Politics & Government

State Legislature Passes Brownfield Bill

Legislation proposed by Avella and Braunstein would require DEC to notify community boards about cleanup projects.

The state Legislature has passed a bill that would require the Department of Environmental Conservation to notify community boards in the five boroughs of any new brownfield site cleanups.

The bill had been introduced in the state Senate by Tony Avella, D-Bayside, and in the state Assembly by Edward Braunstein, D-Bayside. Both house passed the legislation.

“Community boards are our first line of defense in protecting our quality of life,” Braunstein said. “Providing board members with information about brownfield sites will ensure that the community has eyes and ears on the ground to make certain that all remediation is done appropriately.”

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Currently, DEC regulations require a period of public comment for a brownfield cleanup request. Under the law, adjacent property owners, nearby schools and local newspapers must be notified, but community boards were previously not privy to information on the cleanups.

Avella said community boards, which meet monthly, are instrumental in notifying the public and local civic organizations of public hearings by city and state agencies.

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“Brownfield cleanups are significant environmental projects that can have a widespread impact on residents and the local community,” Avella said. “Oftentimes, these brownfield cleanup projects, when finished, lead to large developments that also impact the quality of life for residents.”

A brownfield site is real property, the redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a contaminant, such as hazardous waste or petroleum.


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