Congressman Brett Guthrie, Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Congressman Gary Palmer, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, have announced an upcoming hearing titled "Ready for Reuse: Legislative Proposals to Unleash the Potential of America’s Brownfields Sites." The hearing will focus on legislative efforts to support the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated sites known as brownfields.
"For years, the Brownfields Program has been a vital tool to support the cleanup of contaminated sites, putting many locations back into productive use and creating jobs to revitalize communities across the country. As demand grows to redevelop these sites for advanced manufacturing, and other critical infrastructure, it is essential that the program continues to serve the needs of our communities," said Chairmen Guthrie and Palmer. "This hearing will provide the opportunity to discuss legislation that would strengthen and modernize the Brownfields Program to cut red tape, protect our environment, and support the innovative use of these sites."
The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 2:00 PM ET in Room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. It will be open to both the public and press and streamed live online at energycommerce.house.gov.
Lawmakers plan to examine several bills during this session:
- Brownfields Revitalization for a Better Tomorrow Act
- Brownfields Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act
- Brownfields Inventory and Permitting Efficiency Act
- Brownfields Reauthorization for an Affordable and Revitalized America Act
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is responsible for legislation related to energy policy, health care issues, environmental protection measures, telecommunications regulation, consumer matters, as well as overseeing federal agencies such as the Department of Energy. The committee has played a significant role in shaping policy areas like energy innovation initiatives, broadband deployment strategies, pharmaceutical pricing reforms and public health programs (https://energycommerce.house.gov/). Established in 1795 as one of Congress’s oldest standing committees (https://energycommerce.house.gov/), it promotes bipartisan approaches on infrastructure development, technology advancement and public health policies (https://energycommerce.house.gov/).
For further information about this hearing or committee activities contact Seth Ricketts with Committee staff at Seth.Ricketts@mail.house.gov or Ben Mullany at Ben.Mullany@mail.house.gov for press inquiries.
