House
Republican Press Release
June 5,
2007
Press
Office: 860-240-8700
Chairman of the Commerce Committee
Jeff Berger (D-Waterbury) today
announced passage by the House of Representatives of a bill he authored, House
Bill #7369, An Act Implementing The Recommendations
Of The Brownfields Task Force.
“The passage of this bill is a culmination of
many months of diligent work undertaken by the Commerce Committee in
conjunction with the Brownfields Task Force,” Rep. Berger said. “I am pleased
to have sponsored this important legislation as part of a Commerce Committee
priority this session.”
“This bill is a great start toward
putting people in place to address the many Brownfield sites in Waterbury. I look forward to working with the rest of the Waterbury delegation to utilize
all resources to clean up these sites.” said Rep. Butler.
“This legislation expands the Brownfields Task Force, with
the goal of remediating unsightly industrial sites and establishing vital uses
for them,” said Rep Selim Noujaim, R-Waterbury. “Such goals are critical to
solving the brownfields problem in the City of Waterbury.”
“This measure is of utmost importance to the
City of Waterbury – especially many dilapidated locations within the 75th
District,” Rep. Aldarondo said. “I am pleased to have been able to work and
extend my sincerest thanks to all members of the Waterbury Delegation in
support of this effort.”
“While the industrial history of Waterbury has made us known world-wide, our past has left us with a number of brownfields,”
said Representative D’Amelio. “This bill is an important step in creating Waterbury’s new future.”
The bill expands the duties of the
Office of Brownfield Redevelopment (OBRD) within the Department of Economic and
Community Development (DECD) and provides funds for the OBRD for additional
staff.
The DECD is authorized to provide
different types and combinations of financing for investigating and cleaning up
properties within available funds and allows the Commissioner of the Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) to ask the Attorney General to bring a civil
action to recover certain costs. Additional funding is anticipated to be
appropriated with a final state budget for fiscal years 2007-2008.
A non-lapsing “Brownfield
Remediation and Redevelopment account” is established to be capitalized with
Urban Act bonds. Additional funds that can be deposited into the revolving
loan fund include certain repayments of assistance, interest or other income
earned on the investment of any moneys in the fund and funds brought about by
any civil actions on behalf of the Attorney General’s Office.
A pilot program will be established
within the DECD concerning priority funding for certain brownfield sites and
the number of towns in the brownfield program will be increased. $2.5 million
has been allocated for fiscal year 2008 and $3 million in fiscal year 2009 for
the initial pilot program.
The Department of Public Health
(DPH) must designate staff to act as a liaison with the OBRD. The DECD, DEP,
DPH and Connecticut Development Authority (CDA) must enter into a memorandum of
understanding concerning each entity's responsibilities with respect to the
OBRD.
Rep. Berger serves the 73rd
General Assembly District and is currently in his third term. He is Chairman
of the Commerce Committee and serves on the Finance, Revenue & Bonding and
the Judiciary Committee.
