/ O \ Brownfields 1998 Assessment Pilot Fact Sheet \ ±$2. J Chelsea, MA EPA Brownfields Initiative 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. Background EPA has selected the City of Chelsea for a Brownfields Pilot. Chelsea is a waterfront suburb of Boston. Approximately one-third of the city's 2.2 square miles is commercial or industrial land that once housed heavy industries or currently serves as industrial storage. Many of these sites in the city are vacant or underused properties preventing safe public access to the city's waterfront and border the city's residential neighborhoods. Nearly one-quarter of the city's 28,710 residents live below the poverty line, per capita and household incomes are two-thirds of the state average, and unemployment is 2% higher than the state average. In addition, almost half of the city's residents are minorities. The Pilot will focus on the 43-acre Everett Avenue Urban Renewal District. The district comprises the highest concentration of contiguous, underused land in the city and is located near the regional highway system, downtown Boston, Logan Airport, and other recently redeveloped land. The area is characterized by unknown contamination and a fear of liability, which has hindered cleanup and redevelopment. Pilot Snapshot Date of Announcement: 05/01/1998 Amount: $200,000 Profile: The Pilot targets two demonstration sites within the Everett Avenue Urban Renewal District. The District is comprised of 43 acres of underdeveloped industrial and commercial land. 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/brownfields) Grant Recipient: City of Chelsea,MA (650)853-3100 Objectives The city's objective is to unlock the economic potential of the Everett Avenue Urban Renewal District's brownfields by conducting environmental assessments, and educating and involving local residents. The Pilot will assess and plan for the cleanup of an 8-acre portion of the 43-acre targeted area that the city will acquire through negotiation or eminent domain in early 1998. The Pilot also will conduct initial site investigations in the publicly-owned areas of the remaining 35 acres of the district, to gather information to support efforts to persuade private property owners that cleanup and redevelopment is a viable option. Activities Activities planned as part of this Pilot include: • Reviewing the results of a previously conducted preliminary investigation of the Everett Avenue Urban Renewal District, in order to guide Pilot United States c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 500-F-98-135 nil- a ancl Emergency .. Protection Agency Response (5105T) MaV98 Washington, DC 20450 ^ v ' ------- sampling activities; • Conducting detailed sampling in the eight-acre portion of the target area to characterize the extent and degree of contamination and the risks to human health and the environment; • Preparing cleanup plans for the eight-acre parcel to facilitate redevelopment; • Conducting limited sampling of publicly-owned land in the remaining 3 5-acre target area; and • Performing community outreach, including supporting public meetings, and communicating the results of environmental testing in the district. 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-98-135 May 98 ------- |