Brownfields are real property, the expansion, development or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region 1, awarded a $1.2 million Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Cooperative Agreements (CFDA 66.818) grant to Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG) effective July 1, 2025, through September 30, 2029. Under this cooperative agreement, SCCOG will conduct eligible brownfield assessment and remediation activities in the southeastern Connecticut region, including inventory, characterization, and environmental site assessment of real properties complicated by hazardous substances or contaminants. The recipient will competitively procure and direct qualified environmental professionals to conduct Phase I and Phase II assessments, develop cleanup planning documents, and report progress through the EPA's Assessment, Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES).

SCCOG will subaward funds to two subrecipients to support community engagement and technical expertise components. Eastern Connecticut Land Bank (ECLB) will provide technical assistance on qualified environmental professional selection and review assessment deliverables, while Connecticut Resource Conservation and Development Area (CT RCANDD) will facilitate community workshops, recruit community liaisons, and coordinate outreach activities. Additionally, SCCOG will hire three community liaisons—one per target area—to develop and execute community engagement activities focused on local stakeholder participation and to ensure inclusive input from target audiences throughout the assessment and planning process.

This agreement will provide funding to southeastern connecticut council of governments (secog) to conduct eligible assessment-related activities as authorized by cerlca 104(k)(2) in the southeastern region of connecticut. Activities:specifically, this agreement will provide funding to the recipient to inventory, characterize, assess, and conduct cleanup planning and community involvement related activities. Additionally, the recipient will competitively procure (as needed) and direct a qualified environmental professional to conduct environmental site activities. Also, the recipient will report on interim progress and final accomplishments by completing and submitting relevant portions of the property profile form using EPA's assessment, cleanup and redevelopment exchange system (acres). Subrecipient:southeastern connecticut council of governments will subaward funds to eastern connecticut land bank (eclb) for the following activities: providing technical expertise through serving on the QEP selection team and reviewing phase i/II assessment deliverables. Southeastern connecticut council of governments will also subaward funds to connecticut resource conservation and development area (CT rcandd) to advertise and assist in facilitating community-based conversations at community workshops and to assist with recruiting (through a competitively advertised process) and selection of community liaisons. Sccog will use grant funding to hire three community liaisons, one per target area, to help the project team develop local community engagement opportunities that will reach target audiences and executing independent community engagement activities focused on one-on-one or small group conversations. Additionally, a subgroup of CT rcandd, CT environmental review team (ERT), will contribute by providing insight on reuse planning deliverables given their expertise in natural resource redevelopment. Outcomes:further, the recipient anticipates conducting up to 8 phase i and 8 phase II environmental site assessments, up to 5 community meetings, up to 5 site-specific cleanup plans/analysis of brownfield cleanup alternatives, and up to 5 planning documents to initiate brownfields revitalization, as well as submitting 16 quarterly reports. Work conducted under this agreement will benefit the residents, business owners, and stakeholders in and near southeastern region of connecticut.