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MassDevelopment In The News
Westport Eligible for Asbestos Grant
March 13, 2007: The Standard Times, by Joseph R. LaPlante
WESTPORT — The town is eligible for a grant under a pilot program for asbestos removal and lead paint abatement administered by MassDevelopment.
The grants will be issued from a $1 million fund through competitive applications and a review process, the Board of Selectmen learned last night.
"The purpose of the asbestos and lead paint abatement is to support the reuse of buildings and/or demolition and subsequent redevelopment of the properties where contaminated buildings are located so as to contribute to economic development in the host communities," the finance and development authority said in a notice to the board.
The $1 million was set aside by the Legislature when it recapitalized the Brownfields Redevelopment Fund last July with $30 million.
The grants will range from $50,000 to $350,000 per project, the agency said.
Several other SouthCoast communities are also eligible because they are included on the state's list of Economically Distressed Areas or as Economic Target Areas: Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, Freetown, Lakeville, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Rochester and Wareham.
"A priority of this program is the reuse of vacant, abandoned or under-utilized mill buildings and downtown block buildings," the notice said.
The program is different than the typical Brownfields Redevelopment Fund, although funded by it, Town Administrator Charlene Wood said.
"This is not for soil contamination," she said.
The notice of funding availability said, "Funding for site assessments and remediation of contamination in soil is not eligible for this pilot program, but continues to be eligible for financing under the existing Brownfields Redevelopment Fund programs."
The deadline for applications to the pilot program is March 30.
© Copyright 2007 The Standard Times.
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