( w \ Brownfields 2005 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet Shelton, 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 City of Shelton was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Shelton (population 38,000) is part of the Naugatuck Valley Community, which has seen its poverty rate grow by 30 percent over the past 15 years and experienced a rapid increase in minority and immigrant populations. Over the last three years, the unemployment rate in the valley has more than doubled. In 1975, arson in the target area of downtown Shelton wiped out nearly 2,400 jobs, crippling the local and regional economy for years. The city's brownfields redevelopment efforts hope to eliminate blight, generate new investment and jobs, create new public spaces, and retain historically significant properties. Cleanup of the Shelton Farm and Public Market site will reduce threats to human health in the area, help prevent contaminants from migrating into groundwater, and facilitate redevelopment of the site into a multi-use staging area for local and regional farmers. This redevelopment also is expected to provide employment opportunities for individuals of low-to-moderate income. Cleanup Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the City of Shelton for a brownfields cleanup grant. Funds for the Shelton Farm and Public Market site will be used to conduct community outreach, remediation planning, excavation and disposal of contaminated soil, and placement of a cap on the site. The site was once occupied by a canal, filled with ash and soil in the 1940s, and later used as a parking lot. 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: City of Shelton, CT Shelton Economic Development Corporation (203) 924-2521 Shelton Economic Development Corporation (203) 924-2521 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-05-166 nil- a ancl Emergency .. Protection Agency Response (5105T) MaV05 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- |