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  Brownfields  2008

  Grant  Fact  Sheet

     North Adams,  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 North Adams was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Located along the Hoosic
River in northwestern Massachusetts, North Adams
(population 14,691) was originally settled as amilitary
and trading post. The city became a mill town once
water power from the river was harnessed. After
World War II, the city's economy began to decline as
many key industries either closed or relocated. In 1985,
the city's remaining major industrial employer closed,
resulting in the loss of more than 4,000 jobs and
causing a major downturn in the city's economy. Since
then, the city has diversified and attracted new indus-
tries and commercial ventures to the area, but its
economy is still struggling to recover. North Adams is a
federally designated Empowerment Zone. More than
58 percent of residents are considered low-income, and
 Cleanup Grant
 $200,000 for hazardous substances
 EPA has selected the City of North Adams for a
 brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
 grant funds will be used to clean up the 1.9-acre
 former Berkshire Tannery site on Ashton Avenue
 in the Blackinton neighborhood. The site was used
 for tannery operations from the early  1900s to the
 1980s.  Site soil and groundwater are contaminated
 with metals and volatile organic compounds. 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 North Adams, MA
 413-662-3011

 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 city's employment rates and per capita incomes
are below statewide rates. There are 92 known
hazardous release sites in North Adams. Once
cleanup of the target site is complete, the city antici-
pates redevelopment with residential housing or as
greenspace.
                                                  Solid Waste and
                                                  Emergency Response
                                                  (5105T)
                        EPA560-F-08-016
                        April 2008
                        www.epa.gov/brownfields

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