Sir, a policy change is needed to refocus federal resources to larger-scale, areawide revitalization of brownfield sites--underused properties whose redevelopment is complicated by the fact or perception that contamination is present.

The cleanup and redevelopment of such land can both revitalize neighborhoods burdened with a legacy of contamination and enhance tax revenues.

However, most cleanup and redevelopment to date has rested on a narrow, property-by-property approach.

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Your initiative should include a limited-term amnesty period to encourage the volunteering of contaminated properties for a large-scale revitalization effort, strong public participation and reporting requirements, innovative financing mechanisms, and an expansion of the range of sites eligible for assistance.

Related Policy Recommendation:

Chapter 14. Redirecting Superfund Dollars
Katherine N. Probst

Kris Wernstedt explores policy responses to contaminated brownfields properties in the United States, including innovations in site reuse and voluntary cleanup efforts. His most recent work examines the use of environmental insurance at contaminated properties and the relative attractiveness of different incentives to encourage their redevelopment.

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