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EPA ANNOUNCES 7TH ANNUAL BROWNFIELDS CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - NOVEMBER 13-15, 2002

Release Date: 10/04/2002
Contact Information: Wesley Lambert, Office of Public Affairs, U.S. EPA, Region 4 Phone: (404) 562-8316

The United States Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it will host an environmental conference in Charlotte, NC focusing on brownfields redevelopment. Brownfields are real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse or which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. The conference, dubbed "Brownfields 2002 - Investing in the Future," will be held November 13-15, 2002 at the Charlotte Convention Center and is being co-hosted by the Engineer's Society of Western Pennsylvania (ESWP) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). This is a banner year for brownfields. This is the year in which the federal Brownfields legislation, :the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act" was signed by President Bush. This legislation marks the beginning of a new generation of Brownfields redevelopment. To meet this need, the Brownfields 2002 program will be larger and more diverse than ever before. The Conference will include more than 75 different panel sessions, many mobile workshops to showcase successful brownfields redevelopment sites in the City of Charlotte, NC and in Rock Hill, SC; more than 40 Marketplace of Ideas roundtable discussions, dozens of individual poster presentations, presentation of the prestigious Phoenix Awards and an extensive Showcase and Exhibit Hall. Within this diverse array of presentations, participants can explore almost every aspect of the new legislation, best practices and mutually share success stories. Other topics to be addressed during this 7th annual conference will include finance, insurance, community involvement, legal liability, new state, local and tribal programs, land conservation, remediation technology, real estate transactions, and new industrial residential and commercial development. The conference also will provide attendees with new opportunities to explore the banking and finance issues associated with Brownfields redevelopment, along with opportunities for participants to engage in discussions, forums and critical networking opportunities. Anyone interested in Brownfields redevelopment and revitalization including architects, bankers, developers, environmental /engineering consultants, insurers, investors, lawyers, planners, students, government representatives, community/neighborhood residents, tribal officials, researchers, realtors, non-profit organizations, workforce development specialists, property owners, market analysts, policy makers will gain from the research dissemination, discussions and networking opportunities provided at the Brownfields 2002 Conference. For further information regarding the upcoming Brownfields 2002 Conference and to register, refer to the Conference Website at www.brownfields2002.org or call the Brownfields 2002 Hotline at 1-877-343-5374. Conference registration is free, but is requested in advance so that participants may be listed in the conference brochure. The deadline for pre-conference registration is October 18, 2002.