By Judy Sheahan
December 9, 2002

Charlotte Mayor Patrick McCrory hosted the Brownfields 2002 Conference held November 13-15 at the Charlotte Convention Center. Various events throughout the meeting gave mayors the opportunity to highlight innovative projects, programs, and ideas they had with members of the Administration.

Conference Vice President Hempstead (NY) Mayor James Garner joined Mayor McCrory, Conference Executive Director J. Thomas Cochran and other local officials at a White House Roundtable to discuss the impact of brownfields as well as future needs. Roundtable participants included Associate Director for the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Toby Burke, EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman, EPA Assistant Administrator Marianne Horinko, and Assistant Secretary of Community Planning and Development at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Roy A. Bernardi.

McCrory, who chairs the Conference of Mayors- Environmental Committee, highlighted his city's efforts to not only redevelop their brownfield properties but also to improve air, water, and land quality. "We need to encourage an integrated approach to deal with the environment," McCrory said. "You need to deal with air, water, and land issues at the same time and see how they relate to one another. That is the only way to make true progress in improving the public health of our communities," he added.

Garner thanked the White House and EPA for their work on brownfields redevelopment and stressed the importance of other federal agencies to seek out opportunities to do more. "I commend the White House and EPA for what they have done on the issue of brownfields," Garner said, "and I would like other federal agencies to show that same type of commitment."