Merrimack Valley

Stimulus money, revolving loans will help redevelop contaminated sites

By Brian Messenger
bmessenger@eagletribune.com
Published: July 6, 2009

Contaminated properties in Haverhill, Lawrence and Methuen now stand a better chance at being cleaned up and redeveloped because of $1.4 million in recently secured federal grants.

A $400,000 federal stimulus grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will extend an ongoing program to assess contaminated properties in the Merrimack Valley.

The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission's regional Brownfields assistance program was launched in 2003 and will now continue into 2012 with the stimulus money.

A second, $1 million grant from the federal agency will take that effort even further, allowing the planning commission to establish a revolving loan fund to help area communities pay for cleanup work on contaminated sites.

"This is the first time we've received money for actual cleanup," said Ted Semesnyei, economic development coordinator with the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission. "We can now offer the complete package of assessment and cleanup."

Semesnyei said Haverhill, Lawrence and Methuen stand to benefit the most from the revolving loan fund, although the 12 other communities represented by the planning commission will be eligible for financing.

Projects will be selected on merit, he said.

"It will be open to every community," said Semesnyei. "We anticipate that most of the funds will go to the larger communities."

Under the loan program, Semesnyei said the planning commission will issue below-market-rate loans to municipalities, nonprofit organizations and private developers to help finance the cleanup of properties contaminated with hazardous substances.

Semesnyei said eligible sites must be targeted for redevelopment after they are cleaned.

"We don't want to clean up just any site," said Semesnyei.

The stimulus money will come to the planning commission in two $200,000 increments.

Property assessments already completed or underway under the planning commission's Brownfields assistance program include the Intown Mall and North Common Alley Ways project in Lawrence, and the Apple Yard Trucking site in Methuen on Lowell Street.

He said the planning commission is expected to sign a contract with the EPA in August. After an environmental consultant is selected, a local advisory group will begin the selection process for which projects will receive money for cleanup assessment, he said.

The EPA started its Brownfields program in 1995 to assist with the cleanup and redevelopment of contaminated properties.

Semesnyei said the state estimates that there are 300 Brownfields sites still unattended in the region.

"Now we have the means to take it to the next step and maybe help some communities clean up some sites," he said.