Public Comment Invited About Brownfield Cleanup Program Application for Site on 31st Drive, Astoria, Queens

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has received a Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) application from Astoria Riverside Park LLC for a site known as the Former Kenneth Trading Corp. Facility, site ID #C241215. This site is located in the neighborhood of Astoria, within the County of Queens, and is located at 11-35 31st Drive.

A copy of the application and other relevant documents are available at the document repositories located at Queens Library at Astoria, 14-01 Astoria Blvd, Astoria 11102 and Queens Community Board 1, 45-02 Ditmars Boulevard, LL Suite 125, Astoria, 11105.

There are several ways to comment on BCP applications. Comments can be submitted to the site Project Manager Sondra Martinkat at NYSDEC – Region 2, Division of Environmental Remediation, 47-40 21st Street, Long Island City, NY 11101; via email at sondra.martinkat@dec.ny.gov; or by calling 718-482-4891. All comments must be submitted by August 10, 2018.

Site information can be viewed by entering the site ID noted above at: http://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/derexternal/index.cfm?pageid=3

What is the Brownfield Cleanup Program?

New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) is designed to encourage private-sector cleanups of brownfields and to promote their redevelopment as a means to revitalize economically blighted communities. The BCP is an alternative to “greenfield” (land not previously developed or contaminated) development and is intended to remove some of the barriers to, and provide tax incentives for, the redevelopment of brownfields. Since its inception (2003), the BCP has catalyzed the cleanup of more than 300 contaminated sites statewide and incentivized redevelopment. There are more than 350 active sites in the BCP.

Additional information on the State's Brownfield program is available at DEC’s website: http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/8450.html