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' iMy ] Brownfields 2009 Cleanup Grant Fact Sheet
^ ***/ A^eiv Garden Park, Inc., Worcester, 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. In
2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and
Brownfields Revitalization Act was passed to help
states and communities around the country cleanup and
revitalize brownfields sites. 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
New Garden Park, Inc., was selected to receive two
brownfields cleanup grants. The cleanup sites are in
Worcester (population 172,644), which is located at
what was once the head of the Blackstone Canal in
central Massachusetts. The area is widely considered
the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Its
location made Worcester a center for manufacturing
innovation for more than a generation. However, the
steady decline in industrial operations has left behind
many vacant and underused properties, and extensive
environmental contamination. The city currently
contains over 200 documented brownfield sites.
Cleanup of the former school is expected to lead to
redevelopment of the site into a housing complex, and
continue the city's progress toward completing the
Gateway Park project. The project is a redevelopment
initiative designed to create a vibrant, mixed-use
community in the area, and generate over 2,000
permanent jobs.
Cleanup Grants
$400,000 for hazardous substances
EPA has selected New Garden Park, Inc., for two
brownfields cleanup grants. Hazardous substances
grant funds will be used to clean up the former
Worcester Vocational High School - Parcel B,
located at 26 Salisbury Street, and Worcester
Vocational High School - Parcel C, located at 34
Grove Street. Both parcels are contaminated by
hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum
due to a history of lumber and manufacturing
operations on the site.
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: New Garden Park, Inc.,MA
(508) 755-5734
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-09-180
May 09
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