United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA 500-F-01-240 April 2001 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ <>EPA Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot State of New Hampshire (Coalition with Department of Resources and Economic Development, City of Nashua, and the Towns of Bradford, Greenfield, and Newport) Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105) 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 brownfieldis a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $250,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models;job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field; and, brownfields cleanup revolving loan fund (BCRLF) programs (each funded up to $1,000,000 over five years), to provide financial assistance for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs 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 New Hampshire has experienced a massive economic restructuring during the last 30 to 40 years. Large textile mills and tanneries were abandoned as the State moved from heavy industry to a technology-based economy. Although New Hampshire has rebounded economically, many communities never regained their economic stability, and many properties were left underutilized or abandoned. New Hampshire has been cleaning up and redeveloping its brownfields with support from the BCRLF Program, as well as a Brownfields Pilot Assessment Program and Targeted Brownfields Assessment Program. The New Hampshire Coalition is now in the second year of its BCRLF Pilot program. Initially, the Coalition included five member entities: the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (DES), the Office of State Planning, the City of Concord, and the Towns of Londonderry and Durham. A cooperative agreement was awarded to the Coalition in the amount of $ 1.45 million, and the institutional and financial controls have been put in place to make the first loan. PILOT SNAPSHOT Date of Announcement: April 2001 Amount: $1 million BCRLF Target Area: Locations throughout the State of New Hampshire Coalition: New Hampshire with Nashua, Bradford, Greenfield, and Newport Contacts: New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (603)271-2987 Region 1 Brownfields Coordinator (617)918-1210 Visit the EPA Region 1 Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- Five new entities have joined the Coalition: the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED), the City of Nashua, and the Towns of Bradford, Greenfield, and Newport. The expansion represents an excellent opportunity to build on the foundation laid by the first phase of the BCRLF program. The addition of DRED brings increased access to prospective purchasers and brownfields developers in the State. BCRLF OBJECTIVES The expanded New Hampshire BCRLF program is designed to provide a much-needed source of funds for environmental cleanup. This will catalyze the redevelopment of identified brownfields sites. One of the Coalition's specific BCRLF objectives is to redevelop the Merrimack Industrial Metals property. This multi-purpose scrap metal salvage yard and metals reclamation facility has been identified as a source of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOC) contamination. The Essex Mill site in Newmarket is another BCRLF candidate. Plans for this site include the creation of a housing development. Other potential projects include conversion of a landfill to a public park, and reclamation of an abandoned steel mill to a "green space" park and community wastewater disposal system. FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS The NHDES is the lead agency, site manager, and fund manager for all Coalition partners for the BCRLF program. The New Hampshire Business and Finance Authority (BFA) and Department of Treasury (NHDT) have pledged their support for developing the Fund's financial plan, as well as for assessment and processing of loan agreements. They will also provide legal support for loans made to private borrowers and municipalities. The pilot anticipates making both short- term loans that will provide gap financing and long- term loans at reasonable interest rates. LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES With the addition of DRED, the Coalition can increase its marketing initiatives and streamline its ability to identify prospective purchasers and developers needing BCRLF funding. Other resources that can be used by BCRLF recipients include existing EPA grants (Targeted Brownfields Assessments, Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilots, the EPA UST Fields Initiative, and Time Critical Emergency Removals Program), State Brownfields Initiatives, and Community Development Block Grants. NHDES will provide resources for activities such as educating potential borrowers and marketing the loan program. Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding also apply to BCRLF funds. Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot Apri/2001 State of New Hampshire EPA 500-F-01-240 ------- |