Environmental Progress - Winter-Spring 2004

9^th Annual Illinois Brownfields Conference

Conference reception was held in Springfield's new Arts Center

Each year, Illinois Brownfields Conference strives to provide information on the newest and most creative approaches to turning a brownfields problem into a community asset. In 2004, we called on presenters and exhibitors from diverse professions to share information and experience regarding their brownfields site reuse efforts. This will aid us in finding new and innovative ways to reuse old sites and to help make Illinois communities economically viable and it offers a venue to share these ideas with others.

Conference attendees have various opportunities to hear from experienced practitioners of site cleanup and reuse.

The annual conference also moved to a bigger facility in 2004, at the Hilton in downtown Springfield, and offered an extended schedule. Eighteen separate workshops were available on topics ranging from environmental assessments to building rehabilitation and sustainable reuse. Additionally, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity joined the Illinois EPA as Brownfields Conference cosponsors. This means we can now offer expert information on transit planning and economic development issues, which are essential to so many brownfields projects.

Undeveloped brownfields sites can pose a number of threats to a community's well being due to their potential to harm human health and the environment. They can also diminish local employment opportunities and tax revenue, and limit economic growth and development. In addition, they can attract vandals, open dumping, or other illegal activity, lower surrounding property values and contribute to neighborhood deterioration and contribute to urban sprawl as businesses relocate to farmland and open space.

Illinois mayors, city managers, community and economic development leaders, and the consultants and attorneys who assist cities in environmental affairs and urban planning, received the latest information on brownfields funding and cleanup program procedures, conferred with brownfields experts representing all levels of government and the private sector and explored sustainable reuse options.

On Tuesday, May 11 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., the Lake Michigan States Section of the Air & Waste Management Association hosted the conference reception at the new Center for the Arts in downtown Springfield. The arts center is a beautifully renovated Masonic Temple, originally built in 1909 and is representative of the continued revitalization of downtown Springfield.

Illinois EPA will be a cosponsor of this year's national brownfields conference, which will be held on September 20 through 22 at the America's Center in St. Louis. This event presents an excellent learning and promotional opportunity for Illinois communities and businesses. As a cosponsor, Illinois EPA has been engaged in marketing the conference, planning the technical program, and representing specific constituent needs. The conference is organized by U.S. EPA and the International City/County Management Association.

Now in its ninth year, Brownfields 2004 brings together stakeholders from the private sector, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations for three days of educational sessions and networking to clean up and redevelop America's brownfields properties. The number of attendees at the brownfields conferences has increased each year. Brownfields 2003 in Portland, Oregon, set an attendance record with more than 4,200 participants.

The conference's main focus is education, and the technical program is considered the centerpiece of the conference. It will include more than 125 education and roundtable sessions with over 200 speakers. In addition to the technical program, the conference includes: plenary sessions, mobile workshops, a major exhibit hall that will be home to more than 160 brownfields vendors, and numerous meetings and special events for networking.

For more information on the conference, or to register to attend, go to the conference website. Conference registration is free.