United States
                   Environmental
                   Protection Agency
                   Washington, D.C. 20460
 Solid Waste
 and Emergency
 Response (5101)
  EPA 500-F-00-108
  May 2000
  www.epa.gov/brownfields/
  <&EPA   Brownfields Assessment
                   Demonstration  Pilot
                                                        North Adams, MA
 Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)
                   Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and
an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded
up to $200,000 over two years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training
pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two years), to  provide training for residents of communities affected
by brownfields to facilitate cleanup of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental
field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds
to make loans for the environmental cleanup of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states,
tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods
to promote a  unified approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND

EPA has selected the City of North Adams for a
Brownfields Pilot.  Located in the northwestern
corner of Massachusetts, the City of North Adams is
ahistorical mill town that began its industrial expansion
in the 1820s and 1830s. After World War II, many
industries either relocated from the  city or ceased
operations in the area. The city was  still  able to
maintain its economy until 1985, when the local
electric company closed its doors. The  departure of
the Sprague Electric Company resulted in the loss of
more than 4,000 jobs.

Since 1991, the city has  diversified its economy,
attracting new industries and commercial ventures
to the area. A recent cornerstone of this activity is
the redevelopment of the  13-acre former Sprague
Electric Company site.  In addition, the  city is
identifying  other abandoned and  underutilized
brownfields properties that can be redeveloped and
help the local economy. As part of this effort, the
city  has targeted three  brownfields  sites  for
assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
  North Adams, MA
 Date of Announcement:
 May 2000

 Amount: $140,770

 Profile:  The Pilot will conduct
 site assessments and examine
 cleanup  and redevelopment
 options  at three  targeted
 brown fie Ids sites.
 Contacts:
 City of North Adams,
 Massachusetts
 (413)662-3011
Regional Brownfields Team
U.S. EPA-Region 1
(617)918-1424
      Visit the EPA Region 1 Brownfields web site at:
     http://www.epa.gov/region01/remed/brnfld/

     Forfurtherinformation, including specific Pilotcontacts,
   additional Pilot information.brownfieldsnewsandevente.and
   publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
         http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/

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OBJECTIVES

The  Pilot's objective is to conduct environmental
assessments on three targeted brownfields sites—a
former tannery, a former j unk yard, and a warehouse/
service station property. The Pilot will also conduct
public outreach activities in the local communities to
encourage public involvement in the cleanup and
redevelopment  processes  and leverage additional
public  and  private funding  for  cleanup  and
redevelopment activities.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this Pilot include:

• Conducting site assessments at the three targeted
 brownfields sites;

• Preparing cleanup cost estimates for the targeted
 sites;

• Facilitating discussion of options for reusing the
 sites; and

• Conducting  public  outreach  activities in
 neighborhoods surrounding the three targeted sites
 to encourage public involvement.

The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated;
therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change.
 Brownfields Assessment Demonstration Pilot                                                 North Adams, MA
 May 2000                                                                          EPA500-F-00-108

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