[CPEO-BIF] "Brownfields in the Green Mountain State" (Vermont)

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Brownfields in the Green Mountain State

Opinion by David K. Mears, commissioner of the Vermont Department of  
Environmental Conservation
Vermont Digger (VT)
December 2, 2012

Looking across the Black River at the refurbished building that used  
to house the revitalized former Fellows Gear Shaper factory, the last  
adjective to pop into my mind was "brown" or "field." Once completed,  
the beautifully restored 19th century factory will hold medical  
offices, restaurants, shops and more. I was there with Gov. Shumlin,  
Agency of Natural Resources Secretary Deb Markowitz and Agency of  
Commerce and Community Development Secretary Lawrence Miller to  
celebrate the award of several U.S. EPA grants to help Vermont  
communities clean up similar sites across the state.

Vermont is home to many properties contaminated as a result of  
historical uses. Brownfields can be difficult to redevelop, since the  
perceived risk of being held responsible for possible environmental  
contamination may discourage investment in their revitalization.  
Instead these properties and buildings deteriorate, becoming  
unsightly liabilities for the communities where they are located.



...

For the entire column, see
http://vtdigger.org/2012/12/02/mears-brownfields-in-the-green- 
mountain-state/

--

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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