About Springfield EPA Community-Wide Brownfields Assessment Grant Program

In spring 2018, the Town of Springfield was awarded $250,000 in EPA grant funding to conduct environmental assessments of potentially hazardous sites throughout the community.  Springfield was one of six Vermont communities among 144 communities across the United States to benefit from EPA funding for brownfield site revitalization efforts. 

This grant funding can be used to conduct Phase I and Phase II Environmental Site Assessments as well as the Clean-up Planning activities that follow the assessments. 

According to the EPA, 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.

Environmental assessments address this concern in the following ways:

• Phase I assessments can identify the potential hazards through research of historical uses and other records for a specified property.
• Phase I assessments can protect interested buyers potential liability for property whose historical use may be cause for concern of environmental contamination.
• Phase II assessments allow the potential buyer or property owner to explore the extent of contamination though sampling and testing.
• Clean-up Planning can include the development of a Corrective Action Plan (or CAP) and estimated costs to clean-up the site.

The following article from the Eagle Times elaborates more on the program: https://www.eagletimes.com/news/epa-gives-springfield-grant-to-assess-hazardous-sites/article_84e77ae4-4a64-11e8-ba65-4f192952d8b2.html

“The Town of Springfield is extremely pleased to have received such needed funding and the timing couldn’t be better. Following the completion of the Springfield Master Plan, I believe the town has reached a pivotal point with developer interest in the economic potential of our historic downtown. This funding for brownfields assessment is the spark which will get these projects moving forward. We have strong community support for the revitalization of our brownfields and will strive to clean up new sites which will complement the successful redevelopment of the 100 River Street complex, also made possible with the support of the EPA’s Brownfields Program”

Tom Yennerell, Springfield Town Manager

To find out more about the program or if you have an interest in having an assessment done by one of our qualified environmental professionals, please contact Cindy Ingersoll .