By Phil Corso
Two northeast Queens lawmakers celebrated the passage of legislation they drafted that requires the state Department of Environmental Conservation to notify affected community boards whenever the agency is considering cleanups at any brownfield sites throughout the city.
State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) teamed up with state Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) earlier this year to draft the bills after hearing that members of Community Board 7 were kept in the dark about a cleanup application at the Waterpointe-Whitestone brownfield site, making way for the development of pricey homes near the corner of 6th Road and 151st Place.
A company known as Edgestone Group had purchased the site for $11 million late last year and has been working to build 52 homes and a public waterfront park there.
The area already had a history of being contaminated before the state DEC’s Brownfield Cleanup Program included it in its initiative, which offers incentives to companies to clean areas and prep them for development.
But members of CB 7, including District Manager Marilyn Bitterman, said they were never informed of initial plans to clean the property.
“Alerting our local community boards and allowing sufficient time for the public to comment on brownfield cleanups is essential in keeping our neighborhoods safe from hazardous waste materials,” said Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz (D-Flushing), who joined Avella and Braunstein at the Whitestone site for a press conference in May.
In reaction to the apparent disconnect between community board leaders and the state, both Avella and Braunstein said requiring the DEC to give more advanced notice would open up avenues for public comment at monthly meetings.
“Brownfield cleanups are significant environmental projects that can have a widespread impact on residents and the local community,” Avella said. “Often times, these brownfield cleanup projects, when finished, lead to large developments that also impact the quality of life for residents. Community boards play an important role in these land use decisions and therefore it is critical that they are also notified of any new brownfield site cleanups.”
Both lawmakers’ legislation passed through their respective houses earlier this year and Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the measure into law Tuesday.
“Community boards are our first line of defense in protecting our quality of life,” Braunstein said. “Providing board members with information about brownfield sites will ensure that the community has eyes and ears on the ground to make certain that all remediation is done appropriately.”
Reach reporter Phil Corso by e-mail at pcorso@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
