New York State is working to revamp its Brownfield Cleanup Program in order to shorten the time it takes to clean up vacant, contaminated, industrial land, reports the Buffalo News. This is good news, given that the current process can take many months to complete in certain cases.

DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis, who announced the brownfield program change, with NYLCV's President Marcia Bystryn.The Department of Environmental Conservation's Brownfield Cleanup Program aims to expedite the cleanup process to accommodate prospective developers, who require a clear time frame for the remediation process. DEC Commissioner Pete Grannis said the forthcoming changes should generate "cleaner, healthier communities, more investment, and, most importantly, more jobs."

Commissioner Grannis announced the changes at a news conference in Buffalo last week, where he was joined by Mayor Byron W. Brown, state lawmakers, business leaders, and city development officials.

The City of Buffalo has embraced the new policies, which can be implemented without legislative approval after undergoing a public comment period.  Buffalo has cleaned up over 285 acres of brownfields in the past four years, and in the process created approximately 350 jobs.