• Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Burlington, VT EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states. communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield 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. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the country cleanup and revitalize brownfields sites. 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 City of Burlington was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Burlington (population 40,000) is the largest city in Vermont and has been the region's economic, cultural, and social center since early European settlement in the 1600s. The city evolved from the third largest lumber port in the country into a major rail hub, center for precision manufacturing, and more recently, the site of small- and medium-sized service and manufacturing businesses. These industries have left a broad range of environmental issues for the city. The city is targeting the Old North End, Pine Street/Flynn Avenue corridor, waterfront, and downtown corridor for assessments. The Old North End area is the state's most densely populated community, with the city's highest concentration of low-income residents. The city has at least 40 brownfield sites and 25 underground storage tanks, most of which are located in the target areas. Brownfield assessments are expected to clarify environmental concerns, facilitate reuse of blighted land, and increase public awareness. Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Burlington for a brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used for site identification and assessment activities. Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup planning and support community involvement 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 (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields). EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team (617)918-1424 EPA Region 1 Brownfields Web site (http: //www. epa.gov/region 1 /brownfields) Grant Recipient: City of Burlington,VT (802)865-7173 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 negotiated. Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-09-103 May 09 ------- |