Governor Rell: Municipalities Awarded

$4.7 Million for Brownfield Efforts

            Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that municipalities across Connecticut will share in $4.7 million in federal funds to help transform local brownfields – parcels of contaminated land, often former industrial sites – back into economic development opportunities, open space and other productive uses.

            The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is allocating the money as direct grants to the municipalities. The grant awards are a combination of stimulus funds through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and the EPA’s general brownfield grant program.

            “Brownfield redevelopment is a key component of our state’s economic development and responsible growth strategies,” Governor Rell said. “Cleaning up contaminated sites and bringing them back ‘online’ for a community helps create jobs, preserves green space and is a big boost for the local economies. This is particularly critical in our largest cities, where developable land is at a premium.”

            The recipients are:

• Bridgeport: $200,000 to the Bridgeport Housing Authority for the Park City Apartments and Garden Street lot and $1 million for the city to use throughout the community
• Bristol: $345,033 to the city for the former H.J. Mills property
• Hartford Region: $400,000 for the Capitol Region Council of Governments to assess sites throughout the region
• Meriden: $200,000 to assess sites throughout the city for hazardous substances
• Middletown: $400,000 to assess site throughout the city
• Naugatuck: $200,000 to assess sites throughout the town
• New London: $200,000 to assess sites throughout the city
• Torrington: $1 million for the city to use throughout the community
• Waterbury: $400,000 for community-wide assessment; $200,000 for 16 Cherry Avenue; and $200,000 for 167 Maple Street

            The EPA is awarding $111.9 million in grants throughout the country to help communities clean up brownfields. The grants include $37.3 in stimulus funds and $74.6 million from the EPA Brownfields program.