The EPA has awarded $200,000 for the redevelopment of an old paper mill site along the Connecticut River.
Figuring out what to do with old mill buildings is an ongoing - and expensive - challenge for many New England towns. This site, the old Robertson Mill, actually sits on an island in the Connecticut River, right between New Hampshire and Bellows Falls, Vermont. You can hear the nearby falls from here on the property.
"It’s one of the old mill buildings that this town, really...a lot of this economy was built upon."
That’s Chris Sherwin. He has an art studio just down the street, in the town of Bellows Falls, Vermont. He says the building’s iconic here.
But like many others, it’s not in good shape. It’s a Brownfield site, contaminated with asbestos and chemicals from the paper making process.
The EPA funds will help tear it down and clean up the grounds. Town officials hope once that’s done they can find a buyer for the property.
