Brownfields 2009 Cleanup Grant Fact
Sheet
North Brookfield, MA
RECOUERY.GOV
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
February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed into
law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The
Recovery Act is an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our
economy, and create or save millions of jobs. This law
provided stimulus funds to the Brownfields Program to
award grants to evaluate and clean up former industrial
and commercial sites. Under this law, EPA will provide
financial assistance to eligible applicants through four
competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving
loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants.
Community Description
The Town of North Brookfield was selected to receive a
brownfields cleanup grant. Located in central
Massachusetts, North Brookfield (population 4,694) is a
small rural town. The town was created and sustained for
many years by Aztec Industries. The company owned and
operated the target site and two adjacent properties in the
downtown area for more than 60 years. When the
company closed its doors in the mid-1980s, the town lost
its largest employer and tax base, and was left with a
legacy of contamination. This contamination poses a
threat to residents and workers near the site, and the
senior citizens who frequent the senior center opposite the
site. Site cleanup is expected to help leverage additional
funding for the North Brookfield Downtown
Development project. Once the site is cleaned up, the city
anticipates redeveloping it for municipal and commercial
uses. The town has begun negotiations with a neighboring
business to lease the site to construct a 50,000-square-foot
warehouse and parking facility for its employees.
Cleanup Grant
$200,000 for hazardous substances
(Recovery Act Funding)
EPA has selected the Town of North Brookfield
for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous
substances grant funds will be used to clean up
soil contaminated with inorganic substances at the
14 South Common Street site. This site was
formerly part of Aztec Industries and has been
vacant since the 1980s. Grant funds also will be
used to oversee the cleanup and 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/regionl/bro wnfields)
Grant Recipient: Town of North Brookfield,MA
(508) 867-0200
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-09-128
May 2009
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