Blumenthal, Murphy, O’Leary, EPA Announce New Funding To Clean Up, Redevelop Old Factory Sites, Boost Jobs

(Waterbury, CT) —Today, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Congressman Chris Murphy, Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary, and Nancy Barmakian from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented the Waterbury Development Corporation and the City of Waterbury with nearly a million dollars in grants to clean up and redevelop old factory sites, boost local economies, and create jobs.

The multi-purpose and brownfield grants will fund clean-up activities and site assessments, and will help revitalize properties throughout Waterbury and support community outreach activities in the city.

“This is a great day for Waterbury,” said Murphy. “In a state with so many old factories like Connecticut, we have a huge opportunity to turn these old buildings into new jobs now by cleaning them up and redeveloping the sites. We’ve pushed hard for grants like this as a way to make our communities safer and healthier, while boosting local economies and create jobs. I’m thrilled to see these grants come through and move forward.”

“Curing contamination is critical to making this brownfield site a source of jobs and economic growth, which Waterbury richly needs and deserves,” Blumenthal said. “A new generation of manufacturing will flourish here-- succeeding a brass plant that produced ammunition casings and made this city an arsenal of democracy. Grants for brownfield remediation around the state, announced today, are the result of great work by local officials in Meriden, Middletown, Newtown, Naugatuck Valley, Preston, as well as Waterbury. We're pushing for more.”

The city will receive nearly $1 million, including $550,000 in new funding from a pilot grant for clean-up and assessment. Waterbury is one of nine communities in the United States to receive this pilot grant funding, and the only community in New England.