Website Comment Summary
Although comments for this goal are generally supportive, there were few responses compared to other goals. Some comments address recycling, composting, and trash issues that are not directly relevant to the goal. A few comments address specific brownfield sites of concern.

Comments encourage the redevelopment of existing brownfield sites for future public uses, including new parks, industrial facilities, green manufacturing plants, and schools. Several comments mention the potential for brownfields to provide additional housing for New Yorkers, an idea that reinforces our first goal.

Comments also focus on the issue of brownfields liability, advocating strict enforcement of the "polluter pays" principle and the need to require polluting companies to undertake supplemental remediation projects.

Several comments provide somewhat innovative policy solutions, such as sponsoring a contest to showcase brownfield sites and promote comprehensive redevelopment planning, or using zoning bonuses to spur brownfield redevelopment and encourage more public-centered use of remediated land.

Town Hall Comment Summary
Prevent Future Contamination
The most common suggestions involved the prevention of future contamination, with a focus on improving/expanding recycling, decreasing the creation of non-biodegradable waste, reducing excess packaging and use of plastic bags, and holding polluters and manufacturers who generate waste responsible for their actions.

Cleaning Up Brownfields
Several participants suggested ways to fund and/or expedite remediation, including: "sell land for $1 to developers willing to pay for cleanup," "require developers to pay into a brownfields redevelopment fund," and provide tax breaks to lower remediation costs. A few participants also agreed on promoting bioremediation and on fining polluters or making them responsible for cleanup costs. Individual ideas included: "prioritize brownfield clean up in low income communities" and "be mindful of spoils disposal: where will the toxic dirt and dust end up?"

Miscellaneous
With respect to the use of remediated brownfields, individuals suggested housing, affordable housing, and parks. Individuals supported "blue collar job creation on brownfield sites" and "community involvement in post-cleanup plans for land." Policy and administrative suggestions included: "enforce current rules and make rules more stringent," "revisit brownfield legislation," give extra LEED points for NYC brownfield construction, and "look at new insurance laws that provide protection" for brownfield purchases. Individual suggestions also included: introduce "green responsibility education in schools," "endow a green infrastructure chair at CUNY," and "buy the NASCAR site, conserve as open space."

Community Leader Comment Summary
Use of Remediated Brownfields and Prevention of Future Contamination
Community leaders offered several suggestions for the use of remediated brownfields, including housing, parkland and general community use/ownership. Many comments also recognized the need to prevent further contamination, including a suggestion to "eliminate toxic chemicals in existing industries in NYC."

Administrative Improvements
A variety of administrative recommendations were raised to improve the city's efforts to prevent and clean contaminated land, ranging from the most general ("reform the BOA program" or "create a localized version of Superfund Site program") to more specific suggestions regarding liability issues, new or improved cleaning standards or regulations, and tax credits/financing for brownfield cleanup and redevelopment.

Community Involvement and Education
Bronx community leaders also stressed the need for greater community involvement and partnership in identifying contaminated land, planning land use, and assessing "cumulative impact on community." Leaders from Lower Manhattan and Queens raised the need to educate the public about brownfields, as well as to educate developers regarding brownfield development.