United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105) EPA500-F-01-241 April 2001 www.epa.gov/brownfields/ <>EPA Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot NewMilford, CT 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 brown fields. A brown field is 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 The Town of New Milford is a small, rural community in western Connecticut. Like many towns in New England, New Milford has lost much of its original industrial base. Many of the town's families earn moderate incomes. However, the neighborhoods that surround the blighted, industrially-zoned core are characterized by economic hardship. Many of the residents of these areas once worked in the industrial properties that are now abandoned or underutilized. In these areas, the average annual household income is less than half the national average at $17,935. New Milford's brownfields sites have excellent potential for reuse because New Milford is growing rapidly, is close to a labor pool, and has excellent transportation access. BCRLF OBJECTIVES New Milford is working hard to rebound from the loss of its industrial base and the resulting disinvestment and blight. Brownfields cleanup and redevelopment will create jobs, increase the tax base, and improve the overall quality of life. The town's overall brownfields objectives are to identify and prioritize all sites, perform site assessments, identify strategies for reuse, and redevelop priority sites. The New Milford BCRLF PILOT SNAPSHOT New Milford, CT Date of Announcement: April 2001 Amount: $1.0 million BCRLF Target Area: Industrially-zoned land in New Milford, including the 72-acre DAVKO site, nearby quarries, and the Town Garage Contacts: New Milford Community Planning and Economic Development Department (860)355-6010x7 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: www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- will provide a sorely needed funding source for brownfields cleanup. New Milford's BCRLF program is focused primarily on the DAVKO site, nearby quarries, and the Town Garage. Cleanup of the DAVKO site (formerly Century Brass) is a high priority. This site is located directly above the town's water supply and has good redevelopment potential. Potential BCRLF loan recipients have been identified. Proposed reuse options include a commercial laundry (creating 300 jobs), a propane gas distributor, and an "Internet hotel" (housing for mainframe computers that run the Internet). FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS The Town of New Milford is the cooperative agreement recipient, and will serve as the lead agency and fund manager. The Army Corps of Engineers will serve as the site manager. LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES New Milford is committed to leveraging other sources of funding and private investment to complement EPA funds. BCRLF recipients can apply for funds from the Connecticut Economic Development Incentive Program, which offers tax incentives for potential developers. Other sources to be pursued for cleanup include the Connecticut Special Contaminated Property Remediation and Insurance Fund, the Connecticut UST Cleanup Fund and EPA's UST Fields Initiative. The Public Works, Finance, and Community Planning & Economic Development Departments may provide additional resources to the BCRLF program. The Town of New Milford is also considering contributing a portion of brownfields land sale proceeds to the BCRLF. 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 New Milford, CT EPA 500-F-01-241 ------- |