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Brownfields 2007
Grant Fact Sheet
A/ew Bedford, 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 New Bedford was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. The seventh largest city in
Massachusetts, New Bedford (population 93,768) has
a 20 percent poverty rate. The city's per capita income
is 60 percent of the state average. Many of New
Bedford's brownfields sites, including the Payne
Cutlery property, are located in environmental justice
neighborhoods. The presence of brownfields lowers
residential property values and diminishes community
pride. Industrially zoned real estate in New Bedford is
scarce. Cleanup of the Payne Cutlery site will reduce
the threat to public health and the environment and help
return this vacant, underused industrial property to
viable reuse. Redevelopment will enhance the city's job
base and increase the tax base, thereby facilitating
improvements to its infrastructure.
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected the City of New Bedford for a
brownfields cleanup grant. Grant funds will be used
to clean up the former Payne Cutlery property at
295 Phillips Avenue. The site was used for cold
pressing of steel, metal grinding, degreasing, and
electroplating. Contaminants of concern include
trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, and metals.
Funds will be used for cleanup planning, ground-
water treatment, and the installation of sub-slab
ventilation systems.
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 New Bedford, MA
508-979-1487
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.
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA560-F-07-120
May 2007
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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