EPA Announces Record $7 Million Brownfields Investment in Connecticut
President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help revitalize New England communities, Build a Better America and Address Environmental Justice Concerns
BOSTON (May 16, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a $6,965,000 investment in Connecticut made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to revitalize communities across the country by cleaning up contaminated and blighted sites and redeveloping them for productive uses.
The funds will support under-served and economically disadvantaged communities around the state in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties and are part of a historic national EPA investment in Brownfields remediation. The funding awards are among 236 communities nationwide to receive grant awards totaling $147.3 million in EPA Brownfields funding through its Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant Programs. The Agency is also announcing $107 million in supplemental funding to 39 existing Revolving Loan Fund grant recipients who have demonstrated success in their work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. Today's announcement includes approximately $180 million from the historic $1.5 billion investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help turn brownfield sites across the nation into hubs of economic growth and job creation, along with more than $75 million from appropriated funds.
"With today's announcement, we're turning blight into might for communities across America," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "EPA's Brownfields Program breathes new life into communities by helping to turn contaminated and potentially dangerous sites into productive economic contributors. Thanks to President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are significantly ramping up our investments in communities, with the bulk of our funding going to places that have been overburdened and underserved for far too long."
"Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and President Biden's leadership, EPA's Brownfields program is making a record investment of more than $51 million to revitalize communities across New England," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "Today's investment of EPA Brownfields assessment and cleanup funding will jump start economic redevelopment and job creation in many of New England's hardest hit and underserved communities as we work to turn environmental risks into economic assets."
Detail on EPA Brownfields Grants in Connecticut
Connecticut is receiving six grants under the Brownfields Cleanup and Assessment Grants, and one grant for supplemental funding under the Revolving Loan Fund program.
The Brownfields Cleanup Grants are as follows:
- Renaissance City Development Association, Inc. – $615,000 to clean up 43 Hempstead Street in New London
- Luke's Development Corporation – $500,000 for a multi-site cleanup grant to clean up 117-125 Whalley Avenue and 129 Whalley Avenue in New Haven
- The Town of Stafford – $650,000 to clean up the Earl M. Witt Intermediate School at 20 Hyde Park Road in Stafford
- The Town of Vernon – $650,000 to clean up Daniels Mill at 98 East Main Street
The City of Waterbury will receive a site-specific assessment grant of $150,000 for the Former Button Factory at 835 South Main Street in Waterbury.
In addition, the City of West Haven will receive $500,000 in community-wide assessment funds to address various sites throughout the city. Intended target areas include properties near the West Haven's s former landfill, the City's Eastern Gateway, and the Boston Post Road Area
EPA's Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Brownfields grants provide funding for a grant recipient to capitalize a revolving loan fund and to provide loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. Through these grants, EPA strengthens the marketplace and encourages stakeholders to leverage resources to clean up and redevelop brownfields. When loans are repaid, the loan amount is returned into the fund and re-lent to other borrowers, providing an ongoing source of capital within a community. The supplemental RLF funds announced today are going to communities that have demonstrated success in using their revolving loan funds to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. The supplemental funds will be used to continue their progress in reusing vacant and abandoned properties and turning them into community assets such as housing, recreation and open space, health facilities, social services, and commerce opportunities.
The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, of Waterbury, is receiving an additional $3,900,000 to supplement their success revolving loan fund program which serves the Naugatuck Valley area.
"This critical federal funding is a major investment in the Naugatuck Valley that will create jobs and help transform polluted land into economically viable and environmentally safe parcels that communities will use for years to come. These much-needed awards assist our communities in protecting the health of residents, incentivizing economic growth and development, and improving the quality of life for all. I am proud to support this grant and will continue fighting for future funds for Connecticut," said U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.
"The EPA's nearly $7 million investment in brownfield cleanup across Connecticut will have a major impact on our local economy and help transform these abandoned sites into new businesses, housing, and more. This grant is yet another example of how funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is making a big difference in our communities," said U.S. Senator Chris Murphy.
"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law delivered the single-largest investment in U.S. brownfields infrastructure," said Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro. "The funds announced today by EPA will help to begin brownfield remediation projects across Connecticut that urgently need them. This is about keeping our neighborhoods sustainable, enhancing climate resiliency, and protecting the people who call these communities home. As Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, I remain steadfast in my commitment to keep fighting for investments in brownfield remediation in Connecticut and across the country," said U.S. Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro.
"Today's announcement of new EPA funding to support our towns comes straight from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which I voted to pass in the House last October. The grants announced today will fund the clean-up of three eligible Brownfields in the second district that otherwise would have languished for years," said Congressman Courtney. "Cleaning up Brownfield sites is particularly important to Connecticut, with its long industrial history. Unlocking these sites will go a long way to catalyze economic development. Funding from the IIJA means that our towns are actually going to create space for economic activity and recreation that will help keep eastern Connecticut growing and thriving. The Second District is set to receive a total of nearly $2 million in Brownfield funding—in the city of New London to create new parks and recreation space, in Stafford Springs to clean up the vacant former Stafford High School, and in the Rockville section of Vernon to clean up Daniels Mill, an historic structure with tremendous potential, and is the last building in the old Amerbelle Mill Complex in need of rehabilitation. All of this work is going to lead to healthier, more vibrant communities, which is exactly the intent of the 2021 Infrastructure Law," said U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney.
"Brownfield remediation is vital to the economic development, environmental safety, and public health of our community" said Congresswoman Hayes. "I have fought for brownfield remediation funds in every annual budget and infrastructure package since entering Congress. I am thrilled that over $4 million dollars will go to Waterbury and surrounding communities for the assessment and redevelopment of brownfield sites. This funding will bring a cleaner, healthier environment and increased economic opportunity for areas that have faced obstacles to growth," said U.S. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes.
"DEEP greatly appreciates EPA's continuing commitment to brownfields redevelopment in Connecticut" said Katie Dykes, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. "DEEP is proud to continue to partner with EPA, and with cities, towns, and with non- profit and for- profit developers to facilitate cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields in large and small communities across Connecticut. DEEP congratulates the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, Renaissance City Development Association, St. Luke's Development Corp., the Town of Stafford, the Town of Vernon, the City of Waterbury and the City of West Haven for their success in EPA's brownfields grant competition," said Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes.
EPA's Brownfields grants and assistance to Connecticut this year is among other significant annual investments by EPA to help New England communities to address brownfield properties. Across the six New England states this year, EPA is awarding a total of $51,285,200 to assess or clean contaminated brownfields sites in 42 communities.
In New England, since the beginning of the Brownfields program, EPA has awarded $125 million in assessment grant funding, $122 million in revolving loan fund grants and supplemental funding and $87 million in cleanup grant funding, totaling $334 million. These grant funds have paved the way for more than $4 billion in public and private cleanup and redevelopment investment and for over 23,000 jobs in assessment, cleanup, construction and redevelopment.
Nationally, today's announcement includes:
- $112.8 million for 183 selectees for Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.
- $18.2 million for 36 selectees for Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient.
- $16.3 million for 17 selectees for Revolving Loan Fund grants that will provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites.
- $107 million for 39 high-performing Revolving Loan Fund Grant recipients to help communities continue their work to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects on contaminated brownfield properties. Supplemental funding for Revolving Loan Fund Grants is available to recipients that have depleted their funds and have viable cleanup projects ready for work.
The list of selected applicants is available here.
Since its inception in 1995, EPA's investments in brownfield sites have leveraged more than $35 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example:
- To date, this funding has led to more than 183,000 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment and more than 9,500 properties have been made ready for reuse.
- Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.43 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfields Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements.
- In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study has found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15% as a result of cleanup activities.
- Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfields sites.
Background
A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and solar farms.
The Brownfields Program delivers on the Biden Administration's Justive40 initiative, which states that at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain government programs flow to disadvantaged communities. EPA is committed to meeting and exceeding this goal. Approximately 86 percent of the communities selected to receive funding as part of today's announcement have proposed projects in historically underserved areas.
The funding announced today will help communities begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields by stimulating economic opportunity and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities. Projects can range from cleaning up buildings with asbestos or lead contamination to assessing and cleaning up abandoned properties that once managed dangerous chemicals.
More information
The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on August 16-19, 2022 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Conference registration is open.