US EPA to commit $700k to assess and clean up contamination

BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. (AP) - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is committing $700,000 to help assess and clean up properties in Vermont that have been contaminated with potentially dangerous chemicals.

EPA acting Regional Administrator Deb Szaro is announcing the funding for Vermont “brownfield” properties Thursday at the Robertson Paper Mill in Bellows Falls.

The EPA says the investment will help leverage jobs and revitalize Vermont communities, including Bellows Falls.

The EPA defines a “brownfield site” as a location where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.