The Berkshire Brownfields Program was created in 2004 when Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) received its first grant from EPA to conduct environmental assessments at Brownfields sites. Since then, the Berkshire Brownfields Program has grown to include an Assessment Program for Phase I, II & III Environmental Site Assessments, a Revolving Loan Fund for Brownfields Cleanups, and site specific Cleanup Projects.

This web resource provides information on the clean energy programs that help make clean energy technology more affordable for residential customers in Massachusetts. Each program highlights the key program offerings and the first step for customers to take advantage of the program.

The Rest of River Municipal Committee was created in 2013 to advocate common Housatonic River cleanup goals for Rest of River to the EPA. The Committee includes the towns of Great Barrington, Lee, Lenox, Sheffield, and Stockbridge. BRPC provides technical, fiduciary, facilitation, and coordination assistance to the Committee.

The Berkshire Cold, Clean, Connected Partnership is a collaboration with environmental organizations Housatonic Valley Association, Hoosic River Watershed Association, Farmington River Watershed Organizations, and Berkshire Environmental Action Team with the goal of catalyzing ecological restoration projects in Berkshire Rivers and Streams that protect cold-water fisheries, remove barriers to aquatic connectivity, and enhance clean, healthy rivers throughout Berkshire County. The partnership envisions a region that is ecologically resilient to climate change and a community that is interconnected with the health and well being of our watersheds. It aims to increasing the pace and scale of ecological restoration in The Berkshires by building the capacity of local municipalities and partner organizations to collaboratively restore degraded aquatic ecosystems and increase climate resiliency.

BRPC will provide grant management services to the Town of Adams for the Town's EPA Brownfields Assessment Grant. The Town has identified the Rt. 8 corridor as the Target Area and has identified four priority sites including a long vacant former paper mill (Curtis Fine Papers), a former retail gasoline and service station (26 Commercial Street), and 2 former cotton mills (Berkshire Mills Complex). Additional sites may also be identified throughout the course of the project.

The goal of the Brownfields Assessment Project is to target contaminated petroleum and hazardous waste sites in Berkshire County, leading to remediation and reuse. This project will retain and promote employment in core developed areas, protect the health and safety of traditional neighborhoods, and maintain the rural character of outlying areas. BRPC has been awarded $500,000 in EPA funding.

The Town of Great Barrington Ried Cleaners Cleanup Grant is a competitive grant awarded to the Town of Great Barrington from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Through this project the Town of Great Barrington will hire environmental professionals to conduct remediation actions at the former Ried Cleaners property.  This project will follow work conducted by EPA Emergency Response.  BRPC will assist the Town to conduct programmatic activities necessary to carry out activities under the grant, including EPA reporting, procurement of a Licensed Site Professional and remediation contractors, community outreach, and general coordination with EPA under a Cooperative Agreement.

This grant will help to address specific brownfields challenges and the negative impacts of historic industry by remediating an undeveloped, former tannery dumping ground that lies at the center of both a residential neighborhood and multiple, impacting ongoing public and private redevelopment projects that cannot proceed without remediation. BRPC will work with the City to provide grant management, expertise and oversight of this important brownfields remediation project.

The City of North Adams has been awarded grant funds from the Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance to complete a brownfields inventory. These funds allow the City to work with BRPC and the MassDEP Statewide Brownfields Coordinator on developing plans to assess/remediate or redevelop Brownfields.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission has established a Revolving Loan Fund to lend funds for clean up activities. This fund will provide subordinated loans and sub grants to enhance the credit worthiness of conventional or other traditional loans and funds and may fill funding gaps in the financial mix of a project.

The Town of Washington is partnering with BRPC under a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action Grant to address critical flooding issues identified as a top priority during the Town's MVP Planning Process. The project will include preliminary engineering assessments of aging and undersized infrastructure, identification of vulnerabilities, and exploration of opportunities to improve flood storage capacity along Depot Brook. It aims to protect key roads and infrastructure while fostering long-term resilience against climate change impacts by implementing nature-based solutions, such as floodplain restoration and bank stabilization.

BRPC is working alongside the City of North Adams and community partners such as Hoosic River Revival, Northern Berkshires Community Coalition, Trout Unlimited among others to address increased flood risk due to climate change. This project dedicates engineering funds toward removal of the Beaver Mill Dam and upgrades to stormwater infrastructure in four areas of the City that were most impacted by July 2023 storms. It also expands BRPC's climate justice program called Gray to Green into North Adams. In collaboration with Gray to Green BRPC will be working with community partners to help identify and design placemaking efforts along the Hoosic River parallel to the ongoing Flood Chutes Feasbility Study headed up by the US Army Corps. of Engineers.

BRPC is assisting Clarksburg build flood resiliency through a community-drive design process in the Four Corners area of Town. This area includes the main community's gathering places namely the Community/Senior Center, the Town Field, and Clarksburg School. The project will look at how the space can integrate stormwater infrastructure and redesign community assets to be more accessible and usable. Part of this project involves a Student Design Challenge in partnership with Clarksburg School and Flying Cloud, as well as community design charrette and ADA accessibility.

BRPC is helping the Town of Hancock develop a FEMA approved Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan. This will determine the greatest risks to the town, how climate change exacerbates these risks, and develop actions to mitigate impacts. This process will also make the Town MVP Certified community.

BRPC is assisting the Town of Lee to complete a FEMA and Massachusetts MVP State approved Hazard Mitigation Plan and Climate Adaptation Plan through the MVP Planning Process.

The Healthy and Efficient Homes Pilot Project seeks to address indoor environmental hazards and energy efficiency issues in homes within the Morningside and Westside neighborhoods in Pittsfield. This project aims to improve the overall health and safety of housing units in response to the myriad of health inequities experienced by residents and common hazards found in older homes, especially those that have been poorly maintained. BRPC will partner with Habitat for Humanity as well as Berkshire Environmental Action Team, and engage with the City of Pittsfield Community Development and Health Departments to implement this program.

BRPC is working with the Town of Adams, the City of North Adams, Berkshire Gas and National Grid to implement the Mass Save Community First Partnership. During the next two years, the team will work with a wide range of community-based organizations to plan and execute public education and outreach, such as marketing and/or participation in local events to drive measurable uptake in residential weatherization, residential heating system upgrades, and Small Business Turnkey program participation. Through the Mass Save Community First Partnership, the team will strive to better serve customers who have not participated in energy efficiency programs and who are in need of targeted approaches to increase access and participation.

BRPC is working with the Towns of Great Barrington and Lee, Berkshire Gas, Eversource and National Grid to implement the Mass Save Community First Partnership. During the next two years, the team will work with a wide range of community-based organizations to plan and execute public education and outreach, such as marketing and/or participation in local events to drive measurable uptake in residential weatherization, residential heating system upgrades, and Small Business Turnkey program participation. Through the Mass Save Community First Partnership, the team will strive to better serve customers who have not participated in energy efficiency programs and who are in need of targeted approaches to increase access and participation.

BRPC is working with the Town of Williamstown, Berkshire Gas and National Grid to implement the Mass Save Community First Partnership. During the next three years, the team will work with a wide range of community-based organizations to plan and execute public education and outreach, such as marketing and/or participation in local events to drive measurable uptake in residential weatherization, residential heating system upgrades, and Small Business Turnkey program participation. Through the Mass Save Community First Partnership, the team will strive to better serve customers who have not participated in energy efficiency programs and who are in need of targeted approaches to increase access and participation.

BRPC is working with funding through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s EmPower program to expand awareness and access to Mass Save. During the next two years, the team will work with a wide range of community-based organizations and Towns throughout the Berkshires to plan and execute public education and outreach, such as marketing and/or participation in local events to drive measurable uptake in residential weatherization, residential heating system upgrades, and Small Business Turnkey program participation. Through this program we aim to bolster the support for existing Community First Partnership towns and expand access to the resources and support available through Mass Save. Our team will strive to better serve customers who have not participated in energy efficiency programs and who need targeted approaches to increase access and participation.

As a follow-up to Clarksburg's Hazard Mitigation Planning, BRPC is serving the Town as their MVP Provider. As such, BRPC will guide Clarksburg in preparing for the impacts of climate change through a Community Resilience Building Workshop in which stakeholders will identify Climate Preparedness Actions.

The project goals are to provide services in support of the Nonpoint Source Program by assigning BRPC staff to serve as Regional Coordinator to conduct work that is focused on NPS. It will include a collaborative watershed-based planning approach across sub-watersheds, outreach and education efforts, identification and prioritization of regional NPS priorities, development of watershed-based plans, development and submittal of high-quality proposals for funding under the 319 competitive grant program, and any other activities that will further the goals of the Nonpoint Source Program especially objectives and milestones identified in the 2020-2024 Massachusetts Nonpoint Source Management Program Plan.

The goal of this implementation grant is to help Pittsfield residents understand their electric utility costs, the options and incentives available to them, and how to access those. In partnership with Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity, BRPC will provide educational workshops and training to residents to improve their access to EV charging opportunities and solar energy and to understand available energy efficiency options.

BRPC has partnered with the City of Pittsfield, Pittsfield Housing Authority, Central Berkshires Habitat for Humanity, and the Westside Community to create a climate resilient community parklet at the top of Francis Ave near the stairwell to West Street. The Francis Ave. parklet grew out of BRPC's Gray to Green initiative and resident feedback from 2020 about the path from Francis Ave. down the stairwell to the nearest grocery store on West Street. As part of the parklet the project will address persistent flooding at the top of the stairwell through stormwater infiltration designs. A safe walking routes study will explore changes to street and route design from Westside Community to the West Street corridor of resources including Big Y grocery store, pharmacies, and Greylock Bank.

Through the Regional Energy Planning Assistance (REPA) program, BRPC will augment the capacity of nine Berkshire County municipalities necessary to: 1) advance clean energy projects in under-resourced municipalities 2) expand regional school district participation in Green Communities and 3) help under-resourced municipalities pursue net-zero planning activities and regional clean energy projects. BRPC will provide clean energy planning and program management to the following Massachusetts municipalities: Adams, Becket, Clarksburg, Dalton, Great Barrington, Lanesborough, North Adams, West Stockbridge, and Williamstown.

BRPC will provide grant administration assistance for a Green Communities Competitive Grant awarded to the Town by the MA Department of Energy Resources. The grant funds will be used for the installation of heat pumps at the Town Hall Annex and the library, which will off-set the current oil fuel boilers, which will remain in place solely as a backup heat source.  The heat pump systems will increase efficiency in the buildings while also reducing the Town’s dependence on fossil fuels.  In addition, the systems will result in a significant reduction in the Town’s heating cost.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission will support the Town of Savoy with the next phase in the replacement of the undersized and failing culvert on Old Main Road over Phelps Brook, a cold-water stream. Building upon initial work conducted in 2022, this phase will move the culvert replacement project through final design and permitting. This project is funded by the Massachusetts Department of Ecological Restoration Culvert Replacement Municipality Assistance Grant Program. For further information, contact adixon@berkshireplanning.org.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) will provide professional planning assistance to the Town of Dalton to maintain compliance with the NPDES Phase II MS4 General Permit.

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission is assisting the Town of Cheshire stay in compliance with the Phase II NPDES MS4 General Permit, which regulates stormwater runoff in the urbanized area of Cheshire.

The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) will provide professional planning assistance to the Town of Lanesborough to maintain compliance with the NPDES Phase II MS4 General Permit.

The Berkshire County Clean Air Project will expand indoor and outdoor air monitoring within Berkshire County. BRPC, with its project partners, will engage all communities in Berkshire County containing EJ populations; BRPC will then obtain outdoor air sensors, equitably and collaboratively site them, and build capacity for ongoing community air quality monitoring. Indoor and outdoor sensor deployment will be accompanied by extensive community outreach and municipalities and local groups will utilize data to guide regional planning initiatives.

BRPC is working with the Town of Monterey to install drainage infrastructure and stormwater control measures along a 1000-foot section of Hupi Rd., a dirt road within the Lake Garfield Watershed. The goal of this construction is to better manage stormwater pollution caused by sediment and phosphorus by improving drainage, managing sediments and infiltration local stormwater prior to it reaching Lake Garfield. BRPC will be helping manage grant, perform outreach, and secure subcontractors to do final engineering and permitting.

The Western Massachusetts Unpaved Roads Project is a collaborative effort between the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC), the Pioneer Regional Planning Commission (PVPC), and the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG) as well as the Towns of Lanesborough, Goshen, Blandford, and Shutesbury. With climate change, municipalities are experiencing more unpaved road failures due to the increased intensity of precipitation events. This project will further develop FRCOG’s new Dirt Road Toolkit which allows municipal staff to assess their vulnerable unpaved roads, determine which best practices are recommended to increase their climate resiliency and how to install these best practices using existing resources. The Toolkit will be field tested in the partnering municipalities. The finalized Unpaved Road Toolkit will provide an update to the 2001 Unpaved Roads BMP Manual. This project is funded by the Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs, Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program.

As part of the Stockbridge Bowl Management Project (2009-2012), BRPC drafted this report in an effort to identify and begin to address nonpoint pollution sources...