Brownfields 2009 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet
* Bridgeport Housing Authority, CT
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 Bridgeport Housing Authority was selected to
receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Located in
northeast Fairfield County along the Long Island
Sound, Bridgeport (population 139,529) is
Connecticut's largest, most densely populated city.
Since the mid-to-late 20th century, small- and
medium-sized cities such as Bridgeport have
experienced a shift in the need for industrial goods to
capital goods. The target site is in the South End
neighborhood of Bridgeport, where about 66 percent of
residents are minorities. The poverty rate in the South
End is 38.2 percent, and the unemployment rate is 35.4
percent. The target site is part of a larger, $35 million
Park City Apartments development, which is expected
to create 110 affordable housing units for the disabled,
including veterans and the elderly. Site cleanup is
expected to enhance the neighborhood by reducing
health hazards and eliminating an eyesore. The target
site is currently slated to be used for parking, and the
city is considering allowing the site to be reused as
parkland for area residents.
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Bridgeport Housing Authority
for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to clean up the
Park City Apartments/Garden Street Lot at 127
Garden Street. Since the 1930s, the site has had a
variety of uses, including an ice cream company,
truck storage garage, and lumber yard. Site soil is
contaminated with arsenic, metals, mercury, and
inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be
used to monitor the health of neighborhood residents
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: Housing Authority of the City of
Bridgeport,CT
(203)337-8900
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)
EPA 560-F-09-221
May 09
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