Q \ Brownfields 2003 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet \ Mystic Valley Development Commission, Everett, Maiden, and Medford, 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 Mystic Valley Development Commission has been selected to receive brownfields assessment and cleanup grants. The cities of Everett, Maiden, and Medford have formed an innovative tri-city partnership to create TeleCom City, a regional technology development project planned for construction on a 200-acre waterfront site on the outskirts of the three densely populated cities. The project will convert the underused and decaying industrial land into a state-of-the-art telecommunications research and development park and a riverfront park for residents. The TeleCom City project is an EPA Brownfields Showcase Community located in a state economic target area. The cities of Everett, Maiden, and Medford have per capita incomes significantly lower than the state average, and the poverty rate in the project area is 36 percent higher than the statewide poverty rate. MVDC plans to use a portion of the assessment grant to support community outreach for the four sites to be assessed in Everett and Medford. Cleanup grant funds also will be used to conduct community involvement for the former Mystic Plating Company site. A Citizens Advisory Board, which includes residents from all three cities, will facilitate communication between the MVDC and local communities. Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances $200,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the Mystic Valley Development Commission (MVDC) for a brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be used to conduct Phase II assessments of two properties covering 17 acres along the Maiden River in the City of Medford. Suspected contaminants include polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and lead. Hazardous substances grant funds also will be used to conduct Phase I and II site assessments at two sites. In Everett, petroleum grant funds will be used to inventory brownfield properties and gather information on potential sources of petroleum contamination of properties in the project area. Based on the results of the inventory, properties will be prioritized and grant funds will then be used to conduct Phase I and Phase II site assessments for petroleum. Cleanup Grant $80,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the Mystic Valley Development Commission for a brownfields cleanup grant. Funds will be used to complete a cleanup of contaminated soils on the former Mystic Plating Company site in Medford. The Mystic Plating Company was a metal-finishing and plating facility that operated at the site from the 1950s until 2001. Surface soils at the site are contaminated by arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and zinc. 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). United States Environmental Protection Agency Washington, DC 20450 Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5105T) EPA 500-F-03-141 June 2003 ------- EPA Region 1 Brownfields Team (617) 918-1424 EPA Region 1 Brownfields Web site (http://www.epa.gov/regionl/bro wnfields ) Grant Recipient: Mystic Valley Development Commission,MA (617)381-7711 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 and Emergency Response (5105T) Solid Waste EPA 500-F-03-141 June 2003 ------- |