Largent testifies on EPA program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A Whitman County commissioner was among the experts testifying Tuesday, Feb. 15, on the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s brownfields program.

A so-called “brownfield” is a potentially contaminated, abandoned property.

The EPA’s program is set to expire next year, which prompted the hearing about its importance and ways to cleanup brownfields and attract potential buyers and developers to make the properties viable sources of property taxes and jobs.

Whitman County Commissioner Michael Largent spoke as a representative of the National Association of Counties.

His comments referenced the cities of Pullman and Palouse, and their need for grant funds.

“For the city of Palouse … without the grant funding from the EPA for this Brownfields remediation, one-sixth of that downtown would be unavailable for economic development,” he said. “Without EPA money, the city of Pullman, Washington State University and the Port of Whitman would not be able to develop any particular project there.”

Rural Whitman County doesn’t have a large number of brownfields, he said.

But cleanup and redevelopment of those that exist is important.

“I would say it’s impact is huge,” he said.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, sits on the subcommittee.

She took Largent’s comments as an opportunity to ask if the county could afford assessing contamination and cleaning up brownfields.

“From a county’s perspective – and for our small towns – it’s a no,” he said. “We would not be able to afford it. We struggle with paying our employees a livable wage.

“We don’t do new programs. We can’t pick up new initiatives. Without this money from the EPA, it would not have happened.”

According to McMorris Rodgers, who represents Washington’s 5th Congressional District including Whitman County, the program has provided 3,200 grants for assessment and cleanup of contaminated properties.