At the end of June, the Senate unanimously approved the bipartisan Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act of 2015 (S. 1479). The bill reauthorizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Brownfield program through FY2018 at a funding level of up to $250 million per year. The bill includes provisions for waterfront brownfield sites and clean energy projects, prioritizes technical assistance grants for Brownfields projects in small communities, Indian tribes, rural areas, and disadvantaged areas, and expands funding eligibility for governmental entities that did not cause or contribute to the contamination. The bill is now headed to the House, where its companion, HR 4463, is waiting for committee action.
