Referred to:  The Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts and Agriculture Committee (Chairman Cahill and Legislators Corcoran, Criswell, Hewitt, Litts, Maloney and Sperry), and The Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee (Chairwoman Greene and Legislators Hansut, Levine, Maloney, and Stewart)

Chairwoman of the Energy, Environment and Sustainability Committee, Manna Jo Greene, and Deputy Chair Gina Hansut offer the following:

WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Department of Planning; and

WHEREAS, the EPA Brownfields Program was created to collaborate with local municipalities to assess, clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfield sites across the country; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County committed ARPA funds to conduct environmental studies and testing on foreclosure eligible properties for which Ulster County has deferred initiating proceedings due to documented concerns demonstrating a protection for environmental conditions that would expose the County to potential liability for cleanup while at the same time precluding their potential for redevelopment; and

WHEREAS, some of the Phase 1 draft studies indicate that certain properties have significant hazardous waste or petroleum contamination and may potentially be referred to the USEPA and/or the NYSDEC for participation in one of the cleanup programs; and

WHEREAS, multiple grants for brownfields assessment and cleanup funding from the USEPA are now open and do not require a cost share or match from the grantee meaning 100% of the project cost would be reimbursed by the grant program; and

WHEREAS, the Planning Department has determined one or more of these grants will help the County advance the further environmental study and testing on the sites and/or cleanup of sites; and

WHEREAS, the County desires to submit an application to utilize funding from this program to support the further assessment and cleanup of select properties; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the Director of the Ulster County Planning Department is hereby authorized to submit online applications through Grants.gov for the USEPA Brownfields Program for funding up to grant’s maximum award amount; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that a copy of all grant applications submitted shall be provided to the Clerk of the Legislature,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                    NOES:    

Passed by Committee: Economic Development, Planning, Education, Employment, Arts and Agriculture on ___________.

Passed by Committee: Energy, Environment and Sustainability on ___________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE