News Releases from Region 01
EPA Announces $5.3 Million in Supplemental Funds for Cleanups of Contaminated Brownfield Sites in Communities Across New England
Boston – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing approximately $5.3 million in supplemental funding to New England communities to assist them in cleaning up contaminated brownfield properties. EPA plans to provide supplemental funding to 11 successful, existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grantees in the region, helping communities carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects.
"Brownfields redevelopment is a win-win for New England communities" said EPA regional administrator Alexandra Dunn. "These supplemental funds can help cleanup projects get to completion and ready for redevelopment."
New England communities selected for FY18 supplemental funding are:
- Capitol Region Council of Governments, CT- $500,000
- Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, CT- $500,000
- Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, MA- $450,000
- City of Portland, ME- $500,000
- Greater Portland Council of Governments, ME- $500,000
- Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, ME- $500,000
- Piscataquis County Economic Development Council, ME- $350,000
- Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission, ME- $500,000
- Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission, VT- $500,000
- Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, VT- $500,000
- Windham Regional Commission, VT- $500,000
The Brownfields RLF program supports EPA's commitment to assist communities in addressing environmentally challenged properties and meet their local revitalization priorities. The supplemental funds announced today will help communities reuse vacant and abandoned properties and turn them into community assets such as housing, recreation and open space, health facilities, social services, transportation options, infrastructure and commerce opportunities.
RLFs specifically supply funding for loans and sub-grants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. The supplemental funding to each grantee ranges from about $200,000 to $500,000. These funds are provided to communities who have shown achieved success in their work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites.
A recent national study shows that cleaning up brownfields leads to residential property value increases of 5 - 15.2% within a 1.24-mile radius of the site. (Haninger et al. 2017). Another study analyzing data near 48 brownfields found that an estimated $29 to $97 million in additional tax revenue is generated for local governments in a single year after cleanup. This is two to seven times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfields.
More information on EPA's Brownfields program is available at: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields