Johnson Addresses Asbestos Risk at Brownfields Conference Johnson Discusses Asbestos Cleanup in Brownfields Speech

Thank you, Congresswoman Hart, for the introduction and your invitation to address the Western Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference. It's a pleasure to join you today, and I want to thank you for your outstanding leadership and commitment to urban redevelopment [[including asbestos abatement]].

As seen by the attendance here, as well as the increasing interest at the national conference, Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment has grown to become one of the greatest environmental and economic success stories of the past decade. It is an honor to be here today to kick off this three-day meeting dedicated to writing the next chapter of the Brownfields story in Western Pennsylvania and throughout our nation.

As we de-boarded the plane in Pittsburgh, and as I looked around to find myself in a sea of black and gold, I was immediately struck by the fact that the start of professional football's regular season is just around the corner. I have to admit, I'm not the biggest football fan, so the NFL season always sneaks up on me. But looking back over my travels these past few weeks, I can say hands-down there is no other city in America that wears their pride on their sleeves ... or for that matter, on their hats, their jackets and their billboards ... like the city of Pittsburgh.

As we were driving here to Ambridge, I thought about how closely identified Pittsburgh is with their football team - much more so than any other city. When you think of New York, you don't picture giants lurking under bridges. When someone says, "New England", your mind doesn't go to revolutionary soldiers wearing tri-cornered hats. And I'm no zoologist, but I doubt if bears ever roamed the streets of Chicago. But when you hear the name, "Pittsburgh", most people immediately think of the 5-time Super Bowl Champion Steelers and a city, whose identity is entwined with the steel industry.