United States
                       Environmental
                       Protection Agency
                       Washington, D.C. 20460
  Solid Waste
  and Emergency
  Response (5101)
EPA500-F-97-115
April 1997
                       Regional   Brownfields
                       Assessment  Pilot
                                                          Westfield,  MA
  Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5101)
                 Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower States, communities, and other
stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and
sustainably reuse brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and
an active potential for redevelopment or reuse. Between 1995 and 1996, EPA funded 76 National and Regional Brownfields
Assessment Pilots, at up to $200,000 each, to support creative two-year explorations and demonstrations of brownfields
solutions. EPAis funding morethan 27 Pilots in 1997. The Pilots are intended to provide EPA, States, Tribes, municipalities,
and communities with useful information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified
approach to site assessment, environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
OVERVIEW

EPA Region 1 has selected the City of Westfield as a
Regional Brownfields Pilot. Four years ago, a major
manufacturer with over 300 employees ceased
operations, leaving 29 buildings vacant on a 6.25-
acre property in the heart of downtown Westfield.
The site housed a boiler manufacturer for nearly 150
years, and fear of the unknown contamination at the
site has prevented its redevelopment.

The Westfield Community Development Corporation
(CDC)  acquired the former H.B. Smith site  in
November, 1996. The CDC has since been working
with a potential developer, members of the community
and other key stakeholders to explore reuse options
for the site. Westfield has committed approximately
$ 1 million of Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG) funding towards the cleanup and demolition
costs.

The city believes that problems will arise if the site is
not redeveloped soon, including safety hazards, fire
hazards, trespassing, unauthorized use as atemporary
shelter by homeless individuals, potential use for
drug sales and distribution, vandalism, and personal
liability and injury litigation. This area of the city
currently has an unemployment rate of seven percent
and a poverty rate of 14 percent. Twenty percent  of
the population are elderly residents.
  PILOT SNAPSHOT
                     Date of Award:
                     April 1997

                     Amount: $197,000

                     Site Profile: A 6.25-acre
                     former boiler
                     manufacturing facility in
                     downtown Westfield.
 Westfield, Massachusetts
Contacts:

James M. Boardman
Department of Community
Development
(413)572-6246
 John Podgurski
 U.S. EPA-Region 1
 (617)573-9681
 podgurski.john@
 epamail.epa.gov
        Visit the EPA Brownfields Website at:
        http://www.epa.gov/brownfields

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OBJECTIVES

Westfield's  goal  is to  develop  strategies  for
redevelopment of the pilot site with assistance from
other economic  partners.  The pilot will form the
basis for future remediation of the site. The city's
objectives are to create a working model for cleanup
and  redevelopment;  maximize  funding for site
assessment, remediation planning, and monitoring;
develop criteria and databases to manage information
on public/private funds; educate the community on
brownfields  issues;  and  initiate  strategies  for
redevelopment of the pilot site.

ACTIVITIES

Activities planned as part of this pilot include:

• Completing preliminary and detailed site assessments
 of the target site, including installation of monitoring
 wells;

• Designing remediation strategies for the pilot site;

• Identifying resources for redevelopment;

• Designing community-based educational programs;

• Identifying  additional public/private  funding and
 technical  assistance for the pilot site; and

• Documenting the pilot progress and applicability as
 a brownfields redevelopment model.

The cooperative agreement for this Pilot has not yet been
negotiated;  therefore, activities  described in this fact
sheet are subject to change.
  Regional Brownfields Assessment Pilot                                             Westfield, Massachusetts
  April 1997                                                                         EPA500-F-97-115

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