March 9, 2005

New York City Council Passes Brownfields Resolution Calling on Pataki, Bruno and Silver to Take Action

Statement of Tim Sweeney
Regulatory Watch Program Director

(Albany, NY) – Environmental Advocates of New York applauds the New York City Council for passing Resolution number 795-A. This resolution calls on Governor Pataki, Senate Majority Leader Bruno, and Assembly Speaker Silver to execute the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) required to finally implement the state’s landmark Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP), created in 2003.

Brownfields are properties where redevelopment or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of contamination. New York State is home to thousands of brownfield sites. In October 2003, Gov. George Pataki signed into law New York State’s BCP to provide for the voluntary remediation of the state’s brownfield properties in a manner that will protect public health and the environment. Because of the two-year failure to sign an MOU, $30 million in appropriated funds has not been made available.

These funds would support the Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) program which provides municipalities and community-based organizations with up to 90 percent of eligible costs to complete plans for brownfield remediation and redevelopment. So far over 50 projects have applied for BOA program grants, however none of these BOA projects can receive their funding until the MOU is executed.

Today Environmental Advocates joins with the New York City Council in urging Governor Pataki, Senator Majority Leader Bruno and Assembly Speaker Silver to execute the long-overdue MOU. New York’s communities, particularly low-income and underserved urban populations, have suffered the stigma associated with the blight of brownfields for too long. It is time to put political differences aside and come to an agreement on the Brownfields Memorandum of Understanding.