Ansonia, Connecticut is moving forward with cleanup of a massive contaminated factory building, seeking contractors to remove hazardous materials from a 175,000-square-foot former extrusion mill that once produced brass and metal components.

The building, part of the Naugatuck Valley's legacy as America's brass manufacturing center, contains RCRA-classified hazardous waste—a federal designation for serious toxic contamination. Contractors will remove hazardous building materials, industrial debris, and contaminated waste from floor trenches where decades of metalworking left behind heavy metals, cutting oils, and chemical residues.

The cleanup is funded partly by state dollars and represents the first phase of dealing with the site. The concrete floor slab will remain in place after abatement, suggesting the city plans either demolition or renovation once the toxic materials are gone. Like many Naugatuck Valley communities, Ansonia has struggled to redevelop contaminated industrial properties left behind when brass manufacturing collapsed in the 1970s and 80s.

The project comes as Connecticut has received expanded federal brownfield funding through the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which provided $1.5 billion nationally for cleaning up former industrial sites. Ansonia, with a population around 18,000 and a poverty rate above 16 percent, has limited resources to tackle contamination on its own.

The city is working with the Shelton Economic Development Corporation to manage the project. Contractors interested in bidding must submit questions by March 23, with work expected to proceed through 2026.