^    Brownfields 2007 Cleanup Grant  Fact Sheet
               Gardner, MA
EPA Brownfields Program

EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states.
communities, and other stakeholders to work together to
prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield 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. Additionally, funding
support is provided to state and tribal response
programs through a separate mechanism.

Community Description

The City of Gardner was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Gardner (population 20,770)
is located in Worcester County in north-central
Massachusetts. The city's economy was based around
12 furniture manufacturing companies founded in the
mid-to-late 1800s. During the latter half of the 20th
Century, most of the city's manufacturing facilities
were closed. Many of these now abandoned industrial
sites are located in residential neighborhoods. The site
to be addressed by this grant borders residential
neighborhoods that have higher rates  of poverty and
lower median family incomes than city and state
averages. Cleanup of the site is expected to remove
redevelopment barriers, reduce blight in bordering
neighborhoods, and provide new job opportunities to
local residents.
                   Cleanup Grant

                   $200,000 for hazardous substances

                   EPA has selected the City of Gardner for a
                   brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances
                   grant funds will be used to clean up the 27-acre S.
                   Bent & Bros, property at 60 Mill Street and 85
                   Winter Street. Contamination at the former furniture
                   manufacturing site includes numerous sources of
                   hazardous substances and commingled petroleum
                   throughout the site. 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
                   (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).

                   EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team
                   (617)918-1424
                   EPA Region 1 Brownfields Web site
                   (http: //www. epa.gov/region 1 /brownfields)

                   Grant Recipient: City of Gardner,MA
                   (978)630-4011

                   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 negotiated.
                   Therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are
                   subject to change.
  United States
  Environmental
  Protection Agency
  Washington, DC 20450
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA560-F-07-219
        Aug 07

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