1 o Brownfields 2005 Grant Fact Sheet Lamoille County Planning Commission, VT EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu- nities, and other stakeholders in economic development to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Abrownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields Law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. Addi- tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description The Lamoille County Planning Commission was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. The Commission represents ten towns and five villages with a combined population of 23,233 residents. Local jobs that pay a living wage in the county are declining because of the evaporating manufacturing sector, including several recent lumber mill closings. The county has an average wage and a median income that are below the state levels, and a severe affordable housing shortage. There are brownfields in all but one of the county's municipalities, particularly in the downtown areas or growth centers, which are located Assessment Grant ( $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the Lamoille County Planning Commission for a brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be used to identify potential brownfield sites, prioritize site candidates, and perform ten Phase I and two to three Phase II site assessments. Funds also will be used to conduct community outreach, including formaliza- tion of a community steering committee. Contacts For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/ brownfields. EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team 617-918-1221 http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/ Grant Recipient: Lamoille County Planning Commission, VT 802-888-4548 The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. along the Lamoille River. By focusing brownfields assessments in these growth centers, the county expects to create redevelopment and job opportunities, provide increased affordable housing, create greenspace and park land, and remove contaminants that threaten public health. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-05-029 May 2005 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |