Gary O'Connor Interviewed for NPR Story on New Connecticut Environmental Cleanup Standards

As Connecticut transitions to new policies for environmental cleanup on commercial property, Attorney Gary O’Connor, co-chair of Pullman & Comley's Real Estate, Energy, Environmental and Land Use practice, shared insights with Connecticut Public.

Connecticut has overhauled its long‑criticized brownfields cleanup system, replacing the decades‑old Property Transfer Act with new release‑based cleanup regulations (RCBRs) that took effect March 1, 2026. The change shifts the trigger for environmental cleanup from property sales to the discovery of contamination, a move state officials say will accelerate redevelopment and reduce incentives for owners to abandon polluted sites. Under the old system, costly and time‑consuming requirements often discouraged transactions, leaving more than 1,000 contaminated properties idle across the state. The new framework aligns Connecticut with most other states by prioritizing risk‑based remediation and allowing cleanups to proceed incrementally.

Supporters argue this will unlock private investment, speed up projects in struggling cities, and return long‑vacant properties to productive use. Environmental advocates and regulators say the approach better addresses public health risks while balancing economic realities. 

Gary, who served as a member of the state's Risk-Based Remediation Working Group to help develop the new standards, explained that the former law also discouraged redevelopment of contaminated properties, noting that many property owners and corporations held onto their properties to avoid costly remediation.

“A lot of corporations and owners ... decided to mothball, which created a huge negative impact in the communities in which those sites were located," he said.

To read the full story or listen to the broadcast, visit the Connecticut Public Radio/NPR website.