ALBANY, New York — The state will continue cleaning up contaminated sites with additional funds and more robust enforcement tools as part of the budget signed into law last week.
New York’s Superfund cleanup law got $1.25 billion in additional funding for the next decade. The program will now prioritize hazardous sites in disadvantaged communities that have historically faced more pollution and are at greater risk from climate change.
Acting Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton highlighted the additional enforcement tools contained in the budget during a recent visit to a Rochester Superfund site that’s slated to become a state park.
“There’s really, really meaningful tools to help make sure that sites like this get cleaned up, that they get cleaned up quickly and efficiently, so that we can — when we don’t always have a responsible party like we do [here] — ensure that people are coming to the table and really ensuring that we’re bringing these places back to the community and allowing for this redevelopment,” she said Monday.
