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Brownfields 2004
Grant Fact Sheet
Keene, NH
EPA Brownfields Program
EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu-
nities, and other stakeholders in economic development
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, the President
signed into law the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act. Under the Brownfields
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 pro-
grams through a separate mechanism.
Community Description
The City of Keene (population 22,560) was selected to
receive a brownfields cleanup grant. The target site
lies within the Keene Industrial Heritage Corridor,
which is adjacent to the city's central business district
and extends to a residential area and the Keene State
College area. The city plans to redevelop former mill
buildings and commercial and industrial properties
within the Corridor to create alternative transportation,
business and commercial opportunities in a mixed-use
setting that also will include open space. About 6,400
residents live within a half-mile radius of the former
Perkins Machine Shop property. The area tends to
have a higher number of children under age ten and a
higher poverty level (17 percent) than the rest of
Cleanup Grant
$164,240 for hazardous substances
$35,760 for petroleum
EPA has selected the City of Keene for a
brownfields cleanup grant. Petroleum funds will
be used to clean up abandoned underground
storage tanks and impacted soil at the former
Perkins Machine Shop property. Hazardous
substances funds will be used to clean up chlori-
nated solvents and asbestos contamination on the
same site. The former Perkins Machine Shop
property operated as a woodworking shop from
1900 until 1919, and as a machine shop until the
1990s. The property also has buildings on it that
were used for automobile repair shops. The site
will be redeveloped into 10-15 townhouse units.
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
617-918-1221
http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/
Grant Recipient: Keene, NH
603-352-5474
The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
in this fact sheet are subject to change.
Keene. The area also contains some of the oldest
housing stock in Keene, with many of the units dating
from the 1800s. Redeveloping the property with
townhouses will provide much needed rental housing,
and will return the property to the city's tax rolls.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-F-04-069
June 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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