United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, D.C. 20460 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5101) EPA500-F-97-118 April 1997 Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilot Lynn, MA Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101) 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. Between 1995 and 1996, EPA funded 76 National and Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields solutions. EPAis funding morethan 27 Pilots in 1997. The Pilots 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. OVERVIEW EPA Region 1 has selected the City of Lynn as a Regional Brownfields Pilot. Over the past ten years, 15,000 jobs have been lost due to a steady decline of manufacturing, corporate downsizing, relocation of retail establishments, and the presence of contaminated sites. Lynn has identified a target area that encompasses more than 80 percent of the city's commercial/industrial properties. As a result of the city's economic decline, the target area has a 15 percent unemployment rate and a 32 percent poverty rate. Three brownfields sites have been identified through community outreach to be addressed in the pilot: a former dry cleaning establishment in a residential neighborhood; a long-time tannery site in an industrial sector; and a 25-acre landfill and utility site on Lynn's under-used waterfront. These sites represent the wide range of developmentproblemsthat confront the city and will provide diverse models for residential, industrial, and recreational reuse. Each site involves different stakeholders and different community elements, as well as varying types of current and future uses. PILOT SNAPSHOT Lynn, Massachusetts Date of Award: April 1997 Amount: $200,000 Site Profile: The pilot will focus on a former dry- cleaning establishment, a long-time tannery site, and a 25-acre landfill and utility site. Contacts: Peter M. DeVeau Economic Development and Industrial Corporation (617)581-9399 John Podgurski U.S. EPA-Region 1 (617)573-9681 podgurski.john@ epamail.epa.gov Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at: http://www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- OBJECTIVES Lynn's goals are to implement an innovative economic/environmental process that allows the city to identify and assess brownfields areas; solicit business and grass-roots community participation in determining the best reuse of these areas; and leverage funding with other applicable resources. To accomplish these goals, the city will partner with the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF), a regional environmental-advocacy, non-profit organization focused on solving New England's public health and environmental problems. Pilot obj ectives include the completion of site assessments and reuse plans for three targeted sites, creation of a community-wide outreach process, and development of an inventory of other brownfields in the city. ACTIVITIES Activities planned as part of this pilot include: • Conducting site assessments, and completing reuse plans for the three targeted sites; • Developing an inventory of identified and potential brownfields; • Coordinating community involvement and redevelopment planning; and • Preparing educational materials, and performing community outreach. The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilot Lynn, Massachusetts April 1997 EPA500-F-97-118 ------- |