News
Portion of Keasby Area in Woodbridge Township Designated a BDA by NJDEP
GEE is excited to promote the recent announcement of the Brownfield Development Area (BDA) designation of the Keasbey portion of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). This designation will allow the Township to receive up to $5 million each year from the NJDEP Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund for the remediation and redevelopment of this approximately 360-acre area of land located along the Raritan River. The largest property within the BDA is the 180-acre Former Nuodex Corporation Facility Brownfield site, currently owned by the El Paso Corporation of Houston, Texas. As the ecological consultant for El Paso’s remediation project, GEE is helping the development of an extensive restoration of the degraded Raritan River waterfront in this region, beyond just the El Paso site and is hopeful that this additional funding will make this ecological vision a reality. This opportunity will also streamline regulatory compliance efforts with the State, through a single case manager who has the opportunity to incorporate a holistic approach to land use planning in the BDA versus addressing each individual property separately.
On October 6, 2009, Mark Mauriello, acting Commissioner of the NJDEP, held a press conference at the El Paso site to announce the recent BDA designation. Members of the NJDEP, Woodbridge Township, local property owners, environmental consulting firms, and other local organizations gathered at the site to discuss the positive impact of the designation and impressive plans for the redevelopment of this area. The Mayor of the Township, Honorable John E. McCormac, was particularly enthused by this designation as it will support economic and ecological revitalization of this area that has remained stagnant for decades. In his speech, he alluded to the Township’s plans to promote green development, including renewable energy facilities, within the BDA that will provide for sustainable business opportunities and public enjoyment and access along the Raritan River waterfront.
Also sharing the spotlight at the event were representatives of the El Paso Corporation, Mark Ferris and Brian Johnson. Although the funding will not be directly available to El Paso as the principal responsible party undertaking a site remediation on their property, El Paso expressed their support of the Township’s ongoing efforts to improve this degraded area. El Paso, who has already spent millions of dollars on the environmental cleanup and ecological restoration of their 180-acre property, applauded the support of the Township and other local stakeholders, such as the Edison Wetlands Association, and their commitment to enhancing the economic and ecological viability of the area.
Links to articles published about the Woodbridge BDA designation:
GEE at Wildlife Habitat Council Symposium!
GEE is exhibiting at the Wildlife Habitat Council Symposium held in Baltimore on November 9 and 10. Stop by our booth and talk to GEE staff!
Michael Parkes to Present at the Waterbird Society
Michael Parkes will present some of his research at the Waterbird Society Meeting on November 7th, 2009 in Cape May, NJ. His talk, entitled “Using scale, cover type, and GIS to evaluate nuisance egret colony site selection”, describes how GIS models can be incorporated with ecological field data to evaluate breeding colony site selection.
Ferry Point Park in Architect’s Newspaper
The Architect’s Newspaper reports on the construction of Ferry Point Park in the Bronx. GEE worked with lead designer Thomas Balsley Associates to design ecological value into the waterfront park, including a salt marsh, maritime meadows, and coastal shrublands. See images and read more here.
Sacramento Office Coming Soon!
GEE will soon launch an office in Sacramento, CA to handle our growing West Coast project opportunities. Keep an eye out for a formal announcement!
Dr. Laska to Speak at Natural Resource Damages Conference
Dr. Mark Laska will be presenting at the Natural Resource Damages Conference held on November 12 and 13 in Newark, NJ. Presented by Law Seminars International, the fifth annual conference focuses on cutting edge environmental law related to Natural Resource Damages (NRD) claims. Find more information at http://www.lawseminars.com/detail.php?SeminarCode=09NRDNJ.
Croton Water Treatment Plant wins NYC Award for Excellence in Design
The above-ground design of the Croton Water Treatment Plant has been recognized by the Public Design Commission of the City of New York with a 2008 Annual Award for Excellence in Design! Dr. Mark Laska represented GEE at the reception hosted by Mayor Bloomberg in early July. Read more here.
Croton Water Treatment Plant in Landscape Architecture
The July issue of Landscape Architecture discusses the “visionary, green design” of the Croton Water Treatment Plant! See page 20 for the article (cleverly) titled “Fore Follows Function.”
“Urban Ecology” in Environmental Business Journal
Dr. Mark Laska discusses urban ecology and GEE’s work on a number of projects in New York City. See the article (GEE’s contributions highlighted) in the first quarterly edition of Environmental Business Journal here.
Fore! Croton Water Treatment Plant in “The Architect’s Newspaper”
The innovative above-ground landscape and building design of the Croton Water Treatment Plant is featured in The Architect’s Newspaper. Stormwater and groundwater on the site are reused, creating habitat while providing a source of irrigation for the on-structure driving range. GEE is the ecological designer on the project. Article here.
