OCIDA and EPA team up to remediate brownfields in Orange County

A new initiative aimed at locating and remediating brownfields in Orange County has been launched by the Orange County Industrial Development Agency (OCIDA), in partnership with the United States Environment Protection Agency (EPA).

According to the EPA, brownfields are properties that are difficult to expand, reuse of redevelop because of the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants or contiminants.

The EPA has provided OCIDA with a $500,000 to locate and assess brownfields, which are sites that have been environmentally contaminated and no longer in use. The goal is to remediate the sites and get them back on the tax roll. This is part of a broader OCIDA effort to locate shovel-ready sites for development in Orange County.

Seeking public input

The brownfields initiative held a public meeting on March 19 at the Orange County Emergency Services building in Goshen. Former state senator and current EPA administrator Michael Martucci, Orange County IDA CEO Bill Fioravante, Orange County Executive Steve Neahaus and HRP Associates representative Thomas Segullic spoke at the meeting.

So far the OCIDA has located 66 brownfield sites for consideration under the initiative. They have spent $150,000 of their $500,000 grant money so far, Fioravante said. They are reaching out to the public for other possible sites. To nominate a brownfields site for consideration visit www.orangecountybrownfields.com.

Property owners may qualify for grants

Segullic explained that property owners are responsible for cleaning up their sites, but they may qualify for grants from the EPA that support them in the process. If a site owner cannot be found or is bankrupt, a municipality or a developer may step in and assume responsibility.

Fioravante told The Chronicle, “The IDA will not conduct the cleanups but rather we can use grant funds to pay environmental remediation firms to do so. This grant is only to be used for the assessments of contaminants, not the actual remediation. We would hope to qualify for subsequent EPA and state funding that will enable the cleanups to be undertaken.”

Sites identified for redevelopment <br /> <br /> The OCIDA identified five properties as priority sites to redevelop: Consolidated Iron in Newburgh, Nepera in Harriman, former Kolmer Labs in Port Jervis, Orange County Fairgrounds in Wallkill, and Diamond Candlestick site in New Windsor.

The EPA stepped in and remediated the Consolidated Iron site in Newburgh. Segullic said, “The EPA remediating a site is the exception since they are responsible for remediating sites that are considered a significant threat to human health and the environment. Sites that are a significant threat to human health and the environment are a small fraction of the total number of contaminated sites.”

The OCIDA listed five brownfield sites in Chester, including the Chester Business Complex at 200 Laroe Road, the Chester School at 3 Maple Avenue, Nexans Cable at 25 Oakland Avenue, Laguardia Business and Technology Park at 1 LaGuardia Road and C&D Battery at 430 Route 209.

The OCIDA listed two brownfields in Goshen, including Orange County Sanitary Landfill at Route 17M and Goshen Business and Technology Park at 1 Craigville Road.

A welcomed initiative

“This initiative is a great opportunity to take properties that are eyesores and rehabilitate them, simultaneously removing threats to the environment and turning them into revenue generators. This is a total win-win for our local communities,” said Fioravanti.

“Orange County is my home county, and I’m proud to support its brownfields program. When we invest in cleaning up and reusing former industrial properties, local families gain healthier, safer neighborhoods and entrepreneurs gain new sites to open businesses and create jobs that grow our economy,” said Martucci. “The EPA is teaming up with OCIDA, local leaders, and community members to remove barriers to redevelopment, expand opportunities for investment, and ensure these revitalized properties become long term assets that strengthen the county’s prosperity and quality of life.”