A bill introduced by Republican Senators Keith Truenow and Jason Brodeur seeks to cut red tape in Florida’s brownfield program.
First established by the Florida Legislature in 1997, the Florida Brownfield Program provides incentives for public and private entities to clean up “generally abandoned, idled, or underused industrial and commercial properties where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by actual or perceived environmental contamination.”
These sites represent a major obstacle to development and productivity as Florida struggles to keep up with a growing population. Currently, the Florida Brownfield Program lists over 600 active brownfield sites, which represent a combined 292,865 acres of land.
Truenow and Brodeur’s bill (SB 736) aims to reduce local government interference once a site has successfully met all of the requirements of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The bill also makes it easier for individuals and organizations to apply to the Brownfield Program, increasing the amount of land that could be utilized in the future.
In a Facebook post earlier this month, Brodeur said, “Florida is growing, and so are the demands on our government. That’s why we’re working on key reforms to make state agencies more efficient, accountable, and secure.”
SB 736 is currently in the Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government and has unanimously passed its first two readings.
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