Attleboro, Seekonk get state grants for contaminated sites

November 14, 2022 : The Sun Chronicle, by Stephen Peterson

Attleboro and Seekonk have been awarded state grants to clean up contaminated land.

Attleboro is earmarked for $249,540 and Seekonk $250,000 in Brownfields Redevelopment Fund awards, state officials announced Monday.

In Attleboro, the money will be used for a nearly half-acre site at 53 Falmouth St. impacted by residual contamination that requires removal and transport to an appropriate receiving facility.

Once the site is remediated, the city intends to offer the property for redevelopment.

City officials believe it’s an ideal location for multi-family housing. The site is in an “environmental justice neighborhood.”

Seekonk will use its grant for remediation of three heavily contaminated wastewater lagoons, along with the surrounding contaminated berm spoils, at 36 Maple Ave., the former Attleboro Dye Works site.

Once remediation is completed, the town will put out a call for proposals for the parcel with the intent of developing it for housing and business.

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Undersecretary of Community Development Ashley Stolba, and MassDevelopment President Dan Rivera were joined by state and local officials Monday in Taunton to announce the grants.

A total of $2.6 million will support 13 projects across the state.

Taunton received a $200,000 grant for site remediation for a known petroleum release at 5-7 Nickerson Ave. The site is in a primarily residential neighborhood and it’s expected it would be highly attractive for housing development.

“Pleased to see that the legislatively created and funded Brownfield Redevelopment fund continues to play an important role helping municipalities across the Commonwealth remediate brownfield sites putting them back to use,” said state Sen. Marc Pacheco, D-Taunton, who represents Seekonk and Rehoboth among other communities. “These funds go a long way in helping municipalities move forward in utilizing the once contaminated sites.”

Since 1998, the Brownfields Redevelopment Fund has financed 778 projects with more than $114 million.

“This important state resource helps our local partners breathe new life into underused properties to support housing and job creation,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Mike Kennealy, who serves as chair of MassDevelopment’s board of directors, oversees of the grant program.