ctbrownfields: Dry Cleaning Establishment Remediation Fund

Dry Cleaning Establishment Remediation Fund

This program provides grants to eligible dry cleaning business owners/operators or property owners for the clean-up, containment, or mitigation of pollution resulting from releases of tetrachloroethylene, Stoddard solvent, or other chemicals used for dry cleaning. The grants may also be used for measures undertaken to prevent such pollution and for providing potable drinking water when necessary.

On behalf of DECD Commissioner Catherine H. Smith, the Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development is pleased to provide you with this update on the Dry Cleaning Establishment Remediation Fund (the “Dry Cleaning Fund” or “the Fund”).

As you know, the Fund faces a number of challenges, most importantly a lack of sufficient funding generated by the 1% gross receipt surcharge to meet the significant demand for cleanup funding across the state.

Despite these challenges, DECD is committed to administering the Fund efficiently and with a high degree of customer service.

As discussed at the Public Meeting held on January 18, 2018, we are pleased to provide an update on the administration of the Fund.

Public Meeting – Fund Update 1-17-18 – DECD Offices 450 Columbus Blvd Hartford

  • Receipts seem to be down from a year ago at nearly 13-15%.
  • Three (3) dry cleaning grants have closed since the last public meeting held July 2107, totaling approximately $335,000. 
  • As of January 2018, the combined pipeline of applications awaiting funding (Intake Round 2014 and Intake Round 2016) stands at 49 totaling approximately $10 million.   These applicants have secured a place in line to approach the Fund and will be contacted when the Fund is in the position to fully review the application and to offer the grant funds.  Any available funds that open up are quickly channeled to awaiting applications. Applicants should still expect a significant waiting period as the dry cleaning receipts cannot cover the demand.
  • Representatives from the CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection presented two additional resource documents.  The new link is provided below.

DECD will continue to host biannual information meetings twice per year to provide updates to the industry on the administration of the Fund as well as to gather input and feedback from the industry.  Notifications of the public meeting will be done through the agency website and through email blasts.  The next meeting will take place in the summer of 2018.  A conference call-in number will again be made available. 

We look forward to continuing to work with the Dry Cleaning industry to administer the Fund, and to making continuous improvements to our processes and procedures to allow us to address the significant challenges facing the fund. Send us an Email for more information.

 

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Content Last Modified on 1/23/2018 8:35:06 AM