LAWRENCE — The city has received a $1 million in competitive federal funds to clean up polluted and blighted land at sites throughout Lawrence, including along a 1.4-mile former railroad line being redeveloped into a rail trail stretching to Manchester, New Hampshire
“We are thrilled to announce that the City of Lawrence has been chosen to receive a $1 million dollar grant through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for a comprehensive brownfields multipurpose project,” said Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña.
Elected federal leaders recently announced Lawrence and Lowell were among Massachusetts cities awarded the grant money.
The funds will be used to conduct “environmental site assessments, prepare four cleanup plans, and conduct community engagement activities,” according to information released by Congresswoman Lori Trahan’s office.
“The target area for this project is the area surrounding the Lawrence Manchester Rail Corridor in downtown Lawrence, a 1.4-mile former railroad line slated for redevelopment into a rail trail,” according to Trahan, D-Westford.
The EPA selected 13 communities in Massachusetts to receive 14 grants totaling $25,646,400 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Grant programs.
In addition, the agency is announcing $9 million in supplemental funding to four existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to help expedite their continued work at sites in Massachusetts.
Courtesy of a $1.5 billion boost from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities, according to Trahan.
She said she “voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make long overdue improvements in communities large and small across the Commonwealth.”
The funding will give Lawrence and Lowell “and the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission the resources necessary to complete revitalization projects that will improve life for hardworking families, create good-paying jobs, and strengthen our local economy for years to come,” she said.
Lowell was selected to receive $500,000 for a Brownfields Assessment Grant and $5 million for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Cleanup of Lawrence’s portion of the Lawrence-Manchester Rail Trail has been ongoing since October 2022.
The trail is part of a 30-mile abandoned rail corridor linking Lawrence and Manchester, New Hampshire.
The Lawrence segment of the rail trail runs between Manchester Street in South Lawrence, and the city border with Methuen near Manchester Street.
Shortly after rail freight service ended in the 1990s, communities in New Hampshire and Massachusetts began converting the line into an alternative transportation corridor for pedestrians and cyclists.
State Rep. Frank Moran, D-Lawrence, previously secured $3.5 million in funding for this cleanup project.
The EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in brownfield grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year.
“Brownfields grants are game changers – they turn polluted, abandoned sites into thriving community spaces. This isn’t just about cleaning up the environment; it’s about revitalizing neighborhoods, creating good jobs, and ensuring healthier living for everyone – it’s a win-win-win-win-win-win,” said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash.
“This additional funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping to transform contaminated properties into valuable community assets, making a real difference for Massachusetts families, especially in the areas that need it most,” Cash said.
“I’m over the moon that we’ll be able to invest in our communities, create jobs, and clean up sites across the commonwealth with this funding,” said U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren. “This is a great win for our environment, our communities, and our kids who are going to reap the benefits for generations to come.”
“It’s simple – we know that brownfields grants unlock vital funding to free our towns and cities from dangerous pollution and toxic contamination,” said U.S. Sen. Edward Markey. “This historic investment will bring cleaner water, land, and air to communities across the commonwealth and deliver a more livable future with green spaces to work, live and play.”
Follow staff reporter Jill Harmacinski on Twitter @EagleTribJill.
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