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. The Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act of 2002, as amended by the Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development Act of 2018, was passed to help states and communities around the country clean up and revitalize brownfields sites. Under this 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.
$20,000 for hazardous substances
$180,000 for petroleum
EPA has selected the Town of Adams for a brownfields cleanup grant. Hazardous substances and petroleum grant funds will be used to clean up the former Hoosac Valley Coal and Grain site at 1 Cook Street. The one-acre cleanup site was formerly used as a storage and retail facility for coal, grain, hay, and wood, and also functioned as a fuel distributor from the 1950s until 1982. Hoosac Valley Coal and Grain operated at the site until 2012, and the site has been vacant since. The site is contaminated with petroleum, chlorinated solvents, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, metals, and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community outreach activities, including development of a community relations plan.