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Foxborough Awarded $100,000 EPA Brownfields Assessment

Release Date: 06/20/2002
Contact Information: Andrew Spejewski, EPA Press Office, 617-918-1014

FOXBOROUGH, MASS. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is awarding a targeted Brownfields assessment grant valued at $100,000 to the town of Foxborough. Under the award, EPA will assess environmental contamination at the 12-acre Seltsam property, a former junkyard, providing the town and potential developers with information that will help facilitate eventual cleanup and redevelopment of the site.

"Towns like Foxborough are working very hard to make their communities productive and livable and they're focusing particular attention on parcels that have been used before and can be re-used again," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator for EPA's New England Office, speaking at the site today during a ceremony with town officials. "EPA's Brownfields program is here to support that hard work. The site assessment we're awarding today is an important step for this property, giving Foxborough the information it needs to move forward with cleanup and redevelopment."

Across the country, EPA estimates there are between 500,000 and one million Brownfields – properties that are abandoned or underdeveloped because of contamination or fear of contamination. EPA has awarded $52 million in Brownfields grants across New England to date, including $24 million to communities in Massachusetts. Across New England, these grants have led to 640 completed site assessments, $300 million leveraged for redevelopment and over 2,000 jobs created.

The Seltsam property, which the town is in the process of taking for back taxes, is located in a aquifer recharge area for a portion of the town's drinking water supply. The property borders Smith's Pond, a significant fresh water recreational resource which feeds into the Rumford River which is part of the Neponset River Watershed. Foxborough's plans for redeveloping the site include affordable and/or market rate housing, aquifer protection and open space.

Also today, EPA announced targeted brownfields assessments for the towns of Essex and Bellingham, Mass. The two assessments are worth a total of $150,000. Today's announcement follows Monday's announcement of three assessments to Connecticut towns, valued at $200,000.