71 New Sites Accepted into Brownfield Cleanup Program in 2024
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar today announced the 21st year successful environmental cleanups in the State's Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP). In 2024, DEC issued 61 Certificates of Completion to sites in the program and accepted 71 new sites into the BCP, helping protect public health and the environment across New York State while revitalizing neighborhoods and strengthening local economies.
“New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program is a critical tool supporting community revitalization efforts across the state, cleaning up environmental pollution, and transforming former industrial properties while improving local economies and quality of life for New Yorkers and their families,” Interim Commissioner Mahar said. “DEC is proud to administer the Brownfield Cleanup Program to help protect public health and the environment while supporting economic development, including construction of affordable housing and other redevelopment, especially in underserved communities most impacted by legacy industrial pollution.”
DEC oversees New York State's BCP to encourage the voluntary cleanup of contaminated properties known as “brownfields” so these sites can be redeveloped and returned to productive use. A brownfield site is any real property where a contaminant is present at levels exceeding health-based or environmental standards or applicable cleanup objectives based on the anticipated future use of the property. Unlike State Superfund Program cleanups, which are funded by New York State and polluters, the BCP encourages developers and private-sector entities to invest in the cleanup of brownfields and promotes redevelopment of these sites to revitalize communities. Future site uses include recreation, housing, business, and other functions. The BCP is a sustainable alternative to greenfield development, helping to preserve undeveloped land while removing barriers to, and providing tax incentives for, the redevelopment of brownfields.
Since its inception in 2003, DEC has approved more than 1,360 applications to the BCP and issued Certificates of Completion (COCs) to approximately 715 formerly contaminated properties statewide. DEC issues COCs based on its expert review of a Final Engineering Report, which certifies the cleanup performed by an applicant meets State cleanup requirements for the protection of public health and the environment. The COC triggers the availability of tax credits administered by the New York State Department of Tax and Finance for eligible parties and allows the certificate holder to redevelop the site.
Construction of new housing, including affordable housing units, was identified as priority in Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2025 State of the State and FY 2025-26 Executive Budget, and continues to be an important driver in redevelopment proposals submitted to the BCP. Thirty-five of the 61 completed cleanup sites in 2024 are planned for the creation of thousands of affordable housing units across New York City and the state. The Governor’s Executive Budget also includes reauthorizing the State Superfund (SSF) program to investigate and clean up hazardous waste at sites across the State, part of a 10-year, $1.25 billion reauthorization of the SSF.
Some completed BCP projects are located in the New York Department of State's Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA). The BCP and BOA programs complement one another and along with DEC partners, including the State Department of Health and State Homes and Community Renewal, help transform former industrial sites into community assets that support businesses, jobs, and revenue for local economies, as well as new housing opportunities and public amenities.
New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “For more than two decades, the Brownfield Cleanup Program has helped create housing while also improving public health and strengthening local economies. The 61 sites that completed the program in 2024 will be redeveloped into safe, affordable, and sustainable homes or commercial spaces in communities that have been most disproportionately impacted by pollution. We applaud our partners at the Department of Environmental Conservation for their leadership on this innovative program.”
Rogers Snyder, Brooklyn – Site Number C224374. The 0.328-acre site in Brooklyn was first developed in the late 1800s with two-story residential and commercial storefronts. Later uses of portions of the site included an auto garage, automotive paint shop, and auto repair. The cleanup included excavation and off-site disposal of 7,500 tons of contaminated historic fill and approximately 25 tons of hazardous soil. The planned redevelopment of this site includes construction of two mixed-use buildings, including an affordable housing component.
Willets Point, Queens – Site Numbers C241146B, C241146C, C241146E, C241146F, and C241146G. This multi-parcel site located in Queens was a former municipal ash landfill, most notably made famous in the novel The Great Gatsby. Subsequent uses include dozens of independent automotive service and repair facilities across the site’s 20+ acres, earning it the nickname “The Iron Triangle.” Cleanup of the various parcels included excavation and off-site disposal of more than 64,000 cubic yards of petroleum-contaminated soil and urban fill material, and active treatment of groundwater. The sites are being redeveloped for a variety of uses, including affordable housing for seniors and a new professional soccer stadium. Interim DEC Commissioner Mahar toured the Willets Point Redevelopment Project site last summer to see firsthand how the BCP is helping advance Governor Hochul’s environmental, affordable housing, economic development goals. Watch a highlight video of the visit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Carman Place, Hempstead – Site Number C130250. The 2.5-acre site is located in Hempstead, Nassau County. Past use of the site by a dry cleaner, auto service station, and potential releases from an underground storage tank resulted in contamination at the site. The cleanup included excavation and off-site disposal of approximately 23,300 cubic yards of contaminated material and removal of an underground storage tank. Redevelopment of the site includes two mixed use commercial and affordable housing residential buildings.
Main & Hertel, Buffalo – Site Number C915318. The 4.9-acre site in the city of Buffalo, Erie County, was cleaned up to allow for redevelopment into apartments with adjoining commercial space. The cleanup included excavation of approximately 1,700 tons of contaminated soil and disposal of approximately six tons of drums and underground storage tank materials and 500 tons of building materials, including concrete, wood, and transformers. The property was previously operated by the Keystone Corporation for electroplating operations. Prior to that, the property was used to manufacture various products since 1910, including paint, vehicles, and gasoline pumps.
281-301 Warner Ave LLC, Roslyn – Site Number C130238. The 0.85-acre site is in the village of Roslyn, Nassau County, and was originally developed between 1947 and 1951. A dry cleaner operated at the site from approximately 1974 to 2010. The cleanup included excavation of approximately 4,000 cubic yards of impacted soil. Redevelopment included construction of commercial storefronts along Warner Avenue with residential units on the upper floors.
For more information about DEC’s Brownfield Cleanup Program, visit DEC's website.
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