Salem, Peabody Will Get Nearly $1 Million for Cleanup Along North River

Peabody and Salem are receiving nearly $1 million in Brownfield grants, which help communities assess and clean up contaminated parcels.

The two North Shore communities will get $950,000 in funding from the U.S. EPA, which the cities will use to create “a revolving loan fund to provide loans and sub-grants to support cleanup activities at sites contaminated with hazardous substances and petroleum. Grant funds will also be used to promote the fund, conduct cleanup planning and oversight, and perform community outreach activities,” according to Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, who released a joint statement on Wednesday.

 “The need for these Brownfield funds has never been greater, we are very pleased that the EPA has supported our efforts and allowing both communities to build upon past investments in the North River Corridor. The communities are now able to stimulate economic development, protect the environment and improve the lives of the people living in our communities,” said Bettencourt.  

“I would like to thank the EPA for this substantial investment in cleaning up and improving our community,” said Driscoll. “The availability of these funds will ensure that the remediation of some of our most contaminated sites can advance in a sustainable and time-sensitive manner. Salem is living with the legacy of our industrial past in many respects and those consequences can often delay or impede developments that could substantially improve our community. These funds will help use not only protect public health and the environment, but also strengthen our local economy, grow our tax base, and generate jobs. My thanks also to the hard work of our Department of Planning and Community Development, which wrote this grant and worked so diligently to secure it.”

The money for Peabody and Salem was a portion of $17.5 million in Brownfield grants given to New England communities. Massachusetts communities got nearly $5 million of that total with Salem/Peabody getting the biggest grant in the state.

“Funding provided by EPA’s Brownfields program is an important asset for local communities working to get abandoned or derelict properties assessed, cleaned up and back into productive use,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “EPA’s investments in our communities through Brownfields grants leverage an average of approximately $17 for every dollar we spend. This is a wise investment in cleaning and revitalizing contaminated sites, creating jobs and new economic opportunities, and overall making our communities stronger and our environment cleaner.”