&EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5101)
EPA 500-F-98-171
July 1998
Assessment
Demonstration Pilot
State of New Hampshire—
Coastal Piscataqua River Watershed
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. Since 1995, EPA has funded more than 200 Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of
brownfields solutions. The Pilots 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 Coastal Piscataqua River
Watershed in New Hampshire for a Brownfields
Pilot. Including the Towns of Dover, Durham, Exeter,
Newmarket, Rochester and Somersworth, the
watershed is located in southeastern coastal New
Hampshire. The area is populated with small, mostly
rural towns, and has been industrialized since the
Revolutionary War. The New Hampshire seacoast
area is experiencing growth-related pressures,
primarily in the housing development markets. The
existence ofbrownfields with a variety of contaminants
in prime development locations is refocusing
development interest towards remaining green spaces
and coastal habitats. In addition, many brownfields
are disproportionately located in low- to moderate-
income neighborhoods. This leads to reduced property
values and tax rates, loss of potential economic
opportunities, deterioration and underuse of historic
mill buildings, and threats to area drinking supplies.
OBJECTIVES
The New Hampshire Coastal Program plans to assist
coastal municipalities that are actively trying to
redevelop brownfields, but lack the resources to do
so. It is expected that this strategy will minimize
greenfields development and concurrently solve
environmental problems, such as pressures on fragile
PILOT SNAPSHOT
State of New Hampshire-
Coastal Piscataqua River
Watershed
Date of Announcement:
July 1998
Amount: $200,000
Profile: The Pilot will
assist six small coastal
municipalities along the
Piscataqua River
Watershed in their
brownfields redevelopment
efforts.
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 1
(617)573-9681
Contacts:
Office of State Planning
New Hampshire
Coastal Program
(603)271-2155
Visit the EPA Region 1 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/region01/remed/brnfld/
Forfurther 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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wetlands and estuaries. The Pilot will target six sites
within the sixPiscataquaRivermunicipalities. These
sites were selected because they are located in
municipalities thathave significant potential to deflect
development pressures away from greenfields; are
known contaminated sites; and are historically
developed sites that are presently underused or
abandoned.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Conducting environmental assessments on up to six
sites located in small coastal towns on the Piscataqua
River Watershed;
• Conducting studies of feasible cleanup technologies;
and
• Planning for site cleanup and redevelopment.
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 State of New Hampshire—Coastal Piscataqua River Watershed
July 1998 EPA500-F-98-171
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