Brookfield Begins Cleanup Of Contaminated Site To Pave Way For Housing

BROOKFIELD, CT — The Town of Brookfield is moving forward with environmental cleanup efforts at a contaminated site at 20 Station Road, paving the way for a future mixed-use housing development, according to Economic Development Specialist Greg Dembowski.

The town received a $1.2 million state grant from the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development in December 2022 to fund remediation work at the property. In order to receive the funds, the town was required to secure a redevelopment partner and ensure the site would be used for housing in accordance with local zoning regulations. The parcel, which is slightly more than two acres, lies within a mixed-use zone allowing for residential and commercial development.

After a competitive bidding process, the town selected Enviro Consulting and Recyclers Inc., a Danbury-based contractor, to handle abatement and demolition work. The contact was signed April 1. That work — the abatement and demolition of the building materials — is expected to begin the week of May 5 and be completed within 20 days.

A separate bid process for soil and bedrock remediation is set to open in May, with a contract to be issued in June.

“This is the largest known contaminated plume in Brookfield,” said Dembowski. “We’re doing everything we can—and it’s highly regulated—to remove all of the soil down to bedrock and treat the fissures using chemical injections that will oxidize the chlorinated solvents.”

A contaminated plume refers to a body of groundwater that has been polluted by a specific type of contaminant, often liquid, that has migrated through the soil and aquifer. The contaminants at the site are remnants of dry-cleaning chemicals, including chlorinated solvents. Cleanup plans include the removal of all impacted soil and treatment of bedrock to neutralize any remaining pollutants. The goal is to complete soil removal when the water table is at its lowest point, likely in October.

Dembowski confirmed the town's development partner is the same group responsible for the nearby Brookfield Village project, led by developer Alan Rothman. Construction of the new residential and commercial buildings is expected to begin in early 2026, depending on weather, with a projected opening in summer 2027.