2009 Brownfields Redevelopment
Known sites of environmental contamination are located in more than 100 Long Island communities.
Click Here to View the Brownfield Sites by Community Chart
Why is this important?
New York State defines a brownfield as properties where the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant may complicate plans for expansion, redevelopment or reuse. These sites include buildings that were former factories, dry cleaners, warehouses, vacant commercial lots, shuttered gas stations and auto shops. In addition to frequently being an eyesore in a community, they may pose environmental threats to surrounding areas and may affect ground water and the air supply. Further, they can be obstacles in the way of downtown and community redevelopment. Revitalizing brownfields is critical both for environmental needs as well as to capture potential tax revenue and to fully utilize a community’s assets.
How are we doing?
Long Island is home to an estimated 6,800 potential brownfield sites. This number is based on known sites of contamination due to historic land uses, and chemical or oil spills. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has identified 1,837 known (as opposed to potential) brownfield and state superfund sites, of which Long Island has 231 sites, representing 11% of the total number of brownfields statewide.
The road to cleaning up these sites varies by the type, extent and location of contamination. There are three programs that New York State has created to facilitate brownfields redevelopment. In all three cases, Long Island is lagging behind in applying for and receiving state funding for redeveloping brownfields.
The first program, the Brownfield Cleanup Program, focuses on helping private property owners. In these situations the state provides guidance throughout the cleanup process, offers generous tax credits to help cover the cleanup and redevelopment costs, and issues Certificates of Completion at the end of the cleanup. Of the 15 Long Island sites that have enrolled in the program, none have finished the program.
The second, the Brownfield Opportunity Area Program, offers state funding for local governments and community organizations to work together and plan for the redevelopment of these sites. In 2004, the first year of the Brownfield Opportunity Area Program and the only year that data is available, 6 grants (12%) out of 46 statewide were given to Long Island which represents 8% of the total $7 million allocated.
The third, the Environmental Restoration Program, funds the remediation of brownfield sites owned by municipalities. As a region, Long Island municipalities have received just over $1.1 million dollars out of the $200 million dollars allocated for the program.
In addition to the above programs, there are both federal and state Superfund programs where the goal is to ensure that the worst polluter pays for the cleanup. Nationwide about 70% of the cleanups regulated by the federal government are paid by polluters, while on Long Island, the polluters paid for only 50% of the cleanups. Under the state program 66% of the Superfund sites on Long Island are being cleaned by the polluter, which is consistent with the statewide average.