The Massachusetts Brownfield Cleanup Program is a collaboration of various state, federal, and regional entities with the shared goal of assessment, cleanup, and redevelopment of distressed properties. The successful reuse of these properties results in many benefits, including the protection of public health and the environment; an improved local economy due to job creation; an increased tax base in the communities where the Brownfields are located; a boost in property values from the aforementioned benefits; and an increase in aesthetics from the redevelopment.
There are three main health-related risks when considering communities' relationships to brownfields:
Safety
Brownfields pose a high risk to physical health due to abandoned structures, lots and/or construction materials that have deteriorated or were improperly disposed. Other hazards may stem from illegal tampering of the property, such as untreated contamination and leaching, which worsen severe events such as floods, droughts, and wildfires.
Social and Economic Impacts
Crime and vacancy near brownfield sites may deepen stigmatized perceptions of the area, decreasing property values, economic activity, and community development resources to adjacent neighborhoods. These impacts often intersect with legacies of disinvestment and segregation, compounding unequal distributions of social capital and residents' quality of life.
Environmental Health Risks
The environmental risks associated with brownfields are manifold; contaminated sites may have polluted soil and groundwater contamination, as well as emission deposits and wastes left on the site. Source.
Brownfields come in various shapes, sizes, and conditions, but they are essentially "properties, expansions, redevelopments, and/or reuses of land that may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant." Source.
Sites may be small parcels in your local neighborhood or large abandoned industrial properties nearby. Regardless of their physical dimension, "the presence of contamination, [even] the fear of potential contamination and the desire to redevelop/re-use a property, is all it takes to be considered a candidate for brownfield incentives." Source.
There are several ways to identify Brownfields in Massachusetts. Here are a few:
A Map of the Commonwealth with all identified Brownfield Sites, as of October 2014.
A spreadsheet managed by the Massachusetts's Department of Environmental Protection.
Reporting Mechanisms
Residents can report spills, hazards, and other waste management concerns through the following channels:
For general Brownfield Program information, you can email questions to: BWSC.Information@mass.gov
For specific questions about waste site cleanup regulations and requirements, you can electronically message: BWSC.Regulations@mass.gov
To Report a Spill or Environmental Emergency, please call 1-888-304-1133
In case of emergency, please call your local Fire Department first (911). MassDEP has 24/7 support service for urgent situations.
For general information about how the Waste Site Cleanup program works, please call 617-292-5500
MassDEP Boston Headquarters - ask for the Waste Site Cleanup program.
Cleanup Assistance, Technical Information & Financial Incentives
EPA's Proposal Guidelines for Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants require applicants to provide a letter from the appropriate state environmental authority (in Massachusetts, MassDEP) acknowledging the application. MassDEP requires the following information listed here to issue a State Acknowledgement Letter.
Requests for a State Acknowledgement Letter may be submitted electronically to David.Foss@Mass.Gov
Information regarding Massachusetts' Brownfield Incentive Program and eligibility requirements can be found online for Developers, Tenants, Property Owners, and other entities.
MassDEP works with Boards of Health, Fire Departments, MassDOT, DPH and other state and local partners to address air pollution complaints involving dust, noise, odor, smoke, and vehicle idling, emissions and pollution. The Commonwealth's Office Environmental Justice and Equity (OEJE) works closely with MassDEP on Brownfield remediation to "ensure a fair and equitable distribution of all environmental and energy benefits and burdens."
Members of the Commonwealth's Environmental Justice Task Force can be contacted here with any questions or concerns.
A directory of environmental issues with supporting contacts can be found here. A direct online complaint form is available here.
Are you interested in receiving updates about proposed projects in your neighborhood, environmental justice news and Department notices? Use this online form to subscribe to MassDEP's community outreach with regular Environmental Justice updates.
The Environmental League of Massachusetts (ELM) is a non-profit organization committed to combating climate change, protecting the commonwealth’s land, water, and public health, and advancing environmental justice. By creating diverse alliances and building the power of the environmental community, ELM uses its collective influence to ensure Massachusetts is a leader in environmental and economic sustainability. They play a pivotal role in directing significant state and federal funding to projects in environmental justice communities in amounts that meet or exceed the federal Justice40 standard.
Contact ELM here: 617-742-2553 and info@environmentalleague.org
Other Massachusetts-based Environmental Justice Organizations include:
GreenRoots (Chelsea and East Boston Area)
Contacts for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Environmental Justice Program:
Deneen Simpson
MassDEP Director of Environmental Justice
Deneen.Simpson@mass.gov
857-406-0738
Madeline Sullivan-Hale
MassDEP Environmental Justice Outreach Coordinator
Madeline.Sullivan-Hale@mass.gov
781-719-3486
Chiquita Cox
MassDEP Language Outreach Coordinator
Chiquita.Cox2@mass.gov
781-915-9721