United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response(5101)
EPA500-F-99-113
June 1999
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
SEPA
Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
Winsted, 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 brownfieldstofacilitatecleanupofbrownfieldssites and preparetrainees for future employmentintheenvironmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (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
EPA has selected the City ofWinsted for a Brownfields
Pilot. Winsted, located in the northwest corner of
Connecticut, is a predominantly blue-collar town of
approximately 11,500. Winsted's abundant supplies
of water and labor made it an important manufacturing
center, populated with mills producing everything
from pins to clocks, and textiles to small appliances.
The majority of these facilities were located on the
Mad River, and over time, a variety of contaminants
found their way into the soil and groundwater.
Many of these old factories are now idle and empty.
In addition to the health and safety risks posed by the
boarded-up buildings, the closing of the mills has had
a negative effect on the local economy. Winsted's
unemployment rate is more than 6 percent. While the
state's labor force grew by 4.3 percent from 1992-
1997, the city's actually shrunk by 1.4 percent. These
factors, combined with the city's per capita income of
$20,468, led the state to classify Winsted as a
distressed community.
PILOTSNAPSHOT
Winsted, Connecticut
Contacts:
City of Winsted
(860) 379-8771
Date of Announcement:
June 1999
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot targets
16 former manufacturing
sites located on the Mad
River in northwestern
Connecticut.
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA - Region 1
(617) 573-9681
Visit the EPA Region 1 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/region01/remed/brnfld/
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:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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OBJECTIVES
The City of Winsted has recently completed its Main
Street Enhancement Plan, which provides a blueprint
for the redevelopment of the downtown commercial
and residential areas. The plan includes a five-mile-
long recreation trail, improved lighting, landscaping,
expanded sidewalks, and better signage. The Pilot's
obj ective is to facilitate the implementation of this plan
by performing assessments at sites along the river,
where the recreation trail will be built. By removing
any environmental uncertainty attached to the 16
targeted sites, the Pilot will clear the way for subsequent
cleanup and redevelopment.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS ANDACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Performing Phase I assessments at the 16 targeted
sites;
• Performing Phase II assessments at four to five of
the 16 targeted sites, and a Phase III assessment at
one of the sites; and
• Involving the community and sharing information on
the Pilot in a variety of ways, including public
meetings, fact sheets, and a database.
The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Winsted, Connecticut
June 1999 EPA500-F-99-113
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