Narrative proposal – single spaced, max 17 pages - City of Meriden

December 8, 2006Environmental Management Support, Inc.Attn: Mr. Don West8601 Georgia Avenue, Suite 500Silver Spring, MD 20910RE:USEPA Brownfields Cleanup GrantSent Via U.S. Postal Service on December 8, 2006Dear Mr. West:The City of Meriden, Connecticut is requesting $200,000 in EPA Cleanup funding to further its brownfieldscleanup and redevelopment efforts. The City intends to use the funds to cleanup the 77 Cooper Street site, a3.46 acre parcel that is a critical property in Meriden’s revitalization efforts.The 77 Cooper Street property was once home to the International Silver Company, which began in the silverbusiness back in 1898, when it first produced silver and pewter spoons and dishes. When the company shut itsdoors, it left behind a legacy as one of Meriden’s premier manufacturers and as one of the most contaminatedbrownfields in the City. The property has been identified as a priority for cleanup and redevelopment by a broadgroup of stakeholders. The City is prepared to take ownership through a condemnation or tax foreclosureaction. The cleanup of the Cooper Street site, implementation of flood control measures and the potential greenspace and commercial reuses will serve as a strong catalyst for continued revitalization of Meriden’s downtown.1) GRANT APPLICANT: Office of Economic Development of the City Manager’s Office, 142 East MainStreet, City of Meriden, Connecticut 064502) FUNDING REQUESTED:a. GRANT TYPE: Cleanupb. AMOUNT: $200,000c. CONTAMINATION: Hazardous Substances3) PROJECT LOCATION: The City of Meriden is a Connecticut municipality located in New Haven Countymidway between Hartford and New Haven, CT. Meriden is the geographical center of Connecticut and issituated at the intersection of Interstates 91, 691 and Route 5 (Wilbur Cross Parkway). The executive leadershipof the City of Meriden includes:

Mayor Mark BenigniCity of Meriden142 East Main Street, Meriden, CT 06450Tel: (203) 630-4125 Fax: (203) 639-7008Email: mbenigni@ci.meriden.ct.usMr. Lawrence J. Kendzior, City ManagerCity of Meriden142 East Main Street, Meriden, CT 06450Tel: (203) 630-4123 Fax: (203) 630-4274Email: lkendzior@ci.meriden.ct.us4) PROJECT CONTACT: The project director and responsible executive director is Ms. Peggy Brennan,Director, Office of Economic Development, City of Meriden (address above). Ms. Brennan can be reached viatelephone (203) 630-4151; via fax (203) 630-4274 or via email at pbrennan@ci.meriden.ct.us.5) DATE SUBMITTED: December 8, 20066) PROJECT PERIOD: Three (3) years7) POPULATION: According to the 2000 Census, Meriden has a population of 58,244, with a minoritypopulation of 21.1% Hispanic and 6.4% Black. The project area proposed for this grant has a population of4,615 persons of which 9.5% are black and 38.9% are Hispanic. Overall, 992 or 21.5% are at or below thepoverty level, and the area’s aggregate per capita income is only $13,024. The unemployment rate for the areawas 15.3%.8) Other: N/A9) COOPERATIVE PARTNERS: The City of Meriden actively engages the community in its brownfieldsredevelopment efforts through its Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) SteeringCommittee. The CEDS Steering Committee is comprised of 36 representatives of various entities, organizationsand individuals representing the interests of the public, private and not-for-profit sectors and oversees the City’seconomic development plan. A complete list of members is included as Attachment 1.The CEDS Blight & Brownfields Subcommittee (CEDS Subcommittee) was formed in October 2002, to guidethe City in redeveloping underutilized/vacant/brownfield properties and to support anti-blight efforts. TheCEDS Subcommittee more specifically focuses on the remediation of brownfields in the City. The CEDSSubcommittee seeks the active participation of community groups and stakeholders in brownfieldsredevelopment. A complete list of the individuals and organizations on these committees is included in SectionF of the Ranking Criteria for Assessment Grants of this proposal.As a recipient of a 2004 USEPA Brownfields Assessment Grant, the City was able to identify its brownfieldssites. Since the receipt of the initial assessment grant in 2004, the City has leveraged those funds with over $2.4million in funds and commitments from the State of Connecticut and its own municipal budget for furtherinvestigations and redevelopment activities downtown. Funding for cleanup work is a critical element remaining.We hope that USEPA will continue to support the City’s brownfields redevelopment efforts and provide thefunding necessary to bring this exciting revitalization to fruition and improve the lives of our residents.Sincerely,Lawrence J. Kendzior

City Manager

THRESHOLD CRITERIA FOR CLEANUP GRANTSA) APPLICANT ELIGIBILITYThe Office of Economic Development, City of Meriden, is an eligible entity for the USEPABrownfields Grant program. The City/MOED is a “General Purpose Unit of Local Government”as presented in Section III of the Proposal Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment, Revolving LoanFund and Cleanup Grants.B) LETTER FROM STATE ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORITYAs an applicant other than a State or tribal environmental authority, the Meriden Department ofEconomic Development must provide a letter from the CTDEP acknowledging its plan to conductcleanup activities. We have provided such a letter prepared by the CTDEP’s Bureau of WaterManagement/PERD. See Attachment 2, State Letter.C) SITE ELIGIBILITY AND PROPERTY OWNERSHIP ELIGIBILITY1) Basic Site Information:a) Name of site: The Cooper Street siteb) Address: 77 Cooper StreetAttachment #3 includes an aerial photo of the site location in downtown Meriden.c) Current Owner: BL&A Associated LTD Partnershipd) Date you plan to acquire ownership: The City is prepared to take ownership througha condemnation or a tax foreclosure action by June of 2007.2) Status and History of Contamination at the Site:a) Contamination: Hazardous Substancesb) Operational history and current uses:From the late 1800s until approximately 1974, industrial processes historically conducted onthe site included silverware manufacturing. Typical processes associated with themanufacturing of silverware, plated ware, cutlery and flatware included plating. Platingrelated activities include pickling, degreasing, machining and trimming, polishing, grinding,buffing, waste and material storage, and shipping. Plating in Factory H is known to haveused oils, acid and alkali solutions, nickel, silver, chromium, copper, zinc, degreasing solventsrelated to plating. The property has remained vacant since the late 1970s, and is currentlyabandoned.c) Environmental Concerns at the site include soil contaminated predominately withhazardous substance including arsenic, copper, lead, petroleum hydrocarbons, and PAHs.Soil contamination is above the state remediation criteria adjacent to the factory building.d) How did the Site become contaminated; what is nature and extent ofcontamination?Soil contamination resulted from historic manufacturing uses. Silverware manufacturingactivities conducted on the site from the late 1800s until the 1970s are the cause of thepollution at the site. Soil is contaminated predominately with hazardous substance includingCity of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 4 of 19

arsenic, copper, lead, petroleum hydrocarbons, and PAHs. Soil contamination is above thestate remediation criteria adjacent to the factory building. The nature and extent of soil andgroundwater contamination beneath the factory building is unknown.3) AffirmationThe site is not listed or proposed for listing on the National Priorities List; is not subject tounilateral administrative orders, court orders, administrative orders on consents, or judicialconsent decrees issued to or entered into by parties under CERCLA; and is not subject tothe jurisdiction, custody or control of the United States government.4) Sites Requiring a Property-Specific DeterminationThe Site is not subject to a CERCLA planned or ongoing removal action nor does it fallunder any of the categories identified under Section 3.4 in Appendix 3 “ Information onSites Eligible for Brownfields Funding Under CERCLA” No PCBs were found aboveregulatory criteria.5) Environmental Assessment Required for Cleanup Proposals:A Phase II/III Environmental Site Assessment has been completed on the property. A draftreport is currently under development by consultants Metcalf & Eddy hired by the City ofMeriden. In addition, the following studies have been completed on the site:• HRP Associates, Inc. Site Assessment Report, June 21, 1988.• Advanced Environmental Interface Inc. (AEI) Assessment of Site Environmental ConditionsReport, January 24, 1990.• ICF Kaiser Engineers, Inc. Underground Storage Tank Sampling Report, December 17, 1990.• Roy F. Weston, Inc. Removal Program Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation Report,December 22, 1997.• Roy F. Weston, Inc. International Silver Company, Factory H, Brownfields Targeted SiteAssessment Final Report, September 8, 1999.• GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. Supplemental Phase II, Environmental Site Evaluation,International Silver Company, Factory H Site, Meriden, Connecticut, June 2000.• Advanced Environmental Interface, Inc. (AEI) Ground Penetrating Radar Survey Results ForThe Investigation For The Location Of: Underground Storage Tanks & Utilities At: 77 Cooper St.,Meriden, CT, July 2005.• Advanced Environmental Interface Inc. (AEI) Removal Stabilization Activities SummaryReport, Former International Silver Company/Insilco Factory H Site, Meriden, CT, February 2006.• Metcalf & Eddy, Inc. (M&E). Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Report, Insilco Factory HSite, Cooper Street, Meriden, Connecticut, April 2006.6) AffirmationThe City of Meriden is not liable under CERCLA as an owner or operator of a facility or aparty that arranged for treatment or disposal of hazardous substances.City of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 5 of 19

7) Identify know ongoing or anticipated environmental enforcement actionsThe CTDEP has settled enforcement against the former owner for $1,000,000. These fundswere fully expended in cleaning up the site’s immediate hazards. No other enforcementaction is known or anticipated.8) Liability and Defenses/Protectionsa) Property Acquisition: The City is able to take ownership of the property because it isabandoned and the owners of the parcel cannot be found. The property would beacquired from BL &A Associated LTD Partnership through a public condemnation forflood control purposes or through a foreclosure action for real property taxes. Feesimple ownership would occur by June 30, 2007. The City has had no familial,contractual, corporate or financial relationships or affiliations with the prior ownerbeyond the collection of taxes.b) Timing of Hazardous Substance Disposal: All disposal of hazardous substances atthe site occurred prior to acquisition by the City. The City is not a responsible party toany release of hazardous substances at the site.c) Pre-Purchase Inquiry: The City of Meriden has conducted an assessment ofenvironmental conditions. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment was completed inApril 2006 and a Phase II/III is currently being completed. An update of the Phase Iassessment will be completed within 180 days prior to the City’s taking ownership of theproperty.d) Post-Acquisition Uses: In 2006, the City of Meriden hosted a community designcharrette to look at redevelopment of brownfields in the downtown area. One area offocus in the charrette was the 77 Cooper Street site. A redevelopment concept wascreated for the property which called for a passive recreation area (green space), includeda walking path on the east side of Harbor Brook for the residents surrounding the site aswell as additional parking for the adjacent high-rise apartments. The proposed plan alsocalled for resting stations where the residents could observe wildlife that would be drawnto the area and the use of plant life common to various birds. This reuse is consistentwith the City’s CEDS downtown revitalization plan. As a high-developed industrialbased City, Meriden has limited open space. Downtown is densely populated andbrownfields offer the only opportunity for creating green space. The proposed reuse ofthe property will reduce flooding in the downtown, and enhance residential andcommercial developments immediately adjacent to the site, thus improving propertyvalues and creating the possibility for redevelopment of underutilized properties nextdoor.e) Continuing Obligations:Once ownership is obtained, the City will take reasonable steps to stop any continuingrelease, prevent any future releases, and prevent or limit exposure to any previouslyreleased hazardous substance by implementing a remedial action plan that addresses thesubsurface contamination. As per CERCLA’s requirements, the City will:City of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 6 of 19

• comply with all land use restrictions and institutional controls;• assist and cooperate with those performing the cleanup and to provide access to theproperty• comply with all information requests and administrative subpoenas that have or maybe issues in connection with the property; and• provide all legally required notices.• Place deed notices on City GIS land use application for ongoing monitoring.9) Not ApplicableD. CLEANUP AUTHORITY AND OVERSIGHT STRUCTURE1) Describe how you will oversee the cleanup at the site.The City plans to enter the site into the CTDEP’s Voluntary Cleanup Program and enlist theservices of a Licensed Environmental Professional (LEP). The CTDEP will then determinewhether a staff member will oversee the cleanup or whether an LEP will be designated tooversee the cleanup with CTDEP maintaining review and audit authority.The City will acquire the expertise of an LEP from the existing brownfields assessment listcreated for the EPA Brownfields Assessment Program. Three firms maintaining an LEPwere selected in a competitive process and are available for all brownfields work.2) Will cleanup activities impact adjacent properties?No access to neighboring properties is needed. However, if access becomes an issue, theCity will work with current owners to obtain that access by requesting written approval fromproperty owners prior to conducting actual site activities and work on one-on-one bases toresolve potential concerns of property owners.E. COST SHAREThe cleanup funds under this grant application will be used to conduct soil remediation on theproperty. The City has passed a resolution for the 20% or $40,000 in municipal matching fundsfor site clean-up. (See Attachment #4 City Council resolution regarding the source of thesefunds.)RANKING CRITERIA FOR CLEANUP GRANTThe cleanup and redevelopment of the 77 Cooper Street site is part of a reinvention of thedowntown area in order to improve livability and improve flood control. Currently proposed reuseplans for the site include flood control/flood storage and open space. The City has and will applyfor continued funding for the flood control project in increments through State of Connecticutbond funds and potentially the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The configuration of the floodcontrol plan will impact potential soil reuse/capping options on the parcel therefore, the floodcontrol and site cleanup planning must be integrated. This grant will help to address significantlycontaminated areas at the site and allow the flood control project to move forward.City of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 7 of 19

A. Cleanup Grant BudgetBudget CategoriesProgrammatic costsonlyPersonnelProject TasksFinalRemediationPlans andBiddingSiteRemediationCostsProjectOversight/MonitoringPublicMeetings andCommunityInvolvementTOTALFringe BenefitsTravelEquipmentSuppliesContractual $ 30,000 $197,000 $5,000 $8,000 $240,000Other (Specify)TOTAL $ 30,000 $197,000 $5,000 $8,000 $240,000Cost Share $ 40,000Task 1: Remedial Action Plan and BiddingAn LEP will prepare a remedial action plan for soil remediation which supports the plannedflood control improvements. In addition, the LEP will prepare specifications and conduct a sitewalk through for prospective contractors prior to submittal of competitive bids to performremoval actions. Costs under this Task 1 include LEP’s time, bid advertising, copying, andreview of bids.Task 2: Remediation CostsSite soil is contaminated predominately with hazardous substance including arsenic, copper, lead,petroleum hydrocarbons, and PAHs.• Soil contamination above the state remediation criteria adjacent to the factorybuilding• Environmental conditions beneath factory building, relating to plating and othermanufacturing operations yet to be characterized.• Hazardous waste, including asbestos, lead and mercury (switches and light fixtures)in building areasThis grant will allow the City of Meriden to address soil contamination issues that are of mostconcern due to potential trespasser exposure risk. Based on the information to date and thereuse plan which includes flood control, the soil remediation will include hot-spot removal andCity of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 8 of 19

households, 22% or 212 are females with children, and of those 35.4% are below the povertylevel. Relative to housing, the project area has some 2192 housing units of which 1804 or 82%are rental and some 1845 or 84.1% are in a multi-family type structure.The northern section of the Dutch Hill/Action 13 Neighborhood, or Census Tract 1702 BlockGroup 3, contains high-rise elderly housing which was built in the 70’s and 80’s and accounts forits 44.4% 65+ population. Housing in Tracts 1709 and 1710 is much older with 65.8% of theunits in structures built prior to 1960.2. How will the targeted community benefit?The poorest of the community are living adjacent to Meriden’s blighted and contaminatedindustrial and commercial properties. This area is the most densely populated of the City, andhistorically exhibit the highest unemployment levels. These neighborhoods also represent thelargest minority population in the City. The combination of unemployment, poverty andbrownfields located in this targeted area presents apparent Environmental Justice issues.The blight associated with the Cooper Street site has had a significant, negative effect on thevery fabric of the downtown and neighborhood surrounding the site. This site contaminationand flood control issues has been a significant barrier to Meriden’s economic developmentefforts. Addressing the effects of blight and brownfields at the Cooper Street site is a keycomponent of every redevelopment effort the City proposes to undertake. Specifically, thecleanup of 77 Cooper Street will support a proposed new linear park and the elimination ofsignificant flooding problems, immeasurably enhancing the lives of those who live next to thisshuddered, flood prone area of the City, including the residents of the subsidized housingcomplex near the site. The proposed linear park will allow for the opportunity for recreation andenjoyment of the natural environment and also access to a previously inaccessible brook.3. Impact of Brownfields on targeted communityThe 77 Cooper Street site attracts unwanted users, is a significant eyesore, and creates an unsafeenvironment for the residents. A reuse conceptual plan for remediation and redevelopment ofthe property proposes demolition of the abandoned building, flood control improvements andcreation of green space. The successful completion of this proposed project will have a positiveimpact on the low to moderate income residents of the adjacent mid rise apartments, eliminatepotential exposures to neighbors and trespassers and improve the health and safety of theneighborhood.Meriden is a highly developed community with limited, remaining developable land.Approximately 70% of its land is considered developed, with an additional 13% designated asopen space. Of its remaining land area, due to extreme topographic slope, poor soil types,wetland and/or other areas subject to flooding, planning data estimates only 10% of its vacantland is developable. The limited developable land, constrains the City in new residentialconstruction and in significant development for industrial and commercial growth. As a result,the City must focus on strategies to adapt or reuse land in its older, developed neighborhoods toaccommodate future growth.As a struggling industrial-based city, Meriden has seen a decline of manufacturing due to hightaxes, labor costs and other factors, resulting in numerous Brownfields sites located throughoutCity of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 10 of 19

the City, in many cases within residential neighborhoods surrounding old industrial areas. Asdiscussed above, the blight associated with Brownfields has had a significant impact onMeriden’s community life, creating a barrier to the City’s economic development effort andresulting in potential threats to human health and the environment.For many years, Meriden has progressively gone from a community which was a center foremployment to one where the percentages of persons commuting to Meriden for employmentand the percentage of Meriden residents finding employment locally have declined.C. SUSTAINABLE REUSE OF BROWNFIELDS1. How would grant prevent pollution and reduce resource consumption?With the current USEPA brownfields assessment grant, the City has conducted an inventory andhas developed a prioritized list of all potential brownfields sites. The CEDS is actively workingwith the City on its Brownfields Initiative to ensure all identified sites are cleaned up andredeveloped. The CEDS Subcommittee prioritized the Cooper Street site as one of twobrownfield sites most in need of clean-up and having the highest redevelopment potential. ThisCEDS Subcommittee is also actively working with the anti-blight campaign run by the City codeenforcement program to ensure City properties do not fall into disrepair. The City’s zoning andbuilding permit processes extensively review new development and new land uses in conjunctionwith the City’s Engineering Department. These City codes and permits also require that newbusinesses and developers comply with State environmental laws and regulations. This providesfor effective controls to ensure that contamination of soil and groundwater is prevented. TheCity’s Economic Development Office fields questions from businesses and developers and makereferrals to CTDEP regarding pollution prevention issues. Working with the Connecticut Officeof Pollution Prevention, the City of Meriden will refer existing companies – and companiesconsidering moving to the City - to this program. The program provides the resources neededfor companies to practice pollution prevention, reduce toxins, improve operating practices andreduce or eliminate waste. The Economic Development Director has direct contact withCTDEP’s pollution prevention management staff.Efforts will be made to use LEED standard in measuring new developments created throughthe Brownfields process. The City may invite national experts to brownfields meetings andintegrate LEED standards in any reuse planning associated with the project funded under thisgrant.2. How would the grant promote economic benefits?As noted above, Meriden is a struggling industrial-based city and has seen a decline ofmanufacturing due to high taxes, labor costs and other factors, resulting in numerous abandonedand underutilized sites located throughout the City, in many cases within residentialneighborhoods surrounding old industrial areas. The blight associated with Brownfields has hada significant impact on Meriden’s community life, creating a barrier to the City’s economicdevelopment effort and resulting in potential threats to human health and the environment.The redevelopment plan for Meriden’s downtown is intended to foster long term, sustainedgrowth in Meriden’s central core resulting in increased economic returns in the form of taxdollars, job growth and increased quality of life for the entire community. Through the cleanupand reuse of the 77 Cooper Street site, the City can implement its demolition and infrastructureCity of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 11 of 19

improvements and recapture the economic value of this and other downtown properties that arenow vacant due to contamination and consistent flooding. In addition, the proposed open spacearea/park can serve as an amenity to support redevelopment efforts at adjacent underutilizedproperties and improve their property values.3. How would the grant promote a vibrant community with mixed uses?The City of Meriden sponsored a design charrette which provided stakeholders the opportunityto develop their vision for redevelopment of the Cooper Street and other brownfields siteswithin the City. The conceptual reuse plan developed during the charrette called for a passiverecreation area for the residents surrounding the site with additional passive recreation amenities.The cleanup of the Cooper Street site is a critical element in any proposed plan that can connectexisting residential neighborhoods to the commercial center of downtown and promotes a safewalkable community. Additionally, the reuse of this site is part of a larger effort to eliminateincompatible uses in the neighborhood and strengthen residential and commercial propertiessurrounding the site.D. CREATION AND/OR PRESERVATION OF GREENSPACE/OPEN SPACE ORNONPROFIT PURPOSEThe conceptual reuse plan for the 77 Cooper Street property proposes creation of a linear trail,improved flood control infrastructure and open space. This reuse concept’s proposed greenspace can allow for the opportunity for recreation and enjoyment of the natural environmentand also access to a previously inaccessible brook. Open space expansion has been a priority forthe City of Meriden as outlined in several of the City’s redevelopment initiatives. The two majorimpediments to the creation of open space and greenways have been flood control andbrownfields. The flood control improvements planned as part of the City’s downtownrevitalization initiation incorporates open space and greenways. In addition, the streambedimprovements proposed between Cook Avenue and Cooper Street, the replacement of theCooper Street Bridge and realignment of the roadway will allow for increased public access toHarbor Brook. Cleanup of the Cooper Street site will facilitate the creation of this new openspace.E. PRE-AWARD COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION1. Describe how the targeted community will be notifiedThe City of Meriden has on an ongoing brownfields community involvement program throughits CEDS Steering Committee and the CEDS Blight & Brownfields Subcommittee. The CEDSSubcommittee was consulted prior to the City’s submitting this application for cleanup funding.A draft of the grant application was provided to all CEDS Subcommittee members and it wasdiscussed at a public CEDS Subcommittee meeting on December 7, 2006 in Meriden.If EPA awards the City the cleanup grant, community involvement activities will be expanded toinclude a comprehensive stakeholder involvement program. This program will actively engagestakeholders both within and outside of CEDS. The general process is as follows:The City will activate the sponsor group used in previous brownfields redevelopment planningprocesses. The sponsor group will provide a link between those carrying out the project, thoseadvising the project, and the Neighborhood Associations that will be involved. This group willCity of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 12 of 19

design a project specific stakeholder process which will at minimum, inform the residents ofprogress, invite input on decision-making regarding assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment,and provide a forum for environmental education. Sample activities include Public notificationof the grant and the process of community involvement in the Record Journal, the local dailynewspaper. The grant summary and draft application would be made available for public reviewat City Hall. Flyers announcing the award would be posted by community groups, distributedto all city neighborhood associations, and made available at City Hall, the City HealthDepartment and Public Library. All information will also be included on the City of Meriden’sBrownfield webpage which is linked to the City website at www.CityofMeriden.org.The CEDS Subcommittee has allocated significant funds for facilitation and professionalsupport of the stakeholder process. Communication is intended to be carried out in English andSpanish as needed throughout the process.2. Explain why the method proposed is appropriateThe City of Meriden has used a similar process in successfully engaging the Dutch Hill/Action13 Neighborhoods in previous planning, flood control and brownfields stakeholder involvementactivities. Public Meeting announcements, including date, time, place and purpose of the publicmeetings will be submitted by press release to appropriate media outlets. A flyer announcing thepublic meetings will be provided to the CEDS Subcommittee for distribution in theneighborhood.3. Comment periodThe City discussed the grant applications at the August CEDS Brownfields meeting and receivedconsensus support for moving forward with development of the applications. The City asked theCEDS Subcommittee to comment on its draft grant application and then provided anopportunity for verbal comment at a meeting prior to the application submittal. If the grant isawarded, the formal opportunity for community members to review and contribute commentsto the grant application will take place prior to finalizing the scope of work. A 30 day commentperiod will allow for written and oral comments on the scope of work. This will provide the Cityfeedback with regard to and the planned remedial activities and allow the public an opportunityto communicate their concerns. An Administrative Record for the grant will be established atthe public library and this Information Repository will be maintained during the course of thegrant. A similar comment period will be provided at the completion of the remedial action plan.The public will be notified of the remedial action plan (RAP) completion, the placement of theRAP in the administrative record and the time period for comments.4. Plans for addressing comments receivedThe City of Meriden will accept comments on the Scope of Work and the RAP during thecomment periods and will provide written responses which will become part of theAdministrative Record. The City of Meriden will discuss comments at the CEDS BrownfieldsSubcommittee meeting in which all stakeholders may attend. Changes will be made based on thesense of the committee. The information repository will be updated with the inclusion of allmeeting minutes, status reports, and other communications as they are generated. Informationwill be specific as it relates to meeting both State and Federal requirements.City of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 13 of 19

F. ONGOING COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT1. Discuss plan for involving the affected communityThe City of Meriden is committed to the involvement of local stakeholders throughout the cleanup and planning process. In fact, the City committed to a broad-based brownfields process inJuly 2002 and has had over 16 regular meetings of the CEDS Subcommittee since that time.A focus group stakeholder meeting was held on April 4, 2006 at the neighborhood’s ImmanuelLutheran Church community room. The intent of the meeting was to help all stakeholders gainan understanding of the site and area, and the issues that confront its redevelopment, and toengage them in the planning process. Items discussed included historical background of theCooper Street site, environmental issues known to date, flood control plans and opportunitiesand constraints of the site and surrounding areas. A design workshop (charrette) was held onMay 6, 2006 at the Immanuel Lutheran Church and was open to all stakeholders. It provided anopportunity for participants to explore issues and to design alternatives for the Cooper Streetarea alongside City officials, architects from the Yale Urban Design Workshop and planning andfacilitation from the City’s brownfields consultant, Vita Nuova.Since receiving a USEPA Brownfields Assessment Grant in 2004, the community has beeninvolved in every phase of grant implementation, starting with site prioritization. This processwill continue as site cleanup and redevelopment progresses.2. Describe efforts and/or plans to develop partnershipsAs part of the brownfields process in Meriden, stakeholders were identified in the fall of 2005and were notified about ongoing efforts to assess, clean up and redevelop brownfields inMeriden and that the Cooper Street site would be a major focal point. In the spring of 2006, anintern hired by the City assisted in community outreach. She developed flyers to mail to allresidents in the area and contacted businesses and other stakeholders about the process. Posterswere also developed. The CEDS Brownfields Subcommittee also incited community residentsin the area to their meetings. The City developed a new brownfields web page with meetingannouncements, brownfields site information, and photos of all Cooper Street meetings.The City has also established a CEDS Subcommittee which includes members of numeroussectors of the community, the University of Connecticut Environmental Research Institute, andCTDEP as well as numerous community groups and organizations. A complete list is foundunder Section F.4. below. Those partnerships, which have been successful in our efforts todate, will be continued throughout this project.3. Describe specific plans for communicating progress to citizens.The CEDS Subcommittee meets regularly. All meetings are open to the public. TheSubcommittee has developed a webpage link to the City’s website focused on brownfieldsactivities and a community/stakeholder mailing list. Community-wide meetings have been heldin the evening at a local church in the downtown area. With appropriate topics, a communitywidemeeting can be held once a quarter. At these meetings, all brownfields issues and progressare discussed. Community-wide meetings are planned at key milestones of the cleanup process,including the development of the remedial action plan, prior to initiation of work and at projectcompletion. Information about the cleanup process will be posted on the website anddistributed to the community/stakeholder mailing list.City of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 14 of 19

4. Provide a list of community-based organizations involved in this project.Representative Organization Interest PhoneMary Ellen Meriden Resident/Neighborhood Association 203-238-0305MordarskiKenneth Mango Luby, Olsen, Mango, Gaffney Business 203-639-3560& DeFrancesRobyn-Jay Bage Women & Families Center Community Health 203-235-9297Sean Moore Meriden Chamber of Business 203-235-7901CommercePhil Ashton Flood Control Implem. Flood Control 203-237-7385AgencyDavid Radcliffe Meriden Children First Community Health 203-630-3560InitiativeTom Marano Northeast Utilities Business 860-665-5121Alan Bolduc Sentry Commercial Development 860-808-1247Peter Shiue Colliers Dow & Condon Development 203-562-5000Diane Duva CTDEP Environmental 860-424-3271Raymond Frigon CTDEP Environmental 860-424-3271Abby Emison Regional Growth Partnership RegionalDevelopmentChris Perkins UCONN Env. ResearchInstituteKevin Hood UCONN Env. ResearchInstitute203-821-3682860-486-4015860-486-2546G. REDUCTION OF THREATS TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT1. Describe how this will address/facilitate the identification and/or reduction ofthreats to human health and the environment.The Cooper Street property has been vacant for a number of years. A removal action conductedby CTDEP removed many hazards at the site. However, contaminants remain in surface soilsabove DEP Action criteria and groundwater is contaminated as well. The vacant building andlack of security creates an unwanted neighborhood element. The potential for off-sitecontamination exists surrounding this site.Soil contamination, consisting primarily of hazardous substances (volatile organic compounds,petroleum hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the metals antimony,arsenic, copper, lead and vanadium), and to a lesser extent, petroleum substances is known toexist on the property. Detected concentrations in the soil exceed the state remediation directexposure criteria (DEC) and pollutant mobility criteria (PMC). Groundwater contamination hasbeen identified in the vicinity of residential properties along the eastern property boundary.City of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 15 of 19

The cleanup will eliminate potential direct contact exposure from contaminated surface soils andeliminate concerns regarding groundwater migration off-site. The redevelopment plan for theCooper Street site calls for the creation of a linear park and additional parking for the adjacenthigh-rise apartments. In addition, according to the City’s Health Department, consistentflooding on the Cooper Street site and the potential migration and exposure pathways forcontaminants is of great concern. Once cleanup of the property is completed, the City ofMeriden will implement its flood control plan which is expected to protect the community frompotential health risks and other contaminant hazards associated with soil and groundwatercontamination within a densely populated area of the City.2. Describe how you are working with your state or local public health departmentThroughout its brownfields program, the Office of Economic Development has worked inconjunction with the Meriden and State Health Departments. Consultation with anddocumentation from these departments were used in developing the brownfields site inventoryand prioritization process. A thorough review of threats to human health and the environmentwas conducted in conjunction with this program. The Meriden Health Department is involvedwith the CEDS Subcommittee and continues to be a key stakeholder in the process. Thecleanup and redevelopment of the Cooper Street site is intended to mitigate environmental andsafety threats. In addition, these redevelopment efforts will likely be a catalyst for overallneighborhood redevelopment efforts that will result in safer housing and reduced exposures tolead, asbestos and other threats to children and adults. Both the Director of Health and theOffice of Community Development have been actively involved in these redevelopment plansand continue to provide data and assistance with regard to potential public health issues in thisprocess. In addition, the University of Connecticut Technical Assistance to Brownfields programhas employed a certified health professional to work with the Meriden brownfields program.3. Describe the proposed cleanup planThe Phase II/III Environmental Site Assessment is currently being completed. Based on theinformation to date and the reuse plan which includes flood control, soil remediation consistingof excavation and offsite disposal and on-site capping will be required. The scope of work willbe drafted to ensure completion of the soil remedy for the area targeted within the site. Thecleanup funds under this grant application will be used to remove areas of significant concern toenable flood control activities to move forward.H. LEVERAGING OF ADDITIONAL RESOURCESThe remediation, demolition, and redevelopment of the Factory H site is a multi-phase multimilliondollar investment by the City of Meriden. With the help of federal and state agencies, the City ofMeriden has committed to the completion of this long term downtown improvement project.1. Identification of FundsTo date, the City has invested the substantial time and efforts of its staff and resources bringingthis project to fruition. The following funding by the City of Meriden has either been approvedor may be approved in the future by the Meriden City Council.• The City Council has approved $40,000 fund to match this cleanup grant.City of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 16 of 19

• The City has expended approximately $1.5 million in municipal funds for the downtownflood control program. In addition, the City Council has committed an additional $2 millionto implement flood control improvements on the site and in the entire downtown.• HUD Community Development Block Grant – Meriden is an entitlement communityreceiving over $1 million annually from HUD. Some of these funds may be allocated toEPA funded projects with City Council approval and if they meet HUD guidelines;• City Manufacturing Assistance Program – the City has capitalized a 1.2 million-dollar loanfund to assist manufacturers in the City with expansion plans and to attract manufacturers toMeriden. The fund provides low-interest loans for purchase, rehabilitation, and constructionof facilities to house these manufacturers. Funds may be used for assessments andremediation. These funds can be used to leverage EPA assessment and revolving loan fund(RLF) grants when manufacturing is a proposed end use of the site.2. Demonstrate ability to leverage fundsThe City of Meriden has successfully attracted funding from a variety of sources in support ofthe Cooper Street site and the downtown revitalization project.U S Environmental Protection Agency• 2004 USEPA $200,000 brownfields assessment grant to identify and prioritize brownfieldssites for redevelopment and to conduct assessments on selected sites.• Targeted Site Assessment Funding - The City received $150,000 in targeted site assessmentfunding to investigate the vacant HUB site.• The City of Meriden received $144,336 in funding under the EPA Fiscal Year 2005Appropriations Act for the Meriden City Center Initiative (MCCI) Flood Control andDemolition.Connecticut Departmen t of Environmental Protection• Funding and implementation of additional Phase II subsurface investigation activities at theHUB siteThe Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (CTDECD)• The Meriden Economic Resources Group (MERG), a non-profit development entity,received $250,000 from the CTDECD to prepare a municipal development plan for 59 acresin the City center.• The City of Meriden has secured a $2 million grant from the CTDECD to fund the lead andasbestos testing, abatement and demolition of the HUB building.The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT)• $4.8 million Federal TEA 21 funds have been committed to flood control in the Meridendowntown.City of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 17 of 19

US Army Corps of Engineers• $250,000 for a flood control plan. The Corps has an additional $7.5 million available tosupport flood control activities in Meriden.I. PROGRAMMATIC CAPABILITY1. Demonstrate your ability to manage this grantThe City of Meriden has been a recipient of numerous grants from federal and state agencies.Meriden has successfully expedited redevelopment of a brownfield location in its EnterpriseZone, as witnessed by the remediation and redevelopment of a vacant rolling mills site (Walbro)into an automotive parts plant. Funding was provided by the State, the City and the developer.A second brownfields location is being redeveloped by the U.S. Postal Service for a new centralpost office building.The City Office of Economic Development, during the past ten years, has managed over $32million in state funds for site clearance, environmental assessment, remediation, infrastructuredevelopment and other public incentives for the Walbro Redevelopment.2. Describe your history of managing federal funds.The City of Meriden has a history of successfully managing numerous federal grants. In thecurrent fiscal year, federal grants totaled $18 million, with additional state and federal grants forthe Board of Education. The City is an entitlement community for HUD’s CommunityDevelopment Grant Program and has received over $27.8 million in funding over thirty-oneyears. The initial site assessment phase of this project was successfully completed using EPATargeted Site Assessment Funds and 2005 Brownfields Assessment Funds.The site assessment phase of this project was successfully completed using EPA Targeted SiteAssessment Funds and EPA Brownfields Assessment Funds.The Applicant is not aware of any adverse audit findings from an OMB Circular A-133 auditconducted by a federal, state or local government nor is the Applicant aware of any instances inwhich it might have been required to comply with special “high risk” terms and conditionsimplementing an OMB Circular A-102.3. EPA Brownfields cooperative agreement complianceThe City of Meriden successfully complied with all quarterly progress report, brownfieldsreporting measures and annual financial status reporting as required under the EPA assessmentgrant programs.EPA Brownfields cooperative agreement significant accomplishmentsThe City of Meriden received its initial brownfields assessment grant in September 2004. Sincethat time, the City has accomplished the following:• Held 16 brownfields committee meetings• Hired reuse and environmental consultants• Completed an inventory of brownfields sites and prioritized sites for assessmentCity of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 18 of 19

• Held a community-wide meeting to discuss the inventory and future activities• Provided input into the removal action conducted by CTDEP at the Cooper Street site• Completed a Phase I and II/III assessments at the Cooper Street site• Completed a community-wide design charrette for redevelopment alternatives4. Plans for tracking and measuring progressOutcomes, including number of properties assessed, jobs created, funding leveraged, areaspreserved, and any other relevant information will be tracked throughout the life of the projectthrough completion of the remediation and reuse. This information will be reported to EPAbeyond the performance period of the grant to the final redevelopment.City of Meriden FY 2007 Brownfields Cleanup Grant Application Page 19 of 19