Overview
CMRPC was awarded a $300,000 FY 2018 brownfields site assessment grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency to conduct assessments at key sites around the region, particularly those in neighborhoods with disproportionate impacts from contaminated sites. Eligible applicants for assistance can include municipalities, private landowners, developers, and community-based organizations that are seeking to return underutilized commercial or industrial properties to productive use. EPA’s site-specific eligibility criteria apply. Applicants selected for inclusion in the program are assisted with site investigations and/or reuse planning including Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, surveys of hazardous building materials (asbestos, lead paint, etc.), cleanup plans, and related submittals to regulatory entitities. Investigations can include hazardous substances, petroleum products, or both. CMRPC has engaged the licensed professionals at Fuss & O’Neill, Inc. to complete the assessments and related activities on behalf of project proponents. All final assessment reports and other documents developed through the program are public documents.
Program Goals
CMRPC’s mission for the assessment program is to investigate brownfield sites where future revitalization is expected to:
- -Create jobs
- -Create affordable housing
- -Expand economic development and the local tax base
- -Provide quality of life improvements
- -Foster public health and environmental benefits
Additional goals include support for sites that are located within Areas of Brownfields Interest as described in CMRPC’s Regional Brownfields Plan, sites in environmental justice areas, and sites with access to existing infrastructure and transit. Feasibility of the planned site revitalization and its alignment with community objectives are also considerations.
Parties applying for assistance through the program must demonstrate how assessment of their property promotes one or more of the above-listed goals. CMRPC is prepared to assist with the application process and with garnering necessary community support, leveraging additional funding sources, and better positioning brownfields for redevelopment.
Is My Site Eligible?
Applicants do not have to own the property or properties they would like to nominate for assistance. However, a written site access agreement or other legal access instrument must be in place before assessment activities can be undertaken. Sites contaminated by petroleum or related substances are generally ineligible if the current or immediate past owner caused or contributed to the site’s contamination. The best way to determine whether your property is eligible is to contact CMRPC to discuss your specific property and circumstances.
Application Process
Nominations for assistance are accepted on a rolling basis but are reviewed on a roughly quarterly schedule with input from CMRPC’s Brownfields Advisory Committee (BFAC). CMRPC recommends that project proponents contact us prior to submitting a nomination form to informally discuss each site’s potential eligibility and any site access concerns. Following submittal of the nomination form, CMRPC and its contractor will perform an internal review of each site and will follow up as needed with the proponent to fill any gaps and briefly discuss the desired scope of work. Each site is then discussed by the BFAC before a final decision is made by CMRPC. Project proponents are encouraged to attend BFAC meetings as appropriate, especially for sites needing Phase II or cleanup planning assistance. Sites approved by CMRPC will then be submitted to EPA or (for petroleum sites) to MassDEP for formal approval. A more detailed description of the site selection process and evaluation criteria is provided below.
To be included in the next round of sites being reviewed for approval, your nomination form must be submitted by September 9, 2021. Note that proponents of nominated sites should be prepared to participate in the subsequent meeting of the Brownfields Advisory Committee to discuss their site(s). A hybrid meeting has been scheduled for September 15, 2021 at 10:00 am.
Forms
–Site Selection Process Summary v8-19
Contacts
Questions regarding CMRPC’s brownfields program should be directed to Andrew Loew, Project Manager, at (508) 459-3339 or aloew@cmrpc.org.
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.
