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Brownfields 2007
Grant Fact Sheet
East Hampton, 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 the
Brownfields 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. Addi-
tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The Town of East Hampton was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment grant and a brownfields
cleanup grant. East Hampton (population 11,300) is a
historic rural town located along the banks of the
Connecticut River. During the first half of the 19th
Century, the town transitioned from the ship building
industry to manufacturing, eventually becoming a major
industrial center in the Northeast. The town grew
around the factories that were clustered in the Village
Center. Today, 23 of the 24 identified brownfields in
East Hampton are in the Village Center. The average
per capita income of East Hampton is well below both
the state and county averages, and the job growth rate
is less than half the state rate. Assessment and cleanup
of the city's old industrial sites will help leverage
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Town of East Hampton for a
brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous sub-
stances grant funds will be used to conduct com-
munity outreach activities and perform environ-
mental site assessments on high-priority
brownfields.
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$200,000 for hazardous substancesrrr<
Cleanup Grant
EPA has selected the Town of East Hampton for a
brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be used
to clean up the Gong Bell site at 103 Main Street.
The Gong Bell Company manufactured and painted
bells and toys from the late 1800s to the 1960s,
when it was destroyed by a major fire. The site is
contaminated with heavy metals and polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons. Funds also will be used for
community outreach and cleanup planning.
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/region01/brownfields/
Grant Recipient: Town of East Hampton, CT
860-267-4468
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-07-043
May 2007
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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reinvestment in the Village Center, protect human
health, and reduce contamination of area waterways.
Redevelopment will increase local employment oppor-
tunities, diversify the tax base, and increase social and
cultural opportunities. Cleanup of the Gong Bell site
will reduce contamination to the Pocotopaug Creek, a
tributary of the Connecticut River. Once cleaned up,
the site will be used to provide parking in the Village
Center and extend the Pocotopaug Creek linear park.
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