EPA Region 7 Celebrates Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Funding in York, Nebraska
EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister delivers remarks at an event on May 23, 2024, to mark ongoing cleanup work at the PCE Southeast Contamination Superfund Site in York, Nebraska. McCollister emphasized that the cleanup was made possible by funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. (Photo by U.S. EPA)LENEXA, KAN. (MAY 23, 2024) – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 7 officials were joined by York Mayor Barry Redfern, York City Administrator Sue Crawford, and representatives from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) to recognize the third and final wave of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for Superfund sites in the region.
Seven Superfund sites on EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL) in Region 7 have received Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to start new construction projects or fund ongoing cleanup projects:
57th and North Broadway Streets in Wichita, Kansas
Caney Residential Yards in Caney, Kansas
Cherokee County in Kansas
Plating Inc. in Great Bend, Kansas
Valley Park TCE in Valley Park, Missouri
Vienna Wells in Vienna, Missouri
PCE Southeast Contamination in York, Nebraska
Following a meet-and-greet and remarks at York City Hall, officials from EPA Region 7, city of York, and NDEE took a walking tour of the PCE Southeast Contamination Superfund Site and its two operable units in downtown York.
“It was truly amazing to see the work being performed in York and the care the EPA team has taken to minimize disruption to the community and the potential displacement of local businesses during the cleanup of the site,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “The attention to detail our team has put into the remedial design and remedial action is a testament to how EPA Region 7 strives to work with our community partners throughout the Superfund process.”
Site Background
The primary contaminants of concern at the PCE Southeast Contamination Superfund Site in York are tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Taking measures to protect human health and the environment, EPA Region 7 has installed 27 vapor mitigation systems and connected 16 residential properties to the public water supply.
At Operable Unit 2, located at 5th Street and North Platte Avenue, EPA Region 7 has installed vertical, angled, and horizontal in-situ thermal remediation (ISTR) wells; temperature sensor wells; and vapor extraction wells. After a supply chain delay, the ISTR system started operations in the spring with site restoration planned for the fall of this year.
For Operable Unit 1, located at the corner of West 7th Street and North Platte Avenue, EPA Region 7 plans to install an ISTR system to heat, remove, capture, and treat soil contamination from PCE.
Learn more about the PCE Southeast Contamination Superfund Site.
Learn more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for Superfund sites.
# # #
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View all Region 7 news releases
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Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
Seven Superfund sites on EPA’s National Priorities List (NPL) in Region 7 have received Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to start new construction projects or fund ongoing cleanup projects:
57th and North Broadway Streets in Wichita, Kansas
Caney Residential Yards in Caney, Kansas
Cherokee County in Kansas
Plating Inc. in Great Bend, Kansas
Valley Park TCE in Valley Park, Missouri
Vienna Wells in Vienna, Missouri
PCE Southeast Contamination in York, Nebraska
Following a meet-and-greet and remarks at York City Hall, officials from EPA Region 7, city of York, and NDEE took a walking tour of the PCE Southeast Contamination Superfund Site and its two operable units in downtown York.
“It was truly amazing to see the work being performed in York and the care the EPA team has taken to minimize disruption to the community and the potential displacement of local businesses during the cleanup of the site,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister. “The attention to detail our team has put into the remedial design and remedial action is a testament to how EPA Region 7 strives to work with our community partners throughout the Superfund process.”
Site Background
The primary contaminants of concern at the PCE Southeast Contamination Superfund Site in York are tetrachloroethylene (PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Taking measures to protect human health and the environment, EPA Region 7 has installed 27 vapor mitigation systems and connected 16 residential properties to the public water supply.
At Operable Unit 2, located at 5th Street and North Platte Avenue, EPA Region 7 has installed vertical, angled, and horizontal in-situ thermal remediation (ISTR) wells; temperature sensor wells; and vapor extraction wells. After a supply chain delay, the ISTR system started operations in the spring with site restoration planned for the fall of this year.
For Operable Unit 1, located at the corner of West 7th Street and North Platte Avenue, EPA Region 7 plans to install an ISTR system to heat, remove, capture, and treat soil contamination from PCE.
Learn more about the PCE Southeast Contamination Superfund Site.
Learn more about Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for Superfund sites.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram
Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
EPA Enforcement Actions at Facilities in Arizona, California and Nevada Address Chemical Safety Deficiencies
SAN FRANCISCO —The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a series of enforcement actions to address deficiencies in safety plans at eight facilities in Arizona, California and Nevada that store or use certain types of chemicals. The Clean Air Act requires facilities that use extremely hazardous substances to develop and implement risk management plans that identify the potential effects of a chemical accident, steps the facility is taking to prevent an accident, and emergency response procedures should an accident occur.
“It’s imperative to the safety of local communities and emergency responders – and it’s the law – that facilities with flammable and toxic chemicals act to prevent accidents and to have proper response procedures in place,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “These enforcement actions represent EPA’s commitment to holding accountable facilities that have failed to follow our nation’s critical chemical safety laws.”
At the K2 Pure Solutions Nocal facility in Pittsburg, Calif., which manufactures bleach, chlorine, and hydrochloric acid, EPA found significant safety issues during an investigation that began in 2020. These issues included an incomplete documentation of the facility’s pressure relief system, failure to address the safety recommendations in a timely manner and inadequate procedures for testing of emergency response equipment.
In August 2021, EPA ordered the facility to address the deficiencies identified during the inspection, which K2 has mostly since done. In April 2024, EPA reached a settlement agreement with K2 that requires the company to pay a $85,189 civil penalty and address remaining deficiencies. That work includes:
Replacing instruments in an electrical hazardous area;
Moving a chlorine pressure relief device discharge location to a safe location;
Completing and implementing the results of a safety study on discharge locations for a dozen safety pressure relief devices;
Addressing safety recommendations from recent process hazards analyses;
Updating leak repair procedures;
Certifying that all critical interlocks and instruments testing is current.
Under the agreement, K2 will also provide Contra Costa Health Services with emergency response resources through a supplemental environmental project (SEP). The SEP includes $264,990 in emergency response equipment, including devices for the detection, identification, and quantification of toxic industrial chemicals, and $98,041 in chlorine emergency response training. Both of these projects will provide needed equipment and training for local responders near the K2 facility.
EPA also assessed penalties to the following facilities that were late in submitting RMPs:
Tolleson Dairy (Tolleson, Ariz.); $2,000 penalty; the facility, which is owned by Kroger Company, processes milk and uses anhydrous ammonia.
Holcim Solutions and Products US, LLC (Garden Grove, Calif.): $2,000 penalty; the facility is involved in paint and coating manufacturing and uses toluene diisocyanate.
North Brawley Geothermal Project (Brawley, Calif.); $1,600 penalty; the facility is a geothermal electric power generating plant and uses isopentane.
City of Pasadena Water and Power (Pasadena, Calif.); $2,000 penalty; the facility is a water treatment plant that uses chlorine.
Hazen Nevada Terminal (Hazen, Nev.): $1,600 penalty; the facility is a petroleum bulk terminal owned by South 49 Holdings that stores propane.
Carlin Nevada Terminal (Carlin, Nev.): $1,600 penalty; the facility is a petroleum bulk terminal owned by South 49 Holdings that stores propane.
PPG Reno DC (McCarran, Nev.): $2,000 penalty; the facility is a chemical distribution center that stores flammable products.
Learn about the National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives on reducing risks of accidental releases at industrial and chemical facilities.
Learn about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
“It’s imperative to the safety of local communities and emergency responders – and it’s the law – that facilities with flammable and toxic chemicals act to prevent accidents and to have proper response procedures in place,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “These enforcement actions represent EPA’s commitment to holding accountable facilities that have failed to follow our nation’s critical chemical safety laws.”
At the K2 Pure Solutions Nocal facility in Pittsburg, Calif., which manufactures bleach, chlorine, and hydrochloric acid, EPA found significant safety issues during an investigation that began in 2020. These issues included an incomplete documentation of the facility’s pressure relief system, failure to address the safety recommendations in a timely manner and inadequate procedures for testing of emergency response equipment.
In August 2021, EPA ordered the facility to address the deficiencies identified during the inspection, which K2 has mostly since done. In April 2024, EPA reached a settlement agreement with K2 that requires the company to pay a $85,189 civil penalty and address remaining deficiencies. That work includes:
Replacing instruments in an electrical hazardous area;
Moving a chlorine pressure relief device discharge location to a safe location;
Completing and implementing the results of a safety study on discharge locations for a dozen safety pressure relief devices;
Addressing safety recommendations from recent process hazards analyses;
Updating leak repair procedures;
Certifying that all critical interlocks and instruments testing is current.
Under the agreement, K2 will also provide Contra Costa Health Services with emergency response resources through a supplemental environmental project (SEP). The SEP includes $264,990 in emergency response equipment, including devices for the detection, identification, and quantification of toxic industrial chemicals, and $98,041 in chlorine emergency response training. Both of these projects will provide needed equipment and training for local responders near the K2 facility.
EPA also assessed penalties to the following facilities that were late in submitting RMPs:
Tolleson Dairy (Tolleson, Ariz.); $2,000 penalty; the facility, which is owned by Kroger Company, processes milk and uses anhydrous ammonia.
Holcim Solutions and Products US, LLC (Garden Grove, Calif.): $2,000 penalty; the facility is involved in paint and coating manufacturing and uses toluene diisocyanate.
North Brawley Geothermal Project (Brawley, Calif.); $1,600 penalty; the facility is a geothermal electric power generating plant and uses isopentane.
City of Pasadena Water and Power (Pasadena, Calif.); $2,000 penalty; the facility is a water treatment plant that uses chlorine.
Hazen Nevada Terminal (Hazen, Nev.): $1,600 penalty; the facility is a petroleum bulk terminal owned by South 49 Holdings that stores propane.
Carlin Nevada Terminal (Carlin, Nev.): $1,600 penalty; the facility is a petroleum bulk terminal owned by South 49 Holdings that stores propane.
PPG Reno DC (McCarran, Nev.): $2,000 penalty; the facility is a chemical distribution center that stores flammable products.
Learn about the National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives on reducing risks of accidental releases at industrial and chemical facilities.
Learn about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
EPA Denies Alabama’s Coal Ash Permit Program Application
WASHINGTON – Today, May 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is issuing its final decision to deny Alabama’s application to run a federally approved state permit program to manage coal ash landfills and impoundments. Following extensive engagement with Alabama and a robust review of its application, the agency is issuing a denial because the state’s permit program is significantly less protective of people and waterways than federal law requires.
“EPA is laser focused on protecting people from exposure to pollution, like coal ash, that can cause cancer risks and other serious health issues,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Our job is to work closely with states to make sure that every community is protected from contamination, and that’s especially true for those that have been overburdened by pollution for too long. EPA stands ready to continue working with Alabama so that they can submit an approvable application and implement a program that is as protective of public health as the federal standards.”
Federal law provides protective requirements for public health and the environment at coal ash units (i.e., landfills and surface impoundments) across the country. EPA can approve a state to implement a federally authorized coal ash permit program only if the state provides an equivalent or greater level of protection as federal law. This creates a level playing field for industry and strong, minimum protections for communities, including communities already overburdened by pollution.
EPA is denying the Alabama application to implement a coal ash permit program because state permitting decisions do not meet this standard for approval under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Under this law, each coal ash unit in the state must achieve compliance with either federal law or state criteria that EPA has determined are at least as protective as the federal criteria. EPA reviewed Alabama’s coal ash permits and found that the permits were significantly less protective than federal law.
Under federal regulations, coal ash units cannot be closed in a way that allows coal ash to continue to spread contamination in groundwater after closure. In contrast, Alabama’s permit program does not require that groundwater contamination be adequately addressed during the closure of these coal ash units.
Specifically, EPA identified deficiencies in Alabama’s permits with closure requirements for unlined surface impoundments, groundwater monitoring networks, and corrective action (i.e., investigation and clean up) requirements. EPA discussed these issues with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management; however, the state agency has not revised its permits or supplemented its application to demonstrate how such permits are as protective as the federal requirements.
To learn more about this denial, visit the Alabama Coal Combustion Residuals Permit Program webpage. EPA solicited comments on the proposal to deny Alabama’s permit program for 60 days, during which EPA held in-person and online public hearings for interested persons to present information and comments about this proposal.
Background
Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal in coal-fired power plants that, without proper management, can pollute waterways, groundwater, drinking water and the air. Coal ash contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium, chromium and arsenic associated with cancer and other serious health effects. Preventing and reducing exposures to these contaminants is of particular importance to children’s health as they grow and develop.
EPA issued a final rule in April of 2015 regulating coal combustion residuals under RCRA and establishing minimum national standards governing the disposal of CCR from electric utilities in landfills and surface impoundments. At the time the CCR rule was issued, EPA did not have authority under RCRA to approve state permit programs for CCR units. Instead, utilities were responsible for directly implementing the requirements of EPA’s 2015 CCR rule, which were enforceable only through citizen suits.
Congress recognized the essential role of the states in its passage of the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. Among other changes, the act amended RCRA to provide EPA with authority to approve state permit programs to operate in lieu of the federal regulations, provided the state requirements meet the federal standards.
Applications must provide evidence of permit programs or other systems of prior approval and be as protective as the federal regulations. Once approved, the state permit programs operate in place of the federal program for coal ash disposal.
Once states have approved CCR permit programs in place, the WIIN Act contains provisions for how and when states must update their approved programs when changes are made to the CCR requirements at the federal level. EPA encourages states with coal ash facilities to apply to establish their permit programs. Many states have engaged with EPA on how to set up their programs and how their current state regulations could be revised to incorporate the federal requirements. Visit the Permit Programs for CCR webpage for details.
“EPA is laser focused on protecting people from exposure to pollution, like coal ash, that can cause cancer risks and other serious health issues,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “Our job is to work closely with states to make sure that every community is protected from contamination, and that’s especially true for those that have been overburdened by pollution for too long. EPA stands ready to continue working with Alabama so that they can submit an approvable application and implement a program that is as protective of public health as the federal standards.”
Federal law provides protective requirements for public health and the environment at coal ash units (i.e., landfills and surface impoundments) across the country. EPA can approve a state to implement a federally authorized coal ash permit program only if the state provides an equivalent or greater level of protection as federal law. This creates a level playing field for industry and strong, minimum protections for communities, including communities already overburdened by pollution.
EPA is denying the Alabama application to implement a coal ash permit program because state permitting decisions do not meet this standard for approval under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Under this law, each coal ash unit in the state must achieve compliance with either federal law or state criteria that EPA has determined are at least as protective as the federal criteria. EPA reviewed Alabama’s coal ash permits and found that the permits were significantly less protective than federal law.
Under federal regulations, coal ash units cannot be closed in a way that allows coal ash to continue to spread contamination in groundwater after closure. In contrast, Alabama’s permit program does not require that groundwater contamination be adequately addressed during the closure of these coal ash units.
Specifically, EPA identified deficiencies in Alabama’s permits with closure requirements for unlined surface impoundments, groundwater monitoring networks, and corrective action (i.e., investigation and clean up) requirements. EPA discussed these issues with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management; however, the state agency has not revised its permits or supplemented its application to demonstrate how such permits are as protective as the federal requirements.
To learn more about this denial, visit the Alabama Coal Combustion Residuals Permit Program webpage. EPA solicited comments on the proposal to deny Alabama’s permit program for 60 days, during which EPA held in-person and online public hearings for interested persons to present information and comments about this proposal.
Background
Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal in coal-fired power plants that, without proper management, can pollute waterways, groundwater, drinking water and the air. Coal ash contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium, chromium and arsenic associated with cancer and other serious health effects. Preventing and reducing exposures to these contaminants is of particular importance to children’s health as they grow and develop.
EPA issued a final rule in April of 2015 regulating coal combustion residuals under RCRA and establishing minimum national standards governing the disposal of CCR from electric utilities in landfills and surface impoundments. At the time the CCR rule was issued, EPA did not have authority under RCRA to approve state permit programs for CCR units. Instead, utilities were responsible for directly implementing the requirements of EPA’s 2015 CCR rule, which were enforceable only through citizen suits.
Congress recognized the essential role of the states in its passage of the 2016 Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act. Among other changes, the act amended RCRA to provide EPA with authority to approve state permit programs to operate in lieu of the federal regulations, provided the state requirements meet the federal standards.
Applications must provide evidence of permit programs or other systems of prior approval and be as protective as the federal regulations. Once approved, the state permit programs operate in place of the federal program for coal ash disposal.
Once states have approved CCR permit programs in place, the WIIN Act contains provisions for how and when states must update their approved programs when changes are made to the CCR requirements at the federal level. EPA encourages states with coal ash facilities to apply to establish their permit programs. Many states have engaged with EPA on how to set up their programs and how their current state regulations could be revised to incorporate the federal requirements. Visit the Permit Programs for CCR webpage for details.
EPA Announces the New Mexico Environment Department to Receive $18.9 Million to Detect and Address PFAS and other Emerging Contaminants
DALLAS, TEXAS (May 23, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) will receive $18,900,000 to assess the extent of emerging contaminants such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in public water systems and disadvantaged communities and implement measures to protect communities from these dangerous chemicals. The funding comes from President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which has addressed significant pollution issues across the nation.
“Clean, safe drinking water is something every person in New Mexico deserves,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “With this funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the New Mexico Environment Department will be able to take crucial steps to safeguard New Mexico’s drinking water from PFAS and other emerging contaminants.”
"Contamination and pollution from forever chemicals like PFAS threaten clean drinking water supplies that New Mexico communities depend upon. I am proud to welcome $18.9 million that we secured through the Infrastructure Law to ramp up New Mexico's urgent efforts to detect pollution and protect our precious water resources from PFAS and other emerging contaminants,” said U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich.
“I’m proud to welcome this pivotal investment of more than $18 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help New Mexico communities safeguard themselves from PFAS,” said U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján. “This funding will help examine PFAS levels across the state and implement remediation and mitigation methods to help protect New Mexico's public water system while helping educate New Mexicans on the public health and environmental risks that these chemicals cause."
“Combating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals or PFAS, in our public water systems is essential to provide safe water for communities in New Mexico," said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). "Under the Biden Administration, the EPA is working quickly to end the decades of destructive, and sometimes, deadly practices by corporate polluters, and the $18.9 million coming to our state will continue the progress of cleaning up our water systems. New Mexicans know water is life, and they also know the state's Democratic leaders are dedicated to cleaning the water supply for generations to come.”
“When clean water flows, New Mexico grows,” said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03). “This $18.9 million EPA award is an investment in the health and safety of New Mexico’s residents. The testing and engineering for PFAS remediation were exactly the kind of projects we envisioned when we passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Biden Administration knows these projects are essential to protect clean water in our state and help communities who need it most.”
NMED will perform sampling of public water systems to assess the extent of PFAS contamination throughout the state. During the sampling process, which the NMED anticipates will take two years to complete, the state will evaluate communities to determine which areas need critical assistance. The NMED will also plan and coordinate outreach efforts for communities during this time. Remediation and mitigation efforts will begin once sampling and evaluation is complete, with an emphasis on small and disadvantaged communities.
This funding has a lifespan of five years, with the opportunity for additional funding throughout this time. The five-year workplan includes the identification of PFAS and other emerging contaminants in public water systems, removing all hazardous substances from drinking water sources, and educating communities on how emerging contaminates threaten public health and the environment. The final phase of this funding will be the implementation of plans that assist water systems in maintaining clean water compliance and building resiliency for long-term sustainability.
PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. Exposure to certain PFAS over a long period of time pose a significant public health risk. The economic and environmental impact of PFAS has already been felt in New Mexico and continues to have an impact nationwide. Through some preliminary testing PFAS has been detected in multiple locations across the state. This funding will allow for more research into the presence of PFAS and other contaminants in source and drinking water.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), or visit our homepage.
“Clean, safe drinking water is something every person in New Mexico deserves,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “With this funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the New Mexico Environment Department will be able to take crucial steps to safeguard New Mexico’s drinking water from PFAS and other emerging contaminants.”
"Contamination and pollution from forever chemicals like PFAS threaten clean drinking water supplies that New Mexico communities depend upon. I am proud to welcome $18.9 million that we secured through the Infrastructure Law to ramp up New Mexico's urgent efforts to detect pollution and protect our precious water resources from PFAS and other emerging contaminants,” said U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich.
“I’m proud to welcome this pivotal investment of more than $18 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help New Mexico communities safeguard themselves from PFAS,” said U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján. “This funding will help examine PFAS levels across the state and implement remediation and mitigation methods to help protect New Mexico's public water system while helping educate New Mexicans on the public health and environmental risks that these chemicals cause."
“Combating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as forever chemicals or PFAS, in our public water systems is essential to provide safe water for communities in New Mexico," said Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01). "Under the Biden Administration, the EPA is working quickly to end the decades of destructive, and sometimes, deadly practices by corporate polluters, and the $18.9 million coming to our state will continue the progress of cleaning up our water systems. New Mexicans know water is life, and they also know the state's Democratic leaders are dedicated to cleaning the water supply for generations to come.”
“When clean water flows, New Mexico grows,” said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-03). “This $18.9 million EPA award is an investment in the health and safety of New Mexico’s residents. The testing and engineering for PFAS remediation were exactly the kind of projects we envisioned when we passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The Biden Administration knows these projects are essential to protect clean water in our state and help communities who need it most.”
NMED will perform sampling of public water systems to assess the extent of PFAS contamination throughout the state. During the sampling process, which the NMED anticipates will take two years to complete, the state will evaluate communities to determine which areas need critical assistance. The NMED will also plan and coordinate outreach efforts for communities during this time. Remediation and mitigation efforts will begin once sampling and evaluation is complete, with an emphasis on small and disadvantaged communities.
This funding has a lifespan of five years, with the opportunity for additional funding throughout this time. The five-year workplan includes the identification of PFAS and other emerging contaminants in public water systems, removing all hazardous substances from drinking water sources, and educating communities on how emerging contaminates threaten public health and the environment. The final phase of this funding will be the implementation of plans that assist water systems in maintaining clean water compliance and building resiliency for long-term sustainability.
PFAS are a group of manufactured chemicals that have been used in industry and consumer products since the 1940s. Exposure to certain PFAS over a long period of time pose a significant public health risk. The economic and environmental impact of PFAS has already been felt in New Mexico and continues to have an impact nationwide. Through some preliminary testing PFAS has been detected in multiple locations across the state. This funding will allow for more research into the presence of PFAS and other contaminants in source and drinking water.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), or visit our homepage.
United States Reaches Over $310 Million Settlement with Norfolk Southern to Address Harms Caused by East Palestine Train Derailment
WASHINGTON – Today, May 23, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement valued at over $310 million with Norfolk Southern Railway Company holding the company accountable for addressing and paying for the damage caused by the Feb. 3, 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. If the settlement is approved by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Norfolk Southern will be required to take measures to improve rail safety, pay for health monitoring and mental health services for the surrounding communities, fund long-term environmental monitoring, pay a $15 million civil penalty, and take other actions to protect nearby waterways and drinking water resources.
Together with other response costs and rail safety enhancements, Norfolk Southern estimates that it will spend more than $1 billion to address the contamination and other harms caused by the East Palestine derailment and improve rail safety and operations.
In the hours following the derailment, EPA personnel arrived on site, and they have remained there to ensure that the people of East Palestine are protected and have the most up-to-date information. In those early days, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan promised that Norfolk Southern would be held accountable for its actions. Since then, as EPA and DOJ pursued a strong enforcement action to deliver on that commitment, EPA has continued to stay engaged in the community, directing cleanup activities, collecting air, water and soil samples, and participating in community meetings. The Administration has led a robust, multi-agency effort—including the Department of Transportation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services—to fulfill President Biden’s commitment to “supporting the people of East Palestine and all those affected in surrounding areas of Ohio and Pennsylvania every step of the way.”
“No community should have to experience the trauma inflicted upon the residents of East Palestine,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why President Biden pledged from the beginning that his Administration would stand with the community every step of the way. Today’s enforcement action delivers on this commitment, ensures the cleanup is paid for by the company, and helps prevent another disaster like this from happening again. Because of this settlement, residents and first responders will have greater access to health services, trains will be safer and waterways will be cleaner.”
“The President issued an executive order which promised to address the disaster’s long-term effects and to hold Norfolk Southern responsible for its train derailing and the burning of hazardous chemicals in East Palestine. This settlement helps fulfill that promise,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Importantly, those who will most directly benefit from this settlement are those who were most directly affected by the disaster. And the rail safety commitments will help prevent future catastrophic railway events.”
Today’s settlement follows a complaint filed by the United States against Norfolk Southern in March 2023 for unlawful discharges of pollutants and hazardous substances caused by the train derailment. In February 2023, EPA issued a unilateral administrative order, holding Norfolk Southern accountable for the damage done to the community. The order required cleanup of spilled substances and impacted soils, as well as payment of all costs to the U.S. government. EPA also issued an order under the Clean Water Act to clean up oil spilled into the surrounding waterways. Since then, EPA has been directing and overseeing the extensive cleanup activities.
In total, Norfolk Southern estimates that it will spend more than $1 billion to address the contamination caused by the East Palestine derailment and improve rail safety and operations, which includes this settlement with the United States valued at over $310 million, as well as around $780 million in environmental response costs incurred by Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern has estimated its costs since the derailment will exceed $200 million in rail safety enhancements, including those required by this settlement.
To help ensure that no community goes through what East Palestine residents have faced, the settlement also requires Norfolk Southern to improve coordination with government officials and other stakeholders during emergency responses. Specifically, Norfolk Southern will create and adopt a procedure for coordinating with first responders and government officials, where appropriate, before restoring and reopening tracks for use after a derailment involving spilled hazardous material. Norfolk Southern will also create and adopt a procedure for coordinating with government officials and other stakeholders in advance of any vent and burn proposed by the company.
Under the settlement, Norfolk Southern has agreed to:
Spend an estimated $235 million for all past and future costs, so that cleanup efforts can continue and the company, rather than taxpayers, covers the cost.
Pay a $15 million civil penalty to resolve the alleged violations of the Clean Water Act.
Pay $25 million for a 20-year community health program that includes medical monitoring for qualified individuals and mental health services for individuals residing in affected counties – including those in Pennsylvania – as well as first responders who worked at the site, and a community facilitation plan to assist community members in using the benefits of the program.
Spend approximately $15 million to implement long-term monitoring of groundwater and surface water for a period of 10 years.
Pay $15 million for a private drinking water monitoring fund that will continue the existing private drinking water well monitoring program for 10 years.
Implement a “waterways remediation plan,” with an estimated budget of $6 million, for projects in Leslie Run and Sulphur Run that will prioritize addressing historical pollution, reducing non-point source pollution through infrastructure upgrades and stormwater management projects, and restoring aquatic and riparian habitat.
Pay $175,000 for natural resource damages, to be used by the United States to restore, rehabilitate, replace, or acquire the equivalent of the natural resources injured as a result of the derailment.
In addition, the consent decree requires Norfolk Southern to undertake projects to improve the safety of transporting hazardous materials by rail, which will include installation of additional devices to detect overheated wheel bearings early enough to prevent derailments like the one that happened in East Palestine. All told, Norfolk Southern has estimated its costs dating from the derailment will exceed $200 million in rail safety enhancements.
The proposed settlement, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, is subject to a minimum 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The details of today’s settlement are available on the Justice Department’s website.
Additional Background
EPA is committed to protecting the health and safety of East Palestine and surrounding communities. EPA personnel have been on site since the initial hours of the train derailment, and the agency continues to provide residents the most up-to-date information via the website, welcome center, community meetings, newsletters and more.
Immediately following the train derailment, EPA established a 24/7 air monitoring and sampling network. EPA also began coordinating with state and local officials to monitor environmental impacts on the community. Over the course of the response, EPA has collected over 115 million air monitoring data points and over 45,000 air, water and soil samples, giving the agency confidence in the safety of air, water and soil in the community. Since the evacuation was lifted, no sustained chemicals of concern have been found in the air.
To date, more than 177,000 tons of contaminated soil and more than 69 million gallons of wastewater have been removed from the community and work continues to remove contamination from area creeks and soil sampling at the derailment site to ensure all contamination has been remediated.
Together with other response costs and rail safety enhancements, Norfolk Southern estimates that it will spend more than $1 billion to address the contamination and other harms caused by the East Palestine derailment and improve rail safety and operations.
In the hours following the derailment, EPA personnel arrived on site, and they have remained there to ensure that the people of East Palestine are protected and have the most up-to-date information. In those early days, EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan promised that Norfolk Southern would be held accountable for its actions. Since then, as EPA and DOJ pursued a strong enforcement action to deliver on that commitment, EPA has continued to stay engaged in the community, directing cleanup activities, collecting air, water and soil samples, and participating in community meetings. The Administration has led a robust, multi-agency effort—including the Department of Transportation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services—to fulfill President Biden’s commitment to “supporting the people of East Palestine and all those affected in surrounding areas of Ohio and Pennsylvania every step of the way.”
“No community should have to experience the trauma inflicted upon the residents of East Palestine,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why President Biden pledged from the beginning that his Administration would stand with the community every step of the way. Today’s enforcement action delivers on this commitment, ensures the cleanup is paid for by the company, and helps prevent another disaster like this from happening again. Because of this settlement, residents and first responders will have greater access to health services, trains will be safer and waterways will be cleaner.”
“The President issued an executive order which promised to address the disaster’s long-term effects and to hold Norfolk Southern responsible for its train derailing and the burning of hazardous chemicals in East Palestine. This settlement helps fulfill that promise,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Importantly, those who will most directly benefit from this settlement are those who were most directly affected by the disaster. And the rail safety commitments will help prevent future catastrophic railway events.”
Today’s settlement follows a complaint filed by the United States against Norfolk Southern in March 2023 for unlawful discharges of pollutants and hazardous substances caused by the train derailment. In February 2023, EPA issued a unilateral administrative order, holding Norfolk Southern accountable for the damage done to the community. The order required cleanup of spilled substances and impacted soils, as well as payment of all costs to the U.S. government. EPA also issued an order under the Clean Water Act to clean up oil spilled into the surrounding waterways. Since then, EPA has been directing and overseeing the extensive cleanup activities.
In total, Norfolk Southern estimates that it will spend more than $1 billion to address the contamination caused by the East Palestine derailment and improve rail safety and operations, which includes this settlement with the United States valued at over $310 million, as well as around $780 million in environmental response costs incurred by Norfolk Southern. Norfolk Southern has estimated its costs since the derailment will exceed $200 million in rail safety enhancements, including those required by this settlement.
To help ensure that no community goes through what East Palestine residents have faced, the settlement also requires Norfolk Southern to improve coordination with government officials and other stakeholders during emergency responses. Specifically, Norfolk Southern will create and adopt a procedure for coordinating with first responders and government officials, where appropriate, before restoring and reopening tracks for use after a derailment involving spilled hazardous material. Norfolk Southern will also create and adopt a procedure for coordinating with government officials and other stakeholders in advance of any vent and burn proposed by the company.
Under the settlement, Norfolk Southern has agreed to:
Spend an estimated $235 million for all past and future costs, so that cleanup efforts can continue and the company, rather than taxpayers, covers the cost.
Pay a $15 million civil penalty to resolve the alleged violations of the Clean Water Act.
Pay $25 million for a 20-year community health program that includes medical monitoring for qualified individuals and mental health services for individuals residing in affected counties – including those in Pennsylvania – as well as first responders who worked at the site, and a community facilitation plan to assist community members in using the benefits of the program.
Spend approximately $15 million to implement long-term monitoring of groundwater and surface water for a period of 10 years.
Pay $15 million for a private drinking water monitoring fund that will continue the existing private drinking water well monitoring program for 10 years.
Implement a “waterways remediation plan,” with an estimated budget of $6 million, for projects in Leslie Run and Sulphur Run that will prioritize addressing historical pollution, reducing non-point source pollution through infrastructure upgrades and stormwater management projects, and restoring aquatic and riparian habitat.
Pay $175,000 for natural resource damages, to be used by the United States to restore, rehabilitate, replace, or acquire the equivalent of the natural resources injured as a result of the derailment.
In addition, the consent decree requires Norfolk Southern to undertake projects to improve the safety of transporting hazardous materials by rail, which will include installation of additional devices to detect overheated wheel bearings early enough to prevent derailments like the one that happened in East Palestine. All told, Norfolk Southern has estimated its costs dating from the derailment will exceed $200 million in rail safety enhancements.
The proposed settlement, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, is subject to a minimum 30-day public comment period and final court approval. The details of today’s settlement are available on the Justice Department’s website.
Additional Background
EPA is committed to protecting the health and safety of East Palestine and surrounding communities. EPA personnel have been on site since the initial hours of the train derailment, and the agency continues to provide residents the most up-to-date information via the website, welcome center, community meetings, newsletters and more.
Immediately following the train derailment, EPA established a 24/7 air monitoring and sampling network. EPA also began coordinating with state and local officials to monitor environmental impacts on the community. Over the course of the response, EPA has collected over 115 million air monitoring data points and over 45,000 air, water and soil samples, giving the agency confidence in the safety of air, water and soil in the community. Since the evacuation was lifted, no sustained chemicals of concern have been found in the air.
To date, more than 177,000 tons of contaminated soil and more than 69 million gallons of wastewater have been removed from the community and work continues to remove contamination from area creeks and soil sampling at the derailment site to ensure all contamination has been remediated.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $5.5 Million in Brownfield Grants to Houston Land Bank Through Investing in America Agenda
DALLAS, TEXAS (May 23, 2024) –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $5.5 million in grants from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Houston 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.
The Houston Land Bank will receive two grants: an assessment grant for $500,000 and a cleanup grant for $5 million. The assessment grant will be used to inventory sites and conduct three to seven Phase I and nine Phase II environmental site assessments, and to develop two cleanup plans and one reuse plan, and support community engagement activities. The cleanup grant will be used at the former City of Houston Velasco Incinerator Property on N. Velasco Street, which is contaminated with heavy metals, PCBs, volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, and dioxins. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
“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.”
“With experience and expertise, partners like the Houston Land Bank are vital to putting EPA’s Brownfields funding to work quickly and effectively,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “With more funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Land Bank will be able to tackle big projects and make Houston cleaner and healthier for everyone.”
“This grant we are announcing resulted from the work of many of us as members of Congress on environmental justice issues. Specifically, the Brownfields Grant Program was funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is helping communities create safer, cleaner, greener, and more accessible transportation systems. As a member of the House Committee on Budget I have long advocated to bring federal dollars back to the 18th Congressional District and improve the lives of my constituents,” said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18). “I have worked with the Biden Administration on implementing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to communities marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The first Houston Landbank Brownfields Grant, totaling $5,000,000, will be used at the Former Velasco Incinerator Property located in the 18th Congressional District at Zero North Velasco Street in Houston, Texas. This site was an incinerator facility where municipal waste from across the city was burned and is now contaminated with heavy metals and dangerous chemicals. The second Houston Landbank Brownfields Grant, totaling $500,000, will be used to conduct environmental site assessments and develop clean up plans in Houston’s Northeast and East End neighborhoods, which includes Settegast, Kashmere Gardens, and Trinity Gardens. Through my representational work, I led efforts to directly engage the EPA on frontline environmental challenges facing residents of my district. I called a community meeting that brought all sides to a discussion on the creosote contaminations of Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens, which led to my work for a cancer study of the impacted area. That study resulted in three reports each revealing a new cancer cluster involving residents of the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens area. I invited EPA Administrator Regan to Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in the 18th Congressional District to visit the site of a proposed concrete crusher plant that would harm patients and nearby residents. I have brought attention to these issues and I am committed to improve the health and wellbeing of my constituents. In 2023, the EPA launched a historic survey of the impacted areas of the 18th Congressional District to inform the public and the agency on past risk factors for health and safety. Today, this work continues, and it is important that the community participate in this soil sample survey in order for the EPA to collect accurate and complete data. I applaud President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan for joining me in bringing this grant opportunity to the 18th Congressional District and working to improve the environment in areas with the highest need. I will continue to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to address these concerns and engage our community.”
"The Velasco Incinerator Cleanup Project represents a significant step forward in the Houston Land Bank's efforts to transform underutilized and contaminated properties into valuable community assets. We are grateful to the EPA for this funding and the strong support of this project by the local community, the City of Houston, our dedicated team and Board of Directors, and elected officials,” said Christa Stoneham, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Houston Land Bank. “With this collective support, HLB can ensure that we not only meet cleanup objectives and regulatory compliance but also align project outcomes with the community's needs and expectations. We are committed to continuous engagement and transparency throughout this project, ensuring that our efforts lead to long-term benefits for the community.”
“The Housing and Community Development Department extends its heartfelt appreciation to the Biden administration for their invaluable assistance in the cleanup of the Velasco Incinerator site,” said Director Michael C. Nichols. “Our environment has a direct influence on our health outcomes. This long-standing hazard in the East End community has finally received the attention it deserves. Thanks to the additional support provided, residents can now rest assured that their safety and well-being are top priorities. HCD is pleased to partner with the Houston Land Bank as it formulates its revitalization strategy for this community."
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.
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.
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.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), or visit our homepage.
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The Houston Land Bank will receive two grants: an assessment grant for $500,000 and a cleanup grant for $5 million. The assessment grant will be used to inventory sites and conduct three to seven Phase I and nine Phase II environmental site assessments, and to develop two cleanup plans and one reuse plan, and support community engagement activities. The cleanup grant will be used at the former City of Houston Velasco Incinerator Property on N. Velasco Street, which is contaminated with heavy metals, PCBs, volatile organic compounds, semi-volatile organic compounds, and dioxins. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
“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.”
“With experience and expertise, partners like the Houston Land Bank are vital to putting EPA’s Brownfields funding to work quickly and effectively,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “With more funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Land Bank will be able to tackle big projects and make Houston cleaner and healthier for everyone.”
“This grant we are announcing resulted from the work of many of us as members of Congress on environmental justice issues. Specifically, the Brownfields Grant Program was funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is helping communities create safer, cleaner, greener, and more accessible transportation systems. As a member of the House Committee on Budget I have long advocated to bring federal dollars back to the 18th Congressional District and improve the lives of my constituents,” said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18). “I have worked with the Biden Administration on implementing President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to communities marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The first Houston Landbank Brownfields Grant, totaling $5,000,000, will be used at the Former Velasco Incinerator Property located in the 18th Congressional District at Zero North Velasco Street in Houston, Texas. This site was an incinerator facility where municipal waste from across the city was burned and is now contaminated with heavy metals and dangerous chemicals. The second Houston Landbank Brownfields Grant, totaling $500,000, will be used to conduct environmental site assessments and develop clean up plans in Houston’s Northeast and East End neighborhoods, which includes Settegast, Kashmere Gardens, and Trinity Gardens. Through my representational work, I led efforts to directly engage the EPA on frontline environmental challenges facing residents of my district. I called a community meeting that brought all sides to a discussion on the creosote contaminations of Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens, which led to my work for a cancer study of the impacted area. That study resulted in three reports each revealing a new cancer cluster involving residents of the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens area. I invited EPA Administrator Regan to Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in the 18th Congressional District to visit the site of a proposed concrete crusher plant that would harm patients and nearby residents. I have brought attention to these issues and I am committed to improve the health and wellbeing of my constituents. In 2023, the EPA launched a historic survey of the impacted areas of the 18th Congressional District to inform the public and the agency on past risk factors for health and safety. Today, this work continues, and it is important that the community participate in this soil sample survey in order for the EPA to collect accurate and complete data. I applaud President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan for joining me in bringing this grant opportunity to the 18th Congressional District and working to improve the environment in areas with the highest need. I will continue to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to address these concerns and engage our community.”
"The Velasco Incinerator Cleanup Project represents a significant step forward in the Houston Land Bank's efforts to transform underutilized and contaminated properties into valuable community assets. We are grateful to the EPA for this funding and the strong support of this project by the local community, the City of Houston, our dedicated team and Board of Directors, and elected officials,” said Christa Stoneham, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Houston Land Bank. “With this collective support, HLB can ensure that we not only meet cleanup objectives and regulatory compliance but also align project outcomes with the community's needs and expectations. We are committed to continuous engagement and transparency throughout this project, ensuring that our efforts lead to long-term benefits for the community.”
“The Housing and Community Development Department extends its heartfelt appreciation to the Biden administration for their invaluable assistance in the cleanup of the Velasco Incinerator site,” said Director Michael C. Nichols. “Our environment has a direct influence on our health outcomes. This long-standing hazard in the East End community has finally received the attention it deserves. Thanks to the additional support provided, residents can now rest assured that their safety and well-being are top priorities. HCD is pleased to partner with the Houston Land Bank as it formulates its revitalization strategy for this community."
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.
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.
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.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), or visit our homepage.
###
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $2.2 Million in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Texas
DALLAS, TEXAS (May 23, 2024) –The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $2.2 million in grants from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Texas 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 the cities of Balcones Heights, Fort Worth, Hamilton and Freeport to receive $1.95 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs. EPA is also announcing $250,000 in supplemental funding to existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to expedite their continued work at sites in Dallas.
“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.”
“Across Texas, cities of all sizes use Brownfields funding to clean up abandoned, contaminated sites that can act as roadblocks to healthy, revitalized neighborhoods,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “With more funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, even more cities, small towns, and rural areas can invest in a clean environment for all residents.”
“I’m proud to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law I helped pass in 2021 continue to deliver real results for South Texans,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20). “This funding will allow Balcones Heights to plan and prepare cleanup of polluted, abandoned properties and pave the way for safer and healthier neighborhoods. Thank you to the EPA for prioritizing South Texas in its efforts to both grow local economies and advance environmental justice in American communities.”
"In 2021, I proudly voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that made grants like this one possible,” said Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33). “These investments will go to fight against pollution, clean our air and water and help create brighter outcomes for communities across North Texas.”
“Thanks to this latest investment from the Biden-Harris administration for the City of Dallas, we will be able to convert long-contaminated parts of our community into sites of opportunity for the next generation” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30). “By investing the Brownfield Revolving Fund into the heart of Texas, we can now clean up a toxic environment left behind from a legacy of systemic discrimination while simultaneously promoting economic growth through new use of what is the greatest commodities we have today—land. Now more than ever, Dallas needs to build new affordable housing options—but because those with money and power have dumped decades of pollution into our community, we stuck with locations that prevent us from building affordable housing because we know its unsafe to raise children in these polluted environments. With today’s announced investment that builds on a longstanding commitment to environmental justice, the Biden-Harris administration acknowledges the potential our community to thrive when freed from the restraints of poisonous pollution.”
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 Texas have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
The city of Balcones Heights has been selected for a $450,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to conduct 14 Phase I and seven Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to identify and prioritize additional sites, prepare two cleanup plans, conduct two visioning sessions, prepare two site reuse assessments and one redevelopment plan, and support community engagement activities. Priority sites include a 2.22-acre site on Fredericksburg Road containing dilapidated commercial buildings that have housed a dry cleaner facility, storage warehouses, and auto repair facilities, and a 0.6-acre former automotive repair store site located on Crossroads Boulevard.
The city of Fort Worth will receive a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to conduct 30 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to identify and prioritize additional sites, develop four cleanup plans, conduct two visioning sessions, and support community engagement activities. Priority sites include Butler Place, which is an abandoned 42-acre, 400-unit low-income housing residential property, and the former R. Vickery School.
The city of Freeport will receive a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to inventory sites and conduct 16 Phase I and nine Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop four cleanup plans and two site reuse assessments, and support community engagement activities. Priority sites include a 5.7-acre vacant property that previously housed a medical equipment manufacturing company and has been abandoned since the early 2000s and an 11-acre former railroad yard with abandoned railroad tracks, a building slab, and abandoned trailers. Both sites are within walking distance of the city’s historic downtown.
The city of Hamilton will receive a $500,000 Brownfields Cleanup Grant to clean up the Grogan Street Nursing Home located at 400 West Grogan Street. The cleanup site operated as a nursing home from 1960 until 1997 and has sat vacant since then. It is contaminated with inorganic contaminants.
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
EPA is announcing $250,000 in non-competitive supplemental funding to 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.
In addition to the $1,000,000 in EPA funds already awarded, the city of Dallas Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) has been selected to receive an additional $250,000 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include multiple former dry cleaners and multiple properties slated for affordable housing located on Dallas’ Southside. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Dallas.
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients 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.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), or visit our homepage.
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EPA selected the cities of Balcones Heights, Fort Worth, Hamilton and Freeport to receive $1.95 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs. EPA is also announcing $250,000 in supplemental funding to existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to expedite their continued work at sites in Dallas.
“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.”
“Across Texas, cities of all sizes use Brownfields funding to clean up abandoned, contaminated sites that can act as roadblocks to healthy, revitalized neighborhoods,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “With more funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, even more cities, small towns, and rural areas can invest in a clean environment for all residents.”
“I’m proud to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law I helped pass in 2021 continue to deliver real results for South Texans,” said Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20). “This funding will allow Balcones Heights to plan and prepare cleanup of polluted, abandoned properties and pave the way for safer and healthier neighborhoods. Thank you to the EPA for prioritizing South Texas in its efforts to both grow local economies and advance environmental justice in American communities.”
"In 2021, I proudly voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that made grants like this one possible,” said Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33). “These investments will go to fight against pollution, clean our air and water and help create brighter outcomes for communities across North Texas.”
“Thanks to this latest investment from the Biden-Harris administration for the City of Dallas, we will be able to convert long-contaminated parts of our community into sites of opportunity for the next generation” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30). “By investing the Brownfield Revolving Fund into the heart of Texas, we can now clean up a toxic environment left behind from a legacy of systemic discrimination while simultaneously promoting economic growth through new use of what is the greatest commodities we have today—land. Now more than ever, Dallas needs to build new affordable housing options—but because those with money and power have dumped decades of pollution into our community, we stuck with locations that prevent us from building affordable housing because we know its unsafe to raise children in these polluted environments. With today’s announced investment that builds on a longstanding commitment to environmental justice, the Biden-Harris administration acknowledges the potential our community to thrive when freed from the restraints of poisonous pollution.”
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 Texas have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
The city of Balcones Heights has been selected for a $450,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to conduct 14 Phase I and seven Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to identify and prioritize additional sites, prepare two cleanup plans, conduct two visioning sessions, prepare two site reuse assessments and one redevelopment plan, and support community engagement activities. Priority sites include a 2.22-acre site on Fredericksburg Road containing dilapidated commercial buildings that have housed a dry cleaner facility, storage warehouses, and auto repair facilities, and a 0.6-acre former automotive repair store site located on Crossroads Boulevard.
The city of Fort Worth will receive a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to conduct 30 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to identify and prioritize additional sites, develop four cleanup plans, conduct two visioning sessions, and support community engagement activities. Priority sites include Butler Place, which is an abandoned 42-acre, 400-unit low-income housing residential property, and the former R. Vickery School.
The city of Freeport will receive a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to inventory sites and conduct 16 Phase I and nine Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop four cleanup plans and two site reuse assessments, and support community engagement activities. Priority sites include a 5.7-acre vacant property that previously housed a medical equipment manufacturing company and has been abandoned since the early 2000s and an 11-acre former railroad yard with abandoned railroad tracks, a building slab, and abandoned trailers. Both sites are within walking distance of the city’s historic downtown.
The city of Hamilton will receive a $500,000 Brownfields Cleanup Grant to clean up the Grogan Street Nursing Home located at 400 West Grogan Street. The cleanup site operated as a nursing home from 1960 until 1997 and has sat vacant since then. It is contaminated with inorganic contaminants.
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
EPA is announcing $250,000 in non-competitive supplemental funding to 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.
In addition to the $1,000,000 in EPA funds already awarded, the city of Dallas Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) has been selected to receive an additional $250,000 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include multiple former dry cleaners and multiple properties slated for affordable housing located on Dallas’ Southside. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Dallas.
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients 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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