September 30, 2026 - Upstate 2027: The Next Wave of Growth & Brownfield Revitalization

Through three engaging panel discussions, industry experts will explore some of the most pressing challenges and emerging opportunities shaping brownfield redevelopment in New York. From modernizing the State’s approach to soil vapor intrusion and finding innovative ways to reuse clean soil, to tackling a challenging real-world brownfield project with input from experts and attendees, these sessions will deliver practical insights, fresh perspectives and ideas that can be applied to redevelopment efforts across the state.

Panel 1 — Getting Up to Speed: A Call to Modernize NYSDOH's Soil Vapor Intrusion Guidance

In the mid-2000s, New York was a national leader in evaluating and responding to threats from vapor intrusion (VI), including from background and other sources. Today, the State's twenty-year-old approach is antiquated, producing inconsistent decision-making and other negative consequences. This panel outlines the shortcomings of New York's current framework relative to more modernized programs in other states, and proposes concrete solutions to help the State regain its leadership position and advance the success of its remedial programs.

Speakers:

• Damian Vanetti — Senior Principal & Senior Service Director, Northeast Operations, Geosyntec
  
• Matthew J. Sinkman, Esq. — Partner, FBT Gibbons
• Linda R. Shaw, Esq. — Partner, Knauf Shaw LLP

Panel 2 — From Waste to Resource: Building a Circular Soil Economy in Upstate New York

Cities generate large quantities of soil through construction and redevelopment, often paying to haul it away while other projects simultaneously pay to import clean fill. Soil banking offers a more sustainable path by treating clean excavated soil as a valuable local resource. This panel shares lessons learned from New York City and Rochester's innovative approaches to soil reuse and brownfield revitalization.

Speakers:

• Daniel Walsh — Senior Technical Advisor, LaBella Associates; founder, NYC Clean Soil Bank
  
• Jane Forbes — Division Manager, Division of Environmental Quality, City of Rochester
  
• Jen Gillen — Director, Environmental Division, LaBella Associates

Panel 3 — Breaking Brownfields

This session provides valuable feedback to a community facing a challenging real-world brownfield redevelopment project. It is engaging, interactive, and helpful for the community, and educational for the audience. The session opens with a presentation highlighting the project's challenges, followed by feedback from a panel of experts. The floor is then opened to the audience to share their own knowledge and lessons learned in brownfield problem-solving.

Panelists:

• Cailyn Locci — Team Leader, Weston & Sampson
  
• Heather Devitt — Regional Economic Development Director, Mohawk Valley Economic Development
  
• Nicole Francesco — Brownfield Redevelopment Specialist, NJIT TAB
  

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