Environmental Cleanup Success Stories
Remediation and Reuse
In addition to the significant environmental benefits of brownfield cleanup, the reuse of brownfield sites can enhance communities in a variety of ways. The following examples highlight site cleanups and reuses that will greatly improve New York's economic and ecological landscape.
Recreation Opportunities
Greenway Nature Trail - What was once an environmental wasteland between Buffalo and Lake Erie has been remediated to a spectacular green space and recreational resource.
Spill Response
Flight 1549 Recovery - DEC Spill Response personnel were among the key responders to the Flight 1549 crash event on the Hudson River near Manhattan.
Renewable Energy Production
Steel Winds - The Steel Winds turbines, located on a portion of the site of the former Bethlehem Steel Corporation, now capture the constant breezes off Lake Erie and generates enough clean energy to power 7,000 homes.
Business/Job Creation
Photo courtesy of
Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel
Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel - The opening of a new hotel in the heart of the Finger Lakes Wine Region is an example of how New York's brownfield programs can help communities transition from the past to the future.
Former Wolf Road Garage - Instead of views of a run-down building, one of the busiest intersections in the Albany area now offers residents a place to stop for coffee or a bite to eat.
Ecological Restoration
Photo courtesy of
Great Eastern Ecology
Pennsylvania and Fountain Avenue Landfills - These landfills, set along the edge of Jamaica Bay, have been remediated and closed under the New York State Superfund Program. When an ongoing habitat restoration project is completed, the site will be ceded to the National Park Service to become part of the Gateway National Park system.
Community Education and Outreach
Photo courtesy of Beczak
Environmental Education Center
Beczak Environmental Education Center - This site, located in an area historically dominated by industrial facilities, now houses an environmental education facility that provides programs and outreach to the community to promote stewardship of the Hudson, Saw Mill and Bronx Rivers.
More about Environmental Cleanup Success Stories:
- Greenway Nature Trail (Environmental Restoration Program) - New Recreation Opportunities
- Flight 1549 Recovery (Spill Response Program) - Spill Response
- Steel Winds (Brownfield Cleanup Program) - Renewable Energy Production
- Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel (Brownfield Cleanup Program) - Business and Job Creation
- Former Wolf Road Garage (Spill Response Program) - Business and Job Creation
- Pennsylvania and Fountain Avenue Landfills (State Superfund Program) - Ecological Restoration
- Beczak Environmental Education Center (Voluntary Cleanup Program) - Community Education and Outreach
