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Department of State

Office of Planning Advocacy

The Hon. Tahesha Way, Lt. Governor and Secretary of State

Brownfields

Brownfields: Any former or current commercial or industrial site, currently vacant or underutilized and on which there has been, or there is suspected to have been, a discharge of a contaminant. (Source: Brownfield and Contaminated Site Remediation Act, N.J.S.A. 58:10B-1 et seq.)

The Brownfields Redevelopment Task Force assists municipalities and counties in using brownfield redevelopment to help implement Smart Growth strategies in their plans and initiating an inventory of marketable brownfield sites for prospective developers with the support of the Brownfields Redevelopment InterAgency Team.

Reference Documents and Related Links

New Jersey Brownfields Inter Agency Work Group

Understanding Brownfields redevelopment is integral for New Jersey's municipalities, and realizing the need for effective collaboration between State and Federal entities for successful Brownfields redevelopment, the New Jersey Business Action Center's Office for Planning Advocacy have partnered with EPA's Region II Brownfields Program, NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the Center for Creative Land Recycling to form the New Jersey Brownfields InterAgency Work Group (IAWG).

Using a proactive and problem solving team approach, the IAWG offers assistance, guidance and resources to municipalities and any their redevelopment partners as the municipality navigates the complex road to assess, remediate and redevelop Brownfields.

The IAWG is comprised of a diverse group of experienced State and Federal Agencies whose mission is to support the State of New Jersey's Brownfields redevelopment policies and the US EPA's Brownfields Economic Development Initiative.

Reference Documents and Related Links

Private Property Information

If you currently own a property that the State views as fitting within the definition of a “brownfield,” we would like to inform you of the ways in which the future value and use of your property may be enhanced by listing it on the New Jersey Brownfields “Site Mart.”

The potential benefits for a property listed on the “Site Mart” are twofold: Listing can attract the attention of interested developers; and listed properties may become eligible for State brownfields incentives. The New Jersey Brownfields Redevelopment Task Force would like to help you redevelop where appropriate and, where necessary, to clean up your property. Listing properties on the “Site Mart” can be an integral part of this process. Although landowners, developers, the State of NJ, and municipalities may have different perspectives, many of our goals are the same, e.g., to redevelop or reuse underutilized properties to quickly return them to productive use.

Developers may be looking to purchase, clean up, and redevelop a property such as yours for a variety of reasons, including the availability of significant incentives provided by the government. There is also a new focus on revitalization by many municipalities, as they too seek to implement Smart Growth principles. To further these efforts, the State identifies “brownfields” properties pursuant to N.J.S.A. 58:10B-23 for inclusion on the official inventory known as the New Jersey Brownfields "Site Mart" database. Numerous developers and property owners have already engaged in profitable interactions thanks to the "Site Mart" where land acquisitions and remediation activities are now well underway. This valuable “listing” service can be utilized for no fee.

Some property owners may be hesitant to list their properties on the "Site Mart," because of additional liability concerns or fear of a stigma regarding the condition of the property. However, merely listing property on "Site Mart" does not create a landowner’s liability to the State. Moreover, there is no real stigma for having property listed on the "Site Mart." In fact, as the State’s definition of a “brownfield” makes clear, a brownfield need not have any actual contamination. It has been suggested that listing a property on the "Site Mart" may somehow draw negative attention by environmental regulators. Information included on the "Site Mart" is already publicly available in other forms.

We understand that at this time, you may not be interested in selling your property and that can be clearly communicated to those who view your listing. Entering the "Site Mart" now, however, can likely expedite the process should you choose to sell your property at a future date. In addition, it can help indicate the potential marketability of your property.

We hope that, as a property owner, you will agree to execute the "Consent and Release" form to allow property to be posted on "Site Mart", recognizing the clear benefits—whether now or at a later point—in having property listed as a “brownfield.” We look forward to working with you in a partnership approach. Thank you.

Should you elect to execute and submit the standard “Consent and Release” form allowing your brownfield to be publicly listed on the "Site Mart," please confirm for the Task Force the lots, blocks and street addresses for your properties.

 

Quick Reference Documents

Potential Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
Required Information
Release Form

Redevelopment Resources and Links

Included here are available Brownfields resources and links to relevant tools and information.

Brownfields SiteMart Reference Documents

Related Links

Brownfields Redevelopment Task Force

The New Jersey Brownfields Redevelopment Task Force was created in 1998 under Section 5 of the New Jersey Brownfield and Contaminated Site Remediation Act.

The 13-member Task Force consists of seven representatives from State agencies and six public members. The six public members are appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Chair of the Task Force is selected by the Governor.

* The Task Force is accepting comments at its meetings on issues concerning the redevelopment of brownfields sites. Information gathered from experienced and interested parties will be considered in recommendations to the Governor and Legislature. Please limit spoken comments to five minutes.

Public Members
State Agency Representatives
Deputy Attorney General counsel to the Task Force

Brownfields Redevelopment Task Force Meetings

Meetings are held at:

NJ DOS/Office for Planning Advocacy
33 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08625
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon (unless otherwise noted)

Directions

Date Time Location
July 17 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon NJ DOS/Office for Planning Advocacy 33 West State Street, Trenton, NJ 08625
January 16 - Cancelled  

Federal and State Brownfield IAWG, meeting June 22, 2017 Audio Recordings

Part 1

Part 2

February 21 022106 Minutes [pdf 273k] 022106 Agenda [pdf 152k]
April 11 041106 Minutes [pdf 250k] 041106 Agenda [pdf 180k]
June 21 062106 Minutes [pdf 274k]  
August 15   081506 Agenda [pdf 161k]
October 27   102706 Agenda [pdf 38k]
November 9   110906 Agenda [pdf 123k]
January 26 012606 Minutes [pdf 199k]  
May 16 051606 Minutes [pdf 210k]  
July 18 071806 Minutes [pdf 199k]  
January 24 012406 Minutes [pdf 204k]  
March 28 032806 Minutes [pdf 206k]  
May 23 052306 Minutes [pdf 456k]  
September 19 091906 Minutes [pdf 482k]  
January 18 011805 Minutes [pdf 233k]  
March 22 032205 Minutes [pdf 237k]  
May 24 052405 Minutes [pdf 229k]  
July 19 071905 Minutes [pdf 218k]  
November 22 112205 Minutes [pdf 208k]  
January 25 012505 Minutes [pdf 197k]  
March 29 032905 Minutes [pdf 222k]  
May 31 053105 Minutes [pdf 164k]  
July 26 072605 Minutes [pdf 183k]  
October 10 100405 Minutes [pdf 167k]  
November 29 112905 Minutes [pdf 159k]  
April 23 042303 Minutes [pdf 176k]  
June 2 060203 Minutes [pdf 97k]  
June 17   061703 Agenda [pdf 96k]
October 21   102103 Agenda [pdf 93k]
March 19 031903 Minutes [pdf 97k]  
May 27 052703 Minutes [pdf 96k]  
July 29 072903 Minutes [pdf 111k]  
March 25 032503 Minutes [pdf 118k]  
May 27 052703p Minutes [pdf 92k]  
July 29 072903p Minutes [pdf 144k]  
November 25 112503 Minutes [pdf 123k]  

 

Page Last Updated: 11/09/22

 


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