By Brent Addleman | The Center Square
The state has begun the remediation process for 10 brownfield sites across the state.
Gov. Phil Scott announced in a news release that Vermont has committed $7 million through the Agency of Commerce and Community Development and the Agency of Natural Resources toward the $25 million appropriated to clean up brownfield sites across the state.
“I strongly advocated for this funding in my budget because we knew there was a backlog of brownfield sites ready to be cleaned up, but they didn’t have the funding to make it happen,” Scott said in the release. “It is encouraging to see millions of dollars being committed so quickly to clean up these properties and return them to productive use. The economic and environmental impact these projects have on our downtowns and rural villages will be transformational for Vermont communities.”
The funding represents the first time that state dollars are being used to clean up brownfield sites, as the state relied in the past on the Environmental Protection Agency.
Brownfield sites are land that contain contaminants from previous industrial sites that may hinder future redevelopment. The contaminants must be removed from the site before the land can be reappropriated.
Funding for cleanup of brownfield sites was made possible with the June 8 passage of Act 74. The measure provided appropriations to the state government for FY22, providing for grant funding, operating expenses, and wages for third-party contractors.
The measure, according to the release, created the Brownfields Revitalization Fund and allocated $11 million into the fund. Since the Act was passed more than $1.7 million into the fund which was committed to eight projects that created more than 200 jobs.
“We are thrilled with the demand we are seeing for funding to support these important projects around the state,” said Department of Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein in the release. “These projects are creating new spaces for businesses to grow, much needed new housing units for the state’s workforce, and even new recreational opportunities for Vermonters and visitors alike. With additional projects already in the queue for approval, we look forward to continuing to support the redevelopment of these sites.”
Among the projects already receiving $4.5 million funding are the former Fonda Container Company site in St. Albans and the Jones and Lamson site in Springfield.
Joan is the same person that was doling out $10,000 to the first 100 out-of-staters to move to Vermont to ‘work’ from home.
Sure would have liked to follow that paper trail ….
“Work is very portable, much more so now than ever before in history. People take their jobs with them wherever they travel. Why not make Vermont your permanent home and bring your job with you?”
Note to self: typically bean counters don’t ‘make’ anything
But before to moving to Vermont from New York City, Joan spent 20+ years in the financial services industry at JP Morgan and Credit Suisse in a variety of international sales, marketing, client relationship and project management roles in the correspondent banking, equity capital markets, and private banking areas. Wager she wasn’t a Trump supporter?
“[We] need to share the tax burden. It’s as simple as that. We are a small state with a small population and we are one of the oldest states in the nation.”
White privilege speaks …. BRAHAWhawhwarhaaa
Next stop, island properties adjacent to Bernie
day late dollor short they already have one of mabey 3 ripped down and gone in Springfield.. this is good news