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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact Sheet

    Southern  Windsor

      County Regional

             Planning

      Commission,   VT


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 this 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. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The Southern Windsor County Regional Planning
Commission was selected to receive two brownfields
assessment grants. Located in southeastern Vermont,
the Southern Windsor County Regional Planning
Commission serves 10 small towns (combined popula-
tion 25,105) in Windsor County. Towns in the region
were built in the early 20th Century around the ma-
chine tool industry. The industry peaked during World
War II and then went into a gradual decline. Between
 Assessment Grants
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 $200,000 for petroleum

 EPA has selected the Southern Windsor County
 Regional Planning Commission for two brownfields
 assessment grants. Hazardous substances grant
 funds will be used to prioritize sites and prepare up
 to three Phase I and three Phase II environmental
 site assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be
 used to prioritize sites and prepare up to four Phase
 I and four Phase II environmental site assess-
 ments. Grant funds also will be used to conduct
 community outreach activities.
 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/regionl/brownfields

 Grant Recipient: Southern Windsor County
 Regional Planning Commission, VT
 802-674-9201

 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.
1980 and 2000, most companies relocated or
downsized dramatically, and the county lost about 43
percent of its manufacturing jobs. A decline in popula-
tion, wages, and employment followed. Many large
manufacturing plants were closed, leaving over one
million square feet of vacant space. Many  of these
now vacant or underused industrial properties are
located in town centers. In the Town of Windsor
                                               Solid Waste and
                                               Emergency Response
                                               (5105T)
                       EPA 560-F-08-039
                       April 2008
                       www.epa.gov/brownfields

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alone, over 40 acres of the former downtown indus-
trial area is comprised of brownfields. Assessment of
sites in Southern Windsor County is expected to
encourage new business and industrial growth in the
area.

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