Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2013

Bill: 113-s-491
Sponsor: Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ]
Introduced: 2013-03-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Environmental Protection
Subjects: Alternative and renewable resources
Electric power generation and transmission
Energy efficiency and conservation
Floods and storm protection
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Housing and community development funding
Indian lands and resources rights
Land use and conservation
Navigation, waterways, harbors
Pollution liability
Rural conditions and development
Small towns
Tax-exempt organizations

Summary:
action_date: 2013-03-07
text: 
Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2013 or the BUILD Act - Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to include among entities eligible for brownfields revitalization funding: (1) a tax-exempt charitable organization, (2) a limited liability corporation in which all managing members are tax-exempt charitable organizations or limited liability corporations whose sole members are such organizations, (3) a limited partnership in which all general partners are tax-exempt charitable organizations or limited liability corporations whose sole members are such organizations, or (4) a qualified community development entity.
 
Requires the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a program to provide multipurpose grants to carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, or remediation activities at brownfield sites in a proposed area.
 
Revises the brownfield site characterization and assessment grant program to authorize an eligible entity that is a governmental entity to receive a grant for property acquired by such governmental entity prior to January 11, 2002, even if the governmental entity does not qualify as a bona fide prospective purchaser as defined under such Act.
 
Increases the maximum amount the President may give in grants and loans to eligible entities for brownfield remediation.
 
Repeals prohibitions on giving grants and loans for brownfields revitalization for administrative costs and the cost of complying with federal law. Excludes from the meaning of &quot;administrative costs&quot; costs for investigating and identifying the extent of the contamination, designing and performing a response action, or monitoring a natural resource.
 
Requires the Administrator to give priority to small communities, Indian tribes, rural areas, or low-income areas with a population of not more than 15,000 in providing assistance to facilitate the inventory of brownfield sites, site assessments, remediation of brownfield sites, community involvement, or site preparation.
 
Requires the Administrator, in giving grants for brownfields revitalization, to give consideration to waterfront brownfield sites. 
 
Requires the Administrator to establish a program to provide grants to: (1) carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, feasibility analysis, design, or remediation activities to locate a clean energy project at brownfield sites; and (2) capitalize a revolving loan fund for such purposes.
 
Authorizes the Administrator to provide grants for state response programs.
 
Extends the authorizations of appropriations for brownfields revitalization funding and state response programs.

action_date: 2014-06-05
text: 
Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2013 or the BUILD Act - (Sec. 2) Amends the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) to include among entities eligible for brownfields revitalization funding: (1) tax-exempt charitable organizations, (2) limited liability corporations in which all managing members or the sole members are tax-exempt charitable organizations, (3) limited partnerships in which all general partners are tax-exempt charitable organizations or limited liability corporations whose sole members are such organizations, or (4) qualified community development entities.
 
(Sec. 3) Requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a program to provide multipurpose grants to carry out inventory, characterization, assessment, planning, or remediation activities at brownfield sites.
 
(Sec. 4) Revises the brownfield site characterization and assessment grant program to permit a governmental entity to receive a grant for property acquired prior to January 11, 2002, even if the governmental entity does not qualify as a bona fide prospective purchaser under CERCLA if the entity has not caused or contributed to a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance at the property.
 
(Sec. 5) Increases the maximum amount the President may provide in grants and loans for brownfield remediation.
 
(Sec. 6) Allows grant or loan recipients to use up to 8% of brownfields revitalization funding for administrative costs, excluding costs for investigating and identifying the extent of the contamination, designing and performing a response action, or monitoring a natural resource.
 
(Sec. 7) Directs the EPA to give priority to small communities, Indian tribes, rural areas, and disadvantaged areas when providing grants for technical assistance, research, and training.
 
 (Sec. 8) Requires the EPA, in providing grants for brownfields revitalization, to give consideration to waterfront brownfield sites. 
 
(Sec. 9) Requires the EPA to establish a program to provide grants to locate clean energy projects at brownfield sites. 
 
(Sec. 10) Authorizes the Administrator to provide up to $2 million each fiscal year to provide grants for state response programs.
 
(Sec. 11) Extends the authorizations of brownfields revitalization and state response programs through FY2016.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-06-05
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 416.
action_date: 2014-06-05
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with amendments. With written report No. 113-186.
action_date: 2014-06-05
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Reported by Senator Boxer with amendments. With written report No. 113-186.
action_date: 2014-04-03
text: Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ordered to be reported with an amendment favorably.
action_date: 2013-03-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
action_date: 2013-03-07
text: Introduced in Senate