Brownfields Cleanup Revolving
Loan Fund Pilot Fact Sheet

Winchester, CT

EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.

PILOT SNAPSHOT
Winchester, CT	Date of Announcement: April 2001 Amount: $650,000
BCRLF Target Area: Sites throughout the City and Town

BACKGROUND

Winchester typifies the traditional New England mill town, with roots going back to the late 18th century. Winchester has a predominately working class population of approximately 11,500. Today, many of the town's factories and mills are closed. The loss of the associated jobs has caused substantial economic distress. Unemployment is high and per capita incomes are low relative to the State average. As a result, Connecticut has classified the area as a "distressed community."

In 1999, Winchester (which includes the City of Winsted) received an EPA Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot. This pilot has been successfully used to identify and conduct environmental assessments of several sites, all of which are centrally located within the commercial and residential core of the Town.

BCRLF OBJECTIVES

Winchester's brownfields objectives are to identify, assess, and clean up contaminated sites. In doing so, the Town hopes to attract private investment, create jobs, increase property values, and increase the tax base. The Winchester BCRLF will provide a needed source of brownfields cleanup funds.

Thanks to the Town's Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot Program, several sites have been identified that have good redevelopment potential and are strong BCRLF loan candidates. One of these sites is the former Union Pin building, which has already been demolished. Plans call for the development of a four story, full-service hotel and conference center on this site. Another potential project is the conversion of the "Carnell Building" to an iron forge. This property will be open to the public and include exhibit space, a retail store, and a warehouse.

FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS

The Town of Winchester will serve as the lead agency. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will serve as site manager. The Town plans to procure the services of a regional, non-profit entity as the fund manager. However, no contracts have been finalized.

LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES

The Town of Winchester will supplement BCRLF funds by utilizing private, state, and federal programs. Microloan programs from the New Haven Community Investment Corporation and the Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials are available to potential developers. Government financing tools include the Connecticut Special Contaminated Properties Remediation Insurance Funds, the Connecticut Urban Sites Remediation Program, and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grants.

Use of BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding also apply to BCRLF funds.

CONTACTS

Winchester Town Manager
(860) 379-8771

Region 1 Brownfields Coordinator
(617) 918-1210

Visit the EPA Region 1 Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields

For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460

Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)

EPA 500-F-01-255
April 2001

Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)

Quick Reference Fact Sheet

Using This Site | About PDF | Site Archive
Please email comments on this website to:Brownfields-Web-Comments@epamail.epa.gov

Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot Fact Sheet