Robert Lamilla, Parker McKay Blog

Recently, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (“NJEDA”) announced the launch of the new Brownfields Impact Fund, a new program offering loans and sub-grants to eligible applicants across New Jersey to promote remediation of contaminated sites. Applications for the Brownfield Impact Fund are expected to open early 2022, but interested parties can complete a pre-qualification form found on the NJEDA’s website.

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Posted December 14, 2021

By Adam Sullivan, WCAX TV-3 News (Burlington, VT)

Vermont is investing $25 million to clean up old contaminated properties across the state.

One of the brownfield sites is a former machine tool plant in Springfield that has sat empty for decades.

Work is ahead of schedule at the former Jones and Lamson Machine Company plant, a demolition project that in some ways represents the past present and future of this community.

“Most of the 270,000-square-foot building is no longer there,” said Bob Flint of the Springfield Regional Development Corporation.

…

For the entire article, see
https://www.wcax.com/2021/12/06/brownfield-cleanup-work-has-springfield-residents-looking-future/

from Real Estate New Jersey

The publication assembled a panel of industry experts to tackle this month’s question. You can find out the answers of several industry experts by clicking on the link here. 

Posted December 1, 2021

Troy Record

Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced the completion of the Starbuck Island redevelopment project, a $65 million investment that transformed more than 11-acres of contaminated oil storage brownfield into a high-density, vibrant waterfront community in the Village of Green Island, Albany County.

Starbuck Island connects Green Island to downtown Troy and is now home to nearly 270 residential units, a salon, a restaurant and parking.

“The transformation of Starbuck Island into a new engaging waterfront neighborhood is a testament to the state’s brownfield cleanup program and economic development incentives,” Hochul said. “With the project now complete, residents and visitors to the newest community on the Hudson River can enjoy the many amenities, spectacular views, and local businesses, spurring additional investments to the region.”

…

For the entire article, see

https://www.troyrecord.com/2021/11/28/state-announces-completion-of-starbuck-island-in-green-island/

Posted December 1, 2021

Following the passage of the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be making significant investments in the health, equity, and resilience of American communities. With unprecedented funding to support our national infrastructure, EPA will improve people’s health and safety, help create good-paying jobs, and increase climate resilience throughout the country.   

The fact sheet highlights Brownfields Revitalization: 1.5 billion to scale up community-led brownfields revitalization. This means that blighted and polluted sites in communities across America will be assessed, cleaned up and made available for safe reuse, spurring job creation and economic opportunity in areas that need it most.

View the full fact sheet: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/fact-sheet-epa-bipartisan-infrastructure-law

Posted December 1, 2021

By Kendall M. St.Ange, ENVSP, Project Scientist of TRC Companies

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Mr. St.Ange is an Aspiring Professional from member company TRC.  He will be providing  a series of updates/blog posts related to Environmental Justice (EJ) in NJ: a hot topic as all of you know. Mr. St.Ange has observed that EJ requirements do not apply to LSRPs and remediation permits but also anticipates that questions and conflicts may arise despite that exemption. He has shared this post to “… add more value to the organization and encourage others to actively participate…”

On September 22, 2021, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Commissioner announced the issuance of Administrative Order (AO) No. 2021-25 to implement New Jersey’s Environmental Justice (EJ) Law. This order is effective immediately, and applicants seeking to site new major source facilities, renew major source permits or expand existing facilities with major source permits (e.g., Title V air permits) in overburdened communities are affected. There are more than 4.5 million people that live within 331 municipalities that are overburdened communities in the state of New Jersey.

The Administrative Order requires an enhanced public participation process that requires facilities to:

• Hold a public hearing meeting as determined by the Environmental Justice Law.
  
• To the extent consistent with applicable law, have a public comment period that is a minimum of sixty (60) days. If there is written request from members of the respective overburdened community, the public comment period may be extended by thirty (30) days to provide information related to “information regarding existing conditions within the overburdened community and potential facility-wide environmental and public health stressors that could result in adverse impacts upon the overburdened community were the regulated activity approved.”
  
• Respond to and address the concerns raised by individuals from the overburdened community during the public comment period, which may include the need to perform additional analysis as deemed necessary by the NJDEP.
  
• Solicit concerns from the overburdened community regarding environmental or public health stressors posed by the facility.
  
• Adhere to special conditions placed on permits approved by the NJDEP. Special conditions may be placed to avoid or minimize public health stressors to the maximum extent allowed by law.
  

NJDEP has the authority to reopen or further extend the public comment period on a case-by-case basis, as consistent with applicable law and statues.

Title V permit holders in overburdened communities in New Jersey must take steps to address new and multi-faceted environmental justice regulations and should do so in an effective manner to avoid business difficulties and manage public relations issues. This AO has the potential to significantly impact project schedules for new projects or facility expansions. Therefore, identifying EJ-related concerns during the planning phase is critical to a successful project and benefits both the business and the community.

Posted November 22, 2021

by Warren Kirshenbaum

After 10 years in business, the Cherrytree Group has been fortunate to have been able to grow to a level of strength and stability: recently surpassing $100 million in tax credits placed on behalf its clients. It’s a total team effort — but a key member of our team has been a young lady from Boston’s North Shore who has become a rising star not just at Cherrytree, but within the field of tax credit analysis and procurement nationwide. 

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Posted November 18, 2021

Gibbons P.C. shared with BCONE  its recent blog regarding the New York State Bar Association’s (NYSBA) endorsement of a proposed bill amending and extending the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Act.

BCONE is collaborating with the New York City Brownfield Partnership (NYCBP), the NYSBA,  and other interested organizations on this important topic. 

Please go here to read the Gibbons P.C. article in its entirety, including important links to the proposed bill and explanatory reports and detailed analysis.

A quick summary of the bill:

• Extends, from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2032, the deadline for sites to be accepted into the Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) and qualify for tax credits. Additional time would also be provided for sites to obtain their Certificates of Completion (COCs), claim site preparation tax credits, and obtain tangible property credits after issuance of COCs.
• Expands the ability for sites in Potential Environmental Justice Areas and Brownfield Opportunity Areas to qualify for enhanced tax credits.
• Increases the incentives for renewable energy projects on BCP sites.
• Expands the effectiveness of the BCP in addressing soil vapor issues, including clarification of the types of soil vapor-related expenditures that qualify for tax credits.

Posted November 18, 2021

by BRS, Inc.

Built on the site of the former Harrison Avenue Landfill, the Cramer Hill Waterfront Park has everything!

• Amphitheater
  
• Fishing plaza
  
• Hiking/biking paths and trails
  
• Historic/educational signage
  
• Kayak launch
  
• Picnic area
  
• Playground
  
• Sensory garden
  
• Shoreline observation areas
  
• Summit vista with panoramic views of the Delaware River,
  
• Petty's Island, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, and Philadelphia

In addition to the landfill closure and park construction, the project involved the restoration and creation of approximately seven acres of freshwater tidal wetlands; over 3,000 feet of bioengineered vegetative shoreline, including 450 feet of living shoreline in three areas along the back channel of the Delaware River; habitats for wildlife including endangered species; over 375,000 plantings; and a two-acre tidally fed fishing pond (which we heard has already yielded an impressive catch at the community opening event!). 

The opening of the park represents the completion of the cleanup and redevelopment of the former Harrison Avenue Landfill, a long-time municipal dump which closed in the early 1970s. It is the culmination of a decades-long effort to assess, remediate, plan, and construct a crown jewel of open space amenities and habitat restoration on what was once an open dumping area and longtime neighborhood eyesore. The Cramer Hill Waterfront Park joins the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center, sited on the eastern end of the former landfill.  The Kroc Center, opened in 2014, provides over 8,000 residents with educational, recreational, social service, fitness, art, worship, and early childhood care center amenities.

The effort included resources and technical assistance provided by the Camden Redevelopment Agency, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, with the heavy lift for cleanup and redevelopment conducted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Natural Resource Restoration. Camden County will oversee maintenance and operations of the park while the Camden Community Partnership will offer a range of community programming.

For a virtual field trip video of the site, check out these videos from NJDEP and Upstream Alliance.

Images courtesy of NJDEP.

Posted November 15, 2021

By Joshua Burd in Real Estate NJ

A joint venture has broken ground in Paterson on a $26 million project that will bring affordable housing and space for a local nonprofit to the site of a historic mill building.

Located at Mill and Ellison streets, the development will include a new ground-up, four-story building with 68 apartments over structured parking, according to a news release. Plans also call for the restoration of the 19th-century Argus Mill property, which will house another six units, as well as programming and office space for the Grandparents Relatives Care Resource Center, or GRCRC, an agency that will provide supportive services to residents.

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Posted November 5, 2021