I JBt; | Brownfields 2004 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Boston, 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 City of Boston was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Boston has a population of approximately 589,141. The city has more than 3,000 state-listed disposal sites, many of which are considered brownfields. More than 600 of these sites are located in the Dorchester and Roxbury neighborhoods. The city has targeted three areas for assessment grant activities: Dorchester (population 92,115), South Boston/Roxbury (population 56,658), and Hyde Park (population 31,749). These areas were selected based on several factors, including economic distress, levels of community involvement and concern about environmental conditions, and the amount of planning and community support. About 22 percent of residents who live within a one-half-mile radius of the targeted sites live in poverty. Two of the sites are within a federally designated Empowerment Zone, and four of the five sites targeted for assessment are located within or near Boston Main Streets areas. Boston Main Streets is an urban commercial district program that brings technical knowledge of business district revitalization to Boston neighborhoods and fosters partnerships between local businesses and corporations with a community presence. Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances $137,000 for petroleum EPA has selected the City of Boston for a brownfields assessment grant. Hazardous substances grant funds will be used to perform Phase I site assessments on two selected properties and a Phase II assessment and associated activities on a former solvent recycling property. The results of the Phase II assessment may require the development of cost estimates and remedial plans for the property. Petroleum grant funds will be used to conduct a Phase I site assessment at a former automotive garage and a Phase II assessment at two adjacent, government-owned properties that were historically used as auto service stations and repair garages. Funds also will be used for community outreach. 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: City of Boston,MA (617)635-0103 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 c Environmental anri Fmpflpn™ EPA 560-F-04-111 Protection Agency Response (5105T) June 2004 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (si us ) ------- |