Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
               Weiv Hampshire Department of Environmental Services
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 New Hampshire Department of Environmental
Services (NHDES) was selected to receive a
brownfields assessment coalition grant. NHDES has
formed a coalition with the City of Berlin and the North
Country Council to address brownfields assessment
needs in New Hampshire (population 1,235,786). The
coalition will target the City of Berlin and Coos,
Grafton, and Carroll Counties (combined population
158,520). The North Country, which contains Coos,
Grafton, and Carroll Counties, occupies the northern 65
percent of the state and has a long industrial history.
The decline in industry has left a legacy of brownfields
in the area, including at least 1,100 likely brownfields
in the North Country and at least 210 in Berlin.
Between 2006 and 2008, two major mill closings in the
Cities of Berlin and Groveton resulted in the loss of 668
jobs. Brownfield sites in the target communities include
petroleum-contaminated sites, active and inactive dry
cleaning facilities, and former paper mills. Brownfield
assessments will help NHDES identify areas  of
contamination and determine appropriate site reuse.
                  Assessment Grant

                  $772,436 for hazardous substances
                  $227,564 for petroleum

                  EPA has selected the New Hampshire Department of
                  Environmental Services for a brownfields
                  assessment coalition grant. Community-wide grant
                  funds will be used to conduct 20 Phase I and up to
                  12 Phase II environmental site assessments for
                  hazardous substances and petroleum contamination.
                  Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup
                  planning and 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
                  (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: New Hampshire Department of
                  Environmental Services
                  (603)271-2987

                  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-09-106
        May 09

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