5 o T> Brownfields 2008 Grant Fact Sheet Chittenden 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 Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Located in northwestern Vermont, Chittenden County (combined population 15 0,069) contains 19 municipalities and is the state's economic hub. In 2004, about 32 percent of all jobs in the state were based in the county. Burlington, the largest municipality in Vermont and a federally designated Renewal Commu- nity, is located in the county. Between 2000 and 2006, the county experienced a 27.4 percent decline in manufacturing jobs as a result of layoffs and business Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission for a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to identify brownfields and conduct up to six Phase I and three to five Phase II environmental site assessments throughout Chittenden County. Grant funds also will be used to support 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: Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission, VT 802-846-4490, ext. 30 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. closures. The 15 and 20 percent poverty rates in the region's two most industrial municipalities reflect this decline. These closures also resulted in an increased number of brownfields, including former mills, manufacturing facilities, and junk, rail, and lumber yards. The state has identified 254 active hazardous sites in the county. Brownfields assessment will replace uncertainties about environmental conditions with valid information that is expected to help the county make informed decisions about cleanup and build support for redevelopment. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-08-211 April 2008 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |