/ D \ Brownfields 1998 Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet \ J Middletown, CT 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 City of Middletown for a Brownfields Pilot. The City (population 42,760) is located along the western shore of the Connecticut River, approximately 15 miles south of Hartford and 25 miles north of New Haven. The area's once vibrant waterfront, adjacent to the City's downtown, is now littered with vacant industrial and commercial properties, while the environmental quality of the Connecticut River has deteriorated. Redevelopment activities have been hampered by the lack of information regarding the extent and types of contamination on brownfields sites. The urban core of the City is a State-designated Enterprise Zone. The Pilot will target several waterfront sites, including two underused commercial properties and a waste water treatment plant. Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 07/01/1998 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets several waterfront sites along the Connecticut River and one of its tributaries. 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: City of Middletown, Connecticut (860)344-3425 Objectives Middletown's objective is to focus on the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields properties located along the City's waterfront to preserve and improve the recreational and commercial sectors of the area. Pilot funding will be used to assess the targeted sites, conduct environmental cleanup studies and ecological investigations, and mobilize community involvement and resources. Middletown expects that the waterfront redevelopment, made possible by Pilot activities, will serve as a catalyst for revitalization of the neighboring downtown area. Activities Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Performing Phase I and II environmental assessments on the targeted waterfront sites; • Completing feasibility studies and cleanup cost estimates for at least two of the targeted waterfront sites; and • Developing an outreach program to inform and United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 500-F-98-175 nil- a ancl Emergency . . Protection Agency Response (5105*0 Jul 98 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- solicit input from communities affected by brownfields through public meetings, mailings, and fact sheets. 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 Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 and Emergency Response (5105T) Solid Waste EPA 500-F-98-175 Jul 98 ------- |