– Governor Cuomo Vetoes Short-Sighted Brownfields Extension

December 30, 2014

“Governor Cuomo got it right. The state’s Brownfields Cleanup Program is an albatross for taxpayers. While New York desperately needs a plan that cleans up dangerous toxic sites, the existing program costs too much to clean up too little.

For Immediate Release: December 30, 2014

Travis Proulx: 518-462-5526 x238

Governor Cuomo Vetoes Short-Sighted Brownfields Extension

Statement from Executive Director Peter Iwanowicz

“Governor Cuomo got it right. The state’s Brownfields Cleanup Program is an albatross for taxpayers. While New York desperately needs a plan that cleans up dangerous toxic sites, the existing program costs too much to clean up too little.

Governor Cuomo proposed common-sense reforms to the brownfields program in his last budget, but those changes failed to make it into the enacted version. The Legislature approved a bill that was short-sighted, costly, and wrong. The Governor was right to veto it.

New York must create an effective brownfields cleanup program that is targeted to communities in need and provides more developers the certainty to launch more projects. We applaud Governor Cuomo for hitting the reset button and making this issue a priority for 2015. We look forward to working with the Governor and the Legislature to ensure that last year’s promise of reform is finalized in the next state budget.”

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