\ UJ O Brownfields 2005 Grant Fact Sheet New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu- nities, and other stakeholders in economic development 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 New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES), in partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development and the Southwest Regional Planning Commission, was selected to receive a brownfields revolving loan fund grant. New Hampshire's cities and small towns grew around 19th Century textile and other manufacturing mills, which drew their power from the state's many rivers. With the decline of these indus- Revolving Loan Fund (2005} Grant V $1,001,790 for petroleum EPA has selected the New Hampshire Depart- ment of Environmental Services for a brownfields revolving loan fund grant. Coalition partners are the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development and the Southwest Regional Planning Commission. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities for sites contaminated with petroleum. The fund will be used to address brownfields sites throughout the state's cities and small towns. 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 617-918-1221 http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/ Grant Recipient: New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services 603-271-6422 The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. tries, and later the decline of the light manufacturing industries that replaced them, New Hampshire (population 1,287,687) was left with a legacy of abandoned and contaminated mill properties. As a result, local jobs and property tax revenues were lost, property values were depressed, and the abandoned sites became hazardous, dangerous attractions. From Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 560-F-05-027 May 2005 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- 2000 to 2003, the state lost 26,000 jobs. The poverty rates in the state's most rural counties range from 7.9 to ten percent. In the most depressed census tracts, the rates range from 23 to 46 percent. The NHDES estimates that there are 500 to 1,000 sites where the presence of hazardous substances and/or petroleum is serving as a barrier to redevelopment. The majority of these sites are in or near town centers, where they have the maximum adverse impact on the local economy. Revitalization of these brownfields sites will provide employment and renewed economic opportu- nity to the state's most needy citizens. ------- |