Brownfields for Redevelopment EPA Brownfields for Redevelopment EPA

By Definition: A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

The Bellows Falls 'Island' district and 'Under the Hill' was once a major hub for five railroads and numerous factories and paper mills who utilized the power of the Connecticut River from the 1870s to the 1920s, when International Paper left. The last paper mill in operation was Robertson Paper Mill at 21 Island Street who closed its doors in the late 1980s. Robertson Paper manufactured wax and tissue papers and employed almost one hundred locals through the 1970s. They offered donations of crepe paper annually for the Bellows Falls Alumni parade winning floats each June.