Brownfields 2009 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet
    ^         Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission
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 Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission was
selected to receive two brownfields assessment grants.
The Commission is targeting 13 municipalities in
southern New Hampshire (combined population 248,838)
for brownfield assessments. This region was once home
to numerous textile mills and tanneries located along the
banks of the area's rivers. Many of these facilities  are now
abandoned. The region contains the largest number and
concentration of brownfields sites in New Hampshire,
with more than 1,300 identified potential brownfields.
The region also is experiencing economic hardships, and
22 percent of all foreclosures in New Hampshire have
occurred in southern New Hampshire. Unemployment
rates are as high as 11 percent in some municipalities, and
regional poverty levels are among the highest in the state.
Brownfield assessments will provide information to help
with regional redevelopment and cleanup efforts that will
benefit human health and the economy.
                    Assessment Grants

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

                    EPA has selected the Southern New Hampshire
                    Planning Commission for two brownfields
                    assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous
                    substances and petroleum grant funds will be used
                    to conduct a total of 20 Phase I environmental site
                    assessments and support community outreach
                    activities throughout southern New Hampshire.
                    Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
                    conduct three Phase II environmental site
                    assessments. Petroleum grant funds will be used to
                    conduct five Phase II environmental site
                    assessments. Grant funds also will be used to
                    conduct cleanup 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
                     (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: Southern New Hampshire
                     Planning Commission
                     (603) 669-4664

                     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)
EPA560-F-09-114
      May 2009

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