i O \ Brownfields 2005 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet 1 J Capitol Region Council of Governments, Metropolitan Hartford Region, 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. 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. Additionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Community Description The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. CRCOG represents 34 contiguous cities and towns (total population 792,659) that comprise the 760-square-mile metropolitan Hartford region of north central Connecticut. Between 1990 and 2001, the region experienced a 26 percent drop in employment in machining and aerospace, two of its core industries. There also was a nearly 13 percent drop in employment in the insurance sector. These drastic reductions have left numerous underutilized commercial and industrial sites across the region. At the same time, the region's minority population has grown from nearly 21 percent to more than 27 percent. The metropolitan Hartford region also has experienced a sprawling development pattern with open space and agricultural lands consumed for new development and infrastructure, thereby reducing greenspace and endangering the environment. Assessment and redevelopment of the region's brownfields sites are expected to create jobs and increase tax revenues, while reducing the pressure on open space and preserving natural resources. Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the Capitol Region Council of Governments for a brownfields assessment grant. The grant will be used to continue the Council's ongoing program of inventorying, characterizing, and performing approximately 20 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental assessments on sites within the greater Hartford region that may be contaminated with hazardous substances. Funds also will be used to conduct community involvement and 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/regionl/bro wnfields ) Grant Recipient: Capitol Region Council of Governments, CT Capitol Region Council of Governments (860) 522-2217 ext 222 Capitol Region Council of Governments (860) 522-2217 ext 231 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 c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 560-F-05-069 Protection Agency Response (5105T) May 2005 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (si us ) ------- |