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Brownfields 2008
Grant Fact Sheet
Boston, MA
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. Abrownfield site is real property, the
expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be
complicated by the presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. On
January 11, 2002, President George W. Bush signed
into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under this law, EPA
provides financial assistance to eligible applicants
through four competitive grant programs: assessment
grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and
job training grants. Additionally, funding support is
provided to state and tribal response programs through
a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The City of Boston was selected to receive three
brownfields cleanup grants. Located in eastern Massa-
chusetts, Boston (population 589,141) is targeting sites
in the neighborhoods of Dorchester, Roxbury, and
Hyde Park. Portions of these neighborhoods are in the
city's federally designated Empowerment Zone and
Enterprise Community. The state has identified 470
hazardous waste sites in Dorchester, 306 in Roxbury,
and 102 in Hyde Park. Minority populations in these
neighborhoods range from 47 to 98 percent of all
residents, and unemployment and poverty rates are
significantly higher than city or state rates. Cleanup of
the Bowdoin Street property is expected to pave the
way for a new community center that will offer a wide
array of social services. Cleanup of the former Modern
Electroplating and Enameling Facility is part of the
Cleanup Grants
$503,500 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of Boston for three
brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances
grant funds will be used to clean up the 191
Bowdoin Street site in Dorchester. Elevated
concentrations of heavy metals and polynuclear
aromatic hydrocarbons have been detected at the
site. Grant funds also will be used to clean up the
former Modem Electroplating and Enameling
Facility at 2430 Washington Street in Roxbury.
The site is contaminated with a variety of metals
and volatile organic compounds. Grant funds also
will be used to clean up the former Lewis Chemi-
cal property on Fairmount Court in Hyde Park.
The facility's primary function was to collect,
process, and transport hazardous waste until it
closed in 1983. Significant concentrations of
volatile organic compounds and PCBs have been
detected in the soil and groundwater at the site.
Contacts
For further information, including specific grant
contacts, additional grant information, brownfields
news and events, and publications and links, visit
the EPA Brownfields web site at: www.epa.gov/
brownfields.
EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team
617-918-1424
http://www.epa.gov/regionl/brownfields
Grant Recipient: City of Boston, MA
617-635-0398
The information presented in this fact sheet comes
from the grant proposal; EPA cannot attest to the
accuracy of this information. The cooperative
agreement for the grant has not yet been negoti-
ated. Therefore, activities described in mis fact
sheet are subject to change.
Dudley Square revitalization effort. Once the site is
cleaned up, the city is considering reusing it as a new
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-08-207
July 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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state-of-the-art police station, retail and office space,
and a parking structure. Cleanup of the former Lewis
Chemical site will help ongoing revitalization efforts
along the Neponset River. Community groups have
discussed reuse of the site as a community theater,
restaurant space, and a canoe facility at the river's
edge.
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