For Release: Friday, May 7, 2004
DEC Announces Public Meetings on Brownfields Cleanup Program
Meetings Will Inform Public About Incentives and Requirements of Cleanup Program
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that it will conduct public information meetings in cooperation with the Department of Taxation and Finance (TAX) and Department of Health (DOH) during May and June regarding the new State Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP).
The BCP was created by the Superfund/Brownfield Law signed by Governor Pataki in 2003, and is modeled after DEC's administrative Voluntary Cleanup Program. The goal of the BCP is to enhance private-sector cleanups of contaminated properties known as "brownfields" and to reduce development pressure on "greenfields."
At these public meetings, DEC will inform the interested public about the BCP program, BCP program requirements and eligibility, and how to complete BCP applications to investigate and clean up brownfield sites. TAX will describe the comprehensive package of tax credits created by the new law which are available to parties cleaning up sites under the BCP. Staff from DOH will provide an overview about the development of a process to derive soil cleanup objectives regarding the remediation of brownfield sites under the BCP.
Additionally, DOH staff will also conduct detailed discussions with the interested public between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at these locations on these dates to obtain input regarding the formulation of soil cleanup objectives for the BCP.
Dates, times and locations for the BCP public meetings are as follows:
- May 12, 2004 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monroe Community College, Building 3, Campus Center Monroe A & B, Rochester
- May 19, 2004 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Empire State Plaza, Concourse Level, Meeting Rooms 1-3, Albany
- June 8, 2004 12:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. The Graduate Center, CUNY, Recital Hall, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York
In addition to creating the BCP, the Superfund/Brownfields law, signed by Governor Pataki in October 2003, provides an annual appropriation of $120 million to the State Superfund Program; $15 million for Brownfield Initiatives and enhanced Citizen Participation efforts; expands the scope of the State Superfund Program to include hazardous substances; creates a new Browfields Opportunity Areas Program for community-based organizations and municipalities to address area-wide planning; improves the Environmental Restoration Program, which provides funding and assistance to municipalities and community based organizations working in concert with municipalities to encourage even more municipal participation; and implements liability reform to the State Superfund Program and Oil Spill Program.
The law also establishes a comprehensive package of tax credits with an estimated annual value of $135 million to offset costs associated with real property taxes, site preparation, water treatment expenses and property improvements for sites remediated under the Brownfields Cleanup Program.
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