Background
CMRPC has supported brownfields projects in Central Massachusetts through planning, community development and site assessment assistance since 2009. Currently, CMRPC offers a environmental site assessment grant-of-service program funded by the US Environmental Projection Agency (EPA). A region-wide brownfields plan was completed between 2016 and 2018 using Massachusetts District Local Technical Assistance funding.
What’s a Brownfield?
EPA defines brownfields as “real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or re-use of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.” More than 4,600 contaminated or possibly-contaminated sites in CMRPC’s 40-municipality planning district have been reported to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) since 1993. While most of these have been cleaned up, those that remain have the potential to negatively impact the region’s health, natural resources, and economic development. Impacts from brownfields include contributions to blight and vandalism, public health and environmental risks, erosion of property values and tax revenues, as well as loss of greenspace for public benefit. Underserved populations tend to bear a disproportionate burden from brownfield properties.
Site Assessment Program
CMRPC’s EPA-funded site assessment program facilitates revitalization of brownfields by investigating the type and extent of contaminants at known or suspected brownfields through Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, surveys of hazardous building materials (asbestos, lead paint, etc.), cleanup plans, and related submittals to regulatory entities. Assessments of eligible sites are conducted as grants of service by CMRPC’s licensed contractor. Eligible applicants can include municipalities, community-based organizations, and private parties. For more information, see CMRPC Brownfields Site Assessment Program.
Regional Plan
CMRPC recently completed a region-wide brownfields plan to identify brownfields-impacted neighborhoods and key sites throughout the region. For more information, see CMRPC Regional Brownfields Plan.
Brownfields Advisory Committee
CMRPC’s informal Brownfields Advisory Committee serves as a regional roundtable for brownfields topics. When funding is available for site assessment it provides feedback and guidance on site selection priorities. See also CMRPC Brownfields Advisory Committee.
Though this project has been funded wholly or in part by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the contents of this web page do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of EPA.
