Rounds Issues Statement on Senate Passage of BUILD Act

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today issued the following statement on the Senate passage of S. 1479, the Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act, of which he is a cosponsor. The legislation passed by unanimous consent.

“A number of South Dakota communities have benefited from the Brownfields program, which provides federal funding for technical assistance grants to small communities and rural areas,” Rounds said. “Reauthorization of the program will allow state and local governments to clean up polluted areas so they are once again safe for use. I’m pleased the BUILD Act passed the Senate and look forward to seeing it enacted in the near future.”

On June 2, 2015, Rounds joined EPW Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and a group of bipartisan senators in introducing S. 1479, the BUILD Act. The legislation would make several enhancements to the program, including (1) prioritizing technical assistance grants for Brownfields projects in small communities, Indian tribes, rural areas and disadvantaged areas, (2) establishing a program to provide grants to locate clean energy projects at Brownfields sites, and (3) expanding funding eligibility for governmental entities that did not cause or contribute to the contamination.  

On Feb. 2, the BUILD Act was adopted as an amendment to the Energy Policy Modernization Act (S.2012), which passed the Senate on April 20 and is currently being conferenced with the House. 

On May 18, the BUILD Act was reported out of the EPW Committee by voice vote. 

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