The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 1 awarded Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission a $1.0 million Cooperative Agreement under the Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Cooperative Agreements program (CFDA 66.818), effective July 1, 2025, through September 30, 2029. The agreement funds comprehensive brownfield assessment and redevelopment activities across central and southern Worcester County, Massachusetts, with no subawards included in this assistance agreement. Under the agreement, CMRPC will conduct environmental site assessments, cleanup planning, and community engagement activities authorized by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Section 104(k)(2).
Specifically, the recipient will deliver up to 20 Phase I and 15 Phase II environmental site assessments; conduct up to 6 community meetings; develop up to 4 site-specific cleanup plans and alternatives analyses; and prepare up to 4 planning documents to support brownfield revitalization initiatives. CMRPC will competitively procure and direct qualified environmental professionals to conduct environmental site activities, inventory and characterize contaminated properties, and plan cleanup activities. The organization will report interim progress and final accomplishments through 16 quarterly reports submitted to the EPA's Assessment, Cleanup and Redevelopment Exchange System (ACRES). These activities are designed to benefit residents, business owners, and stakeholders throughout the region by addressing blighted and underutilized properties complicated by potential environmental contamination.