City targets brownfields in new cleanup program

City officials unveiled their new brownfield cleanup program today, aimed at decontaminating properties with light-to-moderate environmental contamination levels. Unlike superfund sites, such as the Gowanus Canal, these brownfield zones contain lower levels of pollutants and are not eligible for cleanup under federal programs. The New York City brownfield cleanup program is the first municipally run program of its kind in the country. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that the program will provide decontamination for sites that would have otherwise been overlooked by environmental boards. “Our new brownfields program will lead to clean-ups of long-blighted eyesores that drag down a neighborhood’s property values, image, and safety,” Bloomberg said. The announcement was made at a vacant property at Stillwell Avenue and Pelham Parkway South in the Bronx, which will be the first property to take advantage of the program. TRD