Brownfields task force begins 2nd year

(Sept. 26, 2007) The state's legislative task force charged with accelerating brownfield cleanups in Connecticut began its second year of work with an organizational meeting this week at the Legislative Office Building. Last year, the task force made several recommendations that were ultimately approved by the legislature and the governor, including the creation of an Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development.

The group this year intends to recommending the creation of an environmental insurance program that would address the critical need to limit liability risks for developers that are willing to invest in returning contaminated brownfield properties to productive economic use.

What's more, the task force anticipates studying the role that tax credits have played in encouraging the cleanup of brownfields in other states.

CBIA continues to urge the task force to recommend timely, reasonable and predictable cleanup procedures, increased financial incentives, broader liability protection and the removal of bureaucratic barriers at the state and local levels that drive brownfield investment dollars to other states.

For more information, contact CBIA’s Eric Brown at 860-244-1926 or browne@cbia.com.