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WHEREAS vacant sites or orphan properties known as “brownfields” are often on properties located along transportation corridors and in downtown core areas, are eyesores to the community and have caused real or suspected environmental contamination and negatively impact economic development of that specific site and in the general area of that specific site;

AND WHEREAS the owners of these “brownfield” sites have already reaped the benefits and should have an obligation to clean-up their own mess:

AND WHEREAS UBCM Resolution 2008-B33 was passed at the 2008 UBCM Convention to strongly urge the provincial government to take immediate steps to implement the previously adopted resolutions 2007-B29 and 2007-B70 that were passed at the 2007 Convention and no concrete action has taken place;

AND WHEREAS there has been no real progress to support rural communities continuing to face the challenge of economic loss and unsightly premises in their downtown core due to real or suspected environmental contamination on vacant lots;

AND WHEREAS provincial policies and regulations for remediation of brownfield sites are vague and not strictly enforced:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that NCLGA and UBCM request that the Ministry of Environment be authorized to legislate that owners of all contaminated brownfield sites, regardless of their hazard rating, be remediated upon request from the local government and provide timely communication with the local government regarding remediation progress.