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  Brownfields  2007

  Grant  Fact Sheet

         Chelsea,  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 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 City of Chelsea was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Located in a historically
industrial area outside Boston, Chelsea (population
35,080) is a two-square-mile, densely developed city.
From 1990 to 2000, Chelsea's population increased 22
percent, with Hispanic residents now comprising 48
percent of the total population. The number of Chelsea
residents living in poverty has increased to 23.2
percent. A city study completed in 2005 indicates that
many of the most developable sites in Chelsea are
underused because of perceived or actual environmen-
tal contamination. The cleanup site targeted by the city
is part of a larger, 5.4-acre redevelopment project.
Redevelopment of the site with an office building will
retain 70 full-time jobs and add another 25 jobs over
 Cleanup Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the City of Chelsea for a
 brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
 grant funds will be used to clean up the two-acre
 former Lawrence Metal Forming Company site at
 145-155 Beech Street in the city's Everett Avenue
 Urban Renewal Area. The site is contaminated
 with PCBs and heavy metals. Grant funds also
 will be used for community involvement activities.
 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/region01/brownfields/

 Grant Recipient: City of Chelsea, MA
 617-889-8233

 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 this fact
 sheet are subject to change.
five years. In addition, the new office building will
contribute $14 million of new tax revenue to the city.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                        EPA 560-F-07-029
                        May 2007
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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