New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar has announced the 21st year successful environmental cleanups in the State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP). In 2024, DEC issued 61 Certificates of Completion to sites in the program and accepted 71 new sites into the BCP, helping protect public health and the environment across New York State while revitalizing neighborhoods and strengthening local economies.
“New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program is a critical tool supporting community revitalization efforts across the state, cleaning up environmental pollution, and transforming former industrial properties while improving local economies and quality of life for New Yorkers and their families,” Interim Commissioner Mahar said. “DEC is proud to administer the Brownfield Cleanup Program to help protect public health and the environment while supporting economic development, including construction of affordable housing and other redevelopment, especially in underserved communities most impacted by legacy industrial pollution.”
A list of all completed cleanups in 2024
DEC oversees New York State’s BCP to encourage the voluntary cleanup of contaminated properties known as “brownfields” so these sites can be redeveloped and returned to productive use. A brownfield site is any real property where a contaminant is present at levels exceeding health-based or environmental standards or applicable cleanup objectives based on the anticipated future use of the property. Unlike State Superfund Program cleanups, which are funded by New York State and polluters, the BCP encourages developers and private-sector entities to invest in the cleanup of brownfields and promotes redevelopment of these sites to revitalize communities. Future site uses include recreation, housing, business, and other functions. The BCP is a sustainable alternative to greenfield development, helping to preserve undeveloped land while removing barriers to, and providing tax incentives for, the redevelopment of brownfields.
Since its inception in 2003, DEC has approved more than 1,360 applications to the BCP and issued Certificates of Completion (COCs) to approximately 715 formerly contaminated properties statewide. DEC issues COCs based on its expert review of a Final Engineering Report, which certifies the cleanup performed by an applicant meets State cleanup requirements for the protection of public health and the environment. The COC triggers the availability of tax credits administered by the New York State Department of Tax and Finance for eligible parties and allows the certificate holder to redevelop the site.
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