“I worry about the deals we never see, the things that never happen,” Department of Economic and Community Development Interim Commissioner Dan O’Keefe said.
There are efforts underway to help streamline the reconstruction of vacant and wrecked properties like the old button factory in Waterbury.
“The site we stand on today is an example of Waterbury’s mighty industrial past, which left our city with a legacy that unfortunately includes blighted, abandoned and long polluted buildings,” Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski said.
On Friday morning, Gov. Ned Lamont, alongside state environmental and economic leaders, announced new proposed regulations that help remove red tape and support the remediation of thousands of eyesores statewide.
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“We have over 3,000 properties here in Connecticut that have been stuck in the Transfer Act since it was passed in the 1980s. Only less than a quarter of those properties have actually been successfully cleaned up so that is why we are committed to making sure we can move forward with this release-based program,” Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes said.
The release-based cleanup regulations would overhaul the Transfer Act, the state’s framework governing the cleanup of contaminated sites. The new regulations would make it easier for housing and commercial developers to do business in Connecticut.
“Now I think moving forward to a release base standard, you know, this will really unlock an incredible amount of economic value, because now it's going to bring predictability to our regulatory regime that is finally going to allow those projects to go forward,” O’Keefe said.
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The regulations are being developed by DEEP, DECD and a legislatively led working group.
“People love this city, love the history here and we are just bringing the history back to life,” Lamont said.
As for next steps, there will be a public comment period before the regulations are finalized and sent for approval.
