5
              o
                          T>

  Brownfields  2007

  Grant Fact Sheet

         Northeastern

              Vermont

         Development

          Association

EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders 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 Northeastern Vermont Development Association
(NVDA) was selected to receive a brownfields assess-
ment grant. NVDA is a non-profit regional planning
and development corporation serving Caledonia,
Essex, and Orleans Counties (combined population
62,438). The region is an isolated area east of the
Green Mountains and west of the White Mountains
along the Canadian border and Connecticut River.
Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties have the
 Assessment Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the Northeastern Vermont
 Development Association (NVDA) for a
 brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
 stances grant funds will be used to identify and
 prioritize brownfield sites for assessment in
 Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans Counties. Grant
 funds also will be used to conduct four or five
 Phase I and two or three Phase II environmental
 site assessments, and to support community
 outreach activities.
 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
 617-918-1424
 http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/
 Grant Recipient: Northeastern Vermont
 Development Association
 802-748-5181
 The information presented in this fact sheet comes
 from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
 accuracy of this information. The cooperative
 agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
 ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
 sheet are subject to change.
state's highest county poverty rates, and the average
median household incomes in the region are below the
state average. In the past, the region's industries and
businesses benefitted from the proximity of major
shipping routes and abundant natural resources. Today,
most of the region's brownfield sites are located along
these major shipping routes and in historic downtown
areas. Brownfields assessment will create opportuni-
ties to redevelop sites with affordable housing and
                                                Solid Waste and
                                                Emergency Response
                                                (5105T)
                        EPA560-F-07-128
                        May 2007
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

-------
greenspace, and attract new businesses that will bring
new jobs to the region. Eventual brownfields cleanup
and redevelopment will reduce threats to public health
and the environment, while increasing tax revenues.

-------