PROVIDENCE ¬– The RI Department of Environmental Management (DEM) along with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) announce a free seminar that will explore issues related to the liability of redeveloping and reusing polluted industrial sites known as brownfields. The event will be held Thursday, June 6, 2019, from 10 AM to 12 PM in Room 300 of DEM Headquarters, 235 Promenade Street, Providence.
The primary goal of the seminar is to dispel common myths about brownfield liability and to present objective information about how interested organizations and municipalities may take the first steps toward starting their own brownfield redevelopment projects.
Susan Forcier, Esq., an attorney in DEM's Office of Legal Services and two employees with DEM's Office of Waste Management (OWM), Kelly J. Owens, an Associate Supervising Engineer, and Rachel T. Simpson, an Environmental Scientist, will discuss Rhode Island laws and programs, while representatives from OWM, the EPA, and NJIT will present an overview of brownfields including the state voluntary cleanup process, funding sources for brownfield restoration projects, and federal liabilities. The informational portion of the seminar will be followed by a Q-and-A for attendees to speak directly with panelists.
In the last round of funding through the Brownfields Remediation and Economic Development Fund Grant, DEM in October approved $2.6 million in grant awards to 12 projects, four of which have green energy characteristics. One is a South Kingstown property that was once a waste disposal area and will be transformed into a solar array capable of producing enough clean energy to power 610 homes. Through its administration of the brownfields and other programs, DEM is supporting the Raimondo Administration's commitment to Rhode Island producing 10 times as much clean energy and 20,000 clean energy jobs by 2020.
For more information about brownfields, visit the EPA's website here: bit.ly/brownfieldinfo. To learn more about DEM's efforts to reinvest in its brownfields, visit bit.ly/RIbrownfield. Attendants may register for the no-cost seminar through Eventbrite here: bit.ly/registerbrownfield. For more information on DEM programs and initiatives, visit www.dem.ri.gov.
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