BEDI Reauthorization Milestone
Supreme Court Wetlands Decision
Proposed Legislation Encourages Voluntary Mine Cleanup
Recent Reports

Short Shorts: News to Use

BEDI Reauthorization Milestone

In a 286 to 130 vote on June 16, the House of Representatives restored funding for HUD’s Brownfields Economic Development Initiative (BEDI) program. The bipartisan amendment provides $15 million for the BEDI grants in the Transportation, Treasury and HUD appropriations bills.

Supreme Court Wetlands Decision

The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a decision in Rapanos v. United States (Rapanos), a case in which the court was called upon, in part, to determine what standard the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) must use to determine whether or not certain wetlands fall within the Corps’ jurisdiction for purposes of regulation under the federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The court put forth a narrower definition of “navigable waters” and remanded the case to the lower courts.

Proposed Legislation Encourages Voluntary Mine Cleanup

The Good Samaritan Clean Watershed Act, introduced May 10, 2006, in the U.S. Senate, seeks to remove some of the legal barriers that discourage non-liable parties from cleaning up abandoned mines. A hearing was held to discuss the legislation on June 14, 2006.

The U.S. EPA reports that there are more than 500,000 abandoned hardrock mines in the U.S. In many cases, the mine owners who contributed to the contamination no longer exist, so the onus of cleanup falls to the federal government or voluntary parties. The Good Samaritan legislation would help remove the threat of Clean Water Act (CWA) and/or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) liability and encourage volunteers to restore the watersheds.

Recent Reports

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) study found that better financial assurances and more effective implementation of institutional controls are needed to protect the public around Superfund sites.
 
Another GAO study found that the U.S. EPA has made progress in grant reforms but needs to address weaknesses in implementation and accountability. The GAO says that the EPA has faced challenges for many years in managing its grants, which constitute over one-half of the agency’s budget, or about $4 billion annually. The GAO reports are available at www.gao.gov. BFN