Hundreds of redevelopment and remediation experts from across the northeast will gather at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center May 13-15 for the 2015 Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference. 

Sponsored by the Department of Environmental Protection and the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania, the 10th annual conference features more than 20 educational and plenary sessions led by brownfields experts and practitioners from both the private and public sectors.

DEP Acting Secretary John Quigley will deliver the keynote address at 9 a.m.May 14, following a welcome message by Erie Mayor Joseph Sinnott.

This year’s conference celebrates the 20th anniversary of the signing of Acts 2, 3 and 4, the cornerstone statutes of Pennsylvania’s Land Recycling Program.

“Over the last 20 years, we’ve demonstrated that these contaminated sites can be cleaned up in a way that is protective of the environment, good for the economy and transformative for the people who live and work in the communities where they are located,” Quigley said. “That’s a great example of government that works.”

The conference features a look back at 20 years of successful brownfields redevelopment in Pennsylvania with a session led by former DEP Secretary James Seif, who will reflect on the development of the landmark brownfield statues and the bipartisan effort to get the bills passed. 

Other speakers include Evans Paull of Redevelopment Economics, a nationally recognized leader on brownfields issues and Cecil Rodrigues, director of EPA Region 3’s Hazardous Site Cleanup Division.

The story of the redevelopment of Erie’s bayfront is highlighted in a new video produced by DEP and Commonwealth Media Services. The video shows the remarkable transformation of the city’s bayfront and the boost the redevelopment projects have given to the region’s economy and way of life. The video is available here on DEP’s YouTube channel.

Another highlight of this year’s conference is the “Best of Act 2” contest. Dozens of successful brownfield redevelopment projects from across Pennsylvania will be showcased in a contest where attendees will vote for the best project in each category.

For more information or to register, visit the Pennsylvania Brownfields Conference webpage.  To stay up-to-date on conference happenings, follow @PA_DEP or @EngSocWestPA on Twitter.

5/11/2015