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EPA Gives Three New Hampshire Towns $225,000 in Brownfields Grants for Site Assessments

Release Date: 08/14/2000
Contact Information: Amy Miller (617-918-1042)

BOSTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced it will spend $825,000 to perform environmental site assessments at 11 New England contaminated sites in New England, including three in New Hampshire.

"Site assessments are the first crucial step in helping communities clean up their abandoned and contaminated sites so they can be put back to productive reuse," said Mindy S. Lubber, Regional Administrator for EPA New England. "Revitalizing these Brownfield sites is one of the best ways to reduce sprawl and help cities grow."

"I am pleased to see that the commitment these three towns have made to protecting their residents and their natural heritage is being rewarded with EPA funds," said Sen. Judd Gregg. "The decontamination and eventual reuse of Brownfield sites requires a great deal of time and effort on the part of local communities. A thorough site inspection must be the first step in that long process in order to understand how prevalent toxins are in the soil. Once communities understand the magnitude of the problem, they are able to devise a strategy for the removal of contaminants so the land may be turned into an valuable community asset."

"The redevelopment of unused contaminated sites plays an invaluable role in revitalizing our town centers, restoring lost tax revenues for communities, and helping to preserve open space for future generations," said Sen. Bob Smith, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. "I am pleased that the EPA grants will be the first step toward the cleanup and restoration of these three sites."

"These grants will help jump-start efforts to turn these unusable properties into economic and recreational opportunities," said U.S. Rep. Charles Bass. "We all must work together to help these municipalities return this land to their community."

Under the agency's Brownfields program, environmental consultants contracted by the EPA will perform assessments worth about $75,000 each. The assessments will determine the nature and extent of contamination, and to estimate the costs of cleaning up the site for redevelopment. This brings to $3.65 million the amount EPA has spent to date on Brownfields in New Hampshire.

A brief description of each New Hampshire property follows:

Bradford
Proposed Bradford green
The town envisions converting this 24.5 acre former automotive garage and disposal business site into a mixed-use public space, including athletic fields, nature trails, playground and picnic areas. Estimated cost of site assessment is $75,000.

Greenfield
Former East Coast Steel site
The town anticipates using the former 2.5-acre automotive garage, auto body shop and steel fabrication company for construction of a wastewater disposal facility and a town park. Estimated cost of site assessment is $75,000.

Newport
Ambargis Old Mill Property
The town plans to use this 3.2-acre former mill site on the bans of the Sugar River for a riverside park that will be linked with adjacent state-owned recreational lands. Estimated cost of site assessment is $75,000.