2010 Workshop Agenda

Click here to download the 2010 NSCW agenda in .pdf format.

7:45am - 8:30

Registration

8:30 - 8:50

Introduction to Conference & Welcome to NJIT: Sue Boyle, GEI Consultants & Colette Santasieri, NJIT Technical Assistance to Brownfield (TAB) Communities Program

8:50 - 9:00

Introduction to Conference Theme:
Michael Taylor, Program Chair and President of Vita Nuova LLC

9:00-10:15

Morning Plenary Session:  Partnership for Sustainable Communities

At last year's conference, the Federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities was announced. This revolutionary attempt to bring HUD, DOT, and EPA together in support of creating sustainable communities is now underway. Hear from leaders at the three agencies about progress to date and plans for the future.

9:00-9:30

Introduction of Keynote:
Lee Ilan, NYC Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation

Keynote Speaker:  
Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator, USEPA OSWER

Moderators:  Chelsea Albucher, City of Newark Sustainability Office & Barry Hersh, NYU

Panelists:  
Regina Gray, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Mathy Stanislaus, Assistant Administrator, USEPA OSWER

10:15- 10:30

Break

10:30 - 11:45

Workshop #1:  Real Time Challenges Facing Key Stakeholders in Sustainable Development: New Twists or Same Old?
How do sustainable development hurdles today differ from those of the past?  What's been added to or subtracted from the mix of challenges facing sustainable development?  Do the answers to these questions depend on whether you're a municipality, a current or former owner of the property, a project developer, or a future user of the property?  How have "greening" initiatives affected the likelihood of success or failure?  Is green development affordable redevelopment?  How has the recession impacted opportunities and prospects?  Our panel members - a municipal economic development director, a property owner and a developer - will discuss their respective perspectives, offering insights and predictions. 

Moderator:  Beth Barton, Day Pitney LLP

Panelists:
Michael Freimuth, City of New Rochelle 
Thomas Stilley, DuPont                       
George Vallone, Hoboken Brownstone Company 

 

Workshop #2: Impact of Multi-Site Brownfield Programs

Hear from representatives from state agencies about the progress of multi-site brownfields programs. While they have been underway for some time, hear how they have met challenges and plans for improvement in the future. Multiple states will be represented. 

Moderator: Brian Clark, Buchanan, Ingersoll and Rooney

Panelists:
Colleen Kokas, NJDEP   
Denise Brinley, PADEP
Shira Gidding, SoBRO 


Workshop #3: Growing Green Cities: Sustainable Models of Urban Agriculture

Urban agriculture, also known as city farming, community gardening, vacant lot gardening and portable agriculture, is an exciting movement with enormous potential.  The growing of plants and raising of animals in and around cities, coupled with the recycling of waste water and household wastes for agricultural purposes, provides many benefits to a community:  access to affordable, nutritious food, enhanced community cohesion, improved quality of the local environment and income and employment opportunities for local residents. This workshop will highlight successful urban agriculture projects, models and practices around the region.
 
Moderator:  Jeanne Mroczko, NSCW

Panelists:
Matt Brener, Brownfield Redevelopment Solutions
David Specca, Rutgers University EcoComplex
Edie Stone, Green Thumb Program
Melissa Spear, Common Ground School

 11:45 - 1:15

Luncheon

Introduction to the Brownfield Coalition of the Northeast - Sue Boyle, GEI Consultants

Luncheon Speaker: Nancy Witttenberg, Assistant Commissioner for Climate and Environmental Management, NJ DEP - "Renewable Energy Options in New Jersey"

1:15 - 2:30

Workshop #4:  The Way for Sustainable Redevelopment:  Regional Regulatory Innovations

States and major cities in the Northeast have been proactively improving their site remediation programs for years to streamline and accelerate the pace of protective economic redevelopment. 

Several states are approaching their remedial reforms through licensed site professionals and privatizing the oversight of the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields.  NJ is the newest addition to this club, following in the footsteps of MA and CT. Other approaches have been adopted in NY and PA.  The largest city in the Northeast (and the nation), New York City, has adopted the nation's first city-based brownfield oversight and incentives program.  PA will present streamlined permitting and coordinated funding innovations in their program, as well as information on their MOA with USEPA.

All of these approaches are innovative and shine a light on progressive policies.  Lessons can be learned from each approach and the panelists will share those lessons with workshop attendees.  Panelists will also discuss what they can beg, borrow and steal from their regional neighbors, and what areas for improvement exist.

Moderators: Sue Boyle, Dennis Unites, GEI Consultants

Panelists:
Dan Walsh, NYC Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation
Robert Bell, CTDEP
Kelly Race, WSE
Bill Ahlert, HDR

 

Workshop #5Transit-Oriented Development, LEED Neighborhood Development, Sustainable Community Design

Transit-Oriented Development can be the catalyst for area-wide economic revitalization and redevelopment by enabling the creation of livable, workable, walkable and sustainable communities. The LEED-ND rating system is designed to certify exemplary development projects that perform well in terms of smart growth, new urbanism, and green building. Projects may constitute whole neighborhoods, fractions of neighborhoods, or multiple neighborhoods. Smaller, infill projects that are single use but complement existing neighboring uses; as well as larger and mixed use developments are all candidates for this program. Traditional TOD planning concepts when combined with LEED-ND rating system can demonstrate measurably greener communities. TOD planning concepts and benefits as well as the LEED ND program will be described. Representatives from NJ Transit and Metro North Railroad will present their agencies' strategy for encouraging successful TODs.

Moderator: Gary Rozmus, Gannett Fleming 

Panelists:
Vivian E. Baker, NJ Transit
Vahak Khajekian, MTA Metro North Railroad
Anastasia Harrison, Gannett Fleming / Board of Directors, USGBC-NJ
Shawn Rairigh, Gannett Fleming

 

Workshop #6:  Where is the Money?

Meet in workshop format with public, private and non-profit sector leaders in sustainable brownfields and community development.  Discuss your project's needs, where you can obtain financial assistance and what the prospects are for the future. 

Moderators:  Barry Hersh, NYU

Panelists: 
Dan Marsh, National Development Council
Larry Schnapf, Schnapf Environmental Law Office
Paul Ceppi, NJEDA
John Nelson, Wall Street Without Walls

2:30-2:45

 

3:00 - 4:15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Break

 

Workshop #7: Growing Green: Community Efforts to Become Sustainable

Cities, towns, communities, neighborhoods, and groups of all shapes and sizes are working toward Green.  What does this mean?  How is it working?  What is successful and what is not?  Hear leaders from multi-stakeholder positions discuss their efforts at greening sites to greening whole communities.  They will discuss renewable energy, green infrastructure, urban agriculture, green buildings and community strategies for promoting self-reliance and combating climate change.

Moderators:  Michael Taylor, Vita Nuova, LLC & Chelsea Albucher, City of Newark Sustainability Office

Panelists: 
David Kooris, Regional Plan Association
Franco Montalto, Drexel University
Judith A. Shaw, Rutgers University
Cecil Corbin-Mark, WE ACT

 

Workshop #8: Renewable Energy: Powering Your Brownfields

Alternative energy systems like wind, solar, and biomass are viable reuse options for brownfield sites and create multiple benefits - including climate change mitigation, energy independence, and sustainable property development/management.  This panel will explore how different states are 1) overcoming hurdles experienced by the alternative energy industry when considering brownfield properties and 2) developing solutions and incentives to engage and capture this emerging growth sector.

Moderator:  Pamela Elkow, Robinson & Cole LLP

Panelists:
Charles Gallub, Develcom
Dennis Jones, US Steel
Kirstin Etela, Robinson & Cole LLP


Workshop #9:  Green Standard - Green and Sustainable Remediation

Green and Sustainable Remediation (GSR) are new concepts that are currently under development. Numerous GSR guidelines have been published, but no consensus has been reached regarding the scope, approach, or assessment of GSR during a remediation project. This panel will present overviews of published GSR guidelines and reports and provide an update on the status of current standard and guidance developments related to ASTM and a myriad of governmental and professional organizations. Unresolved issues related to what exactly GSR is and how it should best be implemented will be addressed. Most importantly, the panel will examine three issues. First, how will GSR standards affect the end user - the property owner, communities, the environmental specialist, and the regulator? Second, how does green remediation (energy, waste, materials use, etc.) mesh with sustainable remediation (additionally including social and economic factors), i.e. integrating comprehensive and cleanup-focused approaches? Third, what are the incentives and disincentives, and respective trends, for a property owner to incorporate these concepts into cleanup and redevelopment, and what are trends in developments from a regulatory and guidance perspective?

ModeratorZach Schreiber, City of New York, Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation

Panelists:
John Simon, WSP Environment & Energy / Remediation Journal
Stephanie Vaughn, USEPA Region 2
Stephanie Fiorenza, BP America

4:15-5:30

Afternoon Plenary Session:  Green Jobs, Local Jobs: Where are they? 

Introduction to Keynote: Barry Hersh, NYU
Afternoon Keynote: Edward H. Chu, Deputy Associate Director, Green Jobs, Community Protection and Climate Solutions, Council on Environmental Quality, Executive Office of the President

Mr. Chu will present the Obama Administration vision for green jobs and will discuss the future of green jobs with providers from around the region.
                      

Moderators: Barry Hersh, NYU & Lee Ilan, NYC Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation

Panelists:
Evans Paull, Northeast Midwest Institute  
Adrienne Houel, Greater Bridgeport Community Enterprises 
Eric Treworgy, STRIVE
Chelsea Albucher, City of Newark Sustainability Office

 

5:30 - 6:30  Reception
Sponsored by the Society of Women Environmental Professionals
NJ, PA, CT Chapters