and highlighted two case studies in Houston: Project Yellow Cab and the transformation of the Velasco Incinerator Site. These projects have or will create much-needed affordable housing and greenspace, respectively.
“At the Houston Land Bank, we don’t see brownfields as problems, we see them as possibilities: homes where families can build wealth, parks where children can play, and storefronts where businesses can grow.” – Christa Stoneham, CEO of Houston Land Bank
In her longer written testimony, Stoneham expanded on the need to protect and expand federal funding for brownfield redevelopment. “The return on investment is not only in financial terms but in transforming communities that were once written off as lost opportunities,” she testified. As the committee considers reauthorizing the program, Stoneham called on the members to consider providing more resources, ensure long-term funding stability, expand eligibility for small, community-driven projects, seek ways to strengthen public-private partnerships, and expand and preserve reuse planning funding. She concluded by noting the quantifiable impact of brownfields and the sustained need for federal support: “The impact of brownfield investment is real, measurable, and transformative. We have the tools, the partnerships, and the momentum—we just need the resources to keep going.” You can read Stoneham’s written testimony in full here.
As the hearing progressed, nearly every member of the subcommittee highlighted the positive impact of brownfields funding in their district. Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA-01) and other members discussed the potential of brownfields sites to be used as locations for much-needed data centers. Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25) highlighted the way brownfield projects create jobs and opportunity throughout the nation. During the hearing, Chair Griffith also said on the record that he anticipates the subcommittee will reauthorize the program. While a host of members expressed concerns about the potential impact of proposed cuts at EPA, the support for the brownfields program itself was broad based and bipartisan.
“There is bipartisan consensus that the brownfields program is essential for community revitalization. Cleaning up contaminated sites and transforming them into economic engines benefits everyone–businesses, workers, and families across America.” – Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA-25)
The National Brownfield Coalition appreciated the positive, bipartisan tone of the hearing and looks forward to further engaging with Congress as it seeks to reauthorize the brownfields programs and consider further ways to support brownfields cleanup and revitalization. Through both grant funding and tax deductions, Congress can take action to support local communities in their efforts to undertake much-needed assessments and remediation of contaminated sites and engage in equitable community redevelopment.
The National Brownfields Coalition is a unique, non-partisan alliance that advocates for policy change and funding to responsibly clean up and reuse underutilized or environmentally-impacted land. We educate, advocate, and convene stakeholders nationally to advance brownfields redevelopment and thriving communities.