New Federal Funding for State Brownfield Eradication Efforts Announced

New grant funding out of Washington to the tune of $232 million is being made available for brownfield cleanup projects across the country.

In announcing the funding, a press release for the Environmental Protection Agency noted that the support is designed to “help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets while spurring economic revitalization in underserved communities.”

The funding more specifically is coming out of the agency’s Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup program, and is expected to see the awarding of grants for what could be up to 200 individual cleanup programs across the country.

The dollar worth of the various grants will likely range anywhere from $500,000 to as much as $4 million.

As defined by the EPA, which launched the Brownfields Program in 1995, a brownfield site is typically property that is abandoned and was formerly the home of a gas station, warehouse, factory, or even dry-cleaning establishment.

Such sites are often contaminated with everything from lead, asbestos, solvents, and hydrocarbon spillages. This year’s grants are designed to specifically target buildings with lead-based paint contamination as well as structures contaminated by such potentially toxic building materials as caulking, flooring, and insulation.

To date, just under $2.7 billion in EPA cleanup grants have been awarded for projects nationally.

Applications for funding for this round of brownfield grants must be submitted to the EPA by November 12.

According to EPA records, previous brownfield grant awards have seen the clean-up and restoration of the Old Fort Lowell Army supply base into a museum in Tucson; the repurposing of the former Hillcrest General Hospital in Silver City into housing for seniors; and the transformation of one-time Stanley Aviation factory into a mixed-use community hub.

​By Garry Boulard

Image Credit: Courtesy of Unsplash

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