Environmental News

FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2003

NATIONAL ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION HONORS EPA'S BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM FOR ITS RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION EFFORTS

Contact: Dave Ryan 202-564-7827 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

In recognition of its environmental restoration and preservation efforts, EPA's Brownfields program has received a 2003 National Arbor Day Foundation Project Award. The Foundation is a national, million-member, nonprofit educational organization dedicated to tree planting and environmental stewardship.

"This award confirms that EPA's Brownfields Program is an engine for economic growth and a vital part of environmental restoration and preservation efforts across the country," said Marianne Lamont Horinko, EPA's Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "The cleanup and reuse of Brownfields sites preserves open space by not just cleaning up blighted properties, but by focusing on how the land will ultimately be revitalized."

John Rosenow, President of the National Arbor Day Foundation, added:

"The National Arbor Day Foundation Awards Program has been in existence for 31 years and is one of our most longstanding and cherished traditions. Every year we recognize a broad range of individuals and organizations from the international to the local levels, who model exemplary tree planting and conservation work. In making the 2003 Project Award to EPA's Brownfields Program, the Foundation is pleased to honor their vision in reclaiming abandoned and contaminated sites."

The EPA Brownfields National Program Director, Linda Garczynski, accepted the award April 26 in Nebraska. City, Neb., during the 31st annual Arbor Day weekend celebration in the historic home of Arbor Day founder J. Sterling Morton.

Launched in 1995, the Brownfields program encourages redevelopment of America's 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites. Redevelopment approaches have included the conversion of industrial waterfronts to riverfront parks, landfills to golf courses, and rail corridors to recreational trails. Currently, more than 44 different Brownfields-to-"greenspace" projects (such as parks, trails and nature preserves) are in various stages of completion. The Brownfields program provides funding incentives, feasibility tools, and grants up to $1,000,000 to help States, tribes, communities and other organizations prevent, assess, safely clean up, and reuse Brownfields.

In January 2002, President Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, which expanded EPA's ability to provide grants for Brownfields assessment and cleanup. Since its inception in 1995, the Brownfields Program has awarded over 600 grants to assess Brownfields sites and to make loans to conduct cleanups.

Learn more about EPA's Brownfields program at http://www.epa.gov/brownfields and about the National Arbor Day Foundation and its programs at http://www.arborday.org