Windham County officials are preparing to seek federal approval for a $1.1 million grant aimed at ridding local homes of lead hazards, with plans to eventually expand the effort to well over 100 properties.

The Windham County Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes Capacity Building Program, run out of the Windham County Sheriff’s Office, announced this week that it intends to formally request the release of the funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on or around August 31. The money comes from HUD’s Lead Hazard Reduction Capacity Building Grant Program, established under the Consolidated Appropriations Act.

In its initial phase, the program aims to address lead hazards in up to eight homes across Windham County by the end of 2027. County officials say they plan to contribute more than $205,000 in matching local funds to support that work. Looking further ahead, the program may seek additional federal funding to expand its reach dramatically — targeting as many as 115 homes throughout the county by December 2030.

The scope of the work goes beyond lead testing and removal. According to program details, funds could also be used for mechanical system upgrades, radon testing and mitigation, bathroom and kitchen renovations, and the elimination of other safety hazards in qualifying homes.

Because the project involves federal funding, it must clear environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act. Officials say the initiative falls into a category that is largely excluded from those requirements, though it must still comply with certain environmental laws, such as those governing flood insurance, historic preservation, and contamination. The program is using what’s known as a “tiered review” process, meaning some environmental factors have already been studied for the target area, while others — including flood risk and historic preservation concerns — will be evaluated on a home-by-home basis as individual projects move forward. Should any project exceed federal thresholds for this streamlined review, officials say a more thorough Environmental Assessment would be required before that specific project could proceed.

Documentation supporting the environmental review is available for public inspection at the Windham County Sheriff’s Office at 185 Old Ferry Road in Brattleboro, as well as online through the county’s lead hazard program website and a HUD environmental review portal. Residents can also request an electronic copy by emailing Program Manager Elisha Underwood.

The public has a window to weigh in before the county submits its request to HUD. Written comments on the environmental review will be accepted through August 31 and will be considered before officials move forward with certifying the project to federal authorities.

HUD will allow a 15-day period, starting from whichever comes later — the anticipated August 31 submission date or the date HUD actually receives the request — during which formal objections to the fund release can be raised — though only on narrow procedural grounds, such as claims that required environmental steps were skipped or that funds were spent before proper approval was granted. Any such objections must be directed to HUD directly, sent to the email address: OLHCHHPECOS@hud.gov, not to the county program.

If the process moves forward as planned, the Sheriff of Windham County — acting as the program’s project director — will certify to HUD that the county has met its environmental review responsibilities and will accept federal court jurisdiction should that certification ever be challenged. HUD’s approval of that certification would clear the way for the county to begin spending the federal dollars and rolling out lead hazard reduction work in homes across the region.