Governor Jodi Rell has signed a pair of bills designed to expand the state’s brownfields development program by providing more opportunities for regional projects, establishing new sources of funding and offering tax incentives if developers adhere to a state-approved remediation plan.
The Governor signed House Bill 5383, An Act Concerning Regional Economic Development and House Bill 5436, An Act Concerning Brownfield Remediation Liability.
Brownfields are former factory, mill and other contaminated sites that can be brought back into productive use after environmental remediation.
“Brownfields remediation is much more than cleaning up an old industrial lot. It is about revitalizing neighborhoods, creating jobs and boosting the local economy,” Governor Rell said during a bill signing at Waterbury brownfields site.
“Our brownfields program has put us on a responsible growth, anti-sprawl path. We’ve had tremendous interest from developers and great success as a result,” The Governor said. “We will do and are doing all we can to improve the program, streamline and get as many old sites back on the local tax rolls as possible.”
House Bill 5383 provides for the formation of regional economic development districts, allowing a region to apply for federal funds for brownfields redevelopment. It takes effect today, July 1, 2010.
House Bill 5436, An Act Concerning Brownfield Remediation Liability, expands the scope of several brownfields clean-up programs and establishes a working group to study brownfields issues.
It allows municipalities to forgive back taxes on contaminated property if a developer agrees on a state-approved remediation plan.
The legislation also allows the Department of Economic and Community Development commissioner to use funds from one brownfields program to help support two new ones.
