In a move that will provide more opportunities for marina development, President Bush signed the Brownfields Revitalization and Environmental Restoration Act of 2001. The legislation, which was passed by the U.S. Senate in a last-minute deal late last year, promotes redevelopment of polluted industrial sites known as brownfields by making it easier for these sites to be cleaned up and made available for private development. The majority of the 450,000 brownfield sites located on navigable waters, which makes them good candidates for marina development, said Stacey Proctor, government affairs coordinator for the Marina Operators Association of America (MOAA).
The legislation encompasses two measures – one authorizes funds to be made available for brownfields cleanups and tightens cleanup regulations, and the other exempts small businesses from liability under the superfund law. For more details, log on to the Boating Industry Online website, www.boating-industry.com/news.
