NBA on Capitol Hill

By Charlie Bartsch

On May 11, 2005, executive teams from each NBA state chapter fanned out across Capitol Hill as part of the association’s second Brownfield Leadership Summit. They visited 57 House and Senate offices to share NBA’s policy objectives and positions on key issues and to discuss what Congress can do to make local brownfield revitalization efforts more effective.

This significant outreach effort, a crosscutting effort by experienced players in all parts of the brownfield transaction process, was unprecedented in the brownfield industry. The fact that it represented such a broad spectrum of brownfield participants and provided an objective view of current brownfield industry issues, opportunities and needs enhanced its impact on Capitol Hill.

In fact, many offices and several House and Senate members specifically asked to participate in upcoming chapter meetings and activities, a clear sign that they recognize the voice and the value of the NBA within the brownfields community. They also expressed a strong interest in tapping the NBA state chapters and the national organization as information sources as legislative proposals evolve and move forward during the 109th Congress.

NBA members met personally with more than a dozen members of Congress and scores of staff to press the association’s case on several key issues, including:

Funding for EPA’s brownfield program, preferably at the $250 million level authorized by the brownfield law, but at least at the president’s request of $210 million
Adoption of technical corrections in the brownfield statute to allow grant recipients to claim administrative costs as part of their projects, as well as to allow communities that took ownership of brownfield sites prior to January 11, 2002, the effective date of the brownfield law, to pursue brownfield grant funding
Continuation of the brownfield expensing tax incentive, now scheduled to expire on December 31, 2005
Adoption of federal tax credits for cleanup

NBA members also introduced Congressional offices to the association’s position paper on vacant corporate properties, which emerged from deliberations at the NBA’s first leadership summit.

The Hill visits were highly successful. Members of Congress and staff from both parties and in both chambers were responsive to the issues that the NBA raised. During the visits, NBA leaders recognized broad bipartisan support for increased funding for EPA site assessment and cleanup programs, as well as considerable support of extending the existing Section 198 brownfield expensing incentive, and maintaining HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program as an independent and adequately funded federal development program.

All in all, the office visits accomplished a great deal. They helped introduce and cement the NBA as a significant brownfield industry voice and information source. They also gave the NBA some solid information and staff leads to work with and build upon as the organization’s brownfield policy outreach continues. In short, the chapter executive teams made the case for brownfields, and made it well.

Charlie Bartsch is a senior policy analyst at the Northeast Midwest Institute.

Another indication of the connection between NBA state chapters and brownfield project activity is which states secured EPA grants. EPA announced its FY2005 grant winners the day before the leadership summit, and NBA leaders alerted Members of Congress on their Hill visits. Seven of the top 10 “winning” states have NBA chapters in place:

1 - Ohio (NBA)	$7,750,000
2 - Michigan (NBA)	$6,345,000
3 - California (NBA)	$5,399,420
4 - Connecticut (NBA)	$3,625,500
5 - Massachusetts (NBA)	$3,514,800
6 - Arkansas	$3,250,880
7 - Iowa	$3,250,000
8 - Pennsylvania (NBA)	$3,200,000
9 - Idaho	$3,113,490
10 - Wisconsin (NBA)	$3,000,000