DEC marks 21st successful year for state's brownfield cleanup program

71 new sites accepted into brownfield cleanup program in 2024

√ More than half of 61 brownfield cleanups completed in 2024 include planned construction of thousands of affordable housing units

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Press Release

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar on Thursday 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 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,” 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 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 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.”

Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said, “The Department of State’s brownfield opportunity area program has a proven track record of transforming blighted, vacant and underutilized eyesores into vibrant and productive community assets around the state. This program continues to complement the work of the DEC brownfield cleanup 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 of the past. We congratulate DEC on their 21 years of cleaning up brownfield areas and enabling more sustainable redevelopment in communities throughout the state, and look forward to our continued partnership."

Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “The New York State Department of Health is proud to partner with the Department of Environmental Conservation to ensure that remediation of brownfield sites meets public health standards 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.”

Acting Tax 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 this year.”

A local successful cleanups completed in 2024 was Main & Hertel – site No. C915318. The 4.9-acre site in the City of Buffalo 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 Corp. for electroplating operations. Prior to that, the property was used to manufacture various products since 1910, including paint, vehicles, and gasoline pumps.

For more information about DEC’s brownfield cleanup program, visit DEC's website.