EPA celebrates nearly $35 million in EPA Brownfield Grants for Massachusetts
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
LOWELL, Mass. (June 10, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, met with Congresswoman Lori Trahan, the town leaders of Clinton, Lawrence and Lowell, other stakeholders, to celebrate their awards from the pot of $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.
The town of Clinton received $500,000, the City of Lawrence received $1 million, and the City of Lowell received $5.5 million.
“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.”
“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.”
“The industrial legacy in the Merrimack Valley has resulted in many sites with contaminated soil and groundwater – especially in historically overburdened areas,” said Undersecretary Stephanie Cooper of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. “The Healey-Driscoll Administration is grateful to President Biden and the EPA for providing Massachusetts with increased funding for brownfield cleanups and redevelopments, which will have a transformative benefit in these disadvantaged communities.”
“We are thrilled to announce that the City of Lawrence has been chosen to receive a $1 million dollar grant through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for a Comprehensive Brownfields Multipurpose project,” said Lawrence Mayor Brian A. DePeña. “This grant will enable us to undertake crucial environmental assessments and cleanups, including at important sites like the Bennington Triangle and Florence Street Garage. We are indebted to all our partners and the community for their support and look forward to making this vision a reality.”
The 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.
The 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.
The 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:
The 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.
The 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.
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.
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.
To see the list of all FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding, visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
Additional Background:
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program, visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-celebrates-nearly-35-million-epa-brownfield-grants-massachusetts
