The New York Department of Environmental Conservation marks a successful 2022 for the state’s brownfield cleanup program. For 2022, 53 cleanups were completed, including over 20 new affordable housing projects.
“New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program is a powerful tool for transforming former industrial properties to support local revitalization efforts and improve quality of life for New York families across the state,” NY DEC Commissioner Seggos said.
Last year, 53 certificates of completions were given to sites and another 72 sites were accepted into the Brownfield Cleanup Program. Over 20 of the 53 completed cleanup projects last year will now bring in thousands of affordable housing units.
The NY DEC oversees the state’s Brownfield Cleanup Program, which encourages a voluntary cleanup of a contaminated site known as “Brownfields.” The clean up of the site means the property can then be redeveloped and returned to a productive use.
Brownfields are any type of site that has a high level of contamination which exceeds health-based or environmental standards. Encouragement for private-sector remediation of the sites is used to then promote redevelopment of the site to assist in revitalizing communities.