64 New Sites Accepted into Brownfield Cleanup Program in 2025
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton today celebrated the accomplishments achieved during the 22nd year of successful environmental cleanups in the State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP). In 2025, DEC issued 43 Certificates of Completion to sites in the program and accepted 64 new sites into the BCP, helping protect public health and the environment across New York State while revitalizing neighborhoods and strengthening local economies.
“The transformation of former industrial properties through New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program remains critical to supporting community revitalization efforts across the state and improving quality of life for New Yorkers and their families,” Commissioner Lefton said. “DEC is proud to administer the Brownfield Cleanup Program to address environmental pollution, help protect public health, and support economic development—including the construction of affordable housing, renewable energy, and other redevelopment efforts, 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 polluters and New York State when polluters cannot pay, 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 approved more than 1,453 applications to the BCP and issued Certificates of Completion (COCs) to approximately 757 formerly contaminated properties statewide. DEC issues COCs based on its expert review of a final engineering report certifying 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 Taxation and Finance for eligible parties and allows the certificate holder to redevelop the site.
Construction of new housing, including affordable housing units, was again identified as a priority in Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the State, and continues to be an important driver in redevelopment proposals submitted to the BCP. Building additional housing by enacting commonsense policies, like modernizing the State Environmental Quality Review Act, will help tackle the housing shortage, bring down housing costs, and achieve the state’s goals of increasing affordable housing and environmental protection. Twenty of the 43 completed cleanup sites in 2025 are planned for the creation of thousands of affordable housing units in New York City and other communities in the state.
Some completed BCP projects are in the New York Department of State's Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOAs). The BCP and BOA programs complement one another and along with DEC partners, including the NYS Department of Health and NYS 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, “New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program is a powerful example of how smart environmental policy can drive real progress on affordability and community revitalization. Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, we are transforming long-neglected sites into vibrant, sustainable developments that create new housing opportunities, including thousands of affordable homes. With 64 new sites for redevelopment last year and 20 completed cleanup sites slated for affordable housing, we are not only protecting public health and the environment, but also expanding housing supply, strengthening neighborhoods, and helping make New York more affordable for families across the state. Congratulations to DEC on 22 years of transforming brownfields into valued community assets.”
New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Acting Commissioner Amanda Hiller said, “We’re pleased to be part of the team administering the Brownfield Cleanup Program. The tax credits associated with this program offer important incentives for the cleanup and redevelopment of polluted sites across the state. We look forward to another round of transformative projects to strengthen communities throughout New York State.”
Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “The Department of State’s partnership with DEC on brownfield redevelopment has a proven track record of transforming blighted, vacant and underutilized eyesores into vibrant and productive community assets around the state. Our Brownfield Opportunity Area program continues to complement the work of the DEC Brownfield Clean-up program by revitalizing underserved neighborhoods, strengthening local economies and protecting public health, particularly in environmental justice communities that have suffered disproportionately from contamination and undesirable land uses in the past.”
State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “The New York State Department of Health is happy to partner with the Department of Environmental Conservation to ensure that remediation of brownfield sites is completed in a manner protective of public health and that communities are kept informed throughout the process. We look forward to continuing our support of the revitalization and protection of healthy communities throughout New York State.”
A few of the successful cleanups completed in 2025 are:
114 Snediker Avenue–Site Number C224385: Glenmore Owner LLC and HELP Glenmore WAC Housing Development Fund Corporation cleaned up a 0.777-acre site located at 221-241 Glenmore Avenue in Brooklyn, Kings County. It was historically used as a lumber yard, auto repair facility, metal stamping factory, plumbing manufacturing, and nail polish bottling factory. The site was also listed as a large quantity generator of hazardous waste in the form of spent halogenated solvents. Under the direction and oversight of DEC, cleanup actions included excavation and off-site disposal of approximately 24,000 tons of contaminated soil, groundwater treatment, installation of a soil vapor extraction system to remove contaminants from the subsurface and stop off-site migration of contaminated soil vapor, and installation of a sub-slab depressurization system to mitigate against soil vapor intrusion in the new building. After cleanup work was completed, the eastern half of the site was developed as a new five-story, 62,700-square-foot women’s intake and assessment shelter under the New York City Department of Homeless Services and includes 60 dormitory-style units for housing 200 individuals. The western half was developed for outdoor common spaces, landscaping, and parking associated with the new building.
Sun Valley Nursery Filling Station–Site Number C360207: The cleanup for this 0.79-acre parcel in the city of Ossining, Westchester County, included the excavation of approximately 6,000 tons of contaminated soil down to between 8 and 13 feet below ground surface. The property was previously used for several commercial purposes, including an auto repair shop, gasoline station, and plant nursery, with past operations at the site resulting in the contamination of soil, groundwater, and soil vapor. The property is planned to become a mixed-use building providing 74 units of affordable senior apartments, retail, and flexible community spaces.
Greenpoint Ferry–Site Number C224272: Cleanup of the 2.42-acre site was completed by 1 Java Owner LLC, the applicant in the BCP. The site, located at 127-141 West Street (1 Java Street) in Brooklyn, Kings County, was historically used as a lumber yard, plaining mill, electric-generating plant, and for warehousing, truck repair, and various manufacturing. Under the direction and oversight of DEC, the applicants implemented cleanup actions that included demolition of existing site buildings, excavation and off-site disposal of approximately 7,800 tons of contaminated soil, installation of a sub-slab depressurization system to mitigate soil vapor intrusion in the new building, and a site cover system. The project incorporates a vertical closed-loop geo-exchange system that significantly reduces carbon emissions from heating, completely eliminating the need for natural gas. Following completion of cleanup activities, the site was developed as a high-rise complex with 834 rental apartments including 250 affordable units, 13,000 square feet of commercial space, and an 18,000-square-foot waterfront park and esplanade.
For more information about DEC’s Brownfield Cleanup Program, visit DEC's website.
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