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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 13, 2005

Schumer Brings Greater Binghamton Coalition Director To Washington For Meetings On Economic Development With Feds

Meetings In Washington D.C. Focus On Promotion Of Broome County Initiatives Including Brownfields Revitalization, Workforce Development, And Transportation Funding

Schumer: This Is Another Step In The Right Direction, Working Together To Revitalize The Greater Binghamton Economy

Today in Washington, D. C., U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer hosted a series of meetings for Jim DiMasco, Executive Director of the Greater Binghamton Coalition on the latest economic development initiates in Broome County. Schumer’s office arranged and facilitated for meetings with the Economic Development Administration (EDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Federal Rail Administration (FRA). This was DiMasco’s first set of meetings with federal entities that can be helpful to the Coalition’s initiatives, including brownfields revitalization, workforce development, and transportation initiatives.

“These meetings were another great step forward for Broome County,” said Schumer. “Binghamton has a high quality work force, which is an essential component to spur job creation. But we have to make sure the area’s community and business leaders are getting the support and resources they need from the federal government.”

DiMasco and Schumer’s staff members met with the EDA, within the U.S. Department of Commerce, to highlight the proactive approach Broome County is taking to clean up and revitalize over 20 Brownfield sites as well as to discuss the local workforce and to learn best how to maximize the federal resources available to communities like the Greater Binghamton area. They also briefed the EPA on the Brownfield sites and learned directly from program representatives what Broome County could do to enhance their changes of receiving federal Brownfield cleanup dollars. DiMasco and Schumer staff also met with the FRA to discuss a federal feasibility study of new rail service along the I-81 corridor. The study includes the possible creation of a new passenger rail corridor (Binghamton, the Southern Tier and Central NY to Hoboken, NJ) and the enhancement of the freight carrying capacity of the route segment between Scranton, Pa. and Binghamton, NY.

Additionally, DiMasco and Schumer’s Director of Economic Development, and Director of Appropriations, discussed federal support for economic development opportunities for Broome County.

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