Abandoned gas stations, former mills, commercial properties in tax delinquency. These are the vestiges of a century of industrial and transportation infrastructure development that began in the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee region in the mid 1800s. These properties are called Brownfields.
Brownfields are industrial or commercial properties that are abandoned, idled or underused due to contamination, either actual or perceived, by hazardous substances or petroleum products. These sites would likely be viable commercial, industrial or public use properties if they could be cleared of suspected contamination.
The overall goal of the Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Brownfields Reuse Program is to promote redevelopment and create vitality within downtowns and village centers by returning Brownfield properties to active commercial, industrial or municipal use. Other properties can be considered for this program if a public benefit would be gained from their redevelopment.
Redevelopment of Brownfields will help alleviate resistant pockets of poverty that have remained in the Region, create employment opportunities, increase municipal tax revenue and enhance community appearances. Redevelopment will bring economic revitalization to our region.
Before Brownfields can be redeveloped, information about the site must be collected to see whether or not it is contaminated. This process is called an Environmental Site Assessment, or an ESA. Like an inspection prior to buying a new home, ESAs are a form of due diligence. An ESA focuses on determining whether contamination exists on a property and, if so, what can be done to return the property to use for community benefit. Assessment results can be used to develop effective cleanup and re-development plans.
In 2003, the TRORC was awarded an initial EPA Brownfields assessment grant. Since that time, we have received $800,000 to perform petroleum and hazardous waste assessments (most recently in 2007). Consultants to the TRORC have completed or are working on ten Phase 1 assessments and six Phase 2 assessments.
State and federal tax incentive programs are available for private developers, and there are state policies aimed at redevelopment of Brownfield sites by municipalities. The State of Vermont operates a Redevelopment of Contaminated Properties Program (RCPP) that offers a property owner the liability protection needed to investigate and clean up a site and plan for its redevelopment. For petroleum sites, the state’s Petroleum Cleanup Fund offers financial assistance to property owners for the cleanup of spills due to failed fuel storage tanks.
No one should ever buy a property without doing a Phase 1 assessment. Don't let a Brownfields site continue to blight your community and take up valuable space! Let us do an ESA for you. If the assessment determines that cleanup is needed, the TRORC and its partners will help property owners seek funds to undertake the cleanup.
The TRORC will provide technical assistance, access to consultants that will conduct site investigations and remedial planning, outreach to the community and site neighbors, and other environmental management support as necessary. TRORC staff will assist the applicant in enrolling in the Vermont RCPP and can bridge the gap between a privately owned site and government officials.
Assessments will only be conducted on eligible properties where owner permission has been granted. Since these funds are limited and participation is totally voluntary, we can only help those that ask.
Call Sally Hull at (802) 457-3188 or email her at shull@trorc.org if you know of a petroleum site that we can address. All inquiries are completely confidential.
Related sites:
EPA's New England Brownfields site - Contains information directly related to the New England Region's ongoing Brownfields program.
EPA’s national Brownfields site – Describes the US EPA's Brownfields Program, including the Brownfields Law, US EPA Brownfields Grants, technical tools and resources, as well as information on brownfields projects across the county.
National Brownfield Associations (NBA) - An international umbrella organization of national associations focused on the responsible redevelopment of brownfields. The NBA is an association for government, businesses and individuals involved in the redevelopment of brownfields.
Petroleum Cleanup Fund – If you have an underground storage tank for petroleum, you may be interested in this chart that outlines your responsibilities and the possible state reimbursements for cleanup costs.
Redevelopment of Contaminated Properties Program - The Redevelopment of Contaminated Properties Program (RCPP) within the Department of Environmental Conservation's Waste Management Division allows a prospective purchaser to acquire property and clean up the property in exchange for receiving protection from owner/operator liability. This link also has other information about the state Brownfields program.