EPA awards $400K to assess Fall River sites

THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY has awarded  $400,000 in brownfields cleanup grants to the city of Fall River. / COURTESY U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY has awarded $400,000 in brownfields cleanup grants to the city of Fall River. / COURTESY U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will provide two brownfields assessment grants totaling $400,000 to the city of Fall River.

One grant will be used to assess hazardous substance contaminated sites and the other will be used to assess petroleum contaminated sites.

The goal of these assessments is to lead to the clean up and sustainable redevelopment of brownfields sites, specifically to determine the contamination of the former Fall River police station located at the corner of Bedford and High streets.

Establishing the level of contamination at the site, which has been vacant for 15 years, is important in redeveloping the land and revitalizing the surrounding community, according to the EPA.

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This year the EPA is providing $6.75 million in 33 separate brownfields grants to communities across Massachusetts as part of a $17 million effort throughout New England.

“EPA brownfields funding helps strengthen the economic foundation and is a catalyst for further growth in our communities,” Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA New England’s office, said in prepared remarks.

“Cleaning and revitalizing contaminated sites helps create jobs, and can help a community to create new businesses and neighborhood centers, while making our environment cleaner and the community healthier,” added Spalding.

The EPA estimates that there are 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites in the United States. In 2011, the EPA’s brownfields program generated 6,447 jobs and $2.14 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funds, according to a release.

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