Agenda
| Time/Location | Event |
| 7:30 – 8:15 | Registration & Breakfast Sponsor: Connell Foley  |
| 8:15 – 9:35 | Welcome & Introduction to Conference |
| 2nd Flr. Ballroom | Speakers: Sue Boyle, Executive Director BCONE and Sr. Environmental Practice Leader- GEI Consultants; Joel Bloom, PhD, President, NJIT (Invited) |
| 2nd Flr. Ballroom |
Morning Plenary Session |
| Finding a Sustainable Balance between Operating a World Class Seaport, Redeveloping Waterfronts, and Ecological Preservation | |
| The NY Harbor has been marred by past industrial practices, but cleanup and conservation activities are breathing new life into this ecosystem. The Port of NYNJ, the busiest on the east coast is located in this harbor, as well as waterfront properties being redeveloped for non-industrial uses. How can all of these uses and activities, some inconsistent with others, exist in harmony? Can a sustainable balance be achieved? In this discourse there are distinct and sometimes myopic perspectives. Environmental organizations focus on improving the quality of ecosystems. The PANYNJ, a quasi-governmental entity charged with the management of port facilities has a global focus as it connects economic regions and is a link on the global supply chain. And municipal governments are concerned primarily with the welfare of its citizens and maintaining a certain quality of life. Many municipal governments are encouraging the redevelopment of former industrial waterfront properties for non-industrial uses. As the PANYNJ has a global focus, municipalities have a local focus, and environmental groups have an ecosystem focus, at times, these major stakeholders, have conflicting agendas. | |
| Moderator: Donald Sebastian, PhD, President, New Jersey Innovation Institute | |
| Panelists: Debbie Mans, Baykeeper and Executive Director, NY/NJ Baykeeper; Colette Santasieri, PhD, Director, Policy and Planning Innovation for Civil Infrastructure and Environment, New Jersey Innovation Institute; Bethann Rooney, Assistant Director, Port Commerce Department, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey | |
Sponsor: New Jersey Innovation Institute |
|
| 9:40 – 9:50 | Break |
| 9:50 - 10:40 | Breakout Sessions 1 |
| 2nd Flr. Ballroom |
Breakout 1A - Designing Living Shorelines for Protection and Habitat Restoration |
| The panelists will discuss shoreline resiliency including soft, living shorelines and hard shoreline features including modeling tools. The discussion will include the "Why", "When", and "How" of Living Shorelines, as well as what works and what doesn't work. Case studies of living shorelines will be presented including fully installed examples from Northern Captree Island, NY; Udall’s Mill Cove, Great Neck, NY; and New Jersey. Newer installations and works in progress from Connecticut and Northern New England will also be presented. | |
| Moderator: Gary Rozmus, Board Member, NYC Brownfields Partnership, and GEI Consultants | |
| Panelists: Jay Tanski, NY Sea Grant Program, Stony Brook University; Frank McLaughlin, Brownfields Manager, NJDEP Office of Brownfields Reuse; Laura Schwanof, Landscape Architect/Ecological Practice Leader, GEI | |
Sponsors: GEI Consultants and The New York City Brownfield Partnership  |
|
| 1st Flr. Atrium | Breakout 1B - Energy Hub as a Catalyst for Brownfield Development |
| The greater Philadelphia region is poised to become an energy hub due to its close proximity to the prolific Marcellus and Utica shale gas reserves, and spurred by the strength of the region with regards to infrastructure, a well-educated work force, committed local leadership, and strategic location. Shale gas provides a clean, low cost energy and serves as a feedstock for the petrochemical industry. Innovative brownfield development will be an integral component of this regional renaissance. This panel will explore the environmental, economic, and strategic opportunities and challenges associated with this opportunity. | |
| Moderator: Skelly Holmbeck, Energy Lead, Advanced GeoServices | |
| Panelists: Steve Mullin, President and Principal Econsult Solutions; Phil Eastman, PECO; and Cade Hobbick, AICP, LEED-AP, Supervising Environmental Planner, STV Inc. |
|
Sponsor: Advanced GeoServices |
|
| 10:40 - 10:55 | Break |
| 10:55 - 11:45 | Breakout Sessions 2 |
| 2nd Flr. Ballroom |
Breakout 2A - Designing Development: Considering ALL the Community Impacts |
| Improved measures of ALL the community impacts of different development options can improve local wellbeing in affected neighborhoods. Some communities fear that redevelopment of brownfields will bring gentrification, while others are grateful for any investment at all. Brief presentations and discussion will address how neighborhoods can get involved more effectively in development planning and why it’s important that they do so. Examples from New York City and the NJ cities of Hoboken, Paterson, and Perth Amboy will highlight localized data, strong and weak real estate markets, and financing the mitigation of environmental and social threats associated with brownfields. The problems of community engagement will be examined through the lens of CSO response planning in New Jersey. We will conclude with an overview of an EPA-funded development of a tool for communities to assess alternative brownfield redevelopment options using both standard and community data sources to address the triple bottom line impacts of different land reuse possibilities. | |
| Moderator: Peter B. Meyer, PhD, President and Chief Economist, The E.P. Systems Group, Inc. | |
| Panelists: Lee Ilan, Chief of Planning, New York City Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation; Lawra Dodge, PG, LSRP, President, Excel Environmental Resources, Inc.; Alan Miller, NJDEP, Water Resources Management | |
Sponsor: Excel Environmental Resources, Inc. |
|
| 1st Flr. Atrium | Breakout 2B - Integrated Approaches for Environmental Sustainability in Urban Areas: Focus on Stormwater Management |
| Most of the existing approaches for dealing with environmental challenges have been discipline focus, which is due in part to the academic training of the experts and to specialization demands in the Industry. However, sustainable solutions (i.e., solutions that last a long time) need to be multidisciplinary. Our hypothesis is that a better communication between Industry and Academia helps promote multidisciplinary solutions. This session provides an opportunity to illustrate how a multidisciplinary approach was used for dealing with particular environmental challenges, such as stormwater. The session also seeks recommendations from the speakers and the audience for changes/amendments in academic curricula, and how to improve the industry-academia collaboration. | |
| Moderator: Stew Abrams, Vice President/ Principal and Director of Remediation Technology, Langan Engineering | |
| Panelists: Michele Boufadel, PhD., Director, NJIT Center for Natural Resources Development and Protection; Gregg Woodruff, Senior Project Manager - Sustainability, Langan Engineering; Professor Allen Davis, PhD, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Maryland |
|
Sponsor: Langan Engineering & Environmental Services |
|
| 11:45 - 1:15 | Keynote, Sustainability Partner & Lunch |
| 2nd Flr. Ballroom |
Sustainability Partner Presentation and Sponsor: Geoffrey R Forrest, PG CPEng, LSRP, Director, Dresdner Robin |
| 2nd Flr. Ballroom |
Keynote Speaker: Mike Riccio, CFO and Treasurer, Panasonic Corporation of North America |
| Keynote Address: Panasonic's Sustainability Efforts in Newark, throughout North America, and Beyond. Learn how Panasonic is integrating sustainability initiatives into their business operations, including the new LEED-certified facility in Newark, and how they are applying concepts from global operations, such as the Fujisawa (Japan) Sustainable Smart Town model, here in the US. | |
| 1:15 - 2:05 | Breakout Sessions 3 |
| 2nd Flr. Ballroom |
Breakout 3A - Sustainable & Resilient Remediation Best Practices |
| Panelists will discuss best practices for sustainable and resilient remediation using ASTM’s Standard Guide for Greener Cleanup and NYC Office of Environmental Remediation’s Climate Change Resiliency and Sustainability Audit Program for Remediation Projects. This panel will also discuss the decision-making process of implementing sustainable and resilient remediation and will use the NYC Clean Soil Bank as a case study. |
|
| Moderator: Hannah Moore, Associate Director, NYC Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation | |
| Panelists: Kate Glass, Program Manager, Marketing and Climate Change Resilience, NYC Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation; James Snook, LSRP, Senior Project Geologist/Project Manager, Hatch Mott MacDonald; and Stephen Malinowski, Senior Technical Director Site Assessment and Remediation, AKRF | |
Sponsors: Hatch Mott MacDonald, The New York City Brownfield Partnership and AKRF  |
|
| 1st Flr. Atrium | Breakout 3B - Brownfield Success Stories: Imagination and Creativity in Urban Change |
| The best brownfield development transforms abandoned, underutilized, and/or unusable land into vibrant business, residential, and recreational spaces. The Philadelphia Navy Yard (Navy Yard), the Keystone Industrial Port Complex (KIPC), and Knight’s Crossing in Camden New Jersey are three of the most successful brownfield redevelopment projects in the US. This panel will discuss lessons learned and strategies for success. | |
| Moderator: Cathy Ward, Esq., Stradley Ronon | |
| Panelists: Brian Berson, Vice President of Development, Brandywine Realty; Michael Gladnick, Vice President & Principal Landscape Architecture, Advanced GeoServices Corp.; and Dennis Jones, Regional Manager, US Steel |
|
Sponsors: Brandywine Realty Trust, Stradley Ronon, and Advanced GeoServices  |
|
| 2:05 - 2:35 2nd Flr. Gallery |
Exhibit Hall & Coffee Break Sponsor: The Hillmann Group  |
| 2:35 - 3:25 | Breakout Session 4 |
| 2nd Flr. Ballroom |
Breakout 4A - Annual NSCW Hot Regulatory Topics Panel |
| The 3 states that make up the greater NYC Metro area - CT, NJ and NY - are each taking unique approaches to redevelopment readiness. This panel will compare and contrast the different approaches and engage all attendees to share their innovations. Focus will be on the NYC SPEED Portal (Searchable Property Environmental E-Database) and other certifications that are moving sites toward redevelopment. CT's liability protections are broader than any other state in the region, plus the state has been significantly funding its programs and recently added an area-wide revitalization planning grant to its toolkit. New Jersey's privatized oversight of cleanups under its LSRP program is moving more properties to redevelopment in a shorter time period than traditional oversight efforts. | |
| Moderator: Sue Boyle, Sr. Environmental Practice Leader - GEI Consultants | |
| Panelists: Bob Schick, Division Director, NYSDEC; Elizabeth Barton, Esq., Day Pitney, CT; George Vallone, President, Hoboken Brownstone Company | |
Sponsors: GEI Consultants, Day Pitney, and The Hoboken Brownstone Company   |
|
| 1st Flr. Atrium | Breakout 4B - Urban Agriculture & Green Infrastructure: A Case Study in the City of Philadelphia |
| Philadelphia has more than 30,000 vacant lots, both privately and publically owned. The city has a strong tradition of community gardening and ample demand for establishing new green spaces. The Philadelphia Office of Sustainability (OOS), Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s FarmPhilly Program (PPR), Philadelphia Water Department, and Neighborhood Garden Trust (NGT) are collaborating to investigate soil safety and establish standards for the end uses of food production and/or green stormwater infrastructure community green spaces. The challenge of food production in include addressing common contaminants in post-industrial cities that may affect gardener interaction and nutrition, while the challenge for stormwater runoff collection is the infiltration of stormwater through soil that could contain contaminants could harm groundwater systems underneath. With common goals of food access, stormwater management, and public health, this partnership will present the framework of the greening initiative, the solutions pursued, the challenges presented, and the progress of implementation. Specifically discussed will be the implementation of an EPA Environmental Assessment Grant. | |
| Moderator: Michele Christina, Co-owner, Brownfield Redevelopment Solutions, Inc. | |
| Panelists: Hannah Chatterjee, Philadelphia Office of Sustainability; Jennifer Greenberg, Executive Director, Neighborhood Gardens Trust; Nicole Hostettler, PP, AICP, LEED Green Assoc, City Planner, Philadelphia Water Department | |
Sponsor: Brownfield Redevelopment Solutions, Inc. |
|
| 3:40 - 4:45 |
Afternoon Plenary Session |
| 2nd Flr. Ballroom | Applying International Best Practices for Resiliency and Climate Change Planning Here at Home |
| This panel will investigate how the recent COP21 Paris climate talks will affect climate change and resiliency planning best practices here in our U.S. cities. Among our panelists, this session features the environmental sustainability and resiliency planning leader for the City of Copenhagan, Denmark – ranked as one of the world's most liveable cities. Planning for, and coping with climate change can cause changes to city life yet also lead to improved responses to severe events that otherwise would interrupt daily life. For example, Copenhagen has had to identify effective climate adaptation strategies, such as "Cloudburst" planning due to repeated flooding – a concept now just starting to be explored in some US cities. International cities like Copenhagen, some often regarded as “most liveable”, have frequently integrated resiliency planning with human-scale urban elements – these "best practices" are often well established overseas, but not always so in the US. Our panel will provide a unique international perspective on how US cities can implement these best practices for integrating climate adaptation and resiliency measures with human-scale elements by addressing questions such as: i) impact of climate change uncertainties on economic growth; ii) importance of governance in strategy identification and implementation; iii) importance of ownership to key stakeholders; iv) economic costs of climate change inaction; v) minimizing development emissions; vi) becoming carbon neutral and fossil free; vii) creating a 'smart' energy power grid with a smaller carbon footprint; viii) Enabling efficient and sustainable transportation; ix) creating energy-efficient buildings; x) planning life around extreme weather (i.e. cloudbursts); and xi) preventing migratory diseases. |
|
| Moderator: Mette Sos Lassesen, Market Director, Synergies and Liveable Cities, Ramboll Environ | |
| Panelists: Pernille Andersen, Managing Technical & Environmental Director for the City of Copenhagen; Christian Nyerup Nielsen, Head of Department and Global Service Line Manager for Climate Adaptation and Flood Risk Management Initiatives, Ramboll Environ; and The Honorable Dawn Zimmer, Mayor of City of Hoboken, NJ |
|
Sponsor: Ramboll Environ |
|
| 4:45 – 5:00 | Wrap Up and Closing |
| 2nd Flr. Ballroom |
Speakers: Steve Jaffe, President, BCONE; Dawn Bembry-Breeden, Director of Client Relations & Technical Services, Hillmann Consulting, LLC |
| 5:00-6:30 | Reception |
| 2nd Flr. Gallery | Sponsor: New Jersey Society of Women Environmental Professionals |
Exhibitors
Friends of BCONE Supporting Sponsor
Gold Corporate Sponsor
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