FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 29, 2024
Contact:
Ricardo Rodriguez
Brownfields Program Coordinator
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
203-982-0797
Rrodriguez@nvcogct.gov
NVCOG To Receive $4.0 Million from EPA to Accelerate Brownfields Cleanup and Revitalization in Connecticut
(Waterbury, CT) – The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) will receive a total of $4.0 million from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Brownfields Program to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites throughout the region and state. This significant boost will accelerate efforts to transform underutilized and contaminated properties into productive community assets.
EPA selected NVCOG to receive a grant totaling $500,000 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant program. The grant will be used to characterize contamination at five sites in Ansonia, Derby, and Waterbury. Assessment activities will guide necessary remedial actions to facilitate the creation of multiple planned mixed-use developments.
In addition, the EPA announced $3,500,000 in non-competitive supplemental funding for NVCOG’s successful Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Program to offer additional sub grants and low-interest loans to members throughout the 25-municipality Regional Brownfields Partnership of West Central Connecticut (RBP). The RBP is geographically diverse, representing a collection of historic downtowns, neighborhood centers, and surrounding suburban and rural communities extending north to south from Winsted to Shelton and west to east from Newtown to Berlin.
“This funding from the EPA is a significant investment in the future of our region,” said Rick Dunne, Executive Director of NVCOG. “We are grateful for the support of the EPA and our Federal Delegation in our ongoing efforts to revitalize brownfield sites and transform them into vibrant, sustainable spaces for our communities.”
“We are thrilled to continue this important work. Through the cleanup and reimagining of brownfield sites, we can ignite opportunities for economic development, foster job creation, and enhance current environmental conditions,” said Ricardo Rodriguez, Brownfields Program Coordinator of NVCOG.
These investments will augment more than $13,000,000 in funds previously awarded to NVCOG, which have been disbursed as loans or sub grants among 27 completed or in-progress cleanup projects.
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