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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

          Norwich,  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 Norwich was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Located in eastern Con-
necticut, Norwich (population 36,598) was established
in the 18th Century. The city thrived in the 18th and
19th Centuries because of its strategic location at the
convergence of the Thames, Shetucket, and Yantic
Rivers. The city served as a trade and manufacturing
center, with textile mills as the area's main enterprise.
As manufacturers relocated, mills and factories were
abandoned. During the past century, Norwich has
experienced a steady economic decline from the loss
of high-paying manufacturing jobs and the difficulty of
redeveloping contaminated properties. The poverty rate
in Norwich is 11.5 percent. Cleanup of the target site is
expected to enable the city to reuse existing site
buildings to establish a community boating program.
 Cleanup Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the City of Norwich for a
 brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
 grant funds will be used to clean up the 26 Shipping
 Street site on the Thames River. Since the 19th
 Century, the site was used for various industrial
 processes such as metal plating, textile manufac-
 turing, and automotive repairs. The soil is contami-
 nated with heavy metals, PCBs, and inorganic
 compounds.
 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 Norwich, CT
 860-823-3746

 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.
Site redevelopment is expected to help the city capitalize
on its prime asset for attracting tourism, the Thames
River.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA 560-F-08-007
                         April 2008
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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