East Briefs

Massachusetts

Smart Growth Massachusetts reported the Brownfields Redevelopment Fund has been chaptered into law as Chapter 148 of the Acts of 2006. $30 million will be added to the fund.

Governor Romney had amended the portions of the economic stimulus bill pertaining to brownfields, but the legislature rejected his amendment on June 30 and Governor Romney did not veto it.

Also, the Brownfields Tax Credit has been successfully extended to 2011 and amended to become more usable. The credit can now be taken by both non-profit and for profit entities and assigned to third parties.

Pennsylvania

A 25-acre redevelopment project at a former industrial site in Washington County, Pennsylvania was designated for Brownfield Action Team assistance. The Fort Pitt Bridge Industrial Park in Canonsburg will be upgraded and turned into industrial manufacturing flex space. Proposed remediation for this site likely will include the cleanup of contaminated soil, asbestos and other materials. Dilapidated buildings now on the site will be razed and replaced with a modern, flex-space building.

New York

Cleanup News, a publication of the U.S. EPA, reported that the U.S. Department of Justice asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York to approve the proposed consent decree with General Electric Company (GE) for the Hudson River PCBs Superfund site. If the court approves the consent decree, it will become effective immediately. Dredging of the Hudson River will be done in two phases. The first phase of the dredging will last one year and will remove about 10 percent of the total volume of PCB-contaminated sediment slated for dredging during the full cleanup project. The remaining phase of the dredging is expected to take five years.

New Jersey

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) has taken steps to speed the approval process associated with grants made under the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation (HDSR) Loan and Grant Program as well as the petroleum Underground Storage Tank Remediation, Upgrade and Closure (UST) Program. 

The enhancements delegate authority to the chief executive officer or the senior vice president to approve grant awards up to $100,000 to any one grantee without board approval. 

“These changes will significantly reduce the time it takes for an applicant to receive a final determination on an application for assistance,” said EDA Chief Executive Officer Caren S. Franzini. BFN