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Issue #13 | February 2022

Brownfields Resources and Updates

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Learn tools and strategies for community wealth-building and preventing displacement at the Equitable Brownfields Redevelopment webinar, part of continued programming of Smart Growth America’s Equity Summit.

In January, Smart Growth America hosted its second annual Equity Summit. At the end of the Summit, we announced that the Equity Summit will be followed by year-round programming focused on equitable and sustainable development.

You can read some of the main takeaways from SGA staff here.

This spring, the National Brownfields Coalition will be hosting a virtual event titled ‘Equitable Brownfield Redevelopment: Tools and Strategies for Community Wealth-Building and Preventing Displacement’ as part of SGA’s ongoing Equity Summit programming. The event will be focused on environmental and economic inequity concerns associated with brownfield cleanup and redevelopment, particularly focusing on strategies to anticipate and prevent the displacement of existing community members. 

Speakers will provide insights from the field on a wide range of environmental justice and equity issues related to brownfields cleanup and reuse policy and practices, and share a number of successful examples of actionable strategies that have helped communities across the country advance equity in brownfield processes and outcomes. Participants will walk away from the workshop having been introduced to a series of actionable strategies and the many roles and sectors that must be involved in efforts to combat displacement in redevelopment work.

This event is hosted in partnership with U.S. EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization

Recap: NBC Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change

On Tuesday, February 15th, NBC Steering Committee member Lee Ilan represented the National Brownfields Coalition during the virtual ‘Back from the Brink: Restoring Brownfield Sites to Economic Engines’ hearing alongside four other witnesses and brownfields advocates from across the country. Witnesses praised the additional funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), discussed environmental justice and brownfields redevelopment, addressed concerns of gentrification and housing displacement related to redevelopment, and provided insight on other issues related to federal brownfield policy.

More Upcoming Opportunities

• The National Brownfields Training Conference has been officially rescheduled to August 16-19, 2022 in Oklahoma City, OK. Go to registration page.

• Join the New York City Brownfield Partnership on February 28 at 4pm ET for a multidisciplinary panel on ‘What 2022 May Hold For Affordable Housing, Brownfields, Jobs Training, and Redevelopment.’ Go to the registration page. 

• Join Bousquet Holstein PLLC on March 17 at 12pm ET for a discussion on revisions to New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program as well as updates to Federal tax credits that real estate developers should be aware of. Go to registration page.

• Smart Growth America is looking for its next LOCUS Policy Director! Click here to view the JD and apply.

Reads and Resources

Follow the Coalition on LinkedIn to stay up to date on our happenings and initiatives

• You can now view the slides of EPA’s Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR) detailed walk-through of FY22 Multipurpose, Assessment, RLF, and Cleanup (MARC) grant guidelines.

• The federal Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is welcoming feedback for the recently-released Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, which is meant to provide a range of socioeconomic, environmental, health and climate information to help federal agencies better serve disadvantaged communities.

• U.S. EPA is funding Groundwork USA to help communities integrate environmental justice and equitable development principles into local brownfields assessment, cleanup, and reuse projects. Through May 2024, brownfield communities can access Groundwork USA’s resources and technical assistance for free. Learn more.

• The White House’s Guidebook to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a roadmap to help communities know what to apply for, who to contact, and how to get ready to rebuild.

• The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM) has established its key priorities for calendar year 2022, covering planned cleanup, project construction, acquisition, and other important accomplishments to advance the office’s environmental and risk-reduction mission.

• The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) announced that, through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, $1.15 billion in funding will be available to create jobs cleaning up abandoned oil and gas wells across the country. Check out the DOI website to read more about this important funding opportunity.

The Brownfields Redevelopment Tax Incentive Reauthorization Act needs your support

Restoring this vital tax credit to revitalize our communities is long overdue. We encourage you to reach out to your Representatives today and urge them to cosponsor the bipartisan bill H.R. 4427.

JOIN THE MOVEMENT

The National Brownfields Coalition is a non-partisan alliance of public interest organizations, academics, as well as public and private sector professionals who collaborate to educate, advocate, and convene stakeholders nationally to advance the social, economic, public health, environmental, and quality of life benefits of environmental cleanup and reuse for all communities.

There has never been a better time to be part of the Coalition.

Join our passionate team to realize significant gains in legislation, appropriations and policies that revitalize our communities through land reuse. NBC membership at any level offers the opportunity to participate in our five active committees working to achieve our brownfields goals.

If you or your organization are hosting any events related to brownfields redevelopment and you’d like to share registration information with the Coalition’s network, please email mguglielmone@smartgrowthamerica.org with the details.

The National Brownfields Coalition works to ensure the responsible cleanup and reuse of underutilized, blighted, or environmentally impacted land. A program of Smart Growth America and the Center for Creative Land Recycling.