SC Ports plans full reopening of gates at 5 am Tuesday after ‘software issue’
No cargo pickups or drop-offs took place at Charleston’s marine terminals and the two inland ports on Monday as SC Ports scrambled to resolve the problem.
CBP Honors 11 Heroes at Annual Valor Memorial and Wreath Laying Ceremony
Uniformed personnel stood at attention May 16 as agents and officers escorted the families and loved ones of each of CBP’s fallen heroes honored this year at the CBP Valor Memorial and Wreath Laying Ceremony in the Woodrow Wilson Plaza outside CBP…
EPA awards over $3.2 million for cleanup and redevelopment projects in Northglenn and Lakewood, Colo.
Northglenn, Colo. (May 20, 2024) – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than $3.2 million in Brownfields grant funding to support the environmental assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of critical properties in the communities of Northglenn and Lakewood, Colorado. The City of Northglenn will receive $2.75 million to cleanup soil contaminated with lead and arsenic on the Northglenn Recreational Center property. Metro West Housing Solutions, in partnership with the Lakewood Housing Authority, will receive $500,000 to remediate asbestos and lead-based paint in the Belmar Groves Apartments property.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“EPA’s Brownfields grants are helping Colorado communities redevelop blighted properties,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “The funding we are providing Northglenn and Lakewood will help reclaim contaminated buildings and soils and pave the way for new businesses and safe, affordable housing.”
“In the wealthiest nation in the world, every family should be able to live in a clean environment,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “This funding will rightfully support Colorado communities disproportionately affected by contamination. These grants will help Colorado communities safely clean up polluted sites, protect their health, and rebuild in a way that creates jobs and economic opportunity.”
“As the first Representative for the 8th district, I’m fighting for every corner of the Front Range and Northern Colorado to get their fair share of federal funding,” said Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo. “Today, we took a significant step in the right direction with major federal investments in Greeley, Northglenn, and Kersey. The more than $4.3 million federal grant announced by the EPA this morning will go toward cleaning up toxic sites and laying the groundwork for economic renewal at sites that have been abandoned or left in disrepair, positioning our communities for future economic success.”
City of Northglenn: $2.75 million
The City of Northglenn will use EPA Brownfields funding to address soil contamination on the former Northglenn Recreational Center property. The 6.85-acre property has sat unused since a new facility recreational center was built in 2021, and developers have identified soil contamination as a significant barrier for redevelopment.
“Northglenn is incredibly thankful to receive this support. This area is busy and well-loved in our community, adjacent to a popular park, new recreation center and soon a new city hall,” shared Mayor Meredith Leighty. “For a city our size, the cost of cleanup was daunting and likely to take years to accomplish. The EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant allows us to move forward with creating usable, safe, beneficial space for our residents now and plan for future development.”
The City has committed to reuse of the site, with asbestos abatement of the old Recreation Center building in the final stages of completion. The site’s strategic central location within the community allows for easy access to existing infrastructure, including water, sanitary sewer, a public road, and regional detention and water quality.
Brownfields grant funding will remove a barrier by remediating contaminated soil, allowing for developers to revitalize the site. The City will also work with developers that are committed to integrating environmentally sustainable practices into the redevelopment, which will result in reduced energy costs for both residents and businesses.
The proposed reuse of the site is estimated to create 122 multi-family units, 34 townhomes and 17,600 square-feet of commercial and retail space, which will in turn provide new job opportunities.
Lakewood Housing Authority d.b.a Metro West Housing Solutions: $500,000
Metro West Housing Solutions (MWHS) in partnership with the Lakewood Housing Authority will use EPA Brownfields grant funding to cleanup the Belmar Groves Apartments, which sits on a 4.9-acre lot and provides 118 homes across 11 buildings. Site characterization has identified all 118 entry doors are coated in lead-based paint, while asbestos exists in drywall, vinyl sheet flooring, and subfloor fireproofing space.
EPA funding will remediate these contaminants and facilitate the preservation and redevelopment of existing affordable housing, which will significantly raise the property value and limit vacancy at the Belmar Groves Apartments
“The Belmar Groves redevelopment will bring new life to an outdated 50-year-old apartment community. It will provide another 50 years of homes for low-income households. This redevelopment also will allow MWHS to commit to deeper levels of affordability to meet the needs of the Lakewood community,” said MWHS Chief Real Estate Officer Brendalee Connors. “The grant from EPA will allow the development to complete the necessary environmental abatement work. By having some of that cost covered we are able to complete additional work on the building systems that will enhance the quality of life for our residents and staff.”
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
Northglenn and Metro West Housing are among six organizations in Colorado have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. Additional grantees announced today include:
The City of Greeley, Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The Town of Kersey, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,132,899.
The City of Monte Vista, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,000,000.
The City of Pueblo, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,000,000.
Additional Background:
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 communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include overburdened communities.
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.
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“EPA’s Brownfields grants are helping Colorado communities redevelop blighted properties,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “The funding we are providing Northglenn and Lakewood will help reclaim contaminated buildings and soils and pave the way for new businesses and safe, affordable housing.”
“In the wealthiest nation in the world, every family should be able to live in a clean environment,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “This funding will rightfully support Colorado communities disproportionately affected by contamination. These grants will help Colorado communities safely clean up polluted sites, protect their health, and rebuild in a way that creates jobs and economic opportunity.”
“As the first Representative for the 8th district, I’m fighting for every corner of the Front Range and Northern Colorado to get their fair share of federal funding,” said Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo. “Today, we took a significant step in the right direction with major federal investments in Greeley, Northglenn, and Kersey. The more than $4.3 million federal grant announced by the EPA this morning will go toward cleaning up toxic sites and laying the groundwork for economic renewal at sites that have been abandoned or left in disrepair, positioning our communities for future economic success.”
City of Northglenn: $2.75 million
The City of Northglenn will use EPA Brownfields funding to address soil contamination on the former Northglenn Recreational Center property. The 6.85-acre property has sat unused since a new facility recreational center was built in 2021, and developers have identified soil contamination as a significant barrier for redevelopment.
“Northglenn is incredibly thankful to receive this support. This area is busy and well-loved in our community, adjacent to a popular park, new recreation center and soon a new city hall,” shared Mayor Meredith Leighty. “For a city our size, the cost of cleanup was daunting and likely to take years to accomplish. The EPA Brownfields Cleanup Grant allows us to move forward with creating usable, safe, beneficial space for our residents now and plan for future development.”
The City has committed to reuse of the site, with asbestos abatement of the old Recreation Center building in the final stages of completion. The site’s strategic central location within the community allows for easy access to existing infrastructure, including water, sanitary sewer, a public road, and regional detention and water quality.
Brownfields grant funding will remove a barrier by remediating contaminated soil, allowing for developers to revitalize the site. The City will also work with developers that are committed to integrating environmentally sustainable practices into the redevelopment, which will result in reduced energy costs for both residents and businesses.
The proposed reuse of the site is estimated to create 122 multi-family units, 34 townhomes and 17,600 square-feet of commercial and retail space, which will in turn provide new job opportunities.
Lakewood Housing Authority d.b.a Metro West Housing Solutions: $500,000
Metro West Housing Solutions (MWHS) in partnership with the Lakewood Housing Authority will use EPA Brownfields grant funding to cleanup the Belmar Groves Apartments, which sits on a 4.9-acre lot and provides 118 homes across 11 buildings. Site characterization has identified all 118 entry doors are coated in lead-based paint, while asbestos exists in drywall, vinyl sheet flooring, and subfloor fireproofing space.
EPA funding will remediate these contaminants and facilitate the preservation and redevelopment of existing affordable housing, which will significantly raise the property value and limit vacancy at the Belmar Groves Apartments
“The Belmar Groves redevelopment will bring new life to an outdated 50-year-old apartment community. It will provide another 50 years of homes for low-income households. This redevelopment also will allow MWHS to commit to deeper levels of affordability to meet the needs of the Lakewood community,” said MWHS Chief Real Estate Officer Brendalee Connors. “The grant from EPA will allow the development to complete the necessary environmental abatement work. By having some of that cost covered we are able to complete additional work on the building systems that will enhance the quality of life for our residents and staff.”
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
Northglenn and Metro West Housing are among six organizations in Colorado have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. Additional grantees announced today include:
The City of Greeley, Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The Town of Kersey, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,132,899.
The City of Monte Vista, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,000,000.
The City of Pueblo, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,000,000.
Additional Background:
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 communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include overburdened communities.
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.
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
EPA Outlines Enforcement Measures to Help Prevent Cybersecurity Attacks and Protect the Nation’s Drinking Water
WASHINGTON – Today, May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an enforcement alert outlining the urgent cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities to community drinking water systems and the steps these systems need to take to comply with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The alert is part of a government-wide effort – led by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency – to reduce the nation’s infrastructure and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. EPA is issuing this alert because threats to, and attacks on, the nation’s water system have increased in frequency and severity to a point where additional action is critical.
“Protecting our nation’s drinking water is a cornerstone of EPA’s mission, and we are committed to using every tool, including our enforcement authorities, to ensure that our nation’s drinking water is protected from cyberattacks,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “EPA’s new enforcement alert is the latest step that the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to ensure communities understand the urgency and severity of cyberattacks and water systems are ready to address these serious threats to our nation’s public health.”
Recent EPA inspections have revealed that the majority of water systems inspected – over 70 percent – do not fully comply with requirements in the Safe Drinking Water Act and that some of those systems have critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities, such as default passwords that have not been updated and single logins that can easily be compromised. As EPA and its state and federal security and intelligence partners continue to identify vulnerabilities, informed by successful cyberattacks to water systems across the United States, the agency remains committed to working with state and sector organization partners to successfully protect drinking water for communities.
Today's alert emphasizes the importance of EPA’s ongoing inspection and enforcement activities under Safe Drinking Water Act section 1433. The agency will increase the number of planned inspections and, where appropriate, will take civil and criminal enforcement actions, including in response to a situation that may present an imminent and substantial endangerment. Inspections will ensure that water systems are meeting their requirements to regularly assess resilience vulnerabilities, including cybersecurity, and to develop emergency response plans. In addition, EPA, CISA, and the FBI strongly recommend system operators take steps outlined in Top Actions for Securing Water Systems:
Reduce exposure to public-facing internet.
Conduct regular cybersecurity assessments.
Change default passwords immediately.
Conduct an inventory of OT/IT assets.
Develop and exercise cybersecurity incident response and recovery plans.
Backup OT/IT systems.
Reduce exposure to vulnerabilities.
Conduct cybersecurity awareness training.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also recently sent a letter to the nation’s governors on the urgency of the threats and the importance of collaboration across federal and state partners to develop comprehensive strategies to close gaps in cyber-resilience. Following the meeting, the National Security Council encouraged each state to prepare an action plan presenting the state’s strategy to mitigate the most significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the states’ water and wastewater systems by late June. EPA is also moving forward with the Water Sector Coordinating Council and Water Government Coordinating Council to establish a Task Force to identify additional near-term actions and strategies to reduce the risk of water and wastewater systems nationwide to cyberattacks.
EPA is committed to providing cybersecurity technical assistance to the water sector, allowing direct access to subject matter experts who can assist systems better understand cybersecurity concepts. Additionally, EPA and CISA will continue to offer guidance, tools, training, resources, and technical assistance to help water systems execute these essential tasks. EPA will also continue to conduct cyber assessments for small water systems under our Cybersecurity Evaluation program.
For more information about how the EPA protects America’s waterways, please visit the SDWA compliance monitoring web page and learn about the National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives for FY 2024-2027. Also, find more information on Cybersecurity for the Water Sector.
“Protecting our nation’s drinking water is a cornerstone of EPA’s mission, and we are committed to using every tool, including our enforcement authorities, to ensure that our nation’s drinking water is protected from cyberattacks,” said EPA Deputy Administrator Janet McCabe. “EPA’s new enforcement alert is the latest step that the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to ensure communities understand the urgency and severity of cyberattacks and water systems are ready to address these serious threats to our nation’s public health.”
Recent EPA inspections have revealed that the majority of water systems inspected – over 70 percent – do not fully comply with requirements in the Safe Drinking Water Act and that some of those systems have critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities, such as default passwords that have not been updated and single logins that can easily be compromised. As EPA and its state and federal security and intelligence partners continue to identify vulnerabilities, informed by successful cyberattacks to water systems across the United States, the agency remains committed to working with state and sector organization partners to successfully protect drinking water for communities.
Today's alert emphasizes the importance of EPA’s ongoing inspection and enforcement activities under Safe Drinking Water Act section 1433. The agency will increase the number of planned inspections and, where appropriate, will take civil and criminal enforcement actions, including in response to a situation that may present an imminent and substantial endangerment. Inspections will ensure that water systems are meeting their requirements to regularly assess resilience vulnerabilities, including cybersecurity, and to develop emergency response plans. In addition, EPA, CISA, and the FBI strongly recommend system operators take steps outlined in Top Actions for Securing Water Systems:
Reduce exposure to public-facing internet.
Conduct regular cybersecurity assessments.
Change default passwords immediately.
Conduct an inventory of OT/IT assets.
Develop and exercise cybersecurity incident response and recovery plans.
Backup OT/IT systems.
Reduce exposure to vulnerabilities.
Conduct cybersecurity awareness training.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also recently sent a letter to the nation’s governors on the urgency of the threats and the importance of collaboration across federal and state partners to develop comprehensive strategies to close gaps in cyber-resilience. Following the meeting, the National Security Council encouraged each state to prepare an action plan presenting the state’s strategy to mitigate the most significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the states’ water and wastewater systems by late June. EPA is also moving forward with the Water Sector Coordinating Council and Water Government Coordinating Council to establish a Task Force to identify additional near-term actions and strategies to reduce the risk of water and wastewater systems nationwide to cyberattacks.
EPA is committed to providing cybersecurity technical assistance to the water sector, allowing direct access to subject matter experts who can assist systems better understand cybersecurity concepts. Additionally, EPA and CISA will continue to offer guidance, tools, training, resources, and technical assistance to help water systems execute these essential tasks. EPA will also continue to conduct cyber assessments for small water systems under our Cybersecurity Evaluation program.
For more information about how the EPA protects America’s waterways, please visit the SDWA compliance monitoring web page and learn about the National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives for FY 2024-2027. Also, find more information on Cybersecurity for the Water Sector.
EPA awards $1 million to the City of Pueblo for cleanup and redevelopment projects
Pueblo, Colo. (May 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the City of Pueblo will receive $1 million in Brownfields grant funding to support the environmental assessments, cleanup and redevelopment of critical properties in Pueblo, Colorado.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“EPA’s Brownfields grants are supporting critical cleanup and redevelopment projects in communities across Colorado,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “We look forward to seeing these funds transform blighted sites in Pueblo’s Eastside, Bessemer and Downtown neighborhoods into new assets.”
“In the wealthiest nation in the world, every family should be able to live in a clean environment,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “This funding will rightfully support Colorado communities disproportionately affected by contamination. These grants will help Colorado communities safely clean up polluted sites, protect their health, and rebuild in a way that creates jobs and economic opportunity.”
The grant will focus on the geographical area of Pueblo called the Y-Zone, which includes revitalization projects in the Eastside, Bessemer, and Downtown neighborhoods. Funding will be used to conduct substantial asbestos cleanup at El Centro Del Quinto Sol Community Center, which is the Eastside neighborhood’s only community center.
“The City of Pueblo is excited to receive this EPA Multipurpose grant which will help our city restore a community center, restore underutilized significant historic spaces and assist the private sector in redeveloping numerous vacant places,” said Mayor Heather Graham. “This multi-year investment in Pueblo will help us clean up buildings and reinvest in our historic Bessemer, Eastside and West Side neighborhoods and turn vacancy into vibrancy.”
The City of Pueblo identified El Centro del Quinto Sol Community Center as the project’s first priority cleanup site. Formerly built as the Fountain School in 1904, the Community center now hosts a popular skate park and open-air space with various monuments to the Chicano civil rights movement. The City will use the grant funding to upgrade services and expand offerings at the community center, which require substantial asbestos abatement throughout the building.
Another priority site identified in this project is the Steel Works History Museum, which was the former headquarters of the steel plant in the Bessemer neighborhood and is not a National Historic Landmark site. The building requires extensive asbestos abatement and mitigation of other hazardous building materials before it can be redeveloped. Grant funding will be used to complete clean-up planning for possible reuse and will retain the steel heritage in the Bessemer neighborhood.
Additional priority sites include two sites identified from a 2020 Community Wide Assessment grant, where over 60 Brownfields sites were identified. MAC grant funding will be used to advance reuse of the former Black Hills Energy Plant 5 & 6 Priority site and consolidate abandoned railroad properties at the State Land Board Priority site. Reuse of the Plant 5 & 6 site, and consolidation of the Land Board abandoned railroad properties will foster redevelopment and retain a key historic structure.
This project will help support the City of Pueblo’s commitment to 100% renewable energy in its operations by 2035. The revitalization work funded by this grant will promote reuse of historic buildings, eliminating waste to landfills. Reuse of the existing infrastructure will also help limit urban sprawl and conserve water resources, as well as create new housing options to keep residents in their chosen neighborhoods.
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The City of Pueblo is among six organizations in Colorado have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. Additional grantees announced today include:
The City of Greeley, Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Northglenn, Colorado has been selected to receive $2,750,000.
The Town of Kersey, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,132,899.
Metro West Housing Solutions, (Lakewood) Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Monte Vista, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,000,000.
Additional Background
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 communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include overburdened communities.”
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.
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“EPA’s Brownfields grants are supporting critical cleanup and redevelopment projects in communities across Colorado,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “We look forward to seeing these funds transform blighted sites in Pueblo’s Eastside, Bessemer and Downtown neighborhoods into new assets.”
“In the wealthiest nation in the world, every family should be able to live in a clean environment,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “This funding will rightfully support Colorado communities disproportionately affected by contamination. These grants will help Colorado communities safely clean up polluted sites, protect their health, and rebuild in a way that creates jobs and economic opportunity.”
The grant will focus on the geographical area of Pueblo called the Y-Zone, which includes revitalization projects in the Eastside, Bessemer, and Downtown neighborhoods. Funding will be used to conduct substantial asbestos cleanup at El Centro Del Quinto Sol Community Center, which is the Eastside neighborhood’s only community center.
“The City of Pueblo is excited to receive this EPA Multipurpose grant which will help our city restore a community center, restore underutilized significant historic spaces and assist the private sector in redeveloping numerous vacant places,” said Mayor Heather Graham. “This multi-year investment in Pueblo will help us clean up buildings and reinvest in our historic Bessemer, Eastside and West Side neighborhoods and turn vacancy into vibrancy.”
The City of Pueblo identified El Centro del Quinto Sol Community Center as the project’s first priority cleanup site. Formerly built as the Fountain School in 1904, the Community center now hosts a popular skate park and open-air space with various monuments to the Chicano civil rights movement. The City will use the grant funding to upgrade services and expand offerings at the community center, which require substantial asbestos abatement throughout the building.
Another priority site identified in this project is the Steel Works History Museum, which was the former headquarters of the steel plant in the Bessemer neighborhood and is not a National Historic Landmark site. The building requires extensive asbestos abatement and mitigation of other hazardous building materials before it can be redeveloped. Grant funding will be used to complete clean-up planning for possible reuse and will retain the steel heritage in the Bessemer neighborhood.
Additional priority sites include two sites identified from a 2020 Community Wide Assessment grant, where over 60 Brownfields sites were identified. MAC grant funding will be used to advance reuse of the former Black Hills Energy Plant 5 & 6 Priority site and consolidate abandoned railroad properties at the State Land Board Priority site. Reuse of the Plant 5 & 6 site, and consolidation of the Land Board abandoned railroad properties will foster redevelopment and retain a key historic structure.
This project will help support the City of Pueblo’s commitment to 100% renewable energy in its operations by 2035. The revitalization work funded by this grant will promote reuse of historic buildings, eliminating waste to landfills. Reuse of the existing infrastructure will also help limit urban sprawl and conserve water resources, as well as create new housing options to keep residents in their chosen neighborhoods.
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The City of Pueblo is among six organizations in Colorado have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. Additional grantees announced today include:
The City of Greeley, Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Northglenn, Colorado has been selected to receive $2,750,000.
The Town of Kersey, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,132,899.
Metro West Housing Solutions, (Lakewood) Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Monte Vista, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,000,000.
Additional Background
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 communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include overburdened communities.”
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.
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
EPA Announces More Than $6 Million in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Michigan
EPA Announces More Than $6 Million in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Michigan
Funded by $1.5 billion investment into Brownfields sites from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address legacy pollution, advance environmental justice, and create healthier communities
May 20, 2024
Contact Information: Danielle Kaufman (kaufman.danielle@epa.gov) 312-886-6703
CHICAGO – Today, May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced more than $6 million in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Michigan while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup and Revolving Loan Fund 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 Michigan to receive grants totaling more than $5.4 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the multipurpose, assessment, and cleanup grant programs. In addition, the agency is announcing $1 million in supplemental funding to one existing, high-performing Brownfields revolving loan fund grant program to help expedite their continued work at sites in Michigan.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites. 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,” said President Joe Biden.
“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 Great Lakes Region has a rich industrial history that brought with it economic prosperity, but also legacy contamination that stills plagued many of our communities,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “With today’s announcement and the ongoing investments from the Biden Administration, EPA and our many partners are accelerating brownfield cleanups and community redevelopment.”
“Helping address legacy pollution and putting properties back on the tax rolls is an important part of building a vibrant economy, particularly in Michigan’s distressed communities,” said Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Director Phil Roos. “Today’s support from the Biden-Harris administration’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be critical to our work to support communities across Michigan and put formerly contaminated properties back into productive use while protecting our natural resources and safeguarding public health. EGLE stands ready to utilize every resource possible to make Michigan communities the best place to live, work, and play.”
“The City of Detroit deeply appreciates the US EPA for its award of the FY24 Brownfield Community-Wide Assessment Grant,” said City of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “This new grant award will allow us to assess brownfield properties along commercial corridors bordering the Joe Louis Greenway, allowing us to reclaim vacant properties and stimulate new neighborhood-level economic activity.”
“The lack of available housing is one of the biggest challenges in the City of South Haven. We look forward to working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce barriers to housing development,” said City of South Haven Mayor Anne Brown Mayor. “A Community-Wide Assessment Grant will enable our team to work with public and private partners to conduct much needed site assessments to prepare former industrial sites, infill lots, and other property for responsible reinvestment, which will benefit our region for years to come.”
"Macomb County is a leader in utilizing Brownfield funds to revitalize areas of our community in need of redevelopment," said Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel. "Our most notable project is Jimmy John's Field, where we worked with partners to turn land that had long been a dumping site into a world-class baseball facility for minor league sports. It transformed from a toxic eyesore to a community gathering space, and I'm thrilled that with new funds we have the opportunity to pursue more of these improvement initiatives."
“We're honored to receive the US EPA Site Assessment Coalition Grant, vital for revitalizing Oakland County's brownfield sites," Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said. "With a proven track record, this grant will further our efforts to transform neglected areas into thriving economic hubs, as exemplified by Ace Place's successful redevelopment.”
“This grant from the EPA has been the most successful program to get Brownfield sites back on the tax roll and to help create new jobs,” said Tuscola County EDC Communications Director Jim McLoskey. "With one of our current projects, the EDC was able to partner with the Village of Cass City, the Michigan Department of EGLE and a local developer to bring back to life one of the largest, vacant buildings in Tuscola County-- all thanks to this valuable grant funding from the EPA. It is considered to be intergovernmental cooperation at its best!"
“Bay Mills Indian Community is honored to receive the Clean Up funding from the Environmental Protection Agency for the Silver Dome Contamination Site. This grant signifies a crucial step forward in our commitment to environmental stewardship and the well-being of our Tribal Nation,” said Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle. “With these funds, we will diligently work to remove the source contaminants from the ground, restoring the land to its natural state and providing a healthier environment for generations to come. This initiative underscores our unwavering dedication to protecting our lands, preserving our culture, and safeguarding the health of our community.”
“The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA) is grateful for this critical grant and we are eager to get to work with our coalition partners, the City of Albion and the Battle Creek Community Foundation, to assess environmental challenges in Calhoun County,” said CCLBA Executive Director Krista Trout-Edwards. “Previously awarded EPA grants to the CCLBA supported downtown projects and commercial demolitions. This grant expands on that work to include potential for residential opportunities in both communities. The Land Bank is committed to being a good community partner and working with coalition members and the EPA to revitalize communities across the county.”
Patrick Farver, Executive Director of Lenawee Now, said “Our organization is delighted to receive this award and cannot wait to put it to use improving our 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 applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.
State Funding Breakdown:
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant Program Selection
The following organizations in Michigan have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the multipurpose, assessment, and cleanup grant program.
Bay Mills Indian Community has been selected to receive $575,000 to clean up the Silver Dome site located at 12069 Lakeshore Drive. The 1.4-acre cleanup site was constructed sometime between 1993 and 1998 as the headquarters for the Bay Mills Indian Community’s Public Works and Construction Department. Soil and groundwater at the site are contaminated with trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene from an unknown source.
Calhoun County Land Bank Authority has been selected to receive $1,500,000 to inventory and prioritize sites and conduct 37 Phase I and 32 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop 13 cleanup plans. Assessment activities will focus on the southeast and northwest neighborhoods within the city of Battle Creek and the western portion of the city of Albion. Priority sites include a 17-acre and a 3-acre demolished lots located in residential neighborhoods and a 17-acre former industrial site located next to a senior center and sports field. Non-lead coalition members include the city of Albion and the Battle Creek Community Foundation.
The city of Detroit has been selected to receive $500,000 to conduct 19 Phase I and up to 10 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update site inventory, prepare four cleanup plans, and conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the 704 acres located on the northeast side of the Joe Louis Greenway in the North Campau and Campau-Banglatown neighborhoods and over 400 vacant parcels in the Corktown and North Corktown neighborhoods. Priority sites include a former railyard, a former automotive site, a former recreational center, a former freight station, a printing facility, and a former manufacturing site.
Lenawee Chamber Foundation has been selected to receive $500,000 to conduct five Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments at the priority sites, and 17 Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site assessments at secondary sites. Grant funds also will be used to prepare one site reuse plan and to conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the Highway 223 Corridor in South-central Michigan with a focus on the cities of Adrian and Blissfield and Palmyra Township. Priority sites include a former metal works facility, a former paper manufacturing and recycling facility, a former car parts manufacturing facility, and a former hospital.
Oakland County has been selected to receive $1,500,000 to inventory sites and conduct 95 Phase I and 58 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the downtown area of the city of Pontiac, the Southeast Corner District of the city of Southfield, and a six-mile portion of the county’s 8-mile road corridor within the cities of Hazel Park and Oak Park. Priority sites include a 2.6-acre vacant site that houses a former school building and gas station, a 7-acre site that houses three vacant former industrial buildings in varying states of deterioration, and a 30-acre former commercial area that has been vacant for 15 years. Non-lead coalition members include the city of Southfield and the Community Housing Network.
The city of South Haven has been selected to receive $300,000 to conduct eight Phase I and six Phase II environmental site assessments on priority sites and five Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments at non-priority sites. Grant funds also will be used to prepare two cleanup plans and conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant are Wards 1 and 2. Priority sites include former industrial and manufacturing buildings, an abandoned railroad right-of-way, a site where fill material contaminated with metals was placed, and a site containing a closed leaking underground storage tank.
Tuscola County Economic Development Corporation has been selected to receive $600,000 to update a brownfield inventory and conduct 25 Phase I and 16 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop six cleanup plans and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the cities of Vassar, Bad Axe, and Brown City. Priority sites include a 10-acre former refuse dump that has been unused since 1968, a 1-acre former dairy bottling factory that was later used as a bus garage, and a 1-acre former manufacturing facility. Non-lead coalition members include Huron and Sanilac counties.
You can read more about this year’s multipurpose, assessment, cleanup grant selectees, visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
Non-Competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund Grant Program
Macomb County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority has been selected to receive $1 million in addition to the $1 million in EPA funds already awarded. The recipient was selected because it has a high-performing program with that has successfully made a loan and a subgrant leading to one completed cleanup project. Potential projects highlighted include the remediation of sites in Eastpoint, Warren, and Mt Clemens. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Macomb County.
To see the list of revolving loan fund supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
To learn more about revolving loan fund technical assistance grant recipient visit EPA’s Brownfields Grow America 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 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 Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program, visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
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Funded by $1.5 billion investment into Brownfields sites from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address legacy pollution, advance environmental justice, and create healthier communities
May 20, 2024
Contact Information: Danielle Kaufman (kaufman.danielle@epa.gov) 312-886-6703
CHICAGO – Today, May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced more than $6 million in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Michigan while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup and Revolving Loan Fund 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 Michigan to receive grants totaling more than $5.4 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the multipurpose, assessment, and cleanup grant programs. In addition, the agency is announcing $1 million in supplemental funding to one existing, high-performing Brownfields revolving loan fund grant program to help expedite their continued work at sites in Michigan.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites. 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,” said President Joe Biden.
“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 Great Lakes Region has a rich industrial history that brought with it economic prosperity, but also legacy contamination that stills plagued many of our communities,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Debra Shore. “With today’s announcement and the ongoing investments from the Biden Administration, EPA and our many partners are accelerating brownfield cleanups and community redevelopment.”
“Helping address legacy pollution and putting properties back on the tax rolls is an important part of building a vibrant economy, particularly in Michigan’s distressed communities,” said Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy Director Phil Roos. “Today’s support from the Biden-Harris administration’s U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be critical to our work to support communities across Michigan and put formerly contaminated properties back into productive use while protecting our natural resources and safeguarding public health. EGLE stands ready to utilize every resource possible to make Michigan communities the best place to live, work, and play.”
“The City of Detroit deeply appreciates the US EPA for its award of the FY24 Brownfield Community-Wide Assessment Grant,” said City of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan. “This new grant award will allow us to assess brownfield properties along commercial corridors bordering the Joe Louis Greenway, allowing us to reclaim vacant properties and stimulate new neighborhood-level economic activity.”
“The lack of available housing is one of the biggest challenges in the City of South Haven. We look forward to working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce barriers to housing development,” said City of South Haven Mayor Anne Brown Mayor. “A Community-Wide Assessment Grant will enable our team to work with public and private partners to conduct much needed site assessments to prepare former industrial sites, infill lots, and other property for responsible reinvestment, which will benefit our region for years to come.”
"Macomb County is a leader in utilizing Brownfield funds to revitalize areas of our community in need of redevelopment," said Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel. "Our most notable project is Jimmy John's Field, where we worked with partners to turn land that had long been a dumping site into a world-class baseball facility for minor league sports. It transformed from a toxic eyesore to a community gathering space, and I'm thrilled that with new funds we have the opportunity to pursue more of these improvement initiatives."
“We're honored to receive the US EPA Site Assessment Coalition Grant, vital for revitalizing Oakland County's brownfield sites," Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said. "With a proven track record, this grant will further our efforts to transform neglected areas into thriving economic hubs, as exemplified by Ace Place's successful redevelopment.”
“This grant from the EPA has been the most successful program to get Brownfield sites back on the tax roll and to help create new jobs,” said Tuscola County EDC Communications Director Jim McLoskey. "With one of our current projects, the EDC was able to partner with the Village of Cass City, the Michigan Department of EGLE and a local developer to bring back to life one of the largest, vacant buildings in Tuscola County-- all thanks to this valuable grant funding from the EPA. It is considered to be intergovernmental cooperation at its best!"
“Bay Mills Indian Community is honored to receive the Clean Up funding from the Environmental Protection Agency for the Silver Dome Contamination Site. This grant signifies a crucial step forward in our commitment to environmental stewardship and the well-being of our Tribal Nation,” said Bay Mills Indian Community President Whitney Gravelle. “With these funds, we will diligently work to remove the source contaminants from the ground, restoring the land to its natural state and providing a healthier environment for generations to come. This initiative underscores our unwavering dedication to protecting our lands, preserving our culture, and safeguarding the health of our community.”
“The Calhoun County Land Bank Authority (CCLBA) is grateful for this critical grant and we are eager to get to work with our coalition partners, the City of Albion and the Battle Creek Community Foundation, to assess environmental challenges in Calhoun County,” said CCLBA Executive Director Krista Trout-Edwards. “Previously awarded EPA grants to the CCLBA supported downtown projects and commercial demolitions. This grant expands on that work to include potential for residential opportunities in both communities. The Land Bank is committed to being a good community partner and working with coalition members and the EPA to revitalize communities across the county.”
Patrick Farver, Executive Director of Lenawee Now, said “Our organization is delighted to receive this award and cannot wait to put it to use improving our 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 applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.
State Funding Breakdown:
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant Program Selection
The following organizations in Michigan have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the multipurpose, assessment, and cleanup grant program.
Bay Mills Indian Community has been selected to receive $575,000 to clean up the Silver Dome site located at 12069 Lakeshore Drive. The 1.4-acre cleanup site was constructed sometime between 1993 and 1998 as the headquarters for the Bay Mills Indian Community’s Public Works and Construction Department. Soil and groundwater at the site are contaminated with trichloroethylene and tetrachloroethylene from an unknown source.
Calhoun County Land Bank Authority has been selected to receive $1,500,000 to inventory and prioritize sites and conduct 37 Phase I and 32 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop 13 cleanup plans. Assessment activities will focus on the southeast and northwest neighborhoods within the city of Battle Creek and the western portion of the city of Albion. Priority sites include a 17-acre and a 3-acre demolished lots located in residential neighborhoods and a 17-acre former industrial site located next to a senior center and sports field. Non-lead coalition members include the city of Albion and the Battle Creek Community Foundation.
The city of Detroit has been selected to receive $500,000 to conduct 19 Phase I and up to 10 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update site inventory, prepare four cleanup plans, and conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the 704 acres located on the northeast side of the Joe Louis Greenway in the North Campau and Campau-Banglatown neighborhoods and over 400 vacant parcels in the Corktown and North Corktown neighborhoods. Priority sites include a former railyard, a former automotive site, a former recreational center, a former freight station, a printing facility, and a former manufacturing site.
Lenawee Chamber Foundation has been selected to receive $500,000 to conduct five Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments at the priority sites, and 17 Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site assessments at secondary sites. Grant funds also will be used to prepare one site reuse plan and to conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the Highway 223 Corridor in South-central Michigan with a focus on the cities of Adrian and Blissfield and Palmyra Township. Priority sites include a former metal works facility, a former paper manufacturing and recycling facility, a former car parts manufacturing facility, and a former hospital.
Oakland County has been selected to receive $1,500,000 to inventory sites and conduct 95 Phase I and 58 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the downtown area of the city of Pontiac, the Southeast Corner District of the city of Southfield, and a six-mile portion of the county’s 8-mile road corridor within the cities of Hazel Park and Oak Park. Priority sites include a 2.6-acre vacant site that houses a former school building and gas station, a 7-acre site that houses three vacant former industrial buildings in varying states of deterioration, and a 30-acre former commercial area that has been vacant for 15 years. Non-lead coalition members include the city of Southfield and the Community Housing Network.
The city of South Haven has been selected to receive $300,000 to conduct eight Phase I and six Phase II environmental site assessments on priority sites and five Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments at non-priority sites. Grant funds also will be used to prepare two cleanup plans and conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant are Wards 1 and 2. Priority sites include former industrial and manufacturing buildings, an abandoned railroad right-of-way, a site where fill material contaminated with metals was placed, and a site containing a closed leaking underground storage tank.
Tuscola County Economic Development Corporation has been selected to receive $600,000 to update a brownfield inventory and conduct 25 Phase I and 16 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop six cleanup plans and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the cities of Vassar, Bad Axe, and Brown City. Priority sites include a 10-acre former refuse dump that has been unused since 1968, a 1-acre former dairy bottling factory that was later used as a bus garage, and a 1-acre former manufacturing facility. Non-lead coalition members include Huron and Sanilac counties.
You can read more about this year’s multipurpose, assessment, cleanup grant selectees, visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
Non-Competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund Grant Program
Macomb County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority has been selected to receive $1 million in addition to the $1 million in EPA funds already awarded. The recipient was selected because it has a high-performing program with that has successfully made a loan and a subgrant leading to one completed cleanup project. Potential projects highlighted include the remediation of sites in Eastpoint, Warren, and Mt Clemens. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Macomb County.
To see the list of revolving loan fund supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
To learn more about revolving loan fund technical assistance grant recipient visit EPA’s Brownfields Grow America 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 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 Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program, visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
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EPA awards $1 million to the City of Monte Vista for cleanup and redevelopment projects
Monte Vista, Colo. (May 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the City of Monte Vista will receive $1 million in Brownfields grant funding to support contaminant cleanup, environmental assessments and redevelopment of critical properties in Monte Vista, Colorado.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“The City of Monte Vista is taking a strategic approach to cleaning up and revitalizing properties along its Main Street Corridor,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “EPA is proud to be supporting projects that will protect the health of residents and bring new redevelopment opportunities to the community.”
“In the wealthiest nation in the world, every family should be able to live in a clean environment,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “This funding will rightfully support Colorado communities disproportionately affected by contamination. These grants will help Colorado communities safely clean up polluted sites, protect their health, and rebuild in a way that creates jobs and economic opportunity.”
The city identified Monte Vista City Hall as the project’s first priority cleanup site. The historic building is currently being used by City Government and the Police Department, but formerly functioned as a hospital after being built in 1932. Grant funding at the City Hall site is aimed to address cracked stucco, leaking single-pane windows, lead paint, and floor and ceiling tiles that are likely composed of asbestos-containing materials (ACM). Additionally, impacts from historical heating oil tanks, old x-ray equipment, and other hospital-related historical impacts will also require assessment.
The second priority site identified in the plan is an abandoned building along the Main Street Corridor. The 3,120-square foot commercial property was originally built in in the 1920s and was most recently remodeled and developed into a restaurant. Unfortunately, because of the extensive costs to revitalize the space, developers have found that it is too cost prohibitive of a project to take on. EPA funding will be used for assessment and cleanup of asbestos containing materials, lead-based paint, and mold for future redevelopment of the building.
Images: Front and back sides of priority site #2 in Monte Vista, the abandoned building along the Main Street Corridor.
"The grant funding will be a catalyst for revitalization and spur redevelopment in our main commercial area,” said Monte Vista Mayor Dale Becker. “We will be thrilled to work with the contractor and our stakeholders to make these properties healthy and usable once again.”
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The City of Monte Vista is among six organizations in Colorado have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. Additional grantees announced today include:
The City of Greeley, Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Northglenn, Colorado has been selected to receive $2,750,000.
The Town of Kersey, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,132,899.
Metro West Housing Solutions, (Lakewood) Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Pueblo has been selected to receive $1,000,000.
Additional Background
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 communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include overburdened communities.”
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.
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“The City of Monte Vista is taking a strategic approach to cleaning up and revitalizing properties along its Main Street Corridor,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “EPA is proud to be supporting projects that will protect the health of residents and bring new redevelopment opportunities to the community.”
“In the wealthiest nation in the world, every family should be able to live in a clean environment,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “This funding will rightfully support Colorado communities disproportionately affected by contamination. These grants will help Colorado communities safely clean up polluted sites, protect their health, and rebuild in a way that creates jobs and economic opportunity.”
The city identified Monte Vista City Hall as the project’s first priority cleanup site. The historic building is currently being used by City Government and the Police Department, but formerly functioned as a hospital after being built in 1932. Grant funding at the City Hall site is aimed to address cracked stucco, leaking single-pane windows, lead paint, and floor and ceiling tiles that are likely composed of asbestos-containing materials (ACM). Additionally, impacts from historical heating oil tanks, old x-ray equipment, and other hospital-related historical impacts will also require assessment.
The second priority site identified in the plan is an abandoned building along the Main Street Corridor. The 3,120-square foot commercial property was originally built in in the 1920s and was most recently remodeled and developed into a restaurant. Unfortunately, because of the extensive costs to revitalize the space, developers have found that it is too cost prohibitive of a project to take on. EPA funding will be used for assessment and cleanup of asbestos containing materials, lead-based paint, and mold for future redevelopment of the building.
Images: Front and back sides of priority site #2 in Monte Vista, the abandoned building along the Main Street Corridor.
"The grant funding will be a catalyst for revitalization and spur redevelopment in our main commercial area,” said Monte Vista Mayor Dale Becker. “We will be thrilled to work with the contractor and our stakeholders to make these properties healthy and usable once again.”
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The City of Monte Vista is among six organizations in Colorado have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. Additional grantees announced today include:
The City of Greeley, Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Northglenn, Colorado has been selected to receive $2,750,000.
The Town of Kersey, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,132,899.
Metro West Housing Solutions, (Lakewood) Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Pueblo has been selected to receive $1,000,000.
Additional Background
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 communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include overburdened communities.”
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.
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $1.5M in Brownfields Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Kansas
LENEXA, KAN. (MAY 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1.5 million in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Kansas, 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 Flint Hills Regional Council in Kansas to receive $1.5 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through 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.”
"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to our partner organizations across Kansas," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our partners’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development."
"I'm thrilled to welcome new federal investments to Kansas to help clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated sites across our community,” said U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (KS-3). “This initiative will not only protect public health and the environment, but also revitalize our communities and create new economic opportunities."
“This significant award will empower our ongoing efforts to identify, assess, and facilitate the cleanup and revitalization of brownfield sites across the Flint Hills region,” said Flint Hills Regional Council Brownfield Project Manager Janna Williams.
“We are deeply committed to the environmental and economic well-being of the Flint Hills region," said Flint Hills Regional Council Board President Trish Giardano. "This grant not only supports our vision for a revitalized and thriving region, but also reinforces the trust and partnership we have cultivated with the EPA and our members."
“This level of grant funding from the EPA will go a long way in assessing and planning for cleanups of polluted sites in Kansas,” said Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek. “Communities in the Flint Hills will be able to use these funds to ensure a brighter future for their citizens, as well as the many visitors who travel throughout the region for business and leisure activities. This is another great investment for Kansas.”
Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those 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 Programs’ Selections:
The following organization in Kansas has been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the MAC Grant programs:
Flint Hills Regional Council has been selected to receive $1.5 million to lead a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 30 Phase I and 27 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update the brownfield site inventory, prepare nine cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities. The target areas include the Historic Downtown and Grant Avenue Revitalization Area in Junction City; Downtown/6th Avenue Revitalization Area in Emporia; Central Core District Revitalization Area in Manhattan; and West Main Street Revitalization Area in Herington. Priority sites include the former Kaw Theater and a former lumber yard, gas station, and car wash in Junction City; Short Stop and Spic N’ Span Cleaners in Emporia; Fairlane Salvage Site, Cinderella Cleaners, Stickel Cleaners, and Midwest Concrete Material in Manhattan; and a former gas station and auto sales site, a former dry cleaner, and a former auto repair shop in Herington. Non-lead coalition members include the City of Herington, City of Manhattan, and Junction City Main Street Inc.
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 page.
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 Brownfields 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 this law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400%. 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.
View the lists of the FY 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding and the RLF Supplemental funding recipients.
Learn more about the RLF Technical Assistance grant recipients.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.
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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 Flint Hills Regional Council in Kansas to receive $1.5 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through 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.”
"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to our partner organizations across Kansas," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our partners’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development."
"I'm thrilled to welcome new federal investments to Kansas to help clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated sites across our community,” said U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (KS-3). “This initiative will not only protect public health and the environment, but also revitalize our communities and create new economic opportunities."
“This significant award will empower our ongoing efforts to identify, assess, and facilitate the cleanup and revitalization of brownfield sites across the Flint Hills region,” said Flint Hills Regional Council Brownfield Project Manager Janna Williams.
“We are deeply committed to the environmental and economic well-being of the Flint Hills region," said Flint Hills Regional Council Board President Trish Giardano. "This grant not only supports our vision for a revitalized and thriving region, but also reinforces the trust and partnership we have cultivated with the EPA and our members."
“This level of grant funding from the EPA will go a long way in assessing and planning for cleanups of polluted sites in Kansas,” said Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek. “Communities in the Flint Hills will be able to use these funds to ensure a brighter future for their citizens, as well as the many visitors who travel throughout the region for business and leisure activities. This is another great investment for Kansas.”
Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those 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 Programs’ Selections:
The following organization in Kansas has been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the MAC Grant programs:
Flint Hills Regional Council has been selected to receive $1.5 million to lead a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 30 Phase I and 27 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update the brownfield site inventory, prepare nine cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities. The target areas include the Historic Downtown and Grant Avenue Revitalization Area in Junction City; Downtown/6th Avenue Revitalization Area in Emporia; Central Core District Revitalization Area in Manhattan; and West Main Street Revitalization Area in Herington. Priority sites include the former Kaw Theater and a former lumber yard, gas station, and car wash in Junction City; Short Stop and Spic N’ Span Cleaners in Emporia; Fairlane Salvage Site, Cinderella Cleaners, Stickel Cleaners, and Midwest Concrete Material in Manhattan; and a former gas station and auto sales site, a former dry cleaner, and a former auto repair shop in Herington. Non-lead coalition members include the City of Herington, City of Manhattan, and Junction City Main Street Inc.
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 page.
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 Brownfields 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 this law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400%. 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.
View the lists of the FY 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding and the RLF Supplemental funding recipients.
Learn more about the RLF Technical Assistance grant recipients.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.
# # #
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