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Brownfields 2007
Grant Fact Sheet
Montachusett
Regional Planning
Commission, North
Central
Massachusetts
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 Montachusett Regional Planning Commission was
selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant.
Located about 45 miles west of Boston in north-central
Massachusetts, the Montachusett region (population
228,005) consists of 22 municipalities. There are 424
known brownfield sites in the region. Since the 19th
Assessment Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the Montachusett Regional
Planning Commission for a brownfields assess-
ment grant. Hazardous substances grant funds
will be used to conduct 14 Phase I and two Phase
II environmental site assessments throughout the
Montachusett region's 22 municipalities. Grant
funds also will be used to support community
outreach 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: Montachusett Regional Planning
Commission, MA
978-345-7376, ext. 2245
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.
Century, the region's economy has been based on
industry. Today, the region has the largest concentra-
tion of manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts.
However, from 1990 to 2000, the Montachusett region
lost 11,969 manufacturing jobs. The areas that contain
all of the region's known brownfields also contain the
region's highest percentages of minorities and persons
living in poverty, and the lowest per capita and house-
hold incomes. The manufacturing decline also has
resulted in an increase in the number of industrial
brownfields, all of which are located within five miles
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-07-115
May 2007
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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of the Millers and Nashua Rivers. Brownfields assess-
ment will encourage cleanup and redevelopment
needed to provide space for affordable housing, new
businesses and jobs, and open and recreational spaces.
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