More than $4 million in funding for numerous projects throughout Commonwealth

Washington (May 28, 2014) – Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren and Representatives Joseph P. Kennedy, William Keating, Niki Tsongas, Michael Capuano, Richard E. Neal, and John Tierney today applauded the Environmental Protections Agency’s (EPA) announcement of more than $4 million in funding to clean and revitalize brownfields in Massachusetts. The FY14 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup grants will give communities and businesses a chance to return economic stability to under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods through the assessment and clean-up of abandoned industrial and commercial properties, places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.

 

“These EPA Brownfields Grants will go a long way towards cleaning up the decades of abuse sustained by Massachusetts land,” said Senator Markey. “Cleaning up brownfield sites is a win-win for Massachusetts, helping to create jobs and spur economic activity while revitalizing underutilized lands.” 

 

“Brownfield cleanups revitalize our communities, make our environment healthier and safer for families, and open up new opportunities for economic growth,” said Senator Warren. “These EPA grants will help spur important cleanup efforts across Massachusetts.”

 

“Clean, communal public spaces are critical to our cities as they reinvent and rebuild their economies,” said Rep. Kennedy. “Through the tireless work of TDC, TNC and many community leaders, Taunton has capitalized on the potential of their former industrial sites by cleaning hazardous waste in the ground and offering an environment where businesses can thrive and grow. These EPA Brownfield grants will provide Taunton with the funds necessary to revitalize two abandoned properties, while creating new jobs and ensuring that the community will be involved in the process.”

 

“Brownfield grants are a critical component of the revitalization of our cities and towns,” said Rep. Keating.  “Cleaning these two contaminated sites in New Bedford will allow the city to eventually use the property for a more beneficial purpose.”

 

“These federal funds will help communities throughout the state transform blighted tracts of land, improving neighborhoods and reducing environmental hazards,” said Rep. Capuano. “I thank the EPA for its continued commitment to addressing brownfields sites in our cities and towns.”

 

“These grants from the EPA will significantly benefit the environment and economy of western Massachusetts,” said Rep. Neal. “The successful clean up of brownfields sites will create exciting redevelopment opportunities and generate tax revenue for local communities. I have been a strong supporter of this program because I have seen how successful it has been bringing new investment to our cities and towns.”

 

“This share of federal funding will help Lowell, Fitchburg and other Massachusetts communities identify contaminated sites and plan for their eventual clean-up and reuse,” said Rep. Tsongas. “This type of support has helped to turn previously blighted sites into parks, development projects, and has funded other priorities that contribute to the health of our cities.”

 

“This important grant provides the cities of Salem and Peabody the opportunity to leverage federal dollars to create jobs and clean up contaminated sites,” said Rep. Tierney. “I’m pleased the EPA has made this critical investment and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on this effort.”

 

More information on brownfields grants by state: http://cfpub.epa.gov/bf_factsheets/

 

List of Massachusetts Brownfields grants recipients

 

Chicopee, MA Cleanup Grants

$400,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the City of Chicopee for two brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the 4.6-acre Redevelopment Parcel #1 of the former Facemate Corporation property at 5 West Main Street. From 1823 through 2003, the property was used by various companies to manufacture and process cotton and synthetic cloth. Contaminants include heavy metals and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Hazardous substances grant funds also will be used to clean up Parcel #147-10 of the former Uniroyal Tire Complex at 154 Grove Street. From 1870 until about 1980, the site was used as a lumber yard, and for manufacturing of adhesives and tires. It was then used for manufacturing, printing, and machine shops. The site encompasses 26.2 acres of former rail right-of-way. Contaminants at the site include heavy metals, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, pesticides, and herbicides.

Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority, MA Assessment Grants

$200,000 for hazardous substances

$200,000 for petroleum

EPA has selected the Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority for two brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to inventory and prioritize sites and conduct two Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to support community outreach activities. Petroleum grant funds will be used to support the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination.

Franklin Regional Council of Governments, Franklin County, MA Assessment Grants

$200,000 for hazardous substances

$100,000 for petroleum

EPA has selected the Franklin Regional Council of Governments for two brownfields assessment grants. Communitywide hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to inventory sites and conduct 12 Phase I and between three and five Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to support community involvement and education activities and to prepare two or three cleanup plans.

Holyoke, MA Cleanup Grant

$200,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the City of Holyoke for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up the Automania site located at 689 Main Street. The 0.5-acre site is in an area that has been used for industrial purposes since 1900. An automotive sales and service facility operated at the site from 1940 to 1996. The site has been vacant since then. Environmental concerns at this site include organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic compounds, PCBs, and heavy metals. Grant funds also will be used for community involvement activities, including Spanish translators at public meetings, and cleanup planning.

Lowell, MA Assessment Grant

$200,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the City of Lowell for a brownfields assessment grant. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to conduct up to 10 Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments, with a focus on a largely vacant industrial area known as Ayer’s City Industrial Park. Grant funds also will be used for cleanup planning for at least one site and community outreach activities.

New Bedford, MA Cleanup Grants

$400,000 for petroleum

EPA has selected the City of New Bedford for two brownfields cleanup grants. Petroleum grant funds will be used to clean up Assessor’s Map 105, Lots 208 and 209, on the north side of Manomet Street. The sites were historically associated with the former Cliftex mill property, where textile products were produced and stored. The sites are adjacent to a property containing two abandoned underground storage tanks filled with petroleum products. The sites are contaminated with petroleum. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community outreach activities.

Salem, MA Revolving Loan Fund Grant

$700,000 for hazardous substances

$250,000 for petroleum

EPA has selected the City of Salem for a brownfields revolving loan fund grant. The grant will be used to capitalize a revolving loan fund from which the City of Salem will provide loans and subgrants to support cleanup activities for sites contaminated with hazardous substances and petroleum. Grant funds also will be used to market the revolving loan fund, conduct cleanup planning and oversight, and perform community outreach activities. RLF activities will be conducted in the City of Salem and the City of Peabody, Salem’s coalition partner.

Somerville, MA Assessment Grants

$200,000 for hazardous substances

$200,000 for petroleum

EPA has selected the City of Somerville for two brownfields assessment grants. Community-wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to inventory brownfield sites, perform five Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments, and conduct cleanup planning at three sites. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community involvement activities.

Springfield, MA Assessment Grants

$200,000 for hazardous substances

$200,000 for petroleum

EPA has selected the City of Springfield for two brownfields assessment grants. Community wide hazardous substances grant funds will be used to perform six Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments and develop three cleanup plans. Grant funds also will be used to review and prioritize a brownfields inventory and support community involvement activities. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct the same tasks at sites with potential petroleum contamination.

Taunton Development/MassDevelopment Corporation, Taunton, MA Cleanup Grants

$600,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the Taunton Development/MassDevelopment Corporation for three brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up Lots 12, B-2, and B-4 of the former Paul A. Dever School at 1380 Bay Street. The property was originally Camp Myles Standish, a U.S. Army installation during World War II, and then became a school, which closed in 1991. The three cleanup sites are contaminated with hazardous building materials, including inorganic contaminants and metals. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities.

The Neighborhood Corporation, Taunton, MA Cleanup Grant

$200,000 for hazardous substances

EPA has selected the Neighborhood Corporation for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to clean up Lot C-1 at the former NuBrite Chemical Company facility at 10 First Street in Taunton. The NuBrite Chemical Company operated from 1937 to 1992 as a chemical and paint manufacturing facility. In 2007, the 2.7-acre property was sold and divided into five lots. Lot C-1 was the core of the NuBrite manufacturing facility and the most heavily impacted. Contamination at the 1.4-acre lot includes PCBs, metals, and pesticides. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community involvement activities.