I am writing in response to your editorial, Cancel the
DEP Loan, which appeared in the March 29th edition of the
newspaper. Your rigid, parochial, head in the sand viewpoint poorly
serves the needs of a community greatly in need of major redevelopment. Asbury Park has many so-called brownfield
properties, sites that have fallen into disrepair and disuse and may involve environmental
contamination. Like most New Jersey cities, redevelopment has lagged in Asbury Park partially due to a failure of the
state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to work cooperatively with
the responsible redevelopment community. We now live in a world where the
efforts of the DEP professionals must be coordinated with the redevelopment
activities on contaminated sites in order to maximize the productivity of these
sites for our communities.
While the primary role of the DEP is to safeguard the
environmental quality of these sites, reality requires us to recognize that
sites will only be cleanup up if there is a viable redevelopment opportunity.
Environmental professionals at the DEP must become more familiar with the
process of integrating cleanups into redevelopment plans. This process
can only be enhanced by leaders such as Sue Boyle working with a prestigious
not-for-profit entity such as the National Brownfields Association that
promotes responsible redevelopment while protecting the environment. Ms.
Boyle’s knowledge of DEP programs and practices makes her an ideal
candidate to strengthen the ties of understanding between environmental experts
and the redevelopment community. Her temporary appointment will only
serve to promote greater cooperation and a recognition by all of how
redevelopment can assist in providing the funds to accelerate environmental
cleanups and protection of New Jersey’s citizens.
At a time when the DEP has inadequate funding to cleanup New Jersey’s many contaminated sites, the
Asbury Park Press should be applauding such efforts as the appointment of Sue
Boyle and not disparaging the professional reputation of an outstanding
environmental professional. To quote Bob Dylan, “If you can’t
lend a hand, get out of the road.” Instead of wild, ill-conceived
attacks, it’s time for the Asbury Park Press to join with the DEP and the
redevelopment professionals who want to improve New Jersey’s future and not be mired in the shibboleths of
the past.
The writer is CEO of the Guardian Trust, a not-for-profit
trust that protects the environment through long term steward of contaminated
sites. In that capacity he has worked with Sue Boyle at the DEP. He
is not a member of the National Brownfields Association.
Bruce-Sean Reshen
breshen@mgppartners.com