BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

Walden has the experience and expertise needed to guide your organization successfully through the process of entering a proposed site into a Brownfield program and prudently obtaining and utilizing available property development resources. Certain Brownfield sites may be eligible for tax rebates, grant funding, or other incentives that make them attractive as redevelopment sites. Throughout the process, our team of experts will work closely with your stakeholders to identify short-term and long-term goals and ensure that decisions are based on factual, substantiated data.

Unforeseen issues may exist or arise that could impede an organization’s ability to redevelop a site as desired. The Walden team can arm you with the information needed to assess the environmental quality of your property, understand the hazards that may exist on the site and what danger(s) they pose to the health and welfare of neighboring communities, develop remediation strategies, and determine permitting requirements for site (re)development.

WALDEN’S BROWNFIELD SERVICES ARE LISTED BELOW:

• Preliminary and Historical Site Assessments
• Remedial Investigations
• Risk Assessments
• Feasibility Studies
• Remediation Work Plans/Remedial Action Plans
• Grant Applications
• Community Outreach and Liaison

HOW DOES THE NEW YORK BROWNFIELD CLEANUP PROGRAM WORK?

The New York State Brownfield Cleanup Program (BCP) provides a framework for investigating, remediating, and redeveloping eligible contaminated properties. Depending on the project, participation may also provide access to certain redevelopment incentives and liability protections.

Walden can assist clients in determining whether a site may be suitable for the program and in preparing the technical information needed to support an application. This may include reviewing historical property uses, existing environmental reports, current site conditions, and known or suspected contamination.

Throughout the process, Walden can also coordinate with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), prepare supporting documentation, and help clients address technical requirements as the project moves through review.

FROM REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION TO CLEANUP PLANNING

A remedial investigation is used to define the nature and extent of contamination and provide the information needed to evaluate cleanup options. Depending on site conditions, this may include sampling and analysis of soil, groundwater, soil vapor, or other environmental media.

Walden evaluates the resulting data in relation to site conditions, potential exposure pathways, regulatory requirements, and the proposed future use of the property. From there, our team can assess remedial alternatives and determine which approach is most appropriate for the project.

Where required, Walden can prepare a Remedial Action Work Plan or other remediation plan describing the recommended course of action. The selected approach may consider technical effectiveness, feasibility, anticipated costs, permitting requirements, and redevelopment objectives.

KEEPING BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT MOVING FORWARD

Environmental requirements can have a direct effect on redevelopment schedules, permitting, construction planning, and overall project feasibility. Addressing potential issues early in the process can help reduce the likelihood of unforeseen delays and provide project stakeholders with the information needed to make sound decisions.

Our team works with developers, municipalities, property owners, attorneys, and other stakeholders to coordinate environmental activities with broader redevelopment goals. Our team can assist with regulatory coordination, remediation implementation, environmental documentation, and community outreach where required.

Walden can also provide support during later phases of a project, including post-remedial activities and other applicable environmental requirements, to help clients maintain continuity from initial investigation through redevelopment.

BENEFITS OF DRONE USAGE IN BROWNFIELD DEVELOPMENTS:

1. Drones allow for monitoring of impacts and progress of demolition, remediation, and construction phases from a unique vantage point that provides a valuable supplement to the more typical ground-level view.
2. Drones can be used to perform rapid visual inspections of building exteriors, pavement, vegetation, roofing, drainage features, and other property characteristics while utilizing fewer resources and posing less risk than traditional methods.
3. Drones can produce high-resolution orthomosaic maps of the entire property, providing much higher detail than satellite imagery. These can be captured and updated frequently throughout the life of a project.
4. Drone Thermal Imaging can be used to identify oil leaks, water leaks, moisture issues, and many more discrepancies invisible to a visual inspection.
5. Drone Photogrammetry allows the imagery captured by a drone to be used to generate detailed 3D models and measurements of physical structures and property. With these models, we can identify slopes, calculate lines-of-sight, measure topography (low-lying areas, peaks), watersheds, and more.
6. Where removal or addition of soil/earthwork is involved, drones can accurately calculate 3D volumes for excavations or fill.
7. Drones can generate high-quality photographs and videos that are valuable for site mapping, agency interactions, property marketing, and public outreach.