I think this bill is a win-win -- for the environment, for local communities and for local economies. More hazardous waste sites will be cleaned up, and we'll have more parks and open space, more economic redevelopment, and more jobs. This bill will make cleaning up polluted sites easier by reducing the many legal and regulatory barriers to Brownfields redevelopment while providing much needed cleanup funds.
The Brownfields bill is important for rural areas, not just big cities. In Montana, we have hundreds of sites that have been polluted by mining, timber processing, railroad work, and other industrial activities that were part of our economic development. This bill will help local communities take sites that are essentially wastelands and turn them into valuable assets.
I am happy to hear that the Administration has expressed its support for this important bill. The Brownfields bill is an outstanding example of a bipartisan effort to help communities across the nation. I hope we can all work together to make sure it is signed into law this year.