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                           Brownfields
                           Assessment
                           City of Claremont, NH
BACKGROUND

EPA has selected the City of Claremont for a Brownfields
Assessment Pilot. Claremont (population 13,151) borders
the Connecticut River, a designated American Heritage
River, in "Precision Valley," an area known for its past
dominance inprecisionmachinetoolmanufacturing. Steady
decline of Claremont's machine tool  industry, textile
milling, and manufacturing operations over the past 60
years has led to the abandonment of many large industrial
buildings or their conversion into subsidized housing. New
commercial or industrial businesses have failed to take
over these properties, in part due to the lack of site-specific
information  regarding  potential environmental
contamination.  The Pilot targets four city-owned or
controlled properties that supported arange of past industrial
operations, and will identify and prioritize privately-owned
brownfield sites requiring environmental assessment.

Claremont's economic decline is evidenced by the 10
percent decrease in the city' s population over the past two
decades. Much of the city's work  force commutes to
other cities or regional recreational resorts for lower-
paying servicejobs. Between 1970and 1990, the percentage
of individuals living below the poverty line rose from 5.2
percent to nearly 13 percent. Forty eight percent of the
city's residents are dependant upon  social security
assistance.

OBJECTIVES

The city's objective is to return brownfield sites in the
downtown and mill districts to the city's market and tax
roles, while encouraging a mixed-use redevelopment of
the reclaimed properties. The Pilot plans to accomplish
this objective by performing site assessments on priority
sites and preparing cleanup and reuse plans forthese sites.
The Pilot will also fund community involvement activities.
   PILOT SNAPSHOT
Date of Announcement:
May 2002

Amount: $200,000

Profile: The Pilottargeteseveral
brownfields in the downtown and
mill districtsof an economically
depressed former NewEngland
mill town.
    City of Claremont,
    NewHampshire
   Contacts:
   City of Claremont
   (603)542-7030
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA Region 1
(617)918-1424
        Visit the EPA Region 1 Brownfields web site at:
        http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/

      For further information, including specific Pilot contacts,
    additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and
    publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
             www.epa.gov/brownfields
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:
• Developing a brownfields reuse  project steering
  committee representing the  city,  residential
  neighborhoods adjacentto brownfield sites, and partner
  organizations;

• Establishing site selection criteria reflecting information
  on historical use, vacancy rates, and public input;

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• Performing Phase I environmental assessments at up to
  eight sites;

• Prioritizing sites that have the greatest redevelopment
  potential based  on the extent  of contamination and
  location;

• Conducting  Phase II environmental assessments at a
  limited number of priority sites; and

• Conducting  community outreach through individual
  contacts and televised public meetings.

The cooperative agreement forthis Pilot has notyetbeen negotiated; therefore,
activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
                                                              Solid Waste            EPA 500-F-02-042
                                                              and Emergency         May 2002
                                                              Response (5105)       www.epa.gov/brownfields/

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