United States
                       Environmental
                       Protection Agency
                       Washington, D.C. 20460
                         Solid Waste
                         and Emergency
                         Response (5101)
EPA500-F-97-160
September 1997
  V-/EPA
Regional  Brownfields
Assessment  Pilot
                                      Dan bury,  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. Since 1995, EPA has funded more than 120 National and Regional
Brownfields Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations
of brownfields solutions. 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 has selected the City of Danbury for
a Regional Brownfields Pilot.  Danbury, the hub of
northern Fairfield County, is a former hat-manufac-
turing center turned corporate base and residential
suburban community. Hat-making and related in-
dustries were the  City's primary economic force
until the 1960s. The City is long known for its Irish,
Italian, and Portuguese immigrant communities, and
has witnessed a growing Hispanic and Asian popula-
tion. As of 1996, Danbury contains a labor force of
approximately 35,000 with a 5% unemployment
rate.

The Pilot project targets a one half-acre property that
formerly contained a 4,400 square foot factory and a
3,100 square foot warehouse/garage. The site is in
central Danbury,  immediately west of Kohanza
Brook. The property was used by a series of hat
manufacturers from the late nineteenth century until
1952.  After this time, the site was used for various
services and retail business until 1992, when the
property was  abandoned after a fire destroyed the
main building. The City acquired the site through
foreclosure and now seeks to redevelop it.  Phase I
through III environmental assessments have been
conducted, resulting in the discovery of hat  felt
wastes and mercury,  co-mingled with petroleum
hydrocarbons.  The investigations indicate that
                         PILOT
                          Danbury, Connecticut
    Date of Award:
    July 1997

    Amount: $45,000

    Site Profile: The Pilot
    targets a one half-acre
    property in the City's
    urban center that was
    used by a series of hat
    manufacturers until the
    1950s then used for
    various services and
    retail business.
                         Contacts:

                         Jack S. Kozuchowski
                         Danbury Health and
                         Housing Department
                         (203) 797-4625
  Bob Cianciarulo
  U.S. EPA-Region 1
  (617)573-5778
  cianciarulo.bob@
  epamail.epa.gov
                                Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at:
                                http://www.epa.gov/brownfieids

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volatile organic  compound  (VOC)  levels  in
groundwater are above State standards, and that soil
contamination consists of VOCs, lead, and mercury.
The City's  redevelopment  efforts are currently
hindered by the presence of these contaminants.

OBJECTIVES

To  facilitate redevelopment, the  Pilot intends  to
conduct further site  investigation.  The City has
established a plan  which concurrently pursues the
environmental restoration of the site and the com-
mercial redevelopment of the property. The project
will demonstrate that municipalities can move for-
ward in the commercial rehabilitation of brownfields
by providing an innovative approach to completing
the environmental  restoration of the site. The plan
will take advantage of the varying land use zones
applicable to the two parcels within the target site.
The City will also seek to use innovative  in-situ
environmental cleanup technologies for site cleanup.
In order to facilitate the redevelopment, the City will
temporarily  retain  ownership over a portion of the
property.  After further  investigation and cleanup.
the City will select a redevelopment proposal and
convey ownership through  a negotiated property
transfer agreement.

                     AND

The Pilot will:

• Conduct an environmental  assessment of the site,
  identifying the groundwater contamination source.
  and  conducting a soil  gas survey to  determine if
  volatilization would be an issue for reuse;

* Analyze sediment samples and examine ecological
  risks to determine the impact to the riverine ecosys-
  tem  adjacent to the property;

* Conduct a pilot study to determine the feasibility of
  an in-situ treatment approach for the most highly
  contaminated  soils on  the property near Kohanza
  Brook; and

* Provide adetailed plan with specific costprojections
  for carrying out the cleanup activities.
 Regional Bfov
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