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Brownfields 2005
Grant Fact Sheet
7Vi/o Rivers-
Ottauquechee
Regional Commission,
East Central Vermont
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 Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission
was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant.
The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission
(TRORC) covers 30 towns in east central Vermont
(combined population 55,784). No county government
exists in Vermont to help these towns where old machine
shops, vacant mills, rail sidings, and other brownfields, are
widespread. Every town has one or several brownfields
depending on its size, and they often blight town centers.
Contamination concerns continue to weigh down local
Assessment Grant
New
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee
Regional Commission for a brownfields assess-
ment grant. Grant funds will be used to work with
relevant communities, the state, and the
brownfields steering committee to further inven-
tory and select sites for evaluation. Additional
training on brownfields redevelopment also is
planned for the Commission staff. The majority of
the funds will be used to conduct a total of four to
six Phase I, two to four Phase II, and one Phase
III site assessments.
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: Two Rivers-Ottauquechee
Regional Commission, VT
802-457-3188, ext. 24
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
efforts atrevitalization. Even communities with solid
economic reputations, such as Woodstock, have contami-
nated sites that are dragging down the entire region's
economic engine. Although regional unemployment rates
are relatively low, poverty in some towns exceeds 15
percent, and child poverty exceeds 33 percent. Skyrocket-
ing housing prices, characteristic of much of the northeast,
are also putting enormous pressures on working families.
TRORC's brownfields plans will advance the redevelop-
ment of contaminated properties, some of which may
provide low- and moderate-income housing.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-05-031
May 2005
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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