New BRECC Toolkit: Coal Communities’ Pathways for Economic Diversification
This webinar is available via Zoom Webinar. For registration questions, please email nacomeetings@naco.org.
Join the BRECC National Network as we explore how coal communities are boosting housing supply, sparking workforce innovation and breathing new life into our downtowns. Be the first to see NACo’s economic diversification toolkit, featuring six proven strategies designed to empower coal and rural counties. For more information on BRECC's National Network learning series and other programming, visit http://www.naco.org/brecc.
Resource
The BRECC Economic Diversification Toolkit
County official urges Congress to boost brownfields cleanup funding
Oswego County, N.Y. Clerk Terry Wilbur told the House Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment that brownfields can present land use challenges and negatively affect property values, but can provide counties with an opportunity to revitalize their economies and communities.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announces actions to combat PFAS contamination
On April 28, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a new suite of upcoming actions to address contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These measures, outlined by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, aim to strengthen scientific understanding, enhance enforcement and build partnerships with impacted communities, including counties and other local governments.
NACo testifies before Congress on brownfields revitalization
On May 7, Oswego County, N.Y. Clerk Terry Wilbur testified on behalf of NACo before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment at a hearing titled “Cleaning Up the Past, Building the Future: The Brownfields Program”.
County Countdown – May 6, 2025
Every other week, NACo's County Countdown reviews top federal policy advocacy items with an eye towards counties and the intergovernmental partnership. This week features
Congressional leaders introduce bipartisan bill to strengthen technical assistance for rural broadband
The Rural Broadband Assistance Act strengthens local access to federal broadband programs by codifying USDA’s Broadband Technical Assistance Program and ensuring continued support for broadband deployment in rural communities.
Podcast: Life after coal for one county
Commissioner Melody Villard and Economic Recovery Corps Fellow Sasha Nelson discuss the transition Moffat County, Colo. planned to diversify its economy after the closure of coal mines and a power plant decimated its property tax revenue.