The governor signed the bill at the former Bossert manufacturing site here. The legislation refinances the state's Superfund program and creates a new brownfields cleanup program as well.

The legislation authorizes up to $135 million to be financed with a combination of bond funds, industry fees, monies from the state general fund and other sources, state officials say. The financing includes: up to $120 million that will be made available on an annual basis for the State Superfund Program; $15 million for the new Brownfield Opportunity Areas Grant Program, technical assistance grants to community-based organizations to participate in the Superfund and Brownfield Cleanup programs for significant threat sites, the development of a Geographic Information System on the state's groundwater resources and other hazardous waste remediation purposes. In addition, the new law calls for $33 million for the Oil Spill program to be financed by industry fees.

The new Superfund law was praised by Democrats and Republicans in Albany as well as from the environmental community.State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said, "This bipartisan agreement provides the comprehensive approach to brownfield remediation the Assembly demanded, including tough cleanup standards, refinancing of the Superfund program, as well as strong public health and environmental protections."