Gillibrand Announces Bill to Clean-up Abandoned Industrial Sites

At a press conference Monday in Albany, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced a new piece of bi-partisan legislation that would help revitalized brownfields across the state. Brownfields are former contaminated industrial zones left behind by manufacturing. The legislation is titled the Brownfield Utilization Investment and Local Development Act or “BUILD.” Gillibrand says it works by providing additional tools and resources to communities that work to re-develop their brownfields.

"The bill recognizes that the clean-up of past contamination is a barrier to many re-development sites and it's important for the market to increase funds increase the ceiling funds for clean up grants and allowing funds to be used for administrative costs," Gillibrand said. "It allows for multi-purpose grants that will speed re-development by streamlining and increasing certainty on the clean-up process, it expands eligibility for site assessment grants on not-for-profit organizations."

Gillibrand says the bill will replace contaminated brownfields where factories once stood, and leave them open for further development. She also says the sites have to be cleaned up before they can host new businesses and new jobs.

"There are between 450,00 and 1 million abandoned and contaminated sites across our country re-developing brownfield sites is a proven and effective way to revitalize communities and boost the economy," she said. "Through assessing and cleaning up the blighted, contaminated or abandoned sites communities are able to re-develop them into useable, liveable areas that can drive economic growth and create new jobs."