Testimony — Grace Gallucci, NOACA, on House Bill 96 (March 5, 2025)
Summary
Interested party testimony to the Ohio House Development Committee on House Bill 96, Ohio's State Fiscal Years 2026 - 2027 Operating Budget, dated Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from Grace Gallucci, Executive Director and CEO of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA). The testimony supports continued funding for the Ohio Brownfield Remediation Program (BRP) and supports HB 93, proposed by Representatives Thomas Hall and Bride Sweeney, to shift the program to a merit-based system. It states that NOACA, in partnership with Vibrant NEO, received $2 million from the U.S. EPA in 2022 and 2024 to create a Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund. It says the fund has approved four loans totaling $1,508,000.
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“Testimony — Grace Gallucci, NOACA, on House Bill 96 (March 5, 2025).”
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Ohio House Development Committee
Interested Party Testimony by Grace Gallucci
Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA)
BOARD OFFICERS House Bill 96 (Stewart)
President
Chris Ronayne, Cuyahoga County Executive
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
First Vice President
Justin Bibb, Mayor, City of Cleveland
Second Vice President
James W. Dvorak, Commissioner, Geauga County Chair Hoops, Vice Chair Lorenz, Ranking Member Abdullahi and members of the
Secretary
Jeff Riddell, Commissioner, Lorain County
House Development Committee, thank you for the opportunity to present Interested
Assistant Secretary Party Testimony on House Bill 96, Ohio’s State Fiscal Years 2026 – 2027 Operating
Annette M. Blackwell, Mayor, City of Maple Heights
Assistant Secretary Budget.
Aaron Harrison, Commissioner, Medina County
Assistant Secretary
Blaine Griffin, Cleveland City Council, Ward 6
Assistant Secretary I am the Executive Director and CEO of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating
John Plecnik, Commissioner, Lake County
Treasurer
Agency (NOACA), the federally designated metropolitan planning organization
Morris W. Beverage, III, Commissioner, Lake County
Assistant Treasurer
(MPO) that conducts transportation and environmental planning for Cuyahoga,
Michael Dylan Brennan, Mayor, City of University
Heights
Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina Counties. NOACA also coordinates economic
Assistant Treasurer development planning through the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
that the agency developed in coordination with the U.S. Economic Development
Andrew Conrad, P.E., P.S., Medina County Engineer
Assistant Treasurer
Mark Cunningham, Trustee, Columbia Twp. Lorain
County Administration/U.S. Department of Commerce. In addition, NOACA is a lead
Assistant Treasurer
Jack Bradley, Mayor, City of Lorain, Lorain County
stakeholder in the 12-county Northeast Ohio Sustainable Communities Consortium
Immediate Past President (NEOSCC), also known as Vibrant NEO.
Jeff Brandon, Trustee, Montville Township, Medina
County
BOARD OF DIRECTORS I am testifying today to support continued funding for the Ohio Brownfield
Samuel J. Alai, Mayor, City of Broadview Heights
Larry Antoskiewicz, Mayor, City of North Royalton
Remediation Program (BRP) in House Bill 96, and to also support changes to the
Morris W. Beverage III, Commissioner Lake County
Pamela Bobst, Mayor, City of Rocky River
way these funds are distributed. The Ohio General Assembly created the BRP in
Kevin Brubaker, Mayor, City of Elyria
Jack Bradley, Mayor, City of Lorain
2021 with an initial appropriation of $350 million, later adding an additional $350
Carolyn Brakey, Geauga County Commissioner
Ben Capelle, Chief Executive Officer, Laketran million. To date, the program has been responsible for the clean-up or assessment
Kenneth P. Carney, Sr., P.E., P.S., Lorain County Engineer
Matthew Castelli, Mayor, City of Middleburg Heights of more than 600 brownfield sites in 86 of Ohio’s 88 counties. These results show
Mary Cierebiej, Executive Director, Cuyahoga County
Planning Commission that brownfields are indeed a statewide problem, and also show that there are
Kevin Corcoran, Mayor, City of North Ridgeville
Timothy J. DeGeeter, Mayor, City of Parma opportunities for new economic development and revitalization in every region of
Ohio.
James DeRosa, Director Office of Capital Projects, City of
Cleveland
Michael W. Dever, Director of Public Works, Cuyahoga
County
Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, Chief Executive Officer, NEORSD
Alan Exley, P.E., P.S. County Engineer, Lake County
Marka Fields, Interim Director, Cleveland City Planning
NOACA has taken a proactive role in addressing the challenges created by
Commission
Meghan George, Mayor, City of Lakewood
brownfields. In partnership with Vibrant NEO, we received $2 million from the U.S.
David Gutheil, President and CEO, Cleveland-Cuyahoga
County Port Authority
EPA in 2022 and 2024 to create a Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF). These
Kirsten Holzheimer Gail, Mayor, City of Euclid
Michael J. Houser, Sr. District 10 Cuyahoga Council
funds are available to public and private entities from throughout the 12-county
Member
Stephanie Howse-Jones, Councilwoman, Ward 7, City of
Vibrant NEO region for brownfield projects aimed at creating economic development
Cleveland
Brian Kazy, Councilman, Ward 16 City of Cleveland and jobs. Importantly, these funds can be used as local match to Ohio BRP funding.
Paul Koomar, Mayor of Bay Village, GCRTA Board President
Paul Magovac, Service Director, City of Brunswick Since its establishment in 2022, NOACA-Vibrant NEO RLF has approved four loans
Calley Mersmann, Senior Strategist for Transportation and
Mobility, City of Cleveland totaling $1,508,000. Of those awards, two support projects utilizing funds from both
the RLF and State of Ohio funding: one for asbestos abatement at a former Sears in
Kerry McCormack, Councilman, Ward 3, City of Cleveland
David J. Moore, Commissioner, Lorain County
Middleburg Heights, and the other for asbestos abatement and demolition at a
John Picuri, P.E., Deputy Director, District 12, ODOT
Richard Regovich, Commissioner, Lake County
Khalil Seren, Mayor, City of Cleveland Heights
Ralph Spidalieri, Commissioner, Geauga County
Kim Thomas, Mayor, Richmond Heights
former Firestone tire plant in Akron.
Ex Officio Members:
Ferzan M. Ahmed, P.E., Executive Director, Ohio Turnpike
and Infrastructure Commission
As impressive as this work has been, the progress made over the past four years
David Emerman, District Chief, Northeast District Office, has just barely scratched the surface of what is needed to address brownfield
remediation in Northeast Ohio and throughout the state. Therefore, it is critical to
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Grace Gallucci, Executive Director & CEO
continue funding for the Brownfield Remediation Program for at least the next two
years.
1299 Superior Avenue, East Phone: (216) 241-2414
www.noaca.org
Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Fax: (216) 621-3024
Furthermore, NOACA supports legislation proposed by Representatives Thomas Hall and Bride Sweeney, HB
93, that would create important programmatic changes to the BRP. This legislation would shift the program
from a first-come, first-serve model to a merit-based system, which scores applications reviewed by a panel of
experts working with the Ohio Department of Development. This model mirrors Ohio’s first brownfield program,
the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund (CORF). CORF was responsible for producing $1.16 billion in one-time
contributions and contributing $1.4 billion annually to the state’s Gross Domestic Product. As an organization
that is directly involved in this work, I strongly believe it is imperative for Ohio to adopt these changes to help
ensure that Ohio can maintain its competitive advantage as a great place to do business.
In sum, I respectfully ask this Committee and the Ohio Legislature to support a continued appropriation for the
brownfield remediation program of at least $100-$150 million per year, along with the programmatic changes
being proposed by Representatives Hall and Sweeney in HB 93. This investment will unlock untold potential on
the 9,000 plus former commercial and industrial brownfield sites across Ohio, while preserving agricultural land
and green space from unnecessary development.
Chair Hoops and members of the House Development Committee, thank you for the opportunity to provide
interested party testimony and for NOACA to express support for brownfield funding and policy that will help
Northeast Ohio grow its economy and create new jobs in the years ahead.
1299 Superior Avenue, East Phone: (216) 241-2414
www.noaca.org
Cleveland, Ohio 44114 Fax: (216) 621-3024
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