BETHEL— On May 7, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that two local grantees have been selected to receive $800,000 to assess and clean up contaminated properties under the agency’s brownfields program. These funds will aid under-served and economically disadvantaged communities around the state in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties.
“Covid-19 has impacted the economy and redevelopment in every corner of New England. Today’s investment of EPA Brownfields assessment and cleanup funding provides a much-needed boost for economic development and job creation in many of New England’s hardest hit and underserved communities,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator Dennis Deziel. “Brownfields projects are always an economic catalyst, and this funding has never been more important to our local partners.”
Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation, in Bethel, will be awarded a $500,000 Cleanup Grant to clean up the Valley Motor Sales site at 207 Pleasant St. in Bethel. The cleanup site was originally developed in 1929 as a Mobil gas station. In 1933, the property was sold and operated by two different owners as an automobile dealership until 2018. The site is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and PCBs commingled with petroleum. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community outreach activities.
Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission, in Springfield and Windsor, will be awarded a $300,000 Assessment Grant to conduct environmental site assessments, develop cleanup plans, and support reuse planning and community outreach activities for various sites to be selected throughout the grant. Assessment activities will focus on the town of Springfield, which contains two Qualified Opportunity Zones, and the town of Windsor’s historic downtown area. Priority sites include the Parks and Woolson property, a vacant industrial complex, and the former Vermont Machine Tool Company.
For more information visit epa.gov.
