Brownfield Redevelopment

BDCC’s Role in Vermont’s Brownfield Redevelopment Framework

Vermont’s brownfield programs are designed to support the cleanup and reuse of contaminated or potentially contaminated sites—often abandoned industrial or commercial properties. Key statewide tools include:

• BRELLA (Brownfields Reuse and Environmental Liability Limitation Act) – Provides liability protections to developers and municipalities who investigate and clean up sites.
• EPA Brownfield Grants – Funding to assess, plan, and remediate brownfield sites.
• Windham Regional Commission’s Brownfields Program – Offers site assessment services and grants through federal and state sources.
• Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and USDA Rural Development, and Northern Boarders Regional Commission – Provide supplemental resources for infrastructure and site improvements.

As a designated Regional Development Corporation (RDC) and a nonprofit economic development organization, BDCC acts as a project manager, intermediary, and risk-mitigator for public and private stakeholders across southeastern Vermont.

What BDCC Has Done

BDCC has directly supported successful brownfield redevelopment projects through:

 Environmental Due Diligence and Risk Navigation

• Conducted Phase I & II Environmental Site Assessments for properties BDCC is assisting in cleanup across Windham County.
• Entered multiple properties into BRELLA to secure liability protection for transactions involving contaminated sites.

• Secured $500,000 EPA Cleanup Grant to address contamination at Long Falls Paperboard.
• Helped Support Groundworks project in Brattleboro which received Windham Regional Commission/EPA funds (e.g., $10,818 for Groundworks).
• Supported financing through NMTCs, CDBG, NBRC, EDA, EPA and USDA programs.
• Used Brownfield programs in partnership with VEDA Sub-3 loan program to acquire property and cleanup sites on behalf of project companies reducing upfront cost and risk.

• Retained ownership until remediation and financial structures were complete, then transitioned to long-term user.

Brownfield sites are often frozen assets—too risky, too costly, or too complex to reuse without help. BDCC:

• Reduces risk for buyers and lenders by taking on environmental assessments and legal complexity.
• Unlocks funding that individual owners or small developers cannot easily access.
• Coordinates state and federal partners to align resources and expedite permitting and remediation.
• Provides hands-on project management, ensuring regulatory compliance and long-term viability.

BDCC enables brownfield redevelopment that would not otherwise happen in rural Vermont. Through technical expertise, strategic partnerships, and risk-bearing capacity, BDCC helps transform environmental liabilities into productive community assets—preserving jobs, infrastructure, and economic potential across the region.