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 Brownfields  2005

  Grant Fact  Sheet

             Fitchburg

       Redevelopment

         Authority,  MA


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, President George
W. Bush 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. Addi-
tionally, funding support is provided to state and tribal
response programs through a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The Fitchburg Redevelopment Authority was selected
to receive a brownfields assessment grant. The City of
Fitchburg (population 39,102) lies along the banks of
the Nashua River in North Central Massachusetts.
For over 100 years, Fitchburg was a major manufac-
turing center. Today, many of the old factory buildings
are abandoned, industrial lots are vacant, and residen-
tial and commercial buildings in the old industrial district
are underutilized. As manufacturing jobs disappeared,
new well-paying jobs have  not been created to take
their place. Fitchburg's poverty rate is nearly double
the state rate, and the per capita income is two-thirds
  Assessment Grant
  $200,000 for hazardous substances

  EPA has selected the Fitchburg Redevelopment
  Authority for a brownfields assessment grant.
  Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to
  conduct community outreach activities, Phase I
  and Phase II site assessments, and cleanup
  planning within the City of Fitchburg's 224-acre
  redevelopment district.
  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: Fitchburg Redevelopment
  Authority, MA
  978-345-9602

  The cooperative agreement for this grant has not
  yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described
  in this fact sheet are  subject to change.
that of the state. Many of the city's minority residents
live in and around areas with high concentrations of
brownfields sites. Assessment and cleanup of the
blighted and underutilized downtown district are
expected to revitalize the area, bringing new housing,
commercial development, jobs, and greenspace to the
district.
                                                Solid Waste and
                                                Emergency Response
                                                (5105T)
                        EPA560-F-05-168
                        May 2005
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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