DeLauro Announces EPA Grants for Brownfield Assessment, Cleanup

Press Release

DeLauro Announces EPA Grants for Brownfield Assessment, Cleanup

Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (Conn.-3) announced that New Haven and West Haven would receive five $200,000 grants - a combined total of $1 million dollars - for the assessment and cleanup of Brownfield sites through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields grant program. These grants are part of a $70.9 million investment in over 200 communities across the country.

Brownfields are abandoned or underused industrial properties that have relatively mild contamination problems. It is estimated that approximately 450,000 Brownfields exist across the country and often have no actual pollution problem at all, but sit unused because potential developers are scared off by fears of what a soil test may reveal.

"With these funds our communities will be able to revitalize our neighborhoods, allowing them to cleanup and redevelop previously abandoned properties. Through these efforts we will ensure our neighborhoods where people live and work are safer," said DeLauro.

"The City of West Haven is pleased to be awarded three grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The $600,000 in funds are a major step toward the investigation and cleanup of several brownfield sites in our community, including the former oil terminal on Water Street ," said West Haven Mayor John M. Picard. "The grants will facilitate the return of these sites to productive use and the creation of new jobs. We are looking forward to our new partnership with EPA and hope these grant awards are the first of many new grants that will spur economic development. I would like to thank my Planning and Development staff and supporters for their dedication and hard work."

"We are thankful to the Environmental Protection Agency for granting New Haven these funds to continue redevelopment and improvement efforts in the River Street Municipal Development Project," said New Haven Mayor John DeStefano. "The rebuilding of River Street in 2005 was a great start, with the support of the Federal and State governments, we will be able to move forward in bringing new life, business and opportunity to this neighborhood."

For the first time West Haven will receive three grants through the Brownfields program. With the site assessment of the former BEC Oil Terminal completed, the $200,000 grant will enable the city to begin redevelopment of the site. The other two grants for West Haven will allow the city to do site assessment - with one funding efforts to address sites contaminated with petroleum products and the other funding sites contaminated with hazardous waste - allowing the City to identify potential contamination on abandoned sites, both publicly and privately owned.

In New Haven , the two $200,000 grants will be used to help with the environmental clean-up of the City owned properties located at 56 River Street and 34 Lloyd Street , both part of the Municipal Development Project (MDP) in Fair Haven that spans 53 acres. Once the clean-up efforts are completed, the city will be able to redevelop the land - expanding and revitalizing the areas.

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