W5 +> c PR0^ Brownfields 2002 Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet Rutland Redevelopment Authority, Vermont EPA Brownfields Initiative 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. Background EPA has selected the Rutland Redevelopment Authority for a Brownfields Assessment Pilot. The City of Rutland (population 17,292) is a 250-year-old rail center and manufacturing city in west central Vermont, bordered by the Green Mountains, Taconic Mountains, and Champlain Valley. Historically, the community's economy has focused on agriculture, stone quarrying, lumber production, foundry operations, and manufacturing. As a result of these activities and increased business sprawl into areas outside Rutland, the city contains many abandoned or underused sites with real or perceived environmental issues. In particular, historical use of sites within and surrounding the city's railroad switching yard indicates the potential for release of hazardous substances, including volatile organic compounds, toxic metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, waste solvents, and cyanides. The Pilot targets three sites adjacent to the original railyard in downtown Rutland and between the city's current business park and central business district. Within the vicinity of these brownfield sites, the residential community consists of low-income rental properties and blue-collar housing. Rutland's unemployment rate is 3.4 percent, compared to the state average of 2.9 percent. The city has had a higher linf^rrmlrvx/rnf^nt rcit^ than tlif* Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 05/01/2002 Amount: $200,000 Profile: Rutland Redevelopment Authority, Vermont. The Pilot targets three former industrial sites located on or near the city's railyard for redevelopment into an industrial or commercial complex. 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/brownfields) Grant Recipient: Rutland Regional Planning Commission,VT (802)775-2910 Objectives The city's objective is to facilitate the timely and beneficial reuse of vacant and underused properties in the vicinity of the city's railroad switching yard, while complementing the city's ongoing rail relocation project. The Pilot plans to accomplish this objective by evaluating environmental conditions at the target sites and developing site reuse plans for light manufacturing, distribution centers, and commercial services. Activities Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Conducting Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments on the targeted properties; • Preparing cleanup, reuse, and quality assurance plans; and • Conducting community outreach activities to United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 500-F-02-064 May 02 ------- U^Vlll^lVJlllVllI, ^XX^X txx^ o^vv.uv m.v WXM,&W throughout the last 10 years. Seventeen percent of the city's households have incomes of less than $10,000 per year, while 32 percent have incomes between $10,000 and $24, 000. ensure public involvement. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. 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 500-F-02-064 x x- a ancl Emergency .. __ Protection Agency Response (5105T) MaV02 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- |