For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2009
Municipalities attend roundtable session on brownfields
reuse and underground storage tank removal
County offers towns and residents guidance through process
FREEHOLD – State experts on brownfields and underground storage tank removal spoke to about three dozen Monmouth County municipal representatives at a roundtable sponsored by the Environmental Council of the county Planning Board on Monday, Feb. 2 at the Monmouth Agricultural Building.
“We want to help our towns and homeowners learn more about ways to solve these important areas of environmental concern,” said Freeholder Deputy Director John D’Amico, liaison to the county Planning Board and the Department of Economic Development & Tourism. “At this roundtable session, local leaders and homeowners learned about the resources available and financial incentives to resolve community brownfields and underground storage tank issues.”
Speaking at the event were Frank Pinto, chief of the Contract & Fund Management bureau of the state department of Environmental Protection; Donna Rendeiro, Office of Smart Growth within the state Department of Community Affairs, and Judy Shaw, Rutgers University, Bloustein School of Planning & Public Policy.
“The availability of federal and state money to address local site remediation can help municipalities get these sites back on the tax rolls,” D’Amico said. “Towns can actively support and return properties to economic viability; it’s important we not let sites lie fallow and be nonproductive.”
Grants and loans are available from either the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
- The DEP also offers grants to homeowners to replace residential underground storage tanks with above-ground tanks and to clean up contamination from any tanks that may have leaked.
The Monmouth County Planning Board will provide technical assistance to municipalities and homeowners wishing to take advantage of these grants.
A brownfield is defined as a property that could be expanded, redeveloped or reused were it not complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant. The EPA’s Brownfields Program provides financial and technical assistance to revitalize the site.
Eligible sites may include abandoned gasoline stations, dump sites or buildings with lead or asbestos contamination. Superfund sites are not eligible for EPA brownfields funding.
“The EPA Brownfields Program is designed to empower states, counties, communities and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up and reuse brownfields,” Freeholder Director Barbara J. McMorrow said.
The EPA grant will cover the cost of assessment, remediation and job training. Grants are awarded to a coalition of three or more public entities, such as counties and municipalities, in amounts up to $1 million. The county can act as the lead agency for these grants if municipalities are willing to participate.
For homeowners, the state is offering grants to replace residential underground storage tanks with above-ground tanks and to clean up contamination from any tanks that may have leaked.
“With homeowners’ insurance policies now limiting liability for leaking underground storage tanks used to store heating oil, replacing them is a smart move,” D’Amico said. “If you are considering selling your home it would be wise to take advantage of this program now, especially with the growing awareness by prospective homebuyers about the potential problems with these tanks.”
More information about these grant and loan programs can be obtained by contacting Bonnie Goldschlag at the Monmouth County Planning Board, at 732-431-7460.
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