Brownfields Assessments

Rutland Region Brownfields Reuse Program

Nearly $1 Million is available to our region from the US EPA to identify and perform environmental assessments. Sites throughout the Rutland Region that have perceived or real contamination issues that are preventing sale and redevelopment of commercial properties are eligible. The ultimate goal is to bring these sites back into full use so that they are serving the public good either through provision of services or contribution to the local tax base.

RRPC staff will guide a property owner through the process of assessing potential contamination. We will also help identify funding available for cleanup if it becomes necessary.

A steering committee of local leaders and experts oversees this program and meets regularly to help:

outreach to towns in the region;
identify candidate sites;
approve sites for entrance in program;
recruit and hire qualified consultants to perform site assessment; and
advise the RRPC in overall administration of the program.

Representatives with various types of expertise such as:

Local town officials; developers; attorneys; bankers; environmental engineers; real estate agents; small businesses; agriculture; public health; and water quality

are encouraged to join the Steering Committee.

Feel free to call Tara Kelly at 775-0871 to learn more about the program, discuss a potential site, or to serve on the steering committee. We always welcome comments and input about our program.

Addition information on the Brownfields Assessment and Reuse Program:

What is a Brownfield?

How will assessment sites be chosen?

Why is this effort important to the overall region?

Private owner responsibility issues

Similar state and national programs

Funding of the Brownfields Program

What is a Brownfield?

“Brownfields are abandoned, idled or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination.” (US Environmental Protection Agency)

In other words, it is a site that under normal circumstances would be developed and contributing to a town’s tax base, but because of its prior use there is a potential for environmental contamination that is causing new users to shy away from that site for fear of inheriting a environmental problem. Typical prior uses that may fall into this category include old town dumps, photo developing sites, factories, dry cleaners, auto repair shops, even some agricultural sites.

Note: A key word in the definition is “perceived”. Experience in other regions shows that often an assessment determines there is little or no contamination on a site, thereby making the land immediately available for re-use.

How will assessment sites be chosen?

The steering committee will help guide decision-making for this effort. Sites are deemed eligible based upon criteria such as:

high potential for re-use
good access to existing infrastructure
willing property owner
redevelopment would contribute toward a local town’s goals

All towns in the region are encouraged to nominate candidate sites.

Why is this effort important to the overall region?

Similar to other areas of Vermont , towns within the Rutland region have a limited amount of infrastructure in place (such as sewer, municipal water etc.). At the same time, most towns hope to retain a large amount of open space and/or agricultural uses. By investigating sites that were previously in operation as a non-residential use (and therefore likely to have infrastructure in place that would support future development), it is more likely that new development will be encouraged in those areas versus in the “greenfields” (i.e. undeveloped lands).

In addition, clean up of sites that have environmental contamination will benefit all of us as it will alleviate health risks and remove factors that may be contributing to the pollution of ground and surface waters.

Private owner responsibility issues

Ultimately, clean-up of environmental problems on a site is the responsibility of a property owner. This is why sites with suspected contamination issues can be hard to sell and often lay unused. Under these circumstances, the present owner often lacks the capital needed to conduct an assessment. Equally, potential buyers are unwilling to spend money on the assessment of a piece of property that may turn out to be a major clean up investment that makes it not worthwhile to purchase. Therefore, the availability of grants allows assessments to be done without this initial private investment.

The funding RRPC has received is restricted to assessment work. Therefore, the burden of clean-up will remain with current/future property owner. However, there are a number of funding sources and insurance programs available to assist with this, especially in the case of a publicly-owned property. RRPC staff will provide assistance to identify these resources.

Similar state and national programs

Every Vermont regional planning commission has their own brownfields program:

RRPC staff is in close contact with staff in those regions, as well as the State Department of Environmental Conservation, in order to share information and learn from their experience.

For further information on Brownfields see the EPA Region I website.

Funding of the Brownfields Program

Funding for the Brownfields program is provided through the new Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalizations Act.

Back to Home Page