All News Releases By Date

New Milford Receives EPA Funding for Continued Brownfield Cleanup Project; Money Awarded Today is Part of Grants Handed out Nationwide

Release Date: 05/20/2002
Contact Information: Mark Merchant, EPA Press Office (617) 918-1013

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today it will spend $2.25 million to help assess, clean and redevelop abandoned, contaminated sites throughout New England, including $150,000 for an ongoing brownfields reclamation project at the Century Enterprise Center in New Milford, Conn.

"Reclaiming America's brownfields properties is an effective way to help revitalize and reinvigorate our nation's blighted neighborhoods while at the same time preventing urban sprawl," said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman.

The brownfields project funded in New Milford – which was formerly known as the Century Brass site – is part of a total of $14 million awarded to 80 communities nationwide yesterday.

"These grants will bring much needed momentum to community brownfields programs in New Milford, in Connecticut and New England, said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator for EPA's New England office. "Dozens of contaminated sites all across New England have already been successfully restored through this program. The money we offer to the communities in our region today ensures even more successes down the road."

Earlier this year, President Bush signed bipartisan legislation that will encourage the cleanup and redevelopment of old industrial properties – cleaning up our environment, creating jobs and protecting small businesses from frivolous lawsuits. In addition, the President's fiscal year 2003 budget request doubled the funds available through the EPA in FY 02 – from $98 million to $200 million – to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfields sites.

Under the EPA's Brownfields Assessment Program, communities receive funding to assess contamination at abandoned and vacant sites, and to estimate the costs of cleaning up sites for redevelopment. Communities also receive funding to establish revolving loan programs allowing them to provide low interest loans to clean up these sites. Once assessed and cleaned, these sites can be put back into productive use by the community.

"Brownfields reclamation is one of the great environmental success stories of the past decade," Whitman continued. "But the story is hardly over. EPA and its partners in every state of the union are ready to write the next chapter in the brownfields story. Given the commitment of this Administration, I can guarantee you that story will have a very happy ending."

These grants bring the total amount that EPA has spend on brownfields projects in Connecticut to date to approximately$15 million.

"The town of New Milford is thrilled that the Environmental Protection Agency has selected the Century Enterprise Center as the recipient of the Supplemental Assessment Grant," said New Milford Mayor Robert Gambino. "This grant will be instrumental in the revitalization of the site and I am pleased that the EPA recognizes the town's commitment to returning the site to productive use."

The Century Enterprise Centrer is near the confluence of the Aspetuck and Housatonic Rivers. Brownfields have significantly reduced the town's tax base and decreased employment opportunities.

The original grant targeted the 72-acre former Century Brass Products mill site, the only industrially zoned site in town that also is served with sewer and water. The site is in an excellent location for redevelopment because of a nearby natural gas pipeline, rail line, and major highway, but it is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and hydroxide sludge that threaten the health of the rivers and residents.

With the original grant, the town completed extensive environmental assessments at the site and identified other possible areas for brownfields redevelopment. This grant will be used to complete the environmental assessments and finalize the original cleanup plan In addition, the town will be able to assess environmental conditions at the town garage and quarry sites.

For more information, visit the following EPA Web sites:

Smart Growth

Brownfields

New England Success Stories