Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Dot gov

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

HTTPS

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (LockA locked padlock) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

    • Environmental Topics
    • Air
    • Bed Bugs
    • Cancer
    • Chemicals, Toxics, and Pesticide
    • Emergency Response
    • Environmental Information by Location
    • Health
    • Land, Waste, and Cleanup
    • Lead
    • Mold
    • Radon
    • Research
    • Science Topics
    • Water Topics
    • A-Z Topic Index
    • Laws & Regulations
    • By Business Sector
    • By Topic
    • Compliance
    • Enforcement
    • Laws and Executive Orders
    • Regulations
    • Report a Violation
    • Environmental Violations
    • Fraud, Waste or Abuse
    • About EPA
    • Our Mission and What We Do
    • Headquarters Offices
    • Regional Offices
    • Labs and Research Centers
    • Planning, Budget, and Results
    • Organization Chart
    • EPA History

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Brownfields

R1 Success Story: Lead Remediation at Brownfields Sites, New England

Aerial view of the Tarr and Wonson Paint Manufactory in Gloucester, MA.
A $200,000 Brownfields grant in 2012 jumpstarted the redevelopment process that removed lead based paint and other contaminants from the Tarr and Wonson Paint Manufactory in Gloucester, MA.

New England Brownfields sites with lead contamination and cleanup activities (as of September 2020)

  • 3,224 New England Brownfields properties
  • 1,247 properties suspected of lead contamination
  • 1,111 site assessments confirming the presence of lead
  • 580 properties with lead cleaned up

Download Success Story:
Lead Remediation at Brownfields Sites New England (pdf) (615.26 KB, December 2020, EPA 901-F-20-004)

Over the past few decades, EPA's Brownfields program has helped reduce the threat of lead exposure by cleaning up hundreds of contaminated properties. By removing or encapsulating lead-based paint, excavating and disposing contaminated soil, and protecting groundwater, EPA has improved public health and safeguarded vulnerable populations, including expecting mothers and young children.

Background

Before the 1970s and 1980s, lead was freely used in a wide range of products and industrial practices. The federal government has since banned lead from many products, but this metal is still a common contaminant at Brownfields sites due to its historic use. Fortunately, EPA's Brownfields program has helped to clean up 580 such properties throughout New England, nearly half of all the Brownfields properties in the Region suspected of containing lead. This effort reduces an important public health risk while promoting community development and economic growth.

Why is lead found at Brownfields sites?

Lead is an inexpensive and versatile element used for centuries as a key ingredient in many products and industrial processes. As a dense, malleable, non-corrosive metal with a low melting point, lead has been pounded, molded, shaped and even combined with other metals to make objects, including jewelry, tableware, plumbing fixtures, water pipes, lead-solder cans, and ammunition.

Chemists also used lead compounds to improve product performance. For example, lead improved paint's luster, durability, water resistance, coverage, drying time, and anti-microbial properties. The lead-based compound tetraethyllead reduced premature combustion, or "knocking," when added to gasoline. Lead compounds added colors to everything from ceramics to hair dye. And farmers used lead-based pesticides, such as lead arsenate, to control gypsy moths and other pests in the early 1900s.

Project staff posing with paint scrapers at an exterior wall of the Tarr and Wonson Paint Manufactory in Gloucester, MA.
Project staff celebrate the planned removal of lead based paint on the exterior walls of the Tarr and Wonson Paint Manufactory in Gloucester, MA.

While lead-based paint and leaded gasoline are frequent sources of contamination at Brownfields sites, hazardous levels of lead pollute abandoned foundries, ammunition factories, farms, and facilities that used or manufactured lead-based products. Lead contamination can also be found at former landfills and wastewater treatment plants, often the final resting place of products and by-products containing lead.

The Colt complex in Hartford, CT
The Colt complex in Hartford, CT now features 129 apartments, a power plant, and 315,000 square feet of commercial space after site cleanup removed lead and other contaminants.

"It's the perfect example of transforming and revitalizing a whole neighborhood that had been dormant for a long time."

Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin

What are the health effects of lead?

Although lead is toxic to everyone, unborn babies and children 6 months to 3 years old are especially susceptible because they absorb lead faster and react more strongly to its harmful effects. Specifically, lead displaces important nutrients, including calcium, iron and zinc. Lead also disrupts the function of glutamate, a neurotransmitter required for learning. Consequently, lead exposure harms the production of blood cells, weakens bones and teeth, inhibits muscle movement, and slows the proper function of blood vessels and nerves.

While very high exposure can be deadly, moderate to high levels of lead may cause anemia, nausea, headaches, loss of appetite, muscle and joint weakness, and kidney and brain damage. Even low levels of lead can impact a developing child's nervous system, resulting in neurological and behavioral problems, such as lower IQ and hyperactivity. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there is no known safe level of lead.

What are some typical lead exposure pathways at Brownfields sites?

Lead can be introduced into the bloodstream through three exposure pathways: inhalation, ingestion, and dermal exposure. The inhalation and ingestion of lead from lead-based paint and lead-contaminated soil is the largest concern at Brownfields sites. Exposure from drinking water and skin contact is much less prevalent.

Examples of Lead Contaminated Sites

As shown in Table 1, Brownfields site contamination arises from a variety of historic uses. These include buildings and structures painted before 1978, highly trafficked areas before leaded-gasoline was banned in 1996, lead-based pesticides that were used pre-1950, factories that manufactured lead-based products, sewage sludge contaminated with lead found at sewage treatment plants, and agricultural fields where sludge was applied as a fertilizer.

Table 1: Sources of Lead at Brownfields Sites
Source of Lead Example of Previous Site Uses
Paint (before 1978) Old structures and buildings, landfill operations, aircraft component manufacturing
High Traffic Areas (before 1996) Land next to heavily trafficked roadways or highways built before leaded fuel was phased out
Pesticides (pre-1950) Agricultural land; facilities engaged in produce packaging and shipping
Sewage Sludge Sewage treatment plants; agricultural land

How are lead health risks addressed by Brownfields site cleanup?

Onsite workers cleaning up Brownfields sites use the following methods to remove lead, prevent it from exposing people, or stop it from migrating into the environment.

  • Point-source contamination removal identifies and removes pipes, equipment, or other objects containing lead
  • Lead paint removal uses physical means (scraping, sandblasting and spray washing) or chemical treatment to remove lead-based paint.
  • Excavation and disposal practices remove contaminated soil and treats it off-site, either to be returned to the project site or used on a landfill site.
  • Encapsulation applies an adhesive barrier over lead-based paint to seal the paint to a surface and prevent the release of paint chips or dust.
  • Immobilization addresses heavy metal contamination of groundwater by using chemical processes to fix lead and other heavy metals to soil particles so that they cannot leach out.

How many Brownfields sites have addressed lead risks in New England?

Our Brownfields grantees have used their grant funds to assess over 3,200 sites throughout New England since the program began in the mid-1990s. Of these sites, about 1,250 or 39 percent, were thought to be contaminated with lead. Communities and other stakeholders conducted assessments which confirmed the presence of lead at over 1,100 of these sites and cleanups at 580 to put these properties back into productive use.

Two examples of Brownfields lead remediation

In 1863, Gloucester's Tarr and Wonson Paint Manufactory produced the world's first anti-fouling paint for boat bottoms. In 1980, the company shut its doors, becoming an unused and contaminated facility that was unable to attract owners despite its waterfront location overlooking Gloucester Harbor. A $200,000 Brownfields cleanup grant in 2012 jumpstarted the redevelopment process, removing the lead-based paint and other contaminants from the property. Today, the site is the headquarters of Ocean Alliance Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to whale and ocean health.

In 1847, the Colt Firearms Manufacturing company began assembling weapons in Hartford, Connecticut. By 1990, the company ceased operations, leaving its 17-acre facility empty and contaminated with petroleum, solvents, PCBs, and heavy metals, including lead. In 1997, a Brownfields-funded assessment project kickstarted a successful site cleanup and redevelopment. Today, the Colt Factory complex houses 129 apartments, a power plant, and 315,000 square feet of commercial space that features two software companies and an architectural firm.

For more information:
Visit the EPA Brownfields website at www.epa.gov/brownfields or contact Robert Guillemin at 617-918-1814 or guillemin.robert@epa.gov.

EPA 901-F-20-004
December 2020

Brownfields

  • About
    • Accomplishments
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Program History
    • Contact Us
    • Laws & Regulations
      • All Appropriate Inquiries
      • Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: A Historic Investment in Brownfields
      • Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act
      • Summary of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act
  • Grants and Funding
    • Types of Funding
    • Brownfields Job Training Grants
      • Interested in Applying for Brownfields Job Training Funding?
      • Frequently Asked Questions About Brownfields Job Training (JT) Grants
      • List of Eligible and Ineligible Brownfield Job Training Courses
      • Technical Assistance Resources
      • Technical Assistance Inquiry Form
      • Job Training Grants Professional Learning Community
      • Job Training Grants Webinars
      • Job Training Program Contacts
    • Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants)
    • MARC Grant Application Resources
      • Tips on How to Get Started Early on Preparing Your Brownfields MARC Grant Application
      • Frequently Asked Questions About Multipurpose, Assessment, RLF, and Cleanup Grants
      • Programmatic Requirements for Brownfield Grants
    • Program & Funding Resources
      • EPA-Recommended Mapping Tools
    • Eligibility
      • Eligible Planning Activities
      • Information on Sites Eligible for Brownfields Funding under CERCLA § 104(k)
    • Current & Upcoming Funding Opportunities
      • Tips for Submitting Brownfields Grant Applications Through Grants.gov
    • Past Funding Opportunities
    • Brownfields Grant Fact Sheet Search
  • Technical Assistance
    • Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities (TAB) Program
    • Nationwide Brownfields Technical Assistance Providers
    • Targeted Brownfields Assessment
    • Land Revitalization Technical Assistance
    • CERCLA Section 128(a) Technical Assistance Grants ("TAG")
  • Brownfields Newsroom
  • Land Revitalization
  • Brownfields Near You
    • State and Tribal Brownfields Response Programs
    • Brownfields Contacts in EPA Regional Offices
    • Region 1
      • EPA, State & Tribal Contacts in New England
      • Funding History
      • Grantee Forms in New England
      • Program Information in New England
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs)
    • Region 2
    • Region 3
      • Contact List
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs) - Eligibility
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs) - How to Apply Criteria
    • Region 4
      • Region 4 Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) Tool Box
      • Regional Conferences
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs)
    • Region 5
      • Contact List
    • Region 6
      • Contact List
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs)
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessment Brochure
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessment Form and Consent for Access to Property
    • Region 7
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs)
      • FY 2025 ARC Grant Guidelines in Region 7
    • Region 8
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs)
      • The Western Brownfields Wire (WBWire)
    • Region 9
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs)
      • Vacant to Vibrant, Land Renewal
    • Region 10
      • Contact List
      • Targeted Brownfields Assessments (TBAs)
  • Supporting Communities
    • Understanding Brownfields
    • Environmental Contamination at Brownfield Sites
    • Public Health
    • Relevant Federal Programs
    • Small and Rural Communities
    • Nonprofit Involvement in Brownfields Reuse
    • Tribal Nations
    • Land Banks and Brownfields
    • Urban Agriculture
      • Frequent Questions about Brownfields and Urban Agriculture
      • Resources about Brownfields and Urban Agriculture
      • Steps to Creating a Community Garden or Expand Urban Agriculture at a Brownfields Site
    • Taking Photos, Audio & Video for Your Brownfields Projects
  • Success Stories
  • Grant Recipient Reporting
    • Key Terms
    • ACRES Frequently Asked Questions
    • ACRES Training, Tips and Tools
      • Online ACRES Training Schedule for Brownfields Grantees
Contact Us about Brownfields
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on July 17, 2024
  • Assistance
  • Spanish
  • Arabic
  • Chinese (simplified)
  • Chinese (traditional)
  • French
  • Haitian Creole
  • Korean
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Tagalog
  • Vietnamese
United States Environmental Protection Agency

Discover.

  • Accessibility Statement
  • Budget & Performance
  • Contracting
  • EPA www Web Snapshot
  • Grants
  • No FEAR Act Data
  • Plain Writing
  • Privacy
  • Privacy and Security Notice

Connect.

  • Data
  • Inspector General
  • Jobs
  • Newsroom
  • Regulations.gov
  • Subscribe
  • USA.gov
  • White House

Ask.

  • Contact EPA
  • EPA Disclaimers
  • Hotlines
  • FOIA Requests
  • Frequent Questions
  • Site Feedback

Follow.