MetroFuture prioritizes the remediation of contaminated sites that pollute the environment and have negative impacts on neighboring real estate. In order for the region to find 10,000 acres of already developed land available for reuse, it must remediate and reuse all existing contaminated properties.

As of June 30, 2002, over 650 projects have received funding approval and/or direct project assistance as a result of the Brownfields Act implementation in Massachusetts. Approximately 125 projects are pending and partner agencies have provided concerted outreach in over 140 communities. Brownfield Redevelopment
Access to Capital (BRAC), a $15 million environmental  nsurance fund based on two state-negotiated policies provided by AIG, reports as 2002, 7,399 jobs have been created, 121 businesses have been located on or near sites, and tax revenues have increased by $796 million.

Currently, there are 28 Federal Superfund sites in the region out of the 36 in Massachusetts. In accordance with the Massachusetts Contingency Plan (MCP), over 35,000 releases statewide have been reported to the Department since 1984. Since 1993, there has been roughly 2,000 notifications per year, and 24,000 sites have been remediated. 90% of sites that have been remediated are clean enough for unrestricted use, while 7% include deed restrictions as part of the remedy activity and 3% are temporary solutions.

Objectives:

• All existing 21E or Superfund sites will be remediated and reused by 2020.
• All new 21E or Superfund sites will be remediated within ten years.