Mayor Bloomberg launches New York City Brownfield Cleanup Program

On August 5, mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled the opening of the New York City Brownfield Cleanup Program (NYC BCP) at the location of the future Pelham Parkway Towers, an affordable housing project. The Pelham Pwy. Towers is one of the first applicants to the NYC BCP. MJM Construction applied for the program through their environmental consultants Hydro Tech Environmental, Corp. The NYC BCP is one of the first municipally-run brownfield cleanup programs in the nation. The mayor was joined by NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation commissioner Pete Grannis, deputy mayor for operations Stephen Goldsmith, city council member James Gennaro and Daniel Walsh, director of OER. "Our new brownfield program will lead to clean-ups of long-blighted eyesores that drag down a neighborhood's property values, image, and safety," said Bloomberg. "At the same time, by complying with the new city clean-up requirements, developers will get the certainty and predictability they need in order to make investments and go forward with projects. This first in the nation initiative will allow us to create more jobs, housing and open space." The NYC BCP will be operated under a landmark intergovernmental agreement between the city and NYS. The agreement provides a liability statement from New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) that it has no further interest and does not plan to take enforcement or require remedial action under federal CERCLA or the State Environmental Conservation Law on properties that enroll in the NYC BCP. The program will distribute $9 million in grants toward the investigation and cleanup of brownfield properties over the next three years. "A key part of the city's new brownfield program is an agreement with State Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis," said Bloomberg. "While State officials will continue to oversee cleanups of the most heavily polluted brownfields in the five boroughs, the city will now supervise cleanups of less contaminated sites under regulations that conform to the State's high standards and that we've worked closely with the State to develop. That's just the kind of city-state cooperation that makes especially good sense in an era of reduced government resources, and it's going to help us keep New York's economic recovery on track." A Brownfield Site is typically defined as contaminated vacant or underused parcel. Brownfields cover approximately 7,600 acres of the city. The Pelham Pwy. Towers will receive approximately $125,000 in grants towards remediation during development. "The NYC BCP program is a perfect fit for properties that have "E" designations, are receiving public funding or have low to moderate levels of contamination" said Rachel Ataman of Hydro Tech Environmental, Corp. The Pelham Parkway Towers are scheduled to open in 2012.