Issued: May 20, 2024 (2:09pm EDT)

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Biden-Harris Administration announces nearly $35 million in Brownfield Grants to rehabilitate and revitalize communities in Massachusetts through Investing in America agenda

Funded by $1.5 billion investment into Brownfields sites from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address legacy pollution, advance environmental justice, and create healthier communities

Contact Information: JoAnne Kittrell, kittrell.joanne@epa.gov, (617) 918-1822; EPA Region 1 Press Office (R1_Press@epa.gov)   

BOSTON (May 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $34,646,400 in grant awards from President Biden's Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Massachusetts while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA's Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.

EPA selected 13 communities in Massachusetts to receive 14 grants totaling $25,646,400 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs. In addition, the agency is announcing $9 million in supplemental funding to four existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to help expedite their continued work at sites in Massachusetts.

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the awards in Philadelphia today alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon at a local brownfield side near Bartram's Mile. For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram's Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming and more.

"Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites," said President Joe Biden. "I've long believed that people who've borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs."

"President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "That's why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA's Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use."

"Brownfields grants are gamechangers—they turn polluted, abandoned sites into thriving community spaces. This isn't just about cleaning up the environment; it's about revitalizing neighborhoods, creating good jobs, and ensuring healthier living for everyone—it's a win-win-win-win-win-win," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This additional funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping to transform contaminated properties into valuable community assets, making a real difference for Massachusetts families, especially in the areas that need it most."

"I'm over the moon that we'll be able to invest in our communities, create jobs, and clean up sites across the Commonwealth with this funding," said U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren. "This is a great win for our environment, our communities, and our kids who are going to reap the benefits for generations to come."

"It's simple—we know that Brownfields grants unlock vital funding to free our towns and cities from dangerous pollution and toxic contamination," said U.S. Senator Edward Markey. "This historic investment will bring cleaner water, land, and air to communities across the Commonwealth and deliver a more livable future with green spaces to work, live, and play."

"No community should have to be saddled with toxic pollutants that threaten public health. It's great news that Lynn, Salem, and the Merrimack Valley Planning Commissioner are among the recipient of these EPA cleanup and assessment grants. Massachusetts cannot thrive unless its cities and towns are healthy. This is a top priority, and I look forward to working with the EPA on delivering these grants and other critical funding in the future," said Congressman Seth Moulton.

"I voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make long overdue improvements in communities large and small across the Commonwealth," said Congresswoman Lori Trahan. "This federal funding will give Lowell, Lawrence, Clinton, and the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission the resources necessary to complete revitalization projects that will improve life for hardworking families, create good-paying jobs, and strengthen our local economy for years to come."

Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those located in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.

Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA's Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.

EPA's Brownfields Program advances President Biden's Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields Program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.

 

State Funding Breakdown:

Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection

The following organizations in Massachusetts have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.

• Town of Athol has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to support reuse visioning and to conduct community engagement activities. The target areas for this grant are Downtown Athol and the Millers River Riverfront Area. Priority sites include the vacant and dilapidated former York Theater, the Microphotonics property, a former industrial property built in the 1920s that manufactured tools, and the former Cass Toy Factory.
• Town of Clinton has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Rockbestos-Surprenant Cable Corp. facility located at 172 Sterling Street. The 8.4-acre cleanup site operated as a mill until the 1910s and then as a wire manufacturing facility until 2006 and is currently unoccupied. It is contaminated with petroleum, heavy metals, chlorinated solvents, and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
• Greylock FLUME, Inc. has been selected to receive $1,826,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up Greylock FLUME Property located at 510 State Road in the City of North Adams. The 7.8-acre cleanup site was formerly a textile mill that housed ten above-ground storage tanks and 30 former dip tank drums. It is contaminated with sulfuric acids, phosphoric acid, sodium hydroxide, nitric acid, metals, PCBs, and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
• City of Lawrence has been selected to receive $1 million for a Brownfields Multipurpose Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to conduct six Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments, prepare four cleanup plans, and conduct community engagement activities. Grant funds also will be used to clean up four sites, including the Bennington Triangle and Florence Street Garage priority sites. The target area for this project is the area surrounding the Lawrence Manchester Rail Corridor in downtown Lawrence, a 1.4-mile former railroad line slated for redevelopment into a rail trail.
• City of Lowell has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant and $5 million for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
  • Brownfields Community-wide Assessment Grant funds will be used to conduct four Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments, develop five cleanup plans and five reuse plans, and conduct community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the City of Lowell's JAM Urban Renewal Plan Area and Hamilton Canal Innovation District. Priority sites include five parcels comprised of former mill and manufacturing sites ranging from .5 to 2.4 acres.
  • Brownfields Cleanup Grant will be used to clean up the Veterans of Foreign War Highway at the Beaver Brook site at 644 Aiken, 650 Aiken, and 432 W. Sixth Streets. The 5.7-acre cleanup site consists of three contiguous parcels that include a riverfront, vegetated land with a paved pathway, and a single-story vacant building. Historical information indicates the site was built up with contaminated fill to build a flood control system. The site is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, extractable petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and coal ash. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
• City of Lynn has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 15 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop a brownfield site inventory and conduct community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the City of Lynn's Downtown and Waterfront Areas. Priority sites include former industrial and manufacturing properties, a vacant parcel adjacent to a former manufactured gas plant, and a three-parcel site formerly used as a coal storage area.
• Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has been selected to receive $2 million for a Brownfields Community-wide Assessment Grant for States and Tribes that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 12 Phase I, 10 Phase II, and four supplemental Phase II environmental site assessments. The target areas for this grant are the Cities of Holyoke, Leominster, and Chelsea, and the Town of Brimfield, which face brownfield challenges that are disproportionate to the resources of the communities to address them. Priority sites include the 5.3-acre American Thread Mill site in Holyoke, the 17-acre Trant Iron site in Brimfield, a 0.4-acre light industrial facility in Leominster, and the 3.6-acre former Boston Hides & Furs industrial site in Chelsea.
• Town of Montague has been selected to receive $4,920,400 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Strathmore Mill property located at 20 Canal Road. The 1.3-acre cleanup site was constructed between 1874 and 1970 as a paper mill and consists of nine contiguous buildings formerly used for machining, stamping, forging, grinding, finishing, pulping, cutting, and bleaching. The buildings are contaminated with inorganic contaminants, heavy metals, petroleum, and PCBs. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
• City of North Adams has been selected to receive $1.9 million for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Former Tannery Dump located on Ashton Avenue. The cleanup site was formerly a dumping site and contains a 1.5-acre, 10-foot-high mound of leather scraps that abuts the Hoosic River and is contaminated with heavy metals. Extreme storms have exposed the layers of leather on the riverbank. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
• City of Salem has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct a minimum of three Phase I environmental site assessments and an undefined number of Phase II environmental site assessments at priority sites. Grant funds also will be used to conduct reuse planning and community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the South Salem Brownfields Corridor. Priority sites include a former heating element manufacturer, a former cement manufacturer, a former chemical processing plant, a former petroleum distribution facility, a former gas station, a former telephone maintenance facility, a former hospital laundry service, and a former electric light plant.
• Town of Spencer has been selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Former Lake Street Elementary School located at 17 Lake Street. The 50,000-square-foot cleanup site was formerly used as an elementary school from its construction in 1956 to its closure in 2015 and is contaminated with inorganic contaminants, heavy metals, and PCBs. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
• City of Springfield has been selected to receive $5 million for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the ES Pinevale Street Property located in the Indian Orchard neighborhood. The 16-acre cleanup site historically operated as a valve manufacturing site and has been vacant for 30 years. It is contaminated with volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and petroleum. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities.
• Westmass Area Development Corporation has been selected to receive $1 million for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Ludlow Mills #11, Ludlow Mills #9, and Warehouse #199 sites located at Riverside Drive and 100 State Street in the City of Ludlow. Mills 11 and 9 of the 52-acre cleanup site were formerly used for various manufacturing operations over the past 150 years to create textiles and jute, which were stored in the warehouse. The sites are contaminated with inorganic contaminants, heavy metals, PCBs, and hazardous substances. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a Community Involvement Plan and conduct community engagement activities.

To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding, visit EPA's FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

 

Non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program

In addition, the Agency is announcing $9 million in non-competitive supplemental funding to four successful existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant programs in Massachusetts that have already achieved success in their work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. RLF Grants provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. The funding announced today will help communities continue to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfield sites. The following Massachusetts organizations have been selected to receive non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program.

• Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has been selected to receive $3.5 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to the $7,600,000 in EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 12 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include Greylock FLUME and Hide Hill in North Adams. The Greylock Flume project is focusing on the south wing of the former mill to create the Greylock FLUME food systems and innovation lab. This is intended to be a regional hub for research, innovation, and development serving the creation of sustainable food and agriculture systems. Hide Hill intends to focus on the development and construction of the Adventure Trail which is a pedestrian/bike path through the City that will connect to existing regional trails. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Berkshire County.
• Merrimack Valley Planning Commission has been selected to receive $1 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to the $3,195,000 in EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to nine cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include Searles Estate in Methuen and Dutton Airport in Haverhill. The airport cleanup will make way for the development of an industrial park space with six total buildings creating over 100 new jobs as existing companies expand and others relocate to the property. The Searles Estate cleanup will pave the way for historic preservation of the land, enhanced recreational value, and improved connection with abutting communities with environmental justice challenges. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in 15 cities and towns in northeast Massachusetts (Amesbury, Andover, Boxford, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Merrimac, Methuen, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, Salisbury, Rowley, and West Newbury).
• City of Salem has been selected to receive $1 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to the $950,000 in EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made its first loan leading to one completed cleanup project. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include El Centro in Salem and the L. Fine Building in Peabody. The L. Fine building cleanup will convert the former manufacturing facility into resilient senior housing, mixed-use development, and commercial space. The El Centro redevelopment will create a resilient building with senior housing, a community health center, and a public art display within an underserved community. It is estimated that there will be 30 permanent jobs created. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in the City of Salem and the City of Peabody.
• City of Worcester has been selected to receive $3.5 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to the $7,849,273 in EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 16 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include the Denholm Building and St. Vincent Hospital Nurses' Building. The hospital redevelopment will generate 54,000 square feet of senior housing adjacent to the Worcester Senior Center, preserve the historic nature of the building, and is expected to receive over $25,000,000 in private funding. The Denholm Building redevelopment will facilitate the creation of a new mixed-use building with 10,000 square feet of ground-level commercial space and 233 market-rate and affordable housing units. Private funding to support redevelopment is expected to surpass $133 million. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in the City of Worcester.

To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients, visit EPA's FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

 

Additional Background:

EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.

EPA's Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President's historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants' maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.

To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding, visit EPA's FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients, visit EPA's FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

To learn more about RLF Technical Assistance grant recipient, visit EPA's Brownfields Grow America webpage.

For more information on EPA's Brownfields Program, visit EPA's Brownfields webpage.  

  

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