Many old factories, foundries, plants and other manufacturing facilities have been abandoned after outgrowing their usefulness, going out of business, or succumbing to offshoring. Often polluted, these underutilized properties are called brownfield sites. These sites are usually contaminated with low levels of hazardous waste or pollution such as solvents, pesticides, lead and asbestos. The concentrations of these pollutants are too low to qualify as a Superfund site but the cost of cleanup has prevented many local governments from doing so. Besides creating problems for the surrounding environment, these eyesores are blights on the landscape and obstacles for communities trying to redevelop inner city areas. It is estimated that there are more than 450,000 brownfield sites in the U.S.

The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act commits $21 billion to environmental remediation, including cleaning up Superfund and brownfield sites, reclaiming abandoned mine land, and capping orphaned oil and gas wells. However, this amount is insufficient for addressing all our Brownfield sites.

Pending Legislation: S.347 - Brownfields Reauthorization Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ)
Status: Passed Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders for full Senate consideration (no date set)
Senate Leader: Leader John Thune (SD)

• I oppose reforming current brownfield sites policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Leader John Thune (SD).
• I support extending and modifying the EPA’s Brownfields Program through fiscal year 2030 by:
  
  1.) Doubling the maximum EPA cleanup grant for a single site from $500,000 to $1 million, and authorizing increased funding for state and tribal response programs, escalating to $75 million annually by fiscal year 2030.
  
  2.) Cutting the required local matching share for grant recipients from 20% to 10%, and allowing the EPA to waive the cost-share requirement entirely for small or disadvantaged communities.
  
  3.) Directing the EPA to review and report on the grant application and approval process within one year of enactment to identify and reduce barriers for smaller and underserved communities.
  
  4.) Reauthorizing and increasing funding for state and tribal response programs, scaling from $50 million in FY2025 to $75 million by FY2030.
  
  And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Leader John Thune (SD) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.