Community boards across Brooklyn will now have access to state funding for pollution studies.

Governor Eliot Spitzer recently approved changes that will allow boards to apply for millions of dollars to investigate toxic Brownfield sties. Previously, only city agencies were allowed to apply for study funding.

Brownfield sites have pollution or hazardous materials that are complicating development and reuse of a certain piece of land. Some areas with polluted sites include Red Hook and the Gowanus Canal.

Community Board 6, which had been denied funding to study polluted sites, will now be able to study sites for future development. Community leaders who fought for the revisions hope the boards will now be able to serve the communities in ways they weren?t allowed to before.