By Kevin McCarty

Joining with Representative Sherry Boehlert (NY) and other sponsors of the "Recycle America’s Land Act," Immediate Past President and Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini underscored the nation’s mayors support for the bipartisan legislation (H.R. 1300) to help communities redevelop brownfields and make selected reforms to the nation’s Superfund law.

Praising Boehlert and Representatives Calvin M. Dooley (CA) and Merrill Cook (UT), who participated in the June 29 press briefing on Capitol Hill, for their leadership on H.R. 1300, Corradini said, "These reforms are long overdue and desperately needed."

"If we are going to prevent urban sprawl, redeveloping brownfields is critical," Corradini said. Citing data from the American Farmland Trust, Corradini described the effects of urbanization and the loss of farmland and open space to development, noting that in a ten-year period (1982-1992), America lost more than 13 million acres of open space to development, including 4.3 million acres of prime farmland. "As we are using up greenfields, it is easier to use these lands than recycling brownfields," Corradini said.

She emphasized the link between liability reforms to Superfund as crucial to local efforts to reclaim these properties. "No government or business is to take on this without liability reforms."

In pointing out the importance of having a bipartisan legislative package as set forth by Boehlert, Dooley and 78 other members, which are now equally balanced between Democrats and Republicans, she said, "Mayors are bipartisan and we want to do the thing. We have come forward in bipartisan way to support this legislation."

Boehlert, who successfully led H.R. 1300 through Subcommittee approval June 10 on a 22-9 bipartisan vote, reported that recent actions affirming support for the legislation "vividly demonstrate positive, forward movement." Explaining plans to move the legislation to the full House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in July following the Independence Day recess, Boehlert said, "Lets get this done."

Speaking on behalf of the many Democrats supporting the legislation, Rep. Dooley said, "It is time to set-aside political agendas and focus on policy." He also predicted that "if this bill gets to the floor, this will pass on two to one."

Commending Corradini for her leadership in Salt Lake City as the President of the Conference of Mayors, Cook also praised "her work on the Gateway Project, the largest brownfields redevelopment in the U.S." He explained that the issue of brownfields redevelopment is "very important to the Salt Lake Valley."

In concluding the press conference, Boehlert said, "We are here to solve problems." He also express confidence that the bipartisan legislation will pass by more than a 2-1 margin when it reaches the House floor.

Within three days of the press event, eight new cosponsors (four Democrats and four Republicans) signed on in support of H.R. 1300.