Brownfields 2011  Cleanup Grant  Fact Sheet
               New Opportunities Economic Development Corporation,
               Waterbury,  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 New Opportunities Economic Development
Corporation was selected to receive three brownfields
cleanup grants. Based in Waterbury (population 107,271),
the Corporation is an economic development corporation
for the northwest corner of Connecticut. Throughout the
first half of the 20th century, Waterbury had significant
industrial interests and was the country's leading center
for brassware manufacturing. The brassware industry
began to decline in the second half of the century, and the
last brass mill closed in the 1970s. The city's
unemployment rate is 14.5 percent, and the poverty rate is
22.8 percent. There are an estimated 200 brownfields in
the city. Once the 39 Cherry Street site is cleaned up, the
city plans to reuse part of the site for parking and open
space and redevelop the balance for two food businesses.
After the 177 Cherry Street site is cleaned up, the city
plans to redevelop it with green technology businesses,
including the production of solar panels. Once the 215
Cherry Street site is cleaned up, the city plans to reuse the
existing building with two floors for a small business and
nonprofit business incubator, and three floors of housing.
Cleanup and redevelopment of the target sites are
expected to create temporary and permanent jobs, and
increase tax revenues.
                     Cleanup Grants

                     $600,000 for hazardous substances

                     EPA has selected the New Opportunities
                     Economic Development Corporation for three
                     brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances
                     grant funds will be used to clean up 39 Cherry
                     Street, 177 Cherry Street, and 215 Cherry Street.
                     The sites are part of a complex developed in the
                     late 1800s for manufacturing watches and clocks.
                     The complex was later used to manufacture tools,
                     plastics, and clothing. The 39 Cherry Street site is
                     contaminated with toluene, volatile  and
                     semi-volatile organic compounds, and heavy
                     metals. The 177 Cherry Street and 215 Cherry
                     Street sites are contaminated with PCBs and
                     volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds.
                     Grant funds also will be used to conduct
                     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/regionl/bro wnfields)

                     Grant Recipient: New Opportunities Economic
                     Development Corporation,CT
                     203-575-4211

                     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-128-001
       May 2011

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Protection Agency                       ResoonsefSIOSn                                                     May 2011
Washington, DC 20450                   Kesponse

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