New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis Thursday announced $7.9 million in Environmental Restoration Program grants for the remediation and investigation of environmental contamination at sites in the City of Newburgh-Orange County, the Village of Haverstraw-Rockland County, the Village of Adams-Jefferson County, the City of Syracuse-Onondaga County, the City of Peekskill-Westchester County, the City of Rome-Oneida County, the City of Rochester-Monroe County and the Village of Ellisburg-Jefferson County. The grants are being funded through the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act.

"Nearly $8 million is being provided to these communities to help them realize their goals in restoring formerly contaminated sites to new, productive uses," Grannis said. "The state's brownfield cleanup programs will continue to be an important tool as we move forward in the economic and environmental revitalization of our municipalities."

These communities are eligible for state assistance through the ERP because they are not responsible for having caused the contamination. These grants provide up to 90 percent of eligible costs for on-site and up to 100 percent of eligible costs for off-site remedial activities. The grant recipient will fund the balance of the costs.