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EPA Gives Four Mass. Towns $300,000 in Brownfields Grants for Site Assessments

Release Date: 08/14/2000
Contact Information: Amy Miller, EPA Press Office (617-918-1042)

BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today it will spend $825,000 to assess environmental conditions at 11 abandoned, contaminated sites in New England, including four in Massachusetts.

"Site assessments are the first crucial step in helping communities clean up their abandoned and contaminated sites so they can be put back to productive reuse," said Mindy S. Lubber, Regional Administrator for EPA New England. "Revitalizing these Brownfield sites is one of the best ways to reduce sprawl and help cities grow."

"Once again, the Environmental Protection Agency demonstrates its commitment to Brownfields recovery," said Sen. John F. Kerry. "Site assessment is the essential first step in determining the nature of the problem and sets a course for future remediation. The communities of Lowell, Harwick, Dorchester and Northampton have been given a rare opportunity to address Brownfields head-one, and in time, return them to the community."

"This grant provides us with another means of renovating and showcasing Lowell's historic mills and industrial land," said Rep. Marty Meehan, co-chair of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition and the House Sustainable Development Caucus, which have emphasized the cleanup of Brownfields as a way to reduce sprawl and create urban employment. "Lowell has the experience to create a powerful mus4eum that will properly pay tribute to its rich industrial history.

"This grant is an important step toward converting the Hardwick facility into a viable site for future development," said Rep. John W. Olver. "The EPA's Brownfields program has been a force for economic revitalization and environmental assessment across Massachusetts and I'm glad that Hardwick will be a part of the Targeted Brownfields Assessment Program."

Under the agency's Brownfields program, environmental consultants contracted by the EPA will perform assessments worth about $75,000 each. The assessments will determine the nature and extent of contamination, and to estimate the costs of cleaning up the site for redevelopment. This brings to $18 million the amount EPA has spent to date on Brownfields in Massachusetts.

Similar Brownfields site assessment awards have been central to redeveloping abandoned sites throughout New England. In Somerville, a site assessment played a vital role in the $14 million redevelopment of an abandoned industrial building that became home this year to an assisted living facility operated by the Visiting Nurses Association. The development created 45 new jobs in Somerville and filled a vital community need.

A brief description of each Massachusetts property follows:

Boston (Dorchester)
Boston's Hope
The city bought this group of parcels on 2.1 acres, and plans to create affordable housing for low income seniors and young families. This scattering of parcels includes former light industrial and commercial businesses. Estimated cost of site assessment is $75,000.

Lowell
Assets Building:
The National Park Service wants to turn this former power-generating building on Boots Mills canal into an interpretive museum and warehouse . The 1.1-acre site sits near the Lowell National Historic Park. Estimated cost of site assessment is $75,000.

Hardwick
Gilbertville Woven Label Property
The town anticipates a light industrial or commercial use for this five-acre site, a former textile manufacturing company that has been vacant since the mid 90s. Estimated cost of site assessment is $75,000.

Northampton
Roundhouse Properties
The city hopes to rehabilitate this 2.3-acre former coal gasification facility for commercial and retail use. Estimated cost of site assessment is $75,000.