I 'O UJ O Brownfields 2004 Grant Fact Sheet Attleboro, MA EPA Brownfields Program EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, commu- nities, and other stakeholders in economic development 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, the President 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 program s through a separate mechanism. Community Description The City of Attleboro was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Attleboro (population 42,068), an old manufacturing city, is located in Bristol County in southeastern Massachusetts. From 1992 to the present, the city's manufacturing sector has declined from 51.6 percent of the labor force to 39.3 percent. In 1999, when the target site, a former jewelry manufacturing plant, downsized, more than 700 em- ployees lost their jobs. The census tract surrounding the target site (population 10,000) has the highest percentage of minority populations in the city, second lowest average family income, and a large percentage of renter-occupied housing units. The approximately six-acre site includes a 200,000 square-foot building and three parking lots. In the early 1900s, the site had a Assessment Grant $200,000 petroleum EPA has selected the City of Attleboro for a brownfields assessment grant. Petroleum grant funds will be used to update a Phase I assess- ment, conduct Phase II, III, and IV site assess- ments, and determine use limitations for a former jewelry and belt buckle manufacturing 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 at: www.epa.gov/ brownfields. EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team 617-918-1221 http://www.epa.gov/region01/brownfields/ Grant Recipient: Attleboro, MA 508-223-2222 The cooperative agreement for this grant has not yet been negotiated; therefore, activities described in this fact sheet are subject to change. gas house, which was eventually replaced by under- ground storage tanks and a few above-ground tanks, most of which were subsequently removed. Once cleaned up, the plant will be restored for use as a manufacturing facility, which is expected to generate more than 500 new jobs. In addition, surrounding parking lots may be converted into greenspace. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA560-F-04-104 June 2004 www.epa.gov/brownfields ------- |