Statement of Administration Policy: H.R. 2869 - Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act

STATEMENT OF ADMINISTRATION POLICY

(House)

(Gillmor (R) Ohio and nine cosponsors)

The Administration strongly supports enactment of H.R. 2869 as amended. H.R. 2869 will authorize appropriations to assess and clean up abandoned industrial sites, known as brownfields, and provide protection from liability for certain landowners and prospective purchasers of brownfield properties. The bill will promote the cleanup of Superfund sites and reduce needless lawsuits by drawing a bright line between large contributors of toxic waste and small businesses that disposed of only small amounts of waste or ordinary trash.

H.R. 2869 will also remove barriers to brownfield cleanup and redevelopment, thereby enabling communities to reduce environmental and health risks, capitalize on existing infrastructure, attract new businesses and jobs, and improve their tax bases. This significant environmental legislation will reduce litigation, thereby increasing the time and resources that can be spent on cleaning up the environment. The Administration commends the bipartisan sponsors of H.R. 2869.