United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-99-304
November 1999
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Brownfields Cleanup
Revolving Loan Fund Pilots
Stamford, CT
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
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 $200,000 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, cleanup revolving loan fund program (each funded up to $500,000 over
five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans 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
Stamford (population 110,000) focuses its brownfields
activities on the Stamford Harbor Redevelopment Project,
seeking to restore the harbor area to a major economic and
recreational resource. Restoration of the harbor also will
provide a much-needed economic boost to Stamford's two
lowest-income neighborhoods, Waterside and South End,
which are located within a State Enterprise Zone.
Waterside's population is Tlpercent minority, with 25
percent of families living below the poverty level, while
South End's residents are 80 percent minority with a 16
percent poverty rate.
In July 1998, EPA selected the City of Stamford for a
Brownfields Demonstration Assessment Pilot. The
Demonstration Assessment Pilot designation is a part of
EPA's commitment to Stamford as a Brownfields Showcase
Community. Stamford has used its $200,000
Demonstration Assessment Pilot funds to stimulate
redevelopment of the harbor and the adjoining
neighborhoods by conducting Phase I and II
Environmental Assessments and is integrating the
Demonstration Assessment Pilot with the Showcase
Community activities.
EPA selected the City of Stamford for a Brownfields
Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund (BCRLF) Pilot in September
1999. The BCRLF Pilot is intended to build upon the work
already conducted by the City. Under this program, EPA
has provided the City with $500,000 to capitalize its
revolving loan fund. Using the BCRLF Pilot funds, the
City will provide loans to public and private parties for the
purpose of cleaning up brownfields sites in the City. This
fact sheet summarizes the first loan made by the City
under their BCRLF Pilot.
STRUCTURE OF BCRLF PILOT PROGRAM
The City of Stamford through the Stamford Community
Development Office is the Lead Agency for the BCRLF
program and will be responsible for ensuring that
environmental cleanups are done in compliance with all
applicable laws and regulations and that the BCRLF funds
are used for authorized purposes. It also will act as the
fund manager. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USAGE) will assist the City by providing Brownfields Site
Management services. EPA will provide funding to the
USAGE for these services through an Interagency
Agreement. The City will then enter into a Memorandum
of Understanding with the USAGE to outline their
respective roles and responsibilities.
BCRLF BORROWER
The Southfield Associates, LLC, through its managing
member Clearview Investment Management, Inc., a
Connecticut corporation based in Stamford, is the BCRLF
borrower for this project. Clearview Investment
specializes in the management of waterfront and other
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high-quality properties and have redeveloped several
other properties in Stamford including: Seaview House
located at 70 Seaview Avenue, Clearwater House located
at 2187 Atlantic Street and Atlantic House located at One
Atlantic Street. The City will loan the borrower $250,000
for the cleanup of the site.
BCRLF CLEANUP SITE
The proposed site is 2.88 acres in size, is located on
Southfield Avenue and is commonly called the Northeast
Utilities site. It is currently owned by Rocky River Really
Company, a subsidiary of Northeast Utilities. The site is
a small part of a larger development proj ect which includes
the adjacent 12.31 acre property owned by Hoffman Fuel
Company.
From approximately 1937 through 1970, the Northeast
Utilities site was operated as a shipyard which produced
wooden boats. Remnants of the boat manufacturing
building as well as the boat launch rail system are still
present on the site. A small portion of the site also was
used for coal storage. In addition to the abandoned
buildings, the site contains abandoned drums and
containers.
In November 1998, a Phase I and Phase II investigation
was completed for the Northeast Utilities site by AKRF,
Inc., a consultant hired by the borrower. These
investigations discovered arsenic, lead, and total
petroleumhy drocarbon contamination in soils throughout
the site. The contamination was found at concentrations
which exceeded the Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection's Residential Direct Exposure
Criteria. The groundwater did not contain contamination
in excess of these criteria. The contamination at the site is
lead and arsenic contamination co-mingled with petroleum
throughout the site. These contaminants are believed to
be from the former boat building activities which utilized
lead-based paints and arsenic-based wood preservatives.
PROPOSED SITE REUSE PLAN
The 15.1 acre project area, which includes both the 2.88
acre Northeast Utilities Site and the 12.31 acre Hoffman
Fuel Site, will be developed into a residential water-
dependant shore front community, called Southfield
Harbor. The development will include approximately 320
residential units and a marina facility with approximately 68
boat slips. The development also included an extensive
boardwalk system which will include seating areas,
educational signs, and a public fishing pier.
BCRLF LOAN LEVERAGING
The BCRLF loan to Stamford is expected to leverage $50
million dollars of private development funds. The loan
also is expected to generate between 100 and 200
construction jobs and 12 full-time, permanent,
administrative jobs.
CONTACTS
Tim Beeble, Stamford Project Coordinator
(203) 977-4864
Sandra Dennies, Stamford Grants Director
(203) 977-5088
Kim Tisa, EPA Region 1 Project Officer
(617)918-1527
U.S. EPA-OSWER
Outreach and Special Projects Staff
(202) 260-4039
For additional information, contact the RCRA/ Superfund
Hotline at: (800) 424-9346 or visit the EPA Brownfields
website at:
http ://www. epa. gov/brownfields
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
November 1999
Stamford, CT
EPA 500-F-99-304
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