Municipal and community leaders from all corners of New York state converged on the state Capitol this week to call on lawmakers and state government officials to fix New York's ailing brownfield redevelopment program, according to the Watertown Daily Times.

With the Brownfield Cleanup Program suspended until July, and the recent introductions of a new Assembly bill (A.11107), a Governor's Program bill (#51), and a key reform already enacted by the state Senate (Upstate Now), end-of-session negotiations to reform New York's troubled brownfields program are beginning.

Improvements to the BOA program could mean more projects like this transformation of an 8-acre contaminated property into prime commercial waterfront property along the Long Island Sound.Led by New Partners for Community Revitalization, brownfield reform proponents called for two major improvements: a 20-percent tax credit to give developers and businesses a strong incentive to locate on former brownfield sites; and designation of a single agency to administer cleanup efforts.

Grants for at least one rebuilding project have been secured, but without a viable program to provide cleanup funds progress has halted. Proponents maintain that once legislation is adopted, everything else will fall into place.

To learn more about brownfields and the need for reform, check out our 2008 New York State Policy Agenda.