Brownfields 2006 Grant Fact Sheet

East Hampton, 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.

CLEANUP GRANT

$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Town of East Hampton for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the Summit Thread Powerhouse at 13 Watrous Street, which is contaminated with chlorinated solvents, PCBs, and metals. The site had been the powerhouse for the Summit Thread and Artistic Wire Companies beginning in the 1800s, the site for various industrial and manufacturing operations, and an automotive repair shop. Funds also will be used for community outreach activities.

COMMUNITY DESCRIPTION

The Town of East Hampton was selected to receive a brownfields cleanup grant. Located in central Connecticut along the banks of the Connecticut River, East Hampton (population 11,300) became a major industrial center of the Northeast during the 1800s, manufacturing 90 percent of the world's sleigh bells. Other manufacturers were located in what is now the Village Center, where 24 brownfield sites are located. The town's per capita income and job growth rate are below the state averages, and there is a heavy tax burden on residential property owners. Sustainable reuse of former mills will make the village more attractive to developers and small business owners, and will improve the quality of life for residents. The contaminated Summit Thread site, targeted for cleanup, is located in a neighborhood that includes day care centers, senior centers, and an elementary school. When the site is cleaned up, a private company is planning to renovate the property and expand its business there. Redevelopment of the old powerhouse site is expected to attract new businesses, increase the commercial tax base, relieve the heavy tax burden on residents, create jobs, and remove blight.

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 at: www.epa.gov/brownfields.

EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team
617-918-1424
http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/

Grant Recipient: Town of East Hampton, CT
860-267-4468

The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.