Town gets $1.8M grant to remediate mill brownfields

HADDAM — The Department of Economic and Community Development has awarded a $1.8 million grant to the town of Haddam for the cleanup of blighted properties in Haddam through the Brownfield Remediation Program.

The governor’s administration is awarding approximately $17.9 million in state grants to help with the costs of remediating 40 blighted parcels in 13 towns and cities across Connecticut for the purposes of putting them back into productive use, Gov. Ned Lamont’s office said in a press release.

Frants are are expected to leverage $427 million in private funding, and will help in the investigation and clean-up of approximately 78 acres of land, the news release said.

State Sen. Norm Needleman, D-Essex, said the $1,800,000 grant will lead to the remediation of two former D&H Scoville Hoe Co. mill buildings, which will be reused to benefit the local community, he said.

“Its location, right near Higganum’s Village Center, is key to support the growing revitalization of the area — once abated, the mill buildings can be used as shops, galleries, offices or restaurants, all of which will benefit our community,” Needleman said in a prepared statement.

The Haddam grant was one of 13 announced Jan. 6 by the governor’s office. Brownfield remediation serves two strong purposes in Connecticut, Needleman said: “giving communities positive economic impact by returning properties to productive use and removing contaminants from those properties that may have had negative impacts on the local environment.”

State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Katie Dykes said the grants benefit residents “twice over.”

“In addition to having a positive economic impact by returning disused properties to productive use, it provides for the removal of contaminants from these areas that may have been negatively impacting the environment for many years,” she said.

“Removing pollution from these properties unlocks new and varied uses for these properties, including housing, mixed-use commercial and retail options, office and business space, and community recreation that fill needs and expand opportunities for those who live and work in and around these spaces,” Dykas added.