Comments on: Syracuse Brownfield Opportunity Area http://walkeastwood.org/syracuse-brownfield-opportunity-area/ Sustainable living in "The Village Within The City" Sat, 19 May 2012 11:23:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Maureen A. Harding, AICP http://walkeastwood.org/syracuse-brownfield-opportunity-area/comment-page-1/#comment-783 Maureen A. Harding, AICP Mon, 16 Mar 2009 23:08:49 +0000 http://walkeastwood.org/?p=644#comment-783 A “brownfield” or “brownfield site” is defined in New York State Environmental Conservation Law Article 27, Title 14, as any real property, the redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a contaminant. "Contaminant" is key and that usually means toxic or hazardous waste. There is funding (which they tried to put more teeth in the law recently, because there were holes in the law that allowed developers to make millions off from the grants and loans off sites that were not part of the original intent of the law.) So there is a new drive and new revisions to redevelop these properties. It is a very complicated and long process to get through (3 phases). "Contaminant" is also what differentiates it from anything else that has been tried because public funds are not just given to any site, it must be contaminated to qualify for the funds. One last thing...having worked for the NYSDEC, if I learned anything, that is there is no such thing as "cleaned up." Any site that has hazardous waste will likely forever have hazardous waste in some form. It will likely not have any impact at all on Eastwood or James Street. It will depend what the new development will be. A “brownfield” or “brownfield site” is defined in New York State Environmental Conservation Law Article 27, Title 14, as any real property, the redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a contaminant.

“Contaminant” is key and that usually means toxic or hazardous waste. There is funding (which they tried to put more teeth in the law recently, because there were holes in the law that allowed developers to make millions off from the grants and loans off sites that were not part of the original intent of the law.) So there is a new drive and new revisions to redevelop these properties.

It is a very complicated and long process to get through (3 phases). “Contaminant” is also what differentiates it from anything else that has been tried because public funds are not just given to any site, it must be contaminated to qualify for the funds.

One last thing…having worked for the NYSDEC, if I learned anything, that is there is no such thing as “cleaned up.” Any site that has hazardous waste will likely forever have hazardous waste in some form.

It will likely not have any impact at all on Eastwood or James Street. It will depend what the new development will be.

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