Bill penned by Rep. Davis advances to Governor's desk STATEHOUSE - A bill authored by State Representative Bill Davis (R-Portland) was approved in the Senate on Monday after having passed unanimously through the House last month. House Bill 1200 deals with owners of brownfields and passed through the Senate by a vote of 42-4.Brownfields are tracts of land previously used for industrial or commercial uses that have been repurposed but may have low concentrations of contamination. HB 1200 exempts brownfield owners from being liable for environmental costs and damages due to contamination that was already present when the land was purchased, provided that the owner installs a watertight pavement or substance over the brownfield to prevent any environmental damage. Liability will instead stay with the previous owner of the land when the contamination occurred. "HB 1200 is very important to brownfield owners and promotes the repurposing and rehabilitation of these brownfields," said Rep. Davis. "It protects the new owners that take the reasonable, precautionary measure of sealing the brownfields to prevent environmental damage, and it encourages the rehabilitation of these areas by reassuring potential buyers that they will not be held liable for something that happened before they even owned the land. It is important that the right people be held accountable for their actions." Since the Senate added no amendments to HB 1200, it now goes to the Governor's desk for approval. -30- |
