Brownfields 2011  Assessment Grant  Fact Sheet
               stratford> 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 Town of Stratford was selected to receive two
brownfields assessment grants. Located in southwestern
Connecticut, Stratford (population 49,976) has long
been associated with heavy manufacturing. Historically,
it has been a center of the defense and aviation industry
and is the birthplace of the American helicopter
industry. Several manufacturers have closed or
relocated, leaving behind vacant, underused, and
contaminated properties that have negatively impacted
employment opportunities and economic development.
During the past 15 years, the town has lost over 6,200
manufacturing jobs. Over the past five years, the
unemployment rate has nearly doubled to 10.3 percent.
The median household income is significantly lower
than the national average. The town will focus site
assessments on the South End, the most disadvantaged
neighborhood in town, and the Transit Centered
Development district, where plans for a new residential
and mixed-used development district are in place.
Brownfield assessments are expected to encourage
cleanup of vacant and contaminated industrial
properties in the South End, and enable development of
bike paths.
                   Assessment Grants

                   $200,000 for hazardous substances
                   $200,000 for petroleum

                   EPA has selected the Town of Stratford for two
                   brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide
                   hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will
                   be used to conduct between six and eight
                   environmental site assessments. Grant funds also
                   will be used to inventory and prioritize sites, 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: Town of Stratford,CT
                   203-385-4084

                   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)
E PA 560-F-128-003
         May 11

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