SB, HI C3 Brownfields 2003 Grant Fact Sheet Middletown, CT EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu- nities, and other stakeholders in economic development 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. On January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields 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. Addi- tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description The City of Middletown was selected to receive an assessment grant. Middletown is the largest city in Middlesex County and has a disproportionate share of the county's low-income population. For this reason, the city is considered a distressed community and an investment community targeted by the state. The city has pockets of very low-income populations in and around its older industrial areas. These areas are negatively impacted by absentee landlords, abandoned and contaminated industrial properties, blight, and other quality of life issues. The perception of contamination on the city's brownfields discourages developers from restoring these properties and returning them to productive use. Assessment Grant 2003 $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Middletown for a brownfields assessment grant. The city will conduct a Phase III environmental assessment of an industrial site in a mixed-used commercial, industrial, and residential area in the north part of the city. Funds also will be used to convene a series of public meetings to involve the commu- nity in redevelopment planning. 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 617-918-1210 http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/ Grant Recipient: City of Middletown, CT 860-344-3425 Prior to receipt of these funds in fiscal year 2003, the City of Middletown has received brownfields funding for an assessment grant. The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA500-F-03-134 June 2003 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |