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  Brownfields  2007

  Grant  Fact Sheet

  Northwest Regional

             Planning

         Commission,

   Northwest  Vermont

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 Northwest Regional Planning Commission was
selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant.
The Commission serves 23 municipalities in Grand
Isle and Franklin Counties (combined population
52,318), which border New York and Canada. The
region historically served as a gateway to New Eng-
land and a major transportation corridor for commer-
cial traffic. Its location encouraged the development of
steamboat landings and shipping ports on Lake
 Assessment Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the Northwest Regional Plan-
 ning Commission for a brownfields assessment
 grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be
 used to conduct four Phase I and three Phase II
 environmental site assessments, and support
 community outreach activities in Grand Isle and
 Franklin Counties.
 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: Northwest Regional Planning
 Commission, VT
 802-524-5958
 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.
Champlain. This was followed by the development of
railroads and then roads. Brownfield sites in the region
reflect these transportation shifts. Grand Isle County
has been a tourism destination for nearly 100 years.
Franklin County serves as the center for the state's
dairy and maple syrup production. However, residents
face challenges in finding local employment. Sixty-
eight percent of Grand Isle and 35 percent of Franklin
County residents work outside the county. Brownfields
assessment will reduce uncertainties about brownfield
sites and allow the development of cleanup and
redevelopment strategies. Brownfields redevelopment
                                               Solid Waste and
                                               Emergency Response
                                               (5105T)
                       EPA560-F-07-131
                       May 2007
                       www.epa.gov/brownfields

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is expected to provide employment opportunities closer
to home, preserve historic resources, and increase the
local tax base.

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