5
              o
                           T>

  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact Sheet

       Bridgeport,   CT


EPA Brownfields  Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders 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 this 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 programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Bridgeport was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant. Located in southern
Connecticut along Long Island Sound, Bridgeport
(population 139,529) served as a major U.S. industrial
center for more than 150 years. City neighborhoods
were built around industries, many of which are now
idle. According to the state, there are 411 potentially
contaminated sites in Bridgeport. The city is a federally
designated Enterprise Community. Nearly 63 percent
of residents are minorities, and the poverty rate is
almost 25 percent. In some city neighborhoods, the
unemployment rate is 25 percent. Assessment of the
city's brownfields is expected to help expedite cleanup
and redevelopment.
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Bridgeport for a
brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds will be used to conduct about
four Phase I and Phase II environmental site
assessments, expand on health monitoring efforts,
and support community outreach and involvement
activities throughout the city.
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
617-918-1424
http://www.epa.gov/regionl/brownfields

Grant Recipient: City of Bridgeport, CT
203-335-1562

The information presented in this fact sheet comes
from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
accuracy of this information. The cooperative
agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
ated. Therefore, activities described in this fact
sheet are subject to change.
                                                 Solid Waste and
                                                 Emergency Response
                                                 (5105T)
                       EPA 560-F-08-004
                       April 2008
                       www.epa.gov/brownfields

-------