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Subcommittee OKs request to apply for $1 million EPA Brownfields cleanup grant
Summary
The Transportation and Economic Development Subcommittee granted Oregon Business Development Department permission to apply for a $1 million EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant; committee members and fiscal staff said no matching funds or new positions would be required if awarded.
The Transportation and Economic Development Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee voted to approve a request to apply for an EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant that would add $1 million to Business Oregon’s Brownfields cleanup fund.
The permission-to-apply request was presented by Jerry Sortie, Brownfields program policy coordinator for Business Oregon, who told the subcommittee the state uses the fund to clean hazardous and petroleum releases on properties prior to redevelopment. "These funds, if we were to receive the grant, would go to our Brownfields cleanup fund," Sortie said.
The request covers an EPA grant that would capitalize Business Oregon’s existing revolving loan and subgrant program for cleanup work. Sortie told the subcommittee that under the relevant EPA agreement, at least half of funds must be used for loans and half for subgrants, and that Business Oregon expects demand in the state for the funds. Tim Rickman of the Chief Financial Office (DAS) said the office recommended approval and noted a clerical error in the written analysis that his office would correct.
Legislative Fiscal Office staff also recommended approval. After no discussion from subcommittee members, a co-chair made a motion to approve the recommendation "as presented." The chair declared the motion passed with no objection recorded on the transcript.
Business Oregon told the subcommittee the fund has supported larger cleanup projects in recent years, including projects at Oregon State University–Cascades in Bend, a cleanup in Chiloquin, work for Baker Technical Institute in Baker City, a Wolf Creek Rural Fire Protection District project in Josephine County, and a Yamhill County cleanup.
The vote recorded in the meeting transcript was a motion to approve permission to apply; the transcript shows the motion was made and the co-chair confirmed approval, and the chair declared the motion passed. No roll-call vote tally or individual yes/no votes are listed in the transcript.
The subcommittee closed the work session on the Brownfields request and moved on to the Oregon Housing and Community Services report.
Ending: The committee approved the agency’s request to apply for the EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant; Business Oregon and fiscal staff said no match or new positions would be needed if the grant were awarded.
