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  • 14 Feb 2022 1:27 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Upon Reauthorization and Renewal, These Two Programs will Continue to Address Environmental Justice, Economic Development, and Affordable Housing in Communities Across the State

    A statewide coalition representing environmental advocates, environmental justice organizations, economic development organizations, and business groups released a statement in support of Governor Hochul’s inclusion of the Brownfields Cleanup Program and the Brownfields Opportunity Area program in her proposed budget. The coalition applauds Governor Hochul for making a long-term commitment to this program by proposing an extension of the program for 10 years. Additionally, the reforms thatare included to provide additional resources to projects in disadvantaged communities and encourage renewable energy development on brownfield sites goes a long way to address environmental justice issues, combatting neighborhood blight, and providing thousands of homes statewide for New Yorkers who need it the most.

    Since reauthorization of the Brownfields Cleanup Program (BCP) in 2015, over 400 sites have participated in every county of the state. The program has generated more than $17 billion in economic development and created more than 6,000 units of affordable housing. With this longterm extension of the program, more New Yorkers will benefit from much-needed housing in disadvantaged communities. The proposed language will build upon the 2015 reforms of the BCP and provide further transparency. The BCP does more than clean up pollution—this program goes a long way to address the environmental justice issues in disadvantaged communities.

    Additionally, strengthening the Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) Program will bring added benefits to the designated BOAs in disadvantaged and urban communities, while a new focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and advancing environmental justice in BOAs will help New York achieve the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.

    "The New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program not only promotes the cleanup of contaminated and underutilized properties throughout the State but also generates much-needed job opportunities for local communities during and after redevelopment. The proposed extension of tax credit incentives will continue to encourage developers to invest in brownfield sites and elevate economic development in New York. The Partnership’s members are appreciative of the Program’s proposed extension and look forward to their enactment," said Ezgi Karayel, President of the NYC Brownfield Partnership.

    “The success of the New York State BCP is a model for all the states in the northeastern United States. Its impact on producing environmentally protective, high quality redevelopment projects in environmental justice areas is impressive as is the increase in creation of more affordable housing and industrial projects on formerly contaminated properties throughout New York State, said Rick Shoyer, President of the Brownfield Coalition of the Northeast. “The fact that New York State’s tax credits are at a sustainable level and are more supportive of the costs of high-quality cleanups and less on development costs is a model for other states in our region."

    “We would like to thank Governor Hochul for her leadership on the vital issue of brownfield remediation,” said Jolie Milstein, President and CEO of the New York State Association for Affordable Housing. “The Brownfields Cleanup Program is a critical tool for building affordable housing in historically disadvantaged communities, and our members enthusiastically support its 10-year extension. We look forward to engaging with the State on the details of the program and the accompanying regulations.”

    "The coalition was pleased to see the Governor’s commitment to these programs and believe the language is an important first step in enhancing these critical programs. We are concerned that certain aspects of the proposal and the accompanying regulations will prevent some projects from moving forward and therefore look forward to working with the Governor and the Legislature to address these concerns," said Patrick McClellan of the New York League of Conservation Voters.

    The coalition again applauds Governor Hochul’s leadership as her administration continues to lead our state’s economy forward and help New York communities sustainably recover. Reauthorization and reform of the Brownfields Cleanup Program and strengthening the Brownfield Opportunity Areas program is the path forward for everyone working to achieve environmental justice, expand affordable housing, and invest in New York’s renewal.

    The coalition looks forward to working with Governor Hochul and the leaders in the New York State Assembly and Senate to enact these proposals that will benefit all New Yorkers.

    Real Estate Board of New York

    New York League of Conservation Voters

    New York State Association for Affordable Housing

    NYC Brownfield Partnership

    Brownfield Coalition of the Northeast

    Long Island Builders Institute

    The Building & Realty Institute (BRI) of Westchester and the Mid-Hudson Region

    Posted February 14, 2022

  • 07 Feb 2022 1:40 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Just a reminder that ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance), was  topic of a terrific program that BCONE held in 2021, followed by a wine tasting.  Do our members want to hear more on the topic? Have more wine tastings? Both?

    By Joshua Burd, Real Estate NJ

    Jeff Milanaik is like many other developers, even those at the top of their field: Three to five years ago, so-called ESG initiatives — short for environmental, social and governance — were not on his mind when it came to Bridge Industrial’s fast-growing portfolio.

    That changed when the firm set its sights on attracting new investors and an ambitious geographic expansion that even included opening an office in London.

    Read more...

    February 7, 2022

  • 07 Feb 2022 1:18 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the appointments of his climate leadership team that will focus on environmental protection and environmental justice across New York City. Mayor Adams appointed Rohit T. Aggarwala as chief climate officer and commissioner of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Vincent Sapienza as chief operations officer of DEP, and Kizzy Charles-Guzman as executive director of the new Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) — which consolidates multiple city agencies into one. Mayor Adams highlighted these accomplished environmentalists’ proven track record of promoting cleaner air, advancing climate resiliency, and protecting New Yorkers.

    Read more...

    February 7, 2022

  • 07 Feb 2022 1:15 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    In 2019, New York State passed a historic law to cut greenhouse gas emissions from every part of its economy. But for some, the most significant part of the legislation was its focus on environmental justice and equity. The law, titled the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, required that 35 to 40 percent of future benefits of state investments in clean energy, energy efficiency, housing, workforce development, transportation, and pollution reductions would have to serve “disadvantaged communities.”

    Read More...

    Posted February 7, 2022

  • 31 Jan 2022 3:23 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Mary Byrne, Greenfield Record (MA)

    The Board of Health indicated at its meeting Wednesday that it is satisfied with the environmental cleanup status of the former Lunt Silversmiths property on Federal Street.

    “We have to get it to be as good as we can but it’s never going to be perfect, which is unfortunate, but it’s the truth. We do the best we can,” said Board of Health Chair Nancee Bershof. “I’m satisfied the best has been done that can be done, and it sounds like my board members are as well.”

    She noted that the measurements collected between 2012 and 2018 to monitor the efficacy of mitigation systems put in place — including a passive ventilation system — were above what is allowed of residential range, but “almost fell within the residential range.” The property is designated as a commercial/industrial property, which has higher acceptable thresholds for TCE measurements.

    For the entire article, see

    https://www.recorder.com/Health-board--satisfied--with-status-of-remediation-efforts-at-Lunt-property-in-Greenfield-44782699

    Posted January 31, 2022

  • 27 Jan 2022 11:27 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The following infographic summarizes the findings of the 2021 study conducted by the NYU SPS Schack Institute of Real Estate with support from the New York City Brownfield Partnership.



  • 20 Jan 2022 12:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Joshua Burd, Real Estate NJ

    For an organization that seemingly thrives on complexity — from vast construction projects to its intricate capital stacks to managing public- and private-sector stakeholders — the success of New Brunswick Development Corp. has hinged on one rather simple objective.

    Chris Paladino can’t help but crack a smile at something that sounds so obvious or intuitive.

    Read More...

    Posted January 20, 2022

  • 14 Jan 2022 11:34 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Applications for the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Brownfields Impact Fund are now available. This program will provide low-interest loans ranging from $50K to $350K for brownfield cleanup projects.   Additionally, grants are available to eligible entities (non-profits and government entities) for $25K to $350K for brownfield cleanup projects.   

    Learn more and prepare to apply at https://www.njeda.com/brownfieldsimpactfund.

    Loans made through the program will have up to a twenty-year term based on the remediation and project redevelopment timeframe.   Principal and interest will be deferred through the end of Year 4 (with interest to accrue and capitalize during this period).  Interest rates on loans made through the program will be between one and two percent, with reductions available for projects that achieve NJEDA state goals based on the project location. 

    More information and complete eligibility criteria are available at https://www.njeda.com/brownfieldsimpactfund.

    Applications for the Brownfields Impact Fund program will be accepted on a rolling basis.  Loans and grants will be awarded on a first come, first served, based on the readiness of the application and the availability of funds.  For the initial 90 days after program launch, only applications for projects located in the target Community Collaborative Initiative (CCI) cities (Bayonne, Bridgeton, Camden, Jersey City, Millville, Newark, Trenton, Paterson, Paulsboro, Perth Amboy, Salem City, and Vineland) will be considered. This will prioritize investment in these communities which have high instances of brownfields, poverty, health disparities and need for revitalization. After 90 days, the program will be open throughout the state. 

    If you have questions about the Brownfields Impact Fund or the application process, please reach out to the NJEDA Brownfields Team at bfimpactfund@njeda.com.

    January 14, 2022

  • 14 Jan 2022 11:32 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Rob Smith, EcoRI News (RI)

    The future of a city is built directly on its past. In another lifetime, Pawtucket was Rhode Island’s beehive of industrial activity, and as a result, has some of the highest concentrations of highly polluted brownfield sites in the state.

    The Blackstone and Seekonk rivers, once known as some of the most impaired rivers nationwide, have made impressive recoveries over the past few decades, and the city has aggressively remediated and redeveloped its polluted landscape.

    “If a brownfield site has been identified and the right steps have been taken to cap and close it … then they’re relatively safe, especially for things like canoe or kayak access,” Kate McPherson, riverkeeper at Save The Bay, said.

    For the entire article, see

    https://www.ecori.org/public-safety/2022/1/10/pawtuckets-remediated-brownfields-improve-river-community-health

    Posted January 14, 2022

  • 10 Jan 2022 1:32 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    By Steve Dwyer 

    The first order of business is to take a long perusal of the BCONE website, where you’ll find some new and dynamic features that populate the site across widgets such as Events, NSCW, News/Resources, Scholarships, Memberships and Members Only functions.

    Next, you might subtlely notice more local and state officials establishing a greater interest in BCONE. This is not by accident: The outreach is picking up thanks to efforts by the BCONE Marketing and Communications Committee to build a bridge to local officials, where more and more ultimately view BCONE as a trusted resource—even partner—in the effort to improve local urban redevelopment fortunes. 

    These BCONE Marketing efforts are being carried out by the organization’s skillful Marketing and Communications Committee, which is oversee by…a New Jersey hydrogeologist. Wait, what? 

    Yes indeed, Jeffrey S. Campbell, PG, LSRP and partner with Peak Environmental LLC, East Brunswick, N.J., might have a BS in geology from Long Island University and graduate studies degree in hydrogeology from University of Rhode Island -- and has established a solid career in this vital area. But, marketing is one of his side passions. 

    Campbell has an affinity for strategizing around marketing and social media, and BCONE is a beneficiary of those skills. The chairman of the Marketing and Communications Committee, Campbell has served on it since 2019. He was the most recent installation to the BCONE board of directors, sworn in at the October meeting.  

    We caught up with Jeff, a resident of Point Pleasant, N.J., recently to discuss his affiliation with BCONE, plans for 2022, as the Marketing and Communications Committee chairman, and much more.  

    Q: When did your affiliation with BCONE start? 

    A: I had been a member for awhile, where there was always general interaction. In my day job at Peak Environmental we rode [BCONE’s] coat tails when it came to being out in front of industry regs, incentives—those kinds of things. About three years ago someone at BCONE asked me to get on a committee, and I became a co-chair on Marketing and Communications and eventually to chairman. Prior to that, in 2018-19, I was given committee options that were available, and Marketing made a lot of sense. In the summer of 2021, I received an email alerting me to board nominations that were coming. I thought it was essential to become even more active as a board member [than a committee member] -- I thought that the feedback I received [to be elected a board member] was very positive. And, this is the first time I have been part of any formal board. 

    Q: Can you talk about the success stories that have occurred as a member of the Marketing and Communications Committee, and also about the process needed to achieve results?  

    A: If I or someone else thinks that an idea is solid, we have gotten a lot of support to carry it through. At that point, you can prioritize where you want to focus your efforts…to get the most bang for the buck. We are very fortunate, on all committees really, to have people willing to work. About the Marketing and Communications committee success stories, we wanted to make the website the ‘center of the universe’ where more new visitors would hit the ‘join’ button. On the membership side, we simplified the process by establishing and making more clearly the membership ‘types,’ via an easy matrix. We listed state-by-state technology requirements, all part of a ‘one-stop’ library across state levels. We provide exposure to board members’ [and their businesses] as part of a web slideshow—plus BCONE sponsors are eligible to receive a slideshow. 

    One current initiative is to better engage local municipal members—all done via better outreach to officials, where we’re able to inform them about BCONE resources, digital and traditional. We also were able to engage with these folks about their local brownfield portfolios and redevelopment goals and priorities. This outreach has produced a win-win for external partners and BCONE.  

    Q: What is on your to-do list as it relates to actionable items for 2022?

    A: Building a more robust content repository is always a goal—having enough to be able to promote the BCONE organization better. One thing we want to be better at is having BCONE members, as they go about their private-side businesses, to try and find a way to promote the organization on social media—Twitter, Facebook, etc. Online, we have the resources that folks would want to tap into, and establishing keywords on social media platforms is how to make that happen. This is one way that will allow it to grow. When members do social media for their companies, they could also disseminate posts that would benefit BCONE via creating unique [BCONE-driven] hashtags.

    Q: How is outreach going with people in some of the other smaller states, outside the Tri-State area and Massachusetts? 

    A: In some of these states, such as Delaware and Maryland, we want to let these people know we’re here and to swap event notifications. At the recent NCSW that included Maryland, we reached out to trade organizations in Baltimore City, Delaware and beyond, to make it known that we’re here-- reach out and see what kinds of hits we get. I think that NCSW reinforced how good our administrative BCONE team is for coordinating everything, and it showed that with the speakers…there is a willingness on the part of professionals to raise their hands and say, ‘yes I can help grow this effort locally.’ 

    Posted January 10, 2022


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