Tagged: Environmental & Green Issues
The New York State Bar Association Environmental & Energy Law Section is presenting a virtual conference on the state’s brownfield and federal Superfund programs on Tuesday, December 5. Gibbons’s David J. Freeman, Environmental Group Senior Counsel, is Co-Chair of the conference, which will feature a distinguished faculty comprising government officials, attorneys, and consultants in the field to review recent developments in both programs. In addition, Mr. Freeman will moderate the panel discussing the federal Superfund program. The CLE event will also feature a panel discussion on current issues in environmental insurance and an update on recent case law involving Superfund and brownfield issues. For more information about the program or to register to attend, please click here.
The New York City Brownfield Partnership, a non-profit public-private partnership promoting the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites in New York City, has just released a study analyzing the impact of the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) on the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfield sites in New York State. The study was directed by Barry F. Hersh, Clinical Associate Professor at New York University’s Schack Institute of Real Estate, with financial support from the Partnership. The study provides timely and valuable information to the debate over proposed changes to the program.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed major revisions to the New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) in the budget he submitted to the state legislature last week. These changes, if enacted, will have a major impact on the types of projects that will be attracted to and accepted into the Program, and the extent to which they are eligible for tax credits.
A number of Responsible Parties are breathing a sigh of relief. On January 21, 2014, Governor Christie signed legislation authorizing a two year extension for Responsible Parties to complete their remedial investigations before risking being placed under direct oversight of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The deadline has been extended from May 14, 2014, to May 7, 2016, under certain circumstances. Pursuant to the Site Remediation Reform Act (SRRA), the deadline applies to all site investigations or preliminary assessments that are being conducted to address discharges or contaminated areas of concern that have been or should have been identified on or before May 7, 1999.
On January 13, 2014, EPA issued its final rule authorizing the use of electronic manifests for hazardous wastes. The rule implements provisions of the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act (“Act”) signed into law in 2012, which directed EPA to establish a national electronic manifest system for tracking hazardous waste. Although the final rule has been promulgated, the electronic system to handle electronic manifests will not be available until 2015 at the earliest.
A remarkable consensus is emerging regarding proposed changes to New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program. That consensus is reflected in recommendations made over the past several weeks by groups with membership and interests as diverse as the Environmental Justice Alliance, the Real Estate Board of New York, and the Environmental Law Section of the New York State Bar Association.
On December 18, 2013, Susanne Peticolas, a Director in the Gibbons Real Property & Environmental Department, moderated a panel, “There May Be Money for Your Client for Site Remediation,” sponsored by the New Jersey Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section. The program focused on the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (“HDSRF”). Michael Deely, Supervisor for NJDEP’s HDSRF program, cheered the audience by reporting that the long depleted fund once again has money for site remediation grants and loans.
ECF Farm Systems, a German company pioneering turnkey containerized fish and vegetable farming units for urban areas, won the prestigious Cleantech Open Global Ideas Award for 2013. Cleantech is the world’s largest clean technology accelerator. Often called the “Academy Award” of clean technology, the Global Ideas competition, in its fifth year, attracts early-stage start-ups with cutting edge clean technology ideas from around the world. The competitors are the national winners of the competitions in their own countries. ECF Farm Systems was selected from 28 finalists.
At the end of last week, the New Jersey State Senate (“Senate”) introduced Bill S3116 that proposes to continue the moratorium on the statewide non-residential development fee (the “Fee”) that expired on July 1, 2013. Since July 1, 2013, developers and land use attorneys have been in a state of flux with regard to whether the fee applies to development projects. If passed, this legislation would extend the moratorium to December 31, 2014.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”) held its 12th Annual Regulatory Update Conference on November 22, 2013. The conference provided brief regulatory updates from a number of NJDEP departments and programs. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (“NJDEP”) held its 12th Annual Regulatory Update Conference on November 22, 2013. The conference provided brief regulatory updates from a number of NJDEP departments and programs including: The Environmental Management Program; The Site Remediation Program; ; The Bureau of Air Quality Planning; The Office of Environmental Justice; The Bureau of Environmental Evaluation & Risk Assessment; The Emission Statement Program; and The Office of Science.
