United States
                       Environmental
                       Protection Agency
                       Washington, D.C. 20460
  Solid Waste
  and Emergency
  Response (5105)
EPA500-F-01-255
April 2001
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
 <>EPA      Brownfields  Cleanup
                       Revolving  Loan   Fund   Pilot
                                                                         Winchester,  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
brownfields. A brownfield 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
Winchester typifies the traditional New England mill
town, with roots going back to the late  18th century.
Winchester has  a  predominately working  class
population of approximately 11,500. Today, many of
the town's factories and mills are closed. The loss of
the associated jobs has caused substantial economic
distress. Unemployment is high and per capita incomes
are low relative to the  State  average.  As a result,
Connecticut has classified the area as a "distressed
community."
In 1999, Winchester  (which  includes the  City of
Winsted) received an EPA Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot. This pilot has been successfully
used to identify and conduct environmental assessments
of several sites, all of which are centrally located within
the commercial and residential core of the Town.

BCRLF OBJECTIVES

Winchester's brownfields objectives are to identify,
assess, and clean up contaminated sites. In doing so, the
Town hopes to attract private investment, create jobs,
increase property values, and increase the tax base. The
Winchester BCRLF will provide a needed source of
brownfields cleanup funds.
                                                 PILOT SNAPSHOT
                                                 Winchester, CT
Contacts:

   Winchester
  Town Manager
  (860) 379-8771
                        Date of Announcement:
                        April 2001


                        Amount: $650,000
                        BCRLF Target Area:
                        Sites throughout the City
                         and Town
   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

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Thanks  to  the  Town's  Brownfields  Assessment
Demonstration Pilot Program, several sites have been
identified that have good redevelopment potential and
are strong BCRLF loan candidates. One of these sites
is the former Union Pin building, which has already
been demolished. Plans call for the development of a
four story, full-service hotel and conference center on
this site. Another potential project is the conversion of
the "Carnell Building" to an iron forge. This property
will be open to the public and include exhibit space, a
retail store, and a warehouse.
FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

The Town of Winchester will serve as the lead agency.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will serve as site
manager. The Town plans to procure the services of a
regional, non-profit entity as the fund  manager.
However, no contracts have been finalized.
 LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES

 The Town of Winchester will supplement BCRLF
 funds  by  utilizing  private,  state,  and  federal
 programs. Microloan programs from the New Haven
 Community  Investment  Corporation   and  the
 Litchfield Hills  Council of Elected Officials are
 available  to potential  developers.  Government
 financing tools  include the Connecticut  Special
 Contaminated Properties  Remediation Insurance
 Funds, the Connecticut Urban Sites Remediation
 Program, and U.S. Department of Housing  and
 Urban  Development  Community  Development
 Block Grants.
 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
April 2001	
                                   Winchester, CT
                                 EPA 500-F-01-255

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