Brownfields 2013 Area-Wide Planning Grant Fact Sheet Lee, 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 clean up and revitalize brownfields sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through competitive grant programs for brownfields site assessment, site cleanup, revolving loan funds, area-wide planning, and job training. Additional funding support is provided to state and tribal response programs through a separate mechanism. Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program EPA's Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program assists communities in responding to local brownfields challenges, particularly where multiple brownfield sites are in close proximity, connected by infrastructure, and limit the economic, environmental and social prosperity of their surroundings. This program enhances EPA's core brownfields assistance programs by providing grant funding to communities so they can perform the research needed to develop an area-wide plan and implementation strategies for brownfields assessment, cleanup, and reuse. The resulting area-wide plans provide direction for future brownfields area improvements that are protective of public health and the environment, economically viable, and reflective of the community's vision for the area. Recipients selected under this program will receive up to $200,000 in EPA grant funding. Project Description $175,000 EPA has selected the Town of Lee as a Brownfields Area-Wide Planning grant recipient. The town will work with the community and other stakeholders to develop a brownfields area-wide plan and implementation strategy for the industrial area just north of the downtown, where four former paper mills are located within 1.5 miles of one another. The town will research existing conditions and infrastructure capacity, conduct a market study, and involve the community in public meetings and a brownfields visioning session. These efforts will establish a comprehensive framework for future action at the four brownfields catalyst sites. Key partners who will work with the town on this project include Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Lee Community Development Corporation, and Town of Lenox, MA. 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 617-918-1429 EPA Region 1 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/region01/br ownfields/) Grant Recipient: Town of Lee,MA 413-243-5501 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) EPA 560-F-13-043 April 2013 ------- United States Q ., . ,A/__t,. Environmental bona waste EPA 560-F-13-043 _, and Emergency •, o^^o Protection Agency Resoonse (51 osn Apnl 2013 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (bl Ob I) ------- |