I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1237 
To amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to 
provide assistance to communities for the redevelopment of brownfield sites. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 10, 2005 
Ms. HART introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee 
on Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Works and Economic Development 
Act of 1965 to provide assistance to communities for 
the redevelopment of brownfield sites. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Brownfield Redevelop-
ment Assistance Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 
Consistent with section 2 of the Public Works and 
Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3121), the 
purposes of this Act are— 
(1) to provide targeted assistance, including 
planning assistance, for projects that promote— 
(A) the redevelopment, restoration, and 
economic recovery of brownfield sites; and 
(B) eco-industrial development; and 
(2) through such assistance, to further the 
goals of restoring the employment and tax bases of, 
and bringing new income and private investment to, 
distressed communities that have not participated 
fully in the economic growth of the United States 
because of a lack of an adequate private sector tax 
base to support essential public services and facili-
ties. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 3 of the Public Works and Economic Devel-
opment Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3122) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and 
(3) through (12) as paragraphs (2), (3), and (5) 
through (14), respectively; 
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so re-
designated) the following:
‘‘(1) BROWNFIELD SITE.—The term ‘brownfield 
site’ means a brownfield site (as defined in section 
101 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 
9601)) with respect to which an entity has received, 
or is eligible to receive, funding under section 104(k) 
of that Act (42 U.S.C. 9604(k)) for site character-
ization, assessment, or remediation.’’; 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (3) (as redesig-
nated by paragraph (1)) the following: 
‘‘(4) 
ECO-INDUSTRIAL
DEVELOPMENT.—The 
term ‘eco-industrial development’ means develop-
ment conducted in a manner in which businesses co-
operate with each other and the local community to 
efficiently share resources (such as information, ma-
terials, water, energy infrastructure, and natural 
habitat) with the goals of— 
‘‘(A) economic gains; 
‘‘(B) improved environmental quality; and 
‘‘(C) equitable enhancement of human re-
sources in businesses and local communities.’’; 
and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(15) UNUSED LAND.—The term ‘unused land’ 
means any publicly-owned or privately-owned un-
used, underused, or abandoned land that is not con-
tributing to the quality of life or economic well-being 
of the community in which the land is located.’’. 
SEC. 4. COORDINATION. 
Section 103 of the Public Works and Economic De-
velopment Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3132) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) BROWNFIELD
SITE
REDEVELOPMENT.—The 
Secretary shall coordinate activities relating to the redevel-
opment of brownfield sites and the promotion of eco-indus-
trial development under this Act with other Federal agen-
cies, States, local governments, consortia of local govern-
ments, Indian tribes, nonprofit organizations, and public- 
private partnerships.’’. 
SEC. 5. GRANTS FOR BROWNFIELD SITE REDEVELOPMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title II of the Public Works and 
Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 219. GRANTS FOR BROWNFIELD SITE REDEVELOP-
MENT. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—On the application of an eligible 
recipient, the Secretary may make grants for projects to 
alleviate or prevent conditions of excessive unemployment, 
underemployment, blight, and infrastructure deterioration
associated with brownfield sites, including projects con-
sisting of— 
‘‘(1) the development of public facilities; 
‘‘(2) the development of public services; 
‘‘(3) business development (including funding of 
a revolving loan fund); 
‘‘(4) planning; 
‘‘(5) technical assistance; 
‘‘(6) training; and 
‘‘(7) the purchase of environmental insurance 
with respect to an activity described in any of para-
graphs (1) through (3). 
‘‘(b) CRITERIA FOR GRANTS.—The Secretary may 
provide a grant for a project under this section only if— 
‘‘(1) the Secretary determines that the project 
will assist the area where the project is or will be lo-
cated to meet, directly or indirectly, a special need 
arising from— 
‘‘(A) a high level of unemployment or 
underemployment, or a high proportion of low- 
income households; 
‘‘(B) the existence of blight and infrastruc-
ture deterioration; 
‘‘(C) dislocations resulting from commer-
cial or industrial restructuring;