Mathy Stanislaus, EPA Assistant Administrator, to Participate in RACER Trust Open House June 20

Redevelopment of Former GM Properties is the Focus as Leaders of Private and Public Sectors Unite in Event at Historic Willow Run

Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, will participate in a panel discussing redevelopment opportunities at former General Motors Corp. properties now held by the RACER Trust. The panel is one of two that will be held on Wednesday, June 20, as part of the RACER Open House at the historic Willow Run Plant in Ypsilanti, Mich.

The Open House will bring together economic development leaders, elected officials and investors from the public and private sectors who are committed to redeveloping the former GM properties.

"Mathy Stanislaus is an extraordinarily distinguished advocate and leader in economic redevelopment and community renewal, and has tremendous experience working in a hands-on way to solve challenges and revitalize communities in urban, industrial areas," said Elliott P. Laws, RACER's Trustee. "His strategic insights, technical expertise and creative ability to match resources with opportunities make him a leader in the broad effort to bring new investment and new jobs to some of our hardest-hit communities."

Mr. Stanislaus led EPA's efforts in the establishment of the RACER Trust and is a member of the White House Council on Auto Communities and Workers. Under Mr. Stanislaus' leadership, EPA, in partnership with the Mayors Auto Coalition, is conducting auto community roundtables to promote revitalization, identify strategies for bringing resources and technical assistance to affected communities and redevelop brownfield properties. In addition, Mr. Stanislaus has restructured EPA grant competitions to assist communities struggling with the economic effects of auto plant closures. Over the past three years, the EPA Brownfields Program provided more than $15 million in brownfields grant funding to auto communities throughout the Great Lakes states.

"Taking action to support economic development and revitalizing communities is a top priority at EPA," Mr. Stanislaus said. "By bringing together the public- and private-sector entities with the drive and ability to convert these blighted properties to community assets, this RACER Trust Open House will lead to healthier, more productive communities where families and the environment can thrive."

As Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Mr. Stanislaus is responsible for EPA's programs on hazardous and solid waste management; hazardous waste cleanup; Superfund and federal facilities cleanup and redevelopment; brownfields; oil spill prevention and response; chemical accident prevention and preparedness; underground storage tanks; and emergency response.

Prior to joining EPA, Mr. Stanislaus co-founded and co-directed the New Partners for Community Revitalization, a New York not-for-profit organization whose mission is to advance the renewal of New York's low- and moderate-income neighborhoods through the redevelopment of brownfields sites. Mr. Stanislaus also has been an advisor to other federal government agencies, Congress and the United Nations on a variety of environmental issues.

The RACER (Revitalizing Auto Communities Environmental Response) Trust was created last year by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to clean up and position for redevelopment properties and other facilities owned by the former General Motors Corp. before its 2009 bankruptcy. When the RACER Trust was formed, it owned more than 44 million square feet of industrial space in 14 states, principally in the Midwest and Northeast. RACER is one of the largest holders of industrial property in the United States and is the largest environmental response and remediation trust in U.S. history.

Those interested in registering for the Open House may do so by visiting http://bit.ly/KBPHJh. Attendees have the option of touring the plant — home to Rosie the Riveter during World War II — at the end of the program and will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a ride on a B-17 later this summer, donated by an anonymous supporter of RACER's mission.

In addition to the panel on RACER's development mission, the Open House will feature a keynote address by Jay Williams, Executive Director of the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers, and a second panel on RACER's environmental accounts and cleanup responsibilities. Mr. Williams also will be among the panelists discussing RACER's redevelopment mission.

In addition to Mr. Williams and Mr. Stanisluas, participants on the redevelopment panel are Mayor Dayne Walling of Flint, Mich., and Bruce Rasher, RACER's Redevelopment Manager. Mr. Laws will moderate.

The environmental panel will include Jim Sygo, Deputy Director of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; Maureen Leary, Chief of the Toxics Section for the New York State Office of Attorney General; Amy Alduino, Environmental Solutions Team Leader for the Ohio Department of Development; and Grant Trigger, RACER's Michigan Cleanup Manager. Michael O. Hill, RACER's Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel, will moderate.