Senator Thompson Requests Albany Lawmakers Amend Brownfields Legislation

Albany, NY- Today, New York State Senator Antoine Thompson (D- Parts of Erie & Niagara Counties), along with senate colleagues and environmental advocates, urged state legislators to amend the Brownfields legislation. Senator Thompson, the ranking Democrat for the New York State Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, is also calling for restoration of funding for the Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Program.

"Many business leaders, environmental groups, and local governments are waiting for New York State leaders to amend the Brownfields Law," said Senator Thompson. "The law is critical to the economic growth of Upstate and New York as a whole."

"Continued funding of the BOA Program is critical to revitalizing the economically challenged communities burdened by multiple brownfield sites. Cutting funding to this program stands in stark contrast to the $100,000,000 of brownfield tax credits given to projects that do not need them," added Mathy Stanislaus, Co-Director of the New Partners for Community Revitalization.

City of Niagara Falls' Mayor, Paul Dyster stated; "When a community suffers an environmental disaster as a result of a flood, or a tornado, or a hurricane, we all know what response we expect from government. We expect rapid action to assess the damage, map out a strategy, and execute a plan to get the community back up on its feet. We would settle for nothing less."