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Updates on H5N1 Beef Safety Studies

View on the APHIS website

Port of Oakland approves Everport lease change to spur terminal modernization

The move by the port’s Board of Commissioners opens the door to the modernization of the Everport-operated Ben E. Nutter Terminal so the 90-acre facility can accommodate post-Panamax ships and potentially expand.

Rate volatility clouds carrier contract negotiations on Indian trades

One reason for the hesitation of shippers to sign deals is believed to be the decline of spot rates amid the demand downturn on the trade, and there is an expectation that dynamic will continue to hold.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $3,150,770 in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. – On May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $3,150,770 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in South Carolina while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.



EPA selected two communities in South Carolina to receive two grants totaling more than $3,150,770 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs.



EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.



For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming and more.
 

“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”



“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.” 



“Today’s announcement by President Biden and Administrator Regan reflect this administration’s commitment to ensure that benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution,” said Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “We are excited about the potential of these brownfields grants to provide jobs while cleaning up blighted areas of these communities and promoting public health and a cleaner environment.”



Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those located in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization, and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.

Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.



EPA’s Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which set a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields Program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86 percent of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.



State Funding Breakdown:

Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection



The following organizations in South Carolina have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.

The City of Hartsville has been selected to receive a $500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds also will be used to develop four cleanup plans and support reuse planning and community engagement activities. Assessment activities will occur in the Oakdale Neighborhood and College Heights communities within the City of Hartsville.
 

To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.



Additional Background:

EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.



EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.



To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.



 To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

 

To learn more about RLF Technical Assistance grant recipient visit EPA’s Brownfields Grow America webpage.

 

For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.     





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Biden-Harris Administration Announces $8,387,710 in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Florida

TALLAHASSEE, FL. – On May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $8,387,710 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Florida while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.



EPA selected six communities in Florida to receive six grants totaling more than $8,387,710 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs. In addition, the agency is announcing $3,500,000 in supplemental funding to one existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to help expedite their continued work at sites in Florida.



EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.



For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming and more.



“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”



“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.” 

 

“Today’s announcement by President Biden and Administrator Regan reflect this administration’s commitment to ensure that benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution,” said Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “We are excited about the potential of these brownfields grants to provide jobs while cleaning up blighted areas of these communities and promoting public health and a cleaner environment.”



"We are thrilled that the Environmental Protection Agency has granted East Central Florida Regional Planning Council $1,500,000 for Brownsfield assessment which includes the Downtown Kissimmee CRA/Vine Street Corridor,” said Congressman Soto. “This is not just an investment in cleanup; it's an investment in revitalization, sustainability, and the health of future generations."

 

Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those located in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization, and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.



Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.



EPA’s Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields Program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.



State Funding Breakdown:



Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection

The following organizations in Florida have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. East Central Florida Regional Planning Council has been selected to receive a $3,500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds will be used to develop seven cleanup plans and one revitalization plan, and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the Cities of Palm Bay, Apopka, Kissimmee, and Melbourne. Priority sites include various vacant and underused properties within the Downtown Apopka Community Redevelopment Area (CRA)/Main Street Corridor, the Downtown Kissimmee CRA/Vine Street Corridor, Melbourne’s Booker Heights community, and Palm Bay’s Coldside community.

Hillsborough County has been selected to receive a $1,500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds will be used to develop site redevelopment strategies and cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on three Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas along the Interstate-4 corridors in the county: East Lake-Orient Park, University Area, and Ruskin. Priority sites include a 1.93-acre former maintenance yard located in a residential neighborhood, a 2.82-acre abandoned set of mixed-use zoned contiguous lots, and a 2.38-acre former car wash.
Wimauma Community Development Corporation has been selected to receive a $500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Community-wide grant funds will be used to develop five cleanup plans and two site reuse plans and to support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the Wimauma community within Hillsborough County with a focus on three disadvantaged census tracts.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

Non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program

The Agency is announcing $3,500,000 in non-competitive supplemental funding to one successful existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant programs that have already achieved success in their work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. RLF Grants provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. The funding announced today will help communities continue to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfield sites. The following Florida organizations have been selected to receive non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program.



South Florida Regional Planning Council has been selected to receive $3,500,000. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include 1960 NW 27th Avenue in Miami and the old Baltuff Dump on Middle Torch Key. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Monroe, Miami-Dade, and Broward Counties.



To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

Additional Background:

EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.



EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.



To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

 

To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

 To learn more about RLF Technical Assistance grant recipient visit EPA’s Brownfields Grow America webpage.

 

For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.    

 

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Biden-Harris Administration Announces $5,500,000 in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Georgia

ATLANTA, GA. – On May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $5,500,000 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Georgia while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.



EPA selected four communities in Georgia to receive four grants totaling more than $5,500,000 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs.



EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.



For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming and more.
 

“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”



“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.”



“Today’s announcement by President Biden and Administrator Regan reflect this administration’s commitment to ensure that benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution,” said Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “We are excited about the potential of these brownfields grants to provide jobs while cleaning up blighted areas of these communities and promoting public health and a cleaner environment.”



Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those located in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization, and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.



Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.

EPA’s Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which set a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields Program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86 percent of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.



State Funding Breakdown:



Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection



The following organizations in Georgia have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.

The Columbus Consolidated Government has been selected to receive a $1,000,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Bradley Circle Properties, 8.29 acres of land comprised of eight properties: 2838 Bradley Circle, 2 27th Street, 5 27th Street, 9 27th Street, 2711 1st Avenue, 2715 1st Avenue, 2719 1st Avenue, and 2805 1st Avenue.
The Middle Georgia Regional Commission has been selected to receive a $1,500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds will be used to create a thorough site inventory, conduct community engagement activities, and prepare six site reuse and three brownfields revitalization plans. Assessment activities will focus on the Cities of Macon and Milledgeville.
The City of Warner Robins has been selected to receive a $1,000,000 multipurpose grant from EPA. Grant funds will be used to conduct 19 Phase I and 14 Phase II environmental site assessments; develop an inventory of brownfield sites, prepare a Community Involvement Plan, Brownfields Revitalization Plan, and four site reuse plans; and conduct community engagement activities.
 



To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.



Non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program



Additional Background:



EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.



EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.



To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

 

To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

 

To learn more about RLF Technical Assistance grant recipient visit EPA’s Brownfields Grow America webpage.

 

For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.



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As Summer Gets Underway, Celebrate Don’t Fry Day and Learn How to Be Sun Safe

WASHINGTON – Today, May 24, the Friday before the Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, is recognizing the 16th annual “Don’t Fry Day” to encourage Americans to take a few simple steps to protect their skin and eye health while outdoors. Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun can increase the risk of developing skin cancer and cataracts, so it is important to be aware of the strength of the sun’s UV rays and take simple steps to protect your skin and eyes while outdoors.

“Remember to protect your skin and eyes from UV rays before you go outdoors,” said Joseph Goffman, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation. “Don’t Fry Day is a great annual reminder of the importance of sun safety, and you can use the EPA’s UV Index app to get the UV forecast for your location and tips on how to be sun safe.” 

Almost 20% of Americans will develop skin cancer. Since many skin cancer cases are caused by overexposure to UV radiation, protecting your skin outdoors is an important step to reducing your skin cancer risk. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2024, more than 100,600 new cases of invasive melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, will be diagnosed in the United States. This is approximately 3,000 more cases than were estimated in 2023.

All people are equally at risk of eye damage and developing cataracts, but some people may be at greater risk of contracting skin cancer depending on the color of their skin, a history of blistering sunburns in early childhood, the presence of many moles, or a family history of skin cancer. Also, although sun safety is especially important in summer when we spend more time outdoors, UV can be high throughout the year depending on factors such as location, elevation, and reflective surfaces like sand and snow.

The EPA, the National Weather Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention work together to make the UV Index forecast available in the United States. The EPA’s UV Index app (search for the EPA’s UV Index in the App Store and on Google Play) is a convenient tool to let you know the strength of the sun’s skin cancer-causing UV rays. The app gives daily and hourly UV intensity forecasts for your location, provides recommendations on sun safety, and is also available in Spanish. Reduce your risk of skin cancer and eye damage by remembering to:

SLIP! – Slip on a long-sleeved shirt or other clothing that covers your skin.
SLOP! – Slop on a handful of sunscreen with sun protection factor 15 or higher, and re-apply every two hours, or sooner if in the water.
SLAP! – Slap on a broad-brimmed hat to cover the back of your neck and the tips of your ears.
WRAP! – Wrap on a pair of sunglasses. The kind that wrap around the sides of your face provide more sun protection.
Avoid tanning beds and minimize sunbathing.
Check the UV Index before spending time outdoors and dress appropriately.
Download Don’t Fry Day and sun safety posters, sign up for a daily UV Index forecast via email, or check the UV Index online daily on the EPA’s sun safety webpage.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $7,830,500 in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Alabama

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $7,830,500 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Alabama while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities. 



EPA selected seven communities in Alabama to receive seven grants totaling more than $7,830,500 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs.



EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.



For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming and more.
 

“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”

 

“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.” 



“The announcement made by President Biden and Administrator Regan reflect this administration’s commitment to ensure that benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution,” said Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “We are excited about the potential of these brownfields grants to provide jobs while cleaning up blighted areas of these communities and promoting public health and a cleaner environment.”



Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those located in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization, and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places. 



Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities. 

EPA’s Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which set a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields Program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86 percent of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities. 



State Funding Breakdown:

 

Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection

 

The following organizations in Alabama have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. Alabama Department of Environmental Management has been selected to receive a $2,000,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds will be used to develop a strategic Redevelopment Plan and conduct community engagement activities. The target areas for this grant are the City of York and the Towns of Union Springs and Autaugaville, which have been impacted by an economic shift in the State of Alabama from agriculture to industrial manufacturing.



East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission (EARPDC) has been selected to receive a $1,500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a Community Involvement Plan and seven reuse/area-wide plans, create a brownfields site inventory and a prioritization process, and conduct community engagement activities. Assessment activities will occur throughout EARPDC’s 10-county area with a focus on the Talladega Education Gateway, Avondale Mills Village, and Alabama City/Downtown Corridor in Gadsden.
The City of Montgomery has been selected to receive a $500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds will be used to inventory and prioritize sites, prepare four cleanup and three reuse plans, develop a Community Involvement Plan, and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will occur in the West Montgomery and Centennial Hill communities. Priority sites include the historic Ben Moore Hotel, two abandoned dry cleaners, and a 3-acre former gas station and auto repair shop.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024  Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.

 

Additional Background: 

EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied. 



EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award. 

 

To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants Selected for Funding: [link to webpage] 
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients: [link to webpage] 
To learn more about RLF Technical Assistance grant recipient: [Grow America, in partnership with International City/County Management Association (ICMA).] 
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields 
 
  

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