United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-97-058 May 1997 Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilot Naugatuck Valley, CT Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101) Quick Reference Fact Sheet EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower States, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. Between 1995 and 1996, EPA funded 76 National and Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields solutions. EPAis funding morethan 27 Pilots in 1997. The Pilots are intended to provide EPA, States, Tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment. BACKGROUND EPA Region 1 selected the Naugatuck Valley Regional Planning Agency for a Regional Brownfields Pilot. Naugatuck River Valley has a long history of industrial development and contains atleast 168 contaminated sites. In 1992, there was a 9.9 percent unemployment rate in the Central Valley. The depressed economy typifies the troubled economy of the State. Current projections for job growth in Connecticut through year 2010 are the lowest in the nation. The Pilot will focus on two or three sites within the 45-mile long valley, that will be selected through an advisory committee including members from participating towns. OBJECTIVES The intent of the Valley Regional Planning Agency's brownfields effort is to assess cleanup and reuse contaminated land and water in the Valley. The Valley Regional Planning Agency will establish and maintain a Regional Environmental Redevelopment Agency (RERA) to act as the primary brownfields broker and redevelopment facilitator for the Naugatuck Valley. The Pilot plans to establish selection criteria to identify priority sites for redevelopment, thereby facilitating remediation and redevelopment by PILOT SNAPSHOT Date of Award: September 1996 Amount: $90,000 Site Profile: The Pilot targets two or three brownfields with redevelopment potential within the 45-mile Valley. Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut Contacts: Richard Eigen Valley Regional Planning Agency (203) 735-8688 John Podgurski U.S. EPA-Region 1 (617)573-9681 podgurski.john@ epamail.epa.gov Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- assessing these sites, identifying potential purchasers, and designing a regional land-use plan. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES The Pilot has: • Received commitments from eightmunicipalities in the Valley to be participating members of RERA. Seeking participation of other municipalities; and • Prepared and distributed a communications package that included several fact sheets describing the function of RERA and key brownfields-related topics to various businesses, community, and governmental groups. The Pilot is: • Establishing site selection criteria and identifying priority sites for brownfields redevelopment; • Planning to conduct environmental assessments at priority sites; • Working to expand community awareness of brownfields and the environmentthrough additional outreach planning; and • Planning to develop a comprehensive remediation and development strategy for two or three sites. This will include consideration of alternative own- ership mechanisms that address liability limitations, interim financing, sale contracts, and local authority approvals. LEVERAGING OTHER ACTIVITIES Experience with the Naugatuck Valley Pilot has been a catalyst for related activities including the following. • RERA is working with the State of Connecticut to establish a revolving loan fund that could be used to finance brownfields redevelopment projects within the Naugatuck Valley. Developing other services to assist municipalities and private parties in redeveloping brownfields sites. These services include creating: (l)arevolving loan fund; (2) a voluntary clearinghouse of available brownfields properties; (3) a technical assistance service available to municipalities seeking to acquire abandoned properties; and (4) ad hoc advisory councilsto help resolve future redevelopmentissues. Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilot May 1997 Naugatuck Valley, Connecticut EPA 500-F-97-058 ------- |