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Charlotte Mitchell Duyshart

Associate Legislative Director, Environment, Energy & Land Use | Gulf Coast Regional Forum

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Conference

2026 NACo Energy Symposium

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Nearly two out of every three counties (64 percent) have an identified brownfield property. Cook County, Ill. alone has more than 600 properties, the most of any county with a brownfield site, with the median number of sites for brownfield counties reaching five properties. These sites are concentrated in rust-belt and other former industrial- heavy regions of the country. With more than 450,000 total estimated sites, brownfields impact every county to varying degrees.

Brownfield properties can come in many shapes and sizes. Often, they are thought of as large abandoned industrial complexes, but it is more common for brownfield sites to be smaller properties like former gas stations, dry cleaners or automotive repair garages. Brownfield sites can also be agricultural, residential, railroad sites, chemical manufacturing plants or public buildings.

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Related News

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Advocacy

NACo joins letters calling on Congress to support water infrastructure funding and reauthorization

In April, NACo, alongside coalition partners representing local governments and water groups, sent two letters to Congress highlighting the importance of sustained federal investment in water infrastructure for counties and communities nationwide.

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Advocacy

House passes the 2026 Farm Bill with key county priorities

On April 30, the House of Representatives passed the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (H.R. 7567) by a vote of 224–200. 

Stock image of kitchen sink
Advocacy

EPA announces new PFAS education initiative for water systems

On April 14, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the PFAS OUT initiative to help water systems proactively tackle per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination in drinking water. PFAS OUT is an outreach initiative that will connect water system managers with resources to better understand and tackle PFAS pollution ahead of upcoming regulatory deadlines. 

Custer County, Mont. Commissioner Jason Strouf describes the complexity involved in fixing damage to an existing culvert. He spoke with other county officials at an April 20 Capitol Hill briefing. Photo by Charlie Ban
County News

Counties make their cases for permitting reform

County officials spoke out at a Capitol Hill briefing about the delays and costs resulting from permitting challenges and the reforms they’d like to see passed by Congress.

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Advocacy

U.S. Representatives introduce bipartisan CERTAIN Act to uphold county participation and streamline federal permitting

On April 15, congressional leaders introduced the bipartisan Create Expedited Reviews to Transform American Infrastructure Now (CERTAIN) Act. Led by Reps. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Gabe Evans (R-Colo.), Andrew Gabarino (R-N.Y.), Adam Gray (D-Calif.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), the CERTAIN Act would strengthen county consultation and set actionable deadlines for federal environmental permitting processes.

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Advocacy

U.S. Department of Agriculture announces new environmental review regulations

On April 7, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a final rule issuing new regulatory guidance for the department’s environmental review processes. The new rule affects how USDA implements the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and affects projects funded by the agency or occurring on land managed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). 

Upcoming Events

Car connected to a Lilypad EV charger, parked in San Francisco Bay
Webinar

Deploying EV Charging Infrastructure Without an RFP – A Procurement-Safe Path for Public Agencies

California public agencies are under increasing pressure to deploy EV charging infrastructure
quickly—without compromising procurement compliance. We invite you to join a focused,
45-minute webinar hosted by Frank Huerta of LilyPad EV on either of these available dates:
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
11:00 AM (PST)
2:00 PM (EST)
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
11:00 AM (PST)
2:00 PM (EST)
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
11:00 AM (PST)
2:00 PM (EST)

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Conference

2026 NACo Energy Symposium

Armstrong, Carson and Potter Counties, Texas

Join county leaders from across the country in the Texas Panhandle to engage with the most pressing energy issues shaping rural America today. Hear from experts, exchange ideas with peers and gain practical insights into the policies, projects and partnerships driving rural energy development.