News

State officials cut ribbon on brownfield cleanup

By Patrick Adrian
[email protected]
BELLOWS FALLS, Vt. — Vermont Gov. Phil Scott and Rep. Peter Welch joined state and local officials, residents and community stakeholders on the Island Friday to celebrate the completion of an extensive brownfield cleanup of the former Robinson Paper Mill property, which the community sees as a pivotal step in the area’s economic revitalization.

The ribbon cutting took place outside on the 1.67 acre lot that once held the longest operating paper mill in the state. Attendees braved the chilly afternoon, shielded only by a canopy tent, a heat lamp and New England bravado, to hear from officials and contributors about the collaboration between federal, state and local partners to accomplish this project.

“This project required the right people and the resources to make it a reality, and fortunately we had the right amount of both to accomplish that,” Scott told the audience. “As a result of that teamwork, we now stand on a parcel that is ready for redevelopment.”

In 2013, the Bellow Falls Area Development Corporation acquired the former mill property for the purpose of someday clearing the land for development.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invested more than $800,000 in Brownfield funding into the project through state agencies and grant programs, comprising of $234,000 to the assessment and $550,000 to the cleanup of multiple soil contaminants. The soil contaminants ranged from metals like lead and arsenic, volatile organic compounds, and petroleum, which had reached the water system. The project also removed building contaminants like asbestos and lead paint from the mill building’s demolition earlier this year.

The cleanup crews salvaged a considerable volume of material from the mill building: more than 25,000 board feet of timber, 1,000 cubic yards of bricks, 100 tons of left-over paper, 1,600 cubic yards of soils encapsulated on site and miscellaneous building materials like doors, windows and fixtures. These materials were recycled or sold for salvage or reuse.

“[This salvaging] protects the environment, costs less than sending those materials to the landfill and will allow them to be reclaimed or preserved,” said Julie Moore, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources.

Robin Sweetapple, president of the Bellows Falls Area Development Corporation, said their private, nonprofit development group aims to sell the property for commercial development. The lot is zoned for use as a business center, professional offices or enclosed manufacturing. In addition to close proximity to the Bellows Falls historic downtown, the site is in an Opportunity Zone — an economically distressed area where investors are eligible to receive preferential tax treatment to develop projects to spur economic growth.

“[The cleanup project] opens up new possibilities for a re-imagined Island,” Sweetapple said. “The Island is part of downtown. It’s not an auxiliary parking area, and it’s not just an industrial site. This is not just the revitalization of one site, but the revitalization of the island in general.”

Sweetapple said she envisions the Island as “a walkable, bikeable extension to the downtown, with shopping, offices, food and an amazing view” of the Connecticut River.

Welch said that when dismayed by political division happening at the national level, he finds inspiration from the leadership and collaboration in Vermont communities.

“Getting dismayed about what’s going on in Washington, D.C. [doesn’t excuse you from] getting up each day to do what you can to make your community a better place,” Welch said.

Welch used the Robertson Paper Mill to illustrate how a community worked from the bottom-up to solve a problem.

“This site used to be the place where good work was being done by good Vermonters and good folks from New Hampshire, with good jobs that really added to the community,” Welch said. “And the world has changed. So what’s our response? How do we move on to revitalize?”

Welch said that this project began with a community “believing in itself” and the collaboration between local stakeholders, the Windham Regional Commission, state and federal agencies.

The Windham Regional Commission provided more than $90,000 in funding through an EPA-funded grant and another $150,000 from its revolving loan fund to this brownfield cleanup.

“It’s cooperation, not conflict, that makes progress,” Welch said. “That’s so important to remember in these challenging times, and it’s happening right here at this moment.”

The Island, whose land was once attached to Bellows Falls, formed in 1802 with the building of the canal along the Connecticut River. The Island went under significant development during the 19th Century. The Robertson Paper Mill building, built in the late 1800s, was originally utilized as a machine shop and foundry. The Robertson Paper Mill began operating there in 1907, where it manufactured wax and tissue papers, ceasing operation in 1987.

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