In November, the brownfield program in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary.

In the early 1990s, Massachusetts, like many other states, had a long and growing list of contaminated sites that dotted the landscape of our industrial past. These sites represented not only environmental threats, but also lost revenue for communities.

This situation was destined for change. To expedite site assessment, remediation and redevelopment of contaminated locations, the Commonwealth partnered with the business community to create the first privatized cleanup program in the country. This allowed licensed environmental consultants to clean up nearly 24,000 contaminated sites since 1993, which averages out to about 1,700 sites per year.

For some sites, privatizing clean-up was not enough. The financial and regulatory obstacles to redevelopment were still too great. The 1998 Brownfields Act addressed these roadblocks through programs that solved financial and legal liability issues. A brownfield redevelopment fund was also created, which offered: 1) low-interest loans for assessment and cleanup; 2) a brownfield tax incentive program that provided tax credits for cleanup costs at the completion of work; 3) a first-ever state-subsidized environmental insurance program that dealt with outstanding liabilities; and 4) a covenant-not-to-sue from the Attorney General’s Office that provided further protection from legal action in exchange for a commitment to cleanup and redevelop a site.

As a result of these programs, the Commonwealth has witnessed a solid return on its investment in brownfield redevelopment. Hundreds of previously contaminated and abandoned sites have been transformed into community success stories made possible through public and private sector funding. I have seen these successes first-hand. In my former capacity as mayor of the city of Worcester, Mass., we launched a brownfields task force that helped drive the redevelopment of several major parcels in our city. For example, Gateway Park, a once blighted former industrial site, is now a successful mixed-use development that is home to cutting-edge life science and biotech companies, academic researchers, and supporting businesses.

Our group has also helped to advance and refine the state programs that facilitate brownfield reclamation. However, the job is not done. Some brownfield sites still pose challenges that the private sector has not yet embraced. The Patrick-Murray Administration is ready to address these challenges and help these sites become success stories in their own right.

Announced this summer, the Brownfields Support Team (BST) Initiative, led by staff from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, and Mass. Development, will bolster local communities’ capacity to ensure the success of brownfields redevelopment projects, solving the complex issues that could stall a project and making sure that tools are available to communities to resolve those issues.

On a pilot basis, the BST will undertake five projects, some of which include:

• South Worcester Industrial Park, Worcester: The redevelopment of 11 acres of underutilized industrial property into light industrial use adjacent to freight rail services.
   
• Fisherville Mill, Grafton: The redevelopment of 35 acres adjacent to the Blackstone River into a mixed-use development that will restore the former mill village and create public open space along the river.
   
• Former Crane/Chapman Valve Company, Springfield: The redevelopment of a 56-acre development parcel for industrial use that will bring jobs to an environmental justice community.

In an effort to highlight the Commonwealth’s brownfield accomplishments and to share our goals for the future, such as the success of the BST, we have declared November Brownfield Month. Throughout the month, I will host events in Boston, Worcester and Western Massachusetts that bring together individuals and groups from both the public and private sector who share our vision of restoring and revitalizing brownfield sites. I invite you to join us.

Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray is a past president of the N BA, Massachusetts/Rhode Island Chapter