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Brownfields 2004
Grant Fact Sheet
Valley Council of
Governments,
Naugatuck, CT
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA s Brownfields Program empowers states, com-
munities, and other stakeholders in economic develop-
ment 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, the President
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. Additionally, funding
support is provided to state and tribal response pro-
grams through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The Valley Council of Governments was selected to
receive a brownfields assessment grant. The
Naugatuck River Valley area has a population of
292,022. It was once the brass and munitions manufac-
turing center of the country, and now has nearly 200
brownfields. The poverty rate in some communities
within the valley is as high as 16 percent, and the
unemployment rate is as high as 7.7 percent. A large
immigrant population of Albanian, Hispanic, and
Portuguese residents has often occupied inner-city,
older housing in brownfields neighborhoods. The
percentage of minorities in some of these brownfields-
Assessment Grant
$125,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Valley Council of Govern-
ments for a brownfields assessment grant. Grant
funds will be used to conduct Phase I, II, and III
site assessments, and develop conceptual remedial
action plans for sites with potential petroleum
contamination in the 11 communities of the
Naugatuck Valley.
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: Valley Council of Governments, CT
203-735-8688
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, the activities
described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
impacted neighborhoods is as high as 40 percent.
Redevelopment will create more job opportunities,
increase tax revenues, improve the health of residents,
and reduce blight in neighborhoods throughout the
valley.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-04-218
June 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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