Courtney Announces Record New Infrastructure Funding to Revitalize Brownfields in Rockville, Stafford Springs, and New London | Congressman Joe Courtney
Skip to main content

Courtney Announces Record New Infrastructure Funding to Revitalize Brownfields in Rockville, Stafford Springs, and New London

May 16, 2022

Nearly $2 million in new federal infrastructure funding made possible by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) announced three infrastructure grant awards totaling nearly $2 million that will revitalize three commercial properties in eastern Connecticut through the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Brownfield Cleanup and Assessment Grants program. The investment was made possible by the new Infrastructure Law, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (H.R. 1319), which Courtney voted to pass in October 2021. The Infrastructure Law invested a total of $1.5 billion over five years to help turn eligible brownfield sites across the U.S. into hubs of economic growth and job creation, and now funding is coming home for projects in Stafford Springs, the Rockville section of Vernon, and New London.

In January, after passing the Infrastructure Law, Courtney contacted the EPA to ensure the new resources would benefit eligible sites in eastern Connecticut. Courtney wrote directly to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler in support of Brownfield Cleanup Grant applications for the Town of Vernon, and for the Town of Stafford. Now, Vernon is set to receive $650,000 to revitalize the Daniels Mill in the Rockville section of town, and Stafford will receive $650,000 to clean up the former Stafford High School, which is currently vacant.

"The Town of Stafford is grateful for this transformative funding and our ongoing partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency and Region 1—this Brownfields Cleanup Grant promises so much for the long-vacant Earl M. Witt Intermediate School," said Amber Wakley-Whaley, Grants and Marketing Specialist for the Town of Stafford. "We're thrilled for the opportunity to address and overcome the environmental hurdles of this site, helping revitalize the iconic property into a vibrant community asset. We are incredibly appreciative of Rep. Courtney's support of this project and continued dedication in advocating for our towns."

"This EPA grant to help cover cleanup costs at Daniels Mill is a key step forward in our effort to restore the gateway to Rockville, develop housing and commercial space and get the properties back on the tax rolls," Vernon Mayor Dan Champagne said. "This is a true example of federal, state and local government coming together to move Vernon forward. This combined effort is essential to seeing this project through to a successful completion."

"Today's announcement of new EPA funding to support our towns comes straight from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which I voted to pass in the House last October. These grants will help clean up three eligible brownfields in the second district that otherwise would have languished for years," said Congressman Courtney. "Cleaning up brownfield sites is particularly important to eastern Connecticut, with its long industrial history. Unlocking these sites will go a long way to catalyze economic development, and funding from the IIJA means that our towns are actually going to create space for economic activity and recreation that will help keep eastern Connecticut growing and thriving. The Second District is set to receive a total of nearly $2 million in brownfield cleanup funding—in the city of New London to create new parks and recreation space, in Stafford Springs to clean up the vacant former Stafford High School, and in the Rockville section of Vernon to clean up Daniels Mill, an historic structure with tremendous potential, and the last building in the old Amerbelle Mill Complex in need of rehabilitation. All of this work is going to lead to healthier, more vibrant communities, which is exactly the intent of the 2021 Infrastructure Law."

New Brownfield Cleanup Grants for eastern Connecticut under the Infrastructure Law:

  • $650,000 to clean up Daniels Mill at 98 East Main Street (the Town of Vernon)
  • $650,000 to clean up the Earl M. Witt Intermediate School at 20 Hyde Park Road in Stafford Springs (the Town of Stafford)
  • $615,000 to clean up 43 Hempstead Street in New London (Renaissance City Development Association, Inc.)

To read Rep. Courtney's letter of support for brownfield site cleanup in the Rockville section of Vernon, click here. To read his letter of support for the Town of Stafford, click here.

Background

Rep. Courtney voted to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in October 2021. The bill represented a historic effort to revitalize American infrastructure, and included $1.5 billion in Brownfields remediation over five years to support communities in cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties. Today's announcement awards funding to 236 communities nationwide, and includes approximately $180 million of the IIJA's $1.5 billion for Brownfields remediation. A full list of selected applicants is available here.

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 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.

###