By Maria Cogliando, The Assessor

The first joint event between the City College of New York (CCNY) and the Brownfield Coalition of the Northeast (BCONE) was a ”Hot Topics” session held on April 23, 2019. It was moderated by Sue Boyle of GEI Consultants, who serves as the executive director of BCONE, the New York City Brownfield Partnership (NYCBP), and the Licensed Site Remediation Professionals Association (LSRPA). Topics covered included perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the use of fill at redevelopment sites and its movement within the region, opportunity zones, and updates on other brownfield incentives offered in the northeastern U.S.

Since that first interaction, BCONE continued the collaboration by offering guest lectures for the Phase I (fall 2020) and Phase II (spring 2021) Environmental Site Assessment courses. The first two speakers presented virtually on February 6, 2021, on the history of brownfields to a class of 25 CCNY students. Students will also be automatically enrolled at no additional cost in the 40-hour OSHA HAZWOPER (Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard) certification program, which applies to employees who are engaged in clean-up operations that are conducted at uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.