I JBt \ Brownfields 2005 Assessment Grant Fact Sheet Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, 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 Berkshire Regional Planning Commission was selected to receive a brownfields assessment grant. Over half of the region's high-paying manufacturing jobs were lost when Berkshire County's two major manufacturers closed or restructured over a decade ago. Since then, more smaller manufacturing companies have closed, further increasing job losses and dotting the landscape with well over 1,000 brownfields. With rising unemployment that is already above the state average and a declining population, Berkshire County (population 130,953) ranks third in the state for the highest poverty level. Many of the underused and abandoned manufacturing and commercial properties exist adjacent to residential areas in the county's urban cores. Assessment and reuse of brownfields will breathe new life into the economy and preserve greenfields. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission plans to assess brownfields for cleanup and redevelopment in the urban cores where 95 percent of the region's jobs once existed, thereby reducing blight and contamination, and promoting investment and new employment. Assessment Grant $200,000 for hazardous substances EPA has selected the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission for a brownfields assessment grant. Grant funds will be used to inventory, map, rank, and prioritize brownfields; perform Phase I and Phase II site assessments; and reach out to the community during each step of the process. 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: Berkshire Regional Planning Commission,MA (413)442-1521 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-05-010 Protection Agency Response (5105T) May 2005 Washington, DC 20450 Kesponse (si us ) ------- |