tim sullivan, deputy commissioner revitalizing connecticut’s brownfields
TRANSCRIPT
Tim Sullivan, Deputy Commissioner
Revitalizing Connecticut’s Brownfields
Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development
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Table of Contents
I. The Brownfield Imperative
II. Program Updates
III. OBRD Programs and Funding Opportunities
IV. Q&A / Discussion
Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development
The Brownfield Imperative
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The Challenge
Connecticut’s – and America’s – economy is in constant transition, and our built environment must adapt as well• The development of factories and mills drove the creation and growth of
Connecticut’s cities and towns• Many of these facilities operated before modern environmental laws
existed, leaving behind significant contamination and hazardous waste• In many cases, properties have been left abandoned for decades, and
the original polluter is long, long gone• There are thousands of abandoned or underutilized properties
languishing in nearly every city and town in Connecticut
These Sites are Market Failures Requiring Public Investment to Be Resolved
Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development
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Why Brownfield Development?
Pollution Cleanup &
Public Health
Job Creation & Economic
Growth
Downtown Revitalization
Less Development Pressure on Open Land
Brownfield Development
More Properties On The Tax Rolls
Historic Preservation
“Cleaning up Connecticut brownfields is an important component of our economic development agenda.” – Gov. Dannel P. Malloy
Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development
Program Updates
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Connecticut has made an unprecedented commitment to investing in brownfield redevelopment• Since FY2012, the State has invested $138m in 100+ projects to
remediate and redevelop contaminated sites across the State
• In FY2015, $41.5m was contracted with cities, towns, non-profits and developers
• For every dollar invested by the State, $4.53 has been or will be invested by non-State partners
• FY2015 projects: $6.29 for every $1 invested by the state
• $40m of new funding was authorized for FY16-17, up from $30m in previous biennium
An Historic Commitment to Brownfields
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DECD worked closely with DEEP and the Brownfields Working Group to advance several program improvements
• New program: Brownfield Areawide Revitalization (BAR) Grants
• Loan/Grant programs:• Equalizing maximum loan and grant sizes• Ending municipal authority to pass grants through as loans• Enabling DECD to award additional grant funds for legitimate
unexpected cost overruns• Exempting HBM-only loans from VCP requirements
• Expanding State-owned brownfield initiative to include formerly State-owned sites
2015 Legislative Changes
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Success Stories: Two Roads Brewery, Stratford
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Success Stories: Two Roads Brewery, Stratford
$500K OBRD Grant; $20m+ total private investment
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Capewell Horse Nail Company - Hartford
Built 1902, 170,000 Sq. Ft., Vacant Since the 1980s
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Capewell Horse Nail Company - Hartford
Groundbreaking, July 22 2015
Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development
OBRD Programs and Funding Opportunities
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OBRD: How Can We Help?
Connecticut has developed a suite of tools to encourage the remediation and redevelopment of brownfields
Grants (Municipalities and Economic
Development Agencies)
Low-Interest Loans (Developers,
Municipalities, Agencies)
Liability Relief
Tax Increment Financing
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Connecticut statute provides several opportunities to relieve potential liabilities associated with brownfields• Municipal Brownfields Liability Relief: Provides state and third party
liability relief, exemption from Property Transfer Act; not required to fully investigate or clean up but required to serve as good stewards of the land
• Brownfield Remediation and Revitalization Program (BRRP): Up to 32 properties per year that enter into the VCP and pay 5% of the property’s assessed value to DEEP are eligible for relief from offsite liability
• Abandoned Brownfield Cleanup (ABC) Program: Properties that have been unused or underutilized for 5 years or more can apply to be held harmless for offsite contamination resulting from conditions onsite
• Properties must enroll in DEEP’s Voluntary Cleanup Program (VCP)
Liability Relief for Brownfields
“Responsible Parties” are ineligible for liability relief and State funding
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OBRD administers a Municipal Grant Program (MGP)
• Eligible Applicants: Municipalities and economic development agencies
• Funding Amounts: Grants of up to $4 million• Grants are reimbursement-based
• Application Process: Municipal Grants are awarded on a competitive basis through periodic funding rounds
• Next round: Applications posted September 28, due November 9
• New Program: Brownfield Areawide Revitalization (BAR) Grants
OBRD Financial Assistance: Grants
• Comprehensive planning, moving from traditional site-by-site to area-wide approach
• Modeled after EPA’s Area-Wide Planning Program
• Pilot round: $1 MM funding availability• Application published September 16, due November 16• Maximum grant: $200,000 (10% local match)
• Eligible entities - Municipalities, Economic Development Agencies, and COGs
• Eligible activities: community visioning, existing conditions analysis, limited ESAs, GIS mapping, market studies, marketing to developers, site portfolio, local zoning revisions and other actions to spur investment
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Brownfield Areawide Revitalization Grant
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OBRD administers a Targeted Brownfield Development Loan Program (TBDLP)• Eligible Applicants: Potential brownfield purchasers and current
owners (including municipalities)
• Funding Amounts: Loans of up to $4 million
• Terms: Low-interest, flexible/deferred interest; maximum 20-year term
• Application Process: Loans are awarded in a “rolling rounds” process• Applications are batched and reviewed on February 1, April 1,
July 1, October 1• At the discretion of the Commissioner, applications will be
considered for funding outside of this schedule
OBRD Financial Assistance: Loans
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Costs associated with the investigation and re-development of a brownfield, including but not limited to:
• Soil, groundwater and infrastructure investigation
• Assessment
• Remediation
• Abatement
• Hazardous materials or waste disposal
• Long-term groundwater or natural attenuation
Eligible Uses of DECD Funding
• Other institutional controls
• Attorneys fees
• Planning, engineering and environmental consulting
• Building and structural issues
• Environmental insurance
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Please reach out to us with any questions on any element of a brownfield project
Follow us: @CTBrownfields
www.ctbrownfields.gov
OBRD Contact Information
Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development
Q&A / Discussion
Tim Sullivan, Deputy Commissioner
Revitalizing Connecticut’s Brownfields