EPA Announces Record $4 Million Brownfields Investment in New Hampshire
President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help revitalize New England communities, Build a Better America and Address Environmental Justice Concerns
BOSTON (May 16, 2022) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing a $4,000,000 investment in New Hampshire, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to revitalize communities across the country by cleaning up contaminated and blighted sites and redeveloping them for productive uses.
The funds will support under-served and economically disadvantaged communities around the state in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties and are part of a historic national EPA investment in Brownfields remediation. The funding awards are among 236 communities nationwide to receive grant awards totaling $147.3 million in EPA Brownfields funding through its Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant Programs. The Agency is also announcing $107 million in supplemental funding to 39 existing Revolving Loan Fund grant recipients who have demonstrated success in their work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. Today's announcement includes approximately $180 million from the historic $1.5 billion investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help turn brownfield sites across the nation into hubs of economic growth and job creation, along with more than $75 million from appropriated funds.
"With today's announcement, we're turning blight into might for communities across America," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "EPA's Brownfields Program breathes new life into communities by helping to turn contaminated and potentially dangerous sites into productive economic contributors. Thanks to President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are significantly ramping up our investments in communities, with the bulk of our funding going to places that have been overburdened and underserved for far too long."
"Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and President Biden's leadership, EPA's Brownfields program is making a record investment of more than $51 million to revitalize communities across New England," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "Today's investment of EPA Brownfields assessment and cleanup funding will jump start economic redevelopment and job creation in many of New England's hardest hit and underserved communities as we work to turn environmental risks into economic assets."
Detail on EPA Brownfields Grants in New Hampshire
New Hampshire is receiving five grants under the Brownfields Cleanup and Assessment Grant program.
BRI Development, LLC will receive $500,000 to clean up the Sinclair Lot on the corner of Main Street and Agassiz Street in Bethlehem.
The community-wide Brownfields Assessment Grants are as follows:
- The Nashua Regional Planning Commission – $500,000 in assessment eligible for use throughout the commission's service area. Intended target areas include the Downtown of Nashua and Downtown of Milford.
- The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) –$2,000,000 in assessment funds eligible for use throughout the state. Intended target areas include Berlin, Derry, and Winchester.
- The Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission – $500,000 in assessment funds eligible for use throughout the commission's service area. Intended target areas include the City of Manchester and City of Derry.
- The Southwest Region Planning Commission – $500,000 in assessment funds eligible for use throughout the commission's service area. Intended target areas include River towns of Hinsdale, Winchester, Swanzey, and Keene.
"This latest allocation of federal funds is another exciting example of the bipartisan infrastructure law at work in our communities. This robust investment will remediate contaminated sites throughout the state and revitalize them, increasing economic opportunities in New Hampshire. As a lead negotiator of the infrastructure bill, it's wonderful to see our work come to fruition with tangible changes in our communities. Residents in Nashua, Milford, Berlin, Derry, Winchester, Hinsdale Swanzey and Keene will soon see the impact of this law in their neighborhoods and on their way to work, which is precisely what delivering on this legislation was all about," said U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
"This federal funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law will help clean up polluted land and revitalize our communities. I worked to secure this funding because I recognize the urgent need to safely clean up and revitalize properties across our state so that families and local economies can thrive. I will keep working to address the health and safety needs in our communities," said U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan.
"This federal funding represents an important investment in our Granite State communities to clean up and rehabilitate contaminated sites to build a cleaner environment and stronger economy right here in New Hampshire. I'm pleased to see the EPA direct these substantial Brownfields Program resources from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to cities and towns across our state, and I will continue working to reinvest in our New Hampshire lands and environment," said U.S. Congresswoman Annie Kuster.
"New Hampshire's natural environment is one of our greatest treasures and it's vital we protect it. I fought hard to pass the bipartisan infrastructure law to protect our environment, spur economic growth, and build a more sustainable future. I'm pleased to see these funds headed to our state to do just that," said U.S. Congressman Chris Pappas.
"With the assessment funds awarded to NHDES, we are very excited for the opportunity to directly assist underserved communities across the state in evaluating potential health risks associated with contaminated properties and aid in redevelopment planning. We congratulate BRI Development LLC on their successful cleanup grant, a first-time applicant who has worked hard to build community engagement and a focused plan for this downtown redevelopment project in the heart of Bethlehem. We also look forward to our continued working relationships with the regional planning commissions selected for the important work they will be doing in the communities they serve," said New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Commissioner Bob Scott.
EPA's Brownfields grants and assistance to New Hampshire this year is among other significant annual investments by EPA to help New England communities to address brownfield properties. Across the six New England states this year, EPA is awarding a total of $ 51,285,200 to assess or clean contaminated brownfields sites in 42 communities.
In New England, since the beginning of the Brownfields program, EPA has awarded $125 million in assessment grant funding, $122 million in revolving loan fund grants and supplemental funding and $87 million in cleanup grant funding, totaling $334 million. These grant funds have paved the way for more than $4 billion in public and private cleanup and redevelopment investment and for over 23,000 jobs in assessment, cleanup, construction and redevelopment.
Nationally, today's announcement includes:
- $112.8 million for 183 selectees for Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.
- $18.2 million for 36 selectees for Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient.
- $16.3 million for 17 selectees for Revolving Loan Fund grants that will provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites.
- $107 million for 39 high-performing Revolving Loan Fund Grant recipients to help communities continue their work to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects on contaminated brownfield properties. Supplemental funding for Revolving Loan Fund Grants is available to recipients that have depleted their funds and have viable cleanup projects ready for work.
The list of selected applicants is available here.
Since its inception in 1995, EPA's investments in brownfield sites have leveraged more than $35 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. This has led to significant benefits for communities across the country. For example:
- To date, this funding has led to more than 183,000 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment and more than 9,500 properties have been made ready for reuse.
- Based on grant recipient reporting, recipients leveraged on average $20.43 for each EPA Brownfields dollar and 10.3 jobs per $100,000 of EPA Brownfields Grant funds expended on assessment, cleanup, and revolving loan fund cooperative agreements.
- In addition, an academic peer-reviewed study has found that residential properties near brownfield sites increased in value by 5% to 15% as a result of cleanup activities.
- Finally, analyzing data near 48 brownfields, EPA found an estimated $29 million to $97 million in additional tax revenue for local governments in a single year after cleanup—2 to 7 times more than the $12.4 million EPA contributed to the cleanup of those brownfields sites.
Background
A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. Redevelopment made possible through the program includes everything from grocery stores and affordable housing to health centers, museums, greenways, and solar farms.
The Brownfields Program delivers on the Biden Administration's Justive40 initiative, which states that at least 40 percent of the benefits of certain government programs flow to disadvantaged communities. EPA is committed to meeting and exceeding this goal. Approximately 86 percent of the communities selected to receive funding as part of today's announcement have proposed projects in historically underserved areas.
The funding announced today will help communities begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields by stimulating economic opportunity and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities. Projects can range from cleaning up buildings with asbestos or lead contamination to assessing and cleaning up abandoned properties that once managed dangerous chemicals.
More information
The next National Brownfields Training Conference will be held on August 16-19, 2022 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Offered every two years, this conference is the largest gathering of stakeholders focused on cleaning up and reusing former commercial and industrial properties. EPA co-sponsors this event with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Conference registration is open.