MRPC gets $400K

MRPC gets $400K
Money to help assess region's brownfields
Katie Landeck
News Staff Writer

REGION The Montachusett Regional Planning Commission announced Thursday that the Environmental Protection Agency has awarded it $400,000 to assess brownfields — land containing real or perceived hazardous waste or pollution.

Communities falling under the commission's umbrella, such as Gardner and Westminster, will be able to petition to have environmental assessments done, as well as community outreach and cleanup planning.

"The process to be awarded this funding is super competitive, so we are just really glad we have the funds to provide to the communities we serve," said John Hume, the commission's planning and development director.

Brownfields are speckled all around the commission's 22 communities due to the region's history of manufacturing, furniture fabrication, paper-making and plastics — processes that historically used lots of chemicals. When these chemicals leach into soil, the cleanup is expensive and makes the land difficult to market.

"Brownfields assessments (whi­­ch the grant funds) will allow the commission to obtain information about real or perceived environmental contamination and facilitate site cleanup and eventual reuse," said Executive Director Glen Eaton.

While nominations from the commission's entire service area will be considered, the organization plans to prioritize the Wachusett Corridor, including Fitchburg, Leominster and West­minster, with half of the funding set aside for projects there.

Restoring the Wachusett Corr­idor, according to Mr. Hume, is an ongoing project of the commission, with a "smart growth" plan in place. The goals of the smart growth plan include planning for Wachusett station (a planned commuter rail stop in West Fitchburg) and planning future land uses that range from housing development to open space.

To do this, "a key recommendation of this plan is to apply for and secure EPA Brownfield Site Assessment funds," said Mr. Hume.

Once the assessment is done, the commission hopes to secure additional EPA funding to tackle remediation.

The grant is part of $54.3 million of cleanup and assessment projects nationwide the EPA announced Thursday. The commission and New Bedford both received $400,000, the highest allocations in Massachusetts.

Local officials, community development corporations, neighborhood groups, the private sector and other interested parties looking to nominate a site can contact Mr. Hume at 978-345-7376, ext. 302.