The Institute provides information to Congress, particularly the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions, on federal policy issues that relate to brownfields redevelopment. Members of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional and Senate Coalitions have been active in supporting brownfields-related legislation (for example, the 2002 Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act) and appropriations. A particular area of emphasis is to link brownfields and related urban redevelopment programs to climate change strategies.

• Federal Brownfields Legislation and National Brownfields Coalition Information
• EPA Brownfields Reauthorization, Issues and Opportunities Series
• Congressional Briefings

Federal Brownfields Legislation and National Brownfields Coalition

• FY2011 Appropriations Letters: EPA House, HUD House, EPA Senate, HUD Senate.
• FY2011 "Dear Colleague" letter, House and Senate
• National Brownfields Coalition Praises the President's FY 2011 Budget for Brownfields
• H.R. 4188 - Brownfield Cleanup Enhancement Act (EPA Brownfields Reauthorization)
  
• H.R.3518 - Brownfields Waterfront Bill introduced by Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) to establish a brownfields waterfront program
• Brownfields Remediation Permanent Tax Incentive Act: H.R. 3260, Becerra (D-CA) and Ryan (R-WI)
• National Brownfields Coalition Priority Proposals to Reauthorize the EPA Brownfields Program (updated, April, 2009)
• National Brownfields Coalition Comprehensive Proposals to Reauthorize the EPA Brownfields Program (updated, April, 2009)
• H.R. 1724 – America’s Brownfields Cleanup Act of 2009 "Brownfields Tax Credit," Rep. Turner (R-OH) and Rep. Sutton (D-OH)
• House “Dear Colleague” letter for EPA Brownfields (final), Rep Oberstar (D-MN) and Rep. Turner (R-OH)
• Senate “Dear Colleague” letter, Senator Levin
• Brownfields Coalition Appropriations Letters for Fiscal 2010:
  
  • HUD Brownfields - House Transportation and HUD Conference Committee
  • HUD Brownfields - Senate Transportation and HUD Conference Committee
  • EPA Brownfields - House Interior and Environment Sub-committee
  • HUD Brownfields - House Transportation and HUD Sub-committee
  • EPA Brownfields - Senate Interior and Environment Sub-committee
  • HUD Brownfields - Senate Transportation and HUD Sub-committee
• EPA and HUD Historic and Proposed Brownfields Funding (May 2009)
• HR 5469 – Waterfront Brownfields Pilots (Rep. Louise Slaughter, D-NY)
• HR 3080 – America’s Brownfield Cleanup Act (Brownfields Tax Credit – Rep. Michael Turner, R-OH)
• Brownfields Coalition Statement to Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment on Reauthorization of the EPA Brownfields Program
• Johnson-Oberstar Brownfields Reauthorization Bill (H.R. 5336)
• Brownfields Legislative Update (April 2008)

• EPA Brownfields Programs
• EPA Guide to the Federal Brownfields Tax Expensing Program
• Guide to Using EDA Programs for Brownfields Redevelopment
• HUD BEDI Program
• EPA Guide to Using the New Markets Tax Credit for Brownfields Redevelopment

EPA Brownfields Reauthorization, Issues and Opportunities Series

The EPA Brownfields Program authority expired in 2006. The Institute produced a series of white papers on reauthorization “issues and opportunities” to improve the effectiveness of the program.

• A Proposal to Establish Clear Eligibility for Publicly-owned Sites Acquired Before 2002
• Increasing EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grants
• A Proposal to Establish a Pilot Program for Sustainable Development and Alternative Energy Reuse of Brownfields
• Proposal to Increase Funding for the EPA Brownfields Program
• Proposal to Establish Multi-Purpose Brownfields Redevelopment Grants
• Petroleum/Underground Storage Tank Brownfield Cleanups
• Nonprofit Eligibility for EPA Brownfields Funding
• Public Agency Liability Protections (National Association of Local Government Environmental Government Professionals/NALGEP Report)

Congressional Briefings

• Sustainable Urban Redevelopment and Climate Change Briefing Presentations (July 17, 2008)
• Sustainable Urban Redevelopment and Climate Change - Briefing White Paper
  • Arcadia Development Projects – Chris Leinberger
  • Atlantic Station Redevelopment Project – Brian Leary
  • Green Building Services Portland Armory Project – Ralph DiNola
  • Smart Growth America Sustainable Urban Growth Model – Geoff Anderson

• Brownfields Briefing - November 7, 2007
  • The Environmental and Economic Development Benefits of Brownfields Redevelopment - Evans Paull, Northeast-Midwest Institute
  • Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, a new perspective on energy and growth patterns - Kate Rube, Smart Growth America
  • Reauthorization of the EPA Brownfields Program - National Brownfields Coalition

• Brownfields Tax Credit, H.R. 3080, a proposal to establish a new brownfields redevelopment incentive - Representatives Michael Turner (R-OH) and Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH)
  • Brownfields Tax Expensing Program, H.R. 1753, a proposal to improve the current tax expensing program by Representatives Jerry Weller (R-IL) and Xavier Becerra (D-CA) – The Real Estate Roundtable
  • Industry Letter to Members of Congress Supporting H.R. 1753

• NALGEP-Northeast-Midwest Institute Senate Brownfields Briefing, September 26, 2007
  • Brownfields Reauthorization Summary (Coalition Proposals September, 2007)
  • Presentation: Northeast-Midwest Institute - Brownfields Policy Legislation Issues

• Northeast-Midwest Institute Brownfields and Older Cities Briefing, August, 2005
  • Presentation: Baltimore Development Corp. - Brownfields from the City Perspective
  • Presentation: O'Neill Properties - Brownfields from the Developer's Perspective
  • Brownfields Chapter of Surdna Report - Policy Ideas for Community Revitalization
  • Brownfields Coalition Letter - EPA Brownfields Reauthorization