CONNECTICUT, USA — The state released $485,000 in grants towards revitalizing brownfield sites in four Connecticut towns, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Wednesday.
Brownfield sites are spaces "once used for industrial, manufacturing or commercial uses" that were "abandoned or underutilized due to known or suspected contamination," a DEEP spokesperson said.
The grants are part of the first round of a new DEEP program aimed at transforming blighted properties into community spaces including parks, greenways and other town sites, according to the spokesperson.
The program is funded through a grant awarded to DEEP by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, with a focus on using 60% of the funding towards environmental justice communities. According to DEEP, those communities are groups where 30% of the population is living 200% below the federal poverty level.
Below is a list of DEEP's summaries for each grant:
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Assessment:
Hartford: $109,750 grant to perform various site assessments at Sterling Street Sanctuary, a 1.2-acre property located at 75 Sterling St. The assessments will enable a larger collaborative community effort to legally designate this property as greenspace through a deed restriction or conservation easement.
Norwich: $64,250 grant to update the environmental assessment work at the Capehart Mill Riverfront Park project. The funding will allow the City of Norwich to update the remedial plan necessary to redevelop the 6.05-acre property into a municipal riverfront park.
Remediation:
Colchester: $250,000 grant to complete the scope of remediation work at the 2.5-acre property located at 139 Westchester Road (formerly the Norton Paper Mill). Redevelopment plans include the creation of an interpretive passive recreation facility to be named Norton Park.
East Haddam: $61,000 grant to conduct remediation efforts on the 123.5-acre property formerly known as Honey Hill Farm located at 103 Honey Hill Road. This will enable the project to access additional funding already awarded through DEEP’s Open Space and Watershed Land Acquisition Program for the purposes of purchasing and preserving open space in the state.
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DEEP also noted that they expect to make future grants for municipalities and nonprofits available over the next three years.
Applications for round two of the grant program opened Wednesday and will be accepted until 12 p.m. on Nov. 22. Up to $250,000 is available per person for either assessment or cleanup, totaling $750,000.
Grant applications can be made here.
Gov. Ned Lamont, DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes, along with local, state and federal officials, were at the Sterling Street Sanctuary to celebrate the funding.
Walker Holmes, vice president of the Mid-Atlantic Region and Connecticut state director for Trust for Public Land, noted that protecting areas such as the sanctuary "that reflect and celebrate the cultural and history of communities is vital."
"The Sterling Street Sanctuary and Nature Reserve stands as a model for the transformative power of community-led action in creating belonging and connection and TPL is proud to celebrate this space today," Holmes said.
Lamont noted that the impact of the funding in communities to help "protect and improve" community spaces, as well as "kickstart remediation and development."
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law continues to make an impact, and I thank our federal partners in the Biden-Harris Administration, EPA and our federal delegation for delivering this funding to our communities,” Lamont said.
“The important work of the community is reflected in this vibrant corner of the Upper Albany Avenue Promise Zone,” Dykes said. “We are thrilled to award these grant funds made possible by the Biden-Harris administration through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and are excited to partner with the City of Hartford, Knox, Inc., and others to braid funding sources for greenspaces in communities.”
Sean Humphrey is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at shumphrey@fox61.com.
RELATED:
Nearly $9M in brownfield grants to go towards cleaning up, revitalizing Connecticut communities: EPA
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