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  • 31 May 2023 11:13 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    EPA announces the largest investment ever in brownfields communities made by President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda 

    NEW YORK (May 25, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that 7 selectees from New York will get $6.4 Million from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in New York while advancing environmental justice. Thanks to the historic boost from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this is the largest ever funding awarded in the history of the EPA’s Brownfields MARC Grant programs.

    These investments are  part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to grow the American economy from the bottom up and middle-out – from rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure, to driving over $470 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States, to creating a manufacturing and innovation boom powered by good paying jobs that don’t require a four-year degree, to building a clean-energy economy that will combat climate change and make our communities more resilient.

    “We’re working across the country to revitalize what were once dangerous and polluted sites in overburdened communities into more sustainable and environmentally just places that serve as community assets. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, we’re moving further and faster than ever before to clean up contaminated sites, spur economic redevelopment, and deliver relief that so many communities have been waiting for,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “This critical wave of investments is the largest in Brownfields history and will accelerate our work to protect the people and the planet by transforming what was once blight into might.”

    “The brownfields program is a powerful tool that helps communities in New York address local inequities by providing a means to revitalize abandoned properties and promote environmental health, economic growth, and job creation,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “The Brownfields program transforms communities, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding gives the program a huge shot in the arm – with a historic $1.5 billion dollars that will be leveraged to make a real and lasting on-the-ground difference for communities across the country.”

    “Brownfields are much more than eyesores for Upstate NY – they devalue surrounding properties, harm the local economy, and pose potential environmental and health threats,” said Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer. “From Syracuse to Sullivan County this critical federal investment will provide the boost that our Upstate communities need to cleanup these brownfield properties and create a better future. I am proud we secured a historic $1.5 billion for the EPA’s Brownfields program in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Law to make this funding possible, and I will keep working to return these blighted properties to productive use to breathe new life into our Upstate communities.” 

    “Brownfields are a serious threat to the environment and to public health,” said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “Cleaning them up and turning them into usable spaces like parks, recreation facilities, and housing revitalizes our communities and spurs local economic development. I’m proud to have fought to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that helped provide the funding for this cleanup and I applaud EPA for working to address contamination across New York State.” 

    New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos said, “DEC applauds EPA for its sustained investments to revitalize neighborhoods and protect public health by cleaning up former industrial sites and returning them to productive use. The significant grants announced today will bolster New York State’s ongoing efforts to clean up contaminated sites and DEC looks forward to continuing to work collaboratively with our federal partners to advance our shared goals to protect natural resources and communities.” 

    Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those located in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.

    Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.

    EPA’s Brownfields Program also advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative to direct 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments to disadvantaged communities. The Brownfields Program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations into all aspects of its work. Approximately 84 percent of the MARC program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include historically underserved communities.

    State Funding Breakdown:

    Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant Program Selection

    EPA announced 262 communities that have been selected to receive 267 grants totaling more than $215 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant Programs. This represents the highest funding level ever announced in the history of the Brownfields Program.

    The following organizations in New York have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant Programs.

    • Greater Syracuse Land Bank, NY has been selected to receive $1,000,000. Grant funds will be used to update an inventory of brownfield sites and conduct 20 Phase I and 18 Phase II environmental site assessments, and develop eight cleanup plans and four reuse plans. Grant funds also will be used to update an inventory of foreclosable brownfield sites and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the South Avenue Corridor, the Near Eastside Neighborhood, the 15th Ward, and the Hawley-Green Neighborhood in the City of Syracuse, all within the city’s urban core. Priority sites include a former dry cleaners and gas station, four vacant and abandoned former automobile repair shops, a vacant commercial building, and an auto garage and junkyard.
    • Syracuse Industrial Development Agency, NY has been selected to receive $800,000. Grant funds will be used to conduct one Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments of sites in the target area and to clean up the 341 Peat Street site. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this project is the Near Eastside neighborhood in the City of Syracuse, which is just 1.4 miles east of downtown Syracuse with dilapidated buildings, piles of illegally dumped trash and debris, and associated blight that is highly visible from Highway 690 as people travel into the city. Priority sites include the 341 Peat Street site, which was first developed in the 1890s and historically operated as a structural steel works facility, forge and foundry for an iron and steel company, machine shop, equipment repair facility, and varnish supplier. Other priority sites are located on Greenway Avenue and include the 79,600-square-foot Winkelman property, a 0.93-acre former industrial site, and a 0.29-acre site consisting of an abandoned roadway.
    • Wayne Country Regional Land Bank Corporation, NY has been selected to receive $800,000. Grant funds will be used to conduct six Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments, prepare two cleanup plans and one site reuse plan, update the county’s site inventory, and conduct community engagement activities. Grant funds also will be used to clean up four sites on Canal Street. The target area for this project is the Canal/Geneva Street Corridor in the City of Lyons’ historic downtown district, which sits along the Erie Canal. Priority sites include five properties on Canal Street, a property at 30 Geneva Street, and one property at 1 Clyde Road. These properties include former mixed commercial row-style buildings, a former gas station, a former fueling station and convenience store, and a former restaurant and bar.
    • Wayne County, NY has been selected to receive $1,000,000. Grant funds will be used to conduct 15 Phase I and 14 Phase II environmental site assessments and develop eight cleanup plans, two site reuse plans, and one area-wide plan. Grant funds also will be used to update a brownfield inventory and support community outreach activities. Assessment activities will focus on the Village of Newark and the Towns of Lyons, Sodus, and Wolcott. Priority sites include an underutilized industrial property, a 13,000-square-foot abandoned former two-story medical office, and a formerly occupied photo etching company in the City of Newark; a former coal-fired electric generation plant located on the Erie Canal and a 21-acre former warehouse and shipping facility in the Town of Lyons; a 3.5-acre former malt house for the Genesee Brewing Company and a 4.25-acre water treatment plant in Wayne County; and the 200-acre Former Butler State Prison in the Town of Wolcott. Non-lead coalition members include the Town of Lyons, the Village of Newark, and the Greater Rochester Enterprise.
    • Mohawk Valley Economic Development District Inc., NY has been selected to receive $1,000,000. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, Inc. will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities and market the fund. RLF activities will focus on the Utica Industrial Central Corridor Brownfield Opportunity Zone (BOA), the Gloversville BOA/Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) area, and the Ilion LWRP area.
    • Sullivan County, NY has been selected to receive $800,000. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which Sullivan County will provide ten loans and ten subgrants to support cleanup activities. Grant funds also will be used to market the RLF program. RLF activities will target the entire county with a focus on the housing projects and multi-owner Turick site. Priority sites include vacant homes in the Towns of Bethel, Liberty, Thompson, and the Village of Monticello.
    • Syracuse Economic Development Corporation, NY has been selected to receive $1,000,000. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the Syracuse Economic Development Corporation will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities. Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup planning and community engagement activities and market the fund. RLF activities will focus on the East Adams and Hawley-Green neighborhoods, which are in some of the City of Syracuse’s densest urban areas.

    You can read more about this year’s MARC selectees, here.

    Additional Background:

    EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.

    EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.37 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. EPA’s investments in addressing brownfield sites have leveraged more than $36 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding has leveraged, from both public and private sources, nearly 260,000 jobs. Communities that previously received Brownfields Grants used these resources to fund assessments and cleanups of brownfields, and successfully leverage an average of 10.6 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfield Grant funds spent and $19.78 for every dollar.

    The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on August 8-11, 2023, in Detroit, Michigan. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

    For more on Brownfields Grants: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields/types-brownfields-grant-funding

    For more on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields

    Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.

    Posted May 31, 2023

  • 16 May 2023 1:30 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Contact Information: Elias Rodriguez (rodriguez.elias@epa.gov)

    On May 15, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed settlement with Bank of America to address the White Swan Cleaners/Sun Cleaners Area Groundwater Contamination Superfund Site in Wall Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Under the proposed agreement, Bank of America, the current owner of the White Swan property, will be required to fund and perform vapor intrusion and groundwater cleanup work at an estimated cost of $29 million.

    "With this settlement EPA is holding Bank of America accountable for its share of the cleanup at the White Swan site," said Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. " After years of investigation and cleanup efforts, this is a significant step towards resolving the contamination issues at the site for the benefit of the community, the environment, and public health."

    Read more...

    Posted May 16, 2023

  • 16 May 2023 1:28 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    by Jared Paben, Resource Recycling

    A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate protects composting, recycling and garbage facilities from cleanup cost liability if a class of chemicals called PFAS contaminates the environment at their facilities.

    The legislation, introduced by Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and sponsored by several other Senate Republicans, exempts owners/operators of composting operations and solid waste management facilities from liability under the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, commonly known as the “Superfund” law. 

    Read more...

    Posted May 16, 2023

  • 08 May 2023 4:55 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Rick Miller, Olean Times Herald (NY)

    Work at the M.J. Painting brownfield cleanup on Franklin Street resumed earlier this month after operations that began last summer ended for the winter.

    “The project is so big we had to do it over two seasons,” said M.J. Painting owner Mike John. “With phase 1 done, the project is about 60% complete.”

    The cleanup, which is a cooperative venture involving Exxon-Mobil, the successor company to Socony Vacuum Oil Co., which once had a refinery and tank farm on the site; the state Department of Environmental Conservation; and M.J. Painting.

    Last summer, people driving by on Interstate 86 near Exit 25 couldn’t miss the giant excavation, which covered more than one-fifth of the site. Contaminated dirt was removed from the site.

    ...

    For the entire article, see

    https://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/m-j-painting-franklin-street-brownfield-cleanup-resumes/article_790e9f66-3fa9-5229-9d28-b33759d6eb9f.html

    Posted May 8, 2023

  • 08 May 2023 4:50 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Nancy Lavin, Rhode Island Current

    After recent backlash to the expansion of an Allens Avenue scrap yard, Rhode Island senators are backing a measure to give low-income and minority communities more say over projects that pollute their neighborhoods.

    The legislation passed by the Rhode Island Senate in a 31-4 vote Thursday, May 4, allows the state to designate “environmental justice areas” based on income, minority population, and/or percentage of households that lack “English language proficiency.” As written, the bill would give more scrutiny and community input in permitting for projects that contribute to pollution: sewage treatment plants, landfills, incinerators and recycling centers, among others. The legislation also allows state agencies that oversee these permit applications (the Department of Environmental Management and Coastal Resources Management Council) to consider the pollution not just from individual projects, but cumulatively for the neighborhood. 

    Read more...

    Posted May 8, 2023

  • 08 May 2023 4:46 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Eunki Seonwoo, MV Times

    West Tisbury may be facing some steep costs to deal with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). 

    West Tisbury town administrator Jennifer Rand said during the Wednesday, May 3, meeting that a contract with Wilcox & Barton —  estimated fee of $170,000 — will be for the next phase of meeting PFAS remediation requirements. The final costs of this phase will be revealed after that work is done, which includes sampling private wells, data analysis, installing point of entry treatment systems, among other tasks. 

    Read more...

    Posted May 8, 2023

  • 08 May 2023 4:41 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Governor Maura Healey and Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rebecca Tepper today announced a new pilot program to support cities and towns across Massachusetts in updating and putting their climate change resiliency plans and projects into action. The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Planning 2.0 (MVP 2.0) expands the MVP grant program, which provides communities with funding and technical support to identify climate hazards, develop strategies to improve resilience, and implement priority actions to adapt to climate change. After a year of reviewing the initial MVP Planning Grant program and conducting extensive stakeholder input, EEA developed MVP 2.0 to include new methods, tools, and resources for updating MVP plans and actions. 

    “The climate crisis is one of our greatest challenges, but there is enormous opportunity in our response. We have the science, data, tools and commitment to help communities understand how climate change impacts them and take action to advance resiliency and preparedness,” said Governor Maura Healey. “With the next phase of the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program, we will harness the incredible resources at our disposal and bring people together to protect our environment, grow our economy and build a more resilient future.” 

    “As a former mayor, I’ve seen firsthand the impact of the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program on local communities,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Our administration is about action – this new iteration of the project will take these resiliency plans and put them into action so our cities and towns are better prepared to withstand changing temperatures, flooding, and other climate impacts.” 

    MVP 2.0 provides communities with guidance and funding to center residents most impacted by climate change in the update process. Cities and towns will also receive innovative training on climate resilience best practices, equity, and environmental justice, revisit priorities in their current MVP plans based on this new knowledge and engagement and receive technical assistance and $50,000 of guaranteed funding to develop and implement an action project. A new web tool called Guides for Equitable and Actionable Resilience (GEAR) will launch with the program in the next few weeks and aid communities in understanding how local climate impacts may intersect with topics like housing and public health through data explorations, case studies, and key actions communities can take to build resilience. 

    “As we transition to clean energy, we also need strong protections against the climate impacts already burdening our residents,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper.  “We are excited to keep growing and evolving this program to meet the needs of our communities while achieving our climate goals.” 

    EEA will award funding to a maximum of 30 communities, five in each region, to undergo the two-year pilot program. Pilot communities will hire a vendor with skills in climate resilience, facilitation, and equity and build a community team with community liaisons, or community members who are from and/or have strong relationships with environmental justice and other priority populations who will be the most impacted by climate change. These community liaisons will be compensated for their time through grant funding. 

    “The emphasis on engaging environmental justice communities and organizations most impacted by climate change and requiring climate justice training for participants are exciting parts of this new pilot program,” said Undersecretary of Environmental Justice and Equity María Belén Power. “I look forward to working with the MVP program and other Commonwealth grant programs to ensure our funding supports our environmental justice and equity goals.” 

    Currently, 99 percent, or 349, of municipalities in Massachusetts have completed or are currently completing the original MVP Planning Grant process. Dunstable, Florida, Gill, Oakham, Peru, Russell, Shelburne, and Wales received awards this year. Communities that completed the initial MVP Planning Grant program are eligible to apply to implement their climate resilience priorities through the MVP Action Grant program. 

    Communities are encouraged to apply to MVP 2.0 as regional groups where feasible, and communities with MVP plans that are five years old are particularly encouraged to apply for the MVP 2.0 pilot to update their plans with the new process, tools, and data that are incorporated into the program. Federally-recognized and state-acknowledged Tribes and Regional Planning Agencies applying on behalf of a municipality or group of municipalities are also able to apply. 

    “We look forward to providing resources for community-based planning and climate resilience projects through the MVP 2.0 pilot and using this work to inform a full rollout to all communities anticipated next year,” said Undersecretary of Decarbonization & Resilience Katherine Antos. “We will also provide opportunities for communities to network, share lessons learned, and provide feedback to EEA as we continue to improve the program.” 

    The FY24 round of MVP Action Grant funding is also currently open for applications through May 4, 2023. MVP Action Grants provide funding for communities’ climate resilience priority projects focused on proactive strategies to address climate change impacts. This may include actions to invest in and protect environmental justice neighborhoods and improve public health, nature-based solutions to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat and flooding, and climate resilience-focused regulatory updates, among others.  

    Communities participating in the MVP 2.0 pilot round will still be able to apply for and implement MVP Action Grants at the same time. After the pilot round, EEA intends to require all communities to undergo MVP 2.0 to maintain eligibility in applying for MVP Action Grants, starting with those with the earliest MVP plans. 

    ###

    Posted May 8, 2023

  • 01 May 2023 11:31 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Contact Information

    EPA Region 3 Press Office (R3press@epa.gov)

    PHILADELPHIA (April 25, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) have entered a settlement with Honeywell International Inc. and Olin Corporation that requires the companies to pay cleanup costs and implement the cleanup remedy at the Hanlin-Allied-Olin Superfund Site, near Moundsville, West Virginia. According to EPA, a conservative estimate of the past and future cleanup costs covered by this settlement exceeds $8 million, which could be higher depending on the final future costs. 

    “This settlement reaffirms EPA’s commitment to make responsible parties pay for cleanups and prevent contamination from harming communities,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz.  “The required cleanup will help bring economic activity to the Moundsville area and promote redevelopment and reuse possibilities for the future.”

    The Hanlin-Allied-Olin Site is located approximately three miles south of Moundsville between the Ohio River, West Virginia Route 2, and the Moundsville Golf Course. Since 1953, the site has had various owners and operators, including Hanlin Chemicals, Allied Signal (now Honeywell), and Olin. 

    The major contaminant of concern at the site is mercury. This cleanup action will contain and remove the contamination, which will allow the community to benefit from reuse and improve the Ohio River for recreation and fishing. 

    The settlement was originally filed March 1, and was subject to a 30-day comment period. Having received no comments, the settlement was entered on April 19 in federal court for the Northern District of West Virginia. 

    The EPA website has more details about the history and cleanup on the site.

    # # #

    Posted May 1, 2023

  • 25 Apr 2023 3:35 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Publisher: Day Pitney Alert

    Day Pitney Co-author(s) Harold M. Blinderman, Max D. Matt, Brianna E. Tibett

    For the first time in 10 years, the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) revised its Environmental Condition Assessment Form (ECAF). Of most interest to the regulated community, the revised ECAF specifically asks whether consideration was given to and requires information relating to the potential presence of emerging contaminants, including per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), 1,4-Dioxane and perchlorate.

    Read more...

    Posted April 25, 2023

  • 24 Apr 2023 3:25 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)


    The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC) updated their per- and poly-flouroalkyl substances (PFAS) tracking tables, which present current information sorted by State, in January 2023.  The tables assist the regulated community in keeping up with changing requirements for evaluating, investigating and remediating PFAS in water, soil and sediment in each State.  The ITRC tables include screening levels, standards, criterion, and guidance values (“published values”) for water and soil. While most standards are similar between States, comparison can be difficult as each adds PFAS compounds into its own existing framework of environmental regulations, in which the approach to the protection of receptors can vary significantly.

    Read more...

    Posted April 24, 2023


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