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Background on Brownfields & Clean Air Issue
The United States Conference of Mayors has taken a national leadership role in the promotion of brownfield redevelopment throughout the United States. Since 1993 when the Conference of Mayors leadership first met with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Carol Browner to discuss brownfields, the Conference of Mayors has worked with the Administration and Congress to provide tools to local governments and businesses to redevelop brownfield sites.
Brownfields are literally "deadzones" within cities by contributing nothing to the economic vitality of a city and adding to the decline of the surrounding neighborhood, thereby creating a distressed area. The four most important potential benefits to brownfield redevelopment are tax base growth, job creation, neighborhood revitalization and environmental protection.
The redevelopment of brownfields is a priority for the nation's Mayors not only because it is a cornerstone to economic revitalization but it is also a means of curbing a growing environmental problem-urban sprawl. Our past President, former Mayor Paul Helmke of Fort Wayne, said at the Brownfields '97 Conference, "There are serious environmental consequences of sprawl, including the air impacts of continuing to grow in ways that increase, not lessen, automobile dependency and raise vehicle miles traveled." Mayor Helmke went on to state, "Mayors are concerned with that these new standards {Clean Air Act} will only further frustrate local efforts to redevelop brownfields."
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Commerce - Economic Development Administration (EDA) have stepped forward to assist the Conference of Mayors to research the connection between clean air and economic development as well as identify innovative strategies designed to enhance air quality and economic vitality.
Purpose of the Research
The Conference of Mayors believes that there is a net environmental gain associated with the redeveloping brownfield sites as opposed to developing greenspaces. The Conference of Mayors is also concerned that the more stringent Clean Air Act standards will layer additional burdens on cities seeking to recycle brownfields sites and businesses seeking to locate in cities. The purpose of the research is to support case studies in the cities of Baltimore, Chicago and Dallas designed to:
- Determine if there are specific and identifiable barriers to the economic redevelopment of brownfield sites raised by the Clean Air Act compliance.
- Develop tools for Clean Air Act compliance that promote economic development on brownfield sites.
Disseminate lessons learned in the Pilot cities of Baltimore, Chicago and Dallas.
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