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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

        Fitchburg,  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 this 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 programs through
a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Fitchburg was selected to receive a
brownfields  cleanup grant. Located in northern
Worcester County, Fitchburg (population 40,050) is a
city dominated by many old mill buildings and industrial
sites dating back to the 1800s. These sites, once the
center of industry, growth, and wealth in the commu-
nity, have become brownfields. As Fitchburg's
economy has declined, the city has not kept pace with
the economic diversification in the rest of the state. It
has an unemployment rate of about eight percent, and
about 12 percent of the city's families live below the
poverty level. Cleanup of the Central Steam Plant
Facility is expected to prevent future discharges of
contaminated substances into the North Nashua River
and remove a substantial barrier to the site's redevelop-
ment and productive use. The city recently completed
 Cleanup Grant
 $50,500 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the City of Fitchburg for a
 brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
 grant funds will be used to clean up the two-acre
 Central Steam Plant Facility located at 465
 Westminster Street. Built in 1928, the plant pro-
 vided steam and electricity to several paper mills
 along the North Nashua River.  Site soil and
 groundwater are contaminated with metals and
 inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be
 used to support 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/regionl/brownfields

 Grant Recipient: City of Fitchburg, MA
 978-345-1018

 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.
the development of a 0.5-mile-long recreational trail
along the North Nashua River and next to the Central
Steam Plant Facility. Site cleanup is expected to make
the new trail more appealing and environmentally safe
for users.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                         EPA560-F-08-011
                         April 2008
                         www.epa.gov/brownfields

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