EPA visits lead pipe removal sites in the City of Malden
BOSTON, MA (May 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was joined by Malden Mayor Gary Christenson, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Secretary Rebecca Tepper, MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple, and other Massachusetts leaders, stakeholders and locals to see what the city's $1.4 million Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grant to help replace lead pipes and deliver safe drinking water looks like in Malden.
"Our goal is simple, yet essential: to assure that everyone has clean, safe drinking water. That's why identifying and replacing lead service lines is crucial; it can protect our communities, especially the most vulnerable, from lead exposure," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "New England has some of the oldest housing stock in the country, and no one—no matter where they live—should have to worry about lead in their drinking water and what comes out of the tap. This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides the much-needed resources to help deliver on that promise—to replace every lead pipe and ensure clean, safe drinking water for all."
The City of Malden - with extensive lead service lines within its distribution system - has been working diligently with Mass DEP for about 20 years to document and eliminate lead pipes. They have completed 265 test pit explorations to identify lead service lines, and the city is looking to classify 1600 unknown services within their system. Additionally, they have developed a robust GIS system to track and document their progress and their plans for customer surveys, home inspections and multi-lingual educational materials to help every resident understand the science are on track.
"Every family deserves access to clean drinking water, yet dangerous lead pipes can still be found in homes across America — including right here in Massachusetts' Fifth District," said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. "With our historic Infrastructure Law, President Biden and Democrats delivered the resources to rebuild our economy and make this basic public health investment in communities like Malden. I'm proud to have helped secure this funding, and I will continue fighting until every kitchen faucet runs clean and clear."
"This investment by the Biden-Harris Administration positions Massachusetts to continue removing lead from historic drinking water infrastructure," said Commissioner Bonnie Heiple of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). "We've made great strides in removing lead pipes, but some remain and have been in place for nearly a century. It is high time to finish this work, and we're grateful for the municipal partnerships and federal funding that make this possible."
"We are grateful to Democratic Whip Clark for her support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and for helping secure this important funding for Malden," said Mayor Christenson. "This funding will allow for the replacement of both the public and private sides of lead service lines and remove a significant health hazard for low-income residents who cannot afford the cost. Thank you also to our Engineering Department led by Director Yem Lip and to MassDEP and EPA because it is these partnerships that will create healthier and safer environments for our families."
On May 2,2024, EPA announced over $50 million of funding for President Biden's Investing in America agenda to help Massachusetts identify and replace lead service lines, preventing exposure to lead in drinking water.
Other significant awards in MA include:
Boston Water and Sewer Commission received $4,698,888 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $1,879,555 in additional subsidy, to eliminate lead water services in both the public way and private property.
The Fall River Water Department has received $4,150,000 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $2,400,778 in additional subsidy, to replace 107 partial lead service lines in public-right-of-way and the public right-of-way of 533 of existing full lead service lines.
The Methuen Water Department received $870,000 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to develop an inventory of water service lines to identify any lead service lines that would need replacement.
For more information, including state-by-state allotment of 2024 funding, and a breakdown of EPA's lead Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, please visit EPA's Drinking Water website – www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/engaging-community-lead-service-lines.
For help on identifying lead service lines in your home, check out EPA's Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead, an online step-by-step guide. The guide also provides tips on actions to reduce lead exposure in drinking water, information on certified laboratories for water testing, and resources to learn more.
"Our goal is simple, yet essential: to assure that everyone has clean, safe drinking water. That's why identifying and replacing lead service lines is crucial; it can protect our communities, especially the most vulnerable, from lead exposure," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "New England has some of the oldest housing stock in the country, and no one—no matter where they live—should have to worry about lead in their drinking water and what comes out of the tap. This funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides the much-needed resources to help deliver on that promise—to replace every lead pipe and ensure clean, safe drinking water for all."
The City of Malden - with extensive lead service lines within its distribution system - has been working diligently with Mass DEP for about 20 years to document and eliminate lead pipes. They have completed 265 test pit explorations to identify lead service lines, and the city is looking to classify 1600 unknown services within their system. Additionally, they have developed a robust GIS system to track and document their progress and their plans for customer surveys, home inspections and multi-lingual educational materials to help every resident understand the science are on track.
"Every family deserves access to clean drinking water, yet dangerous lead pipes can still be found in homes across America — including right here in Massachusetts' Fifth District," said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark. "With our historic Infrastructure Law, President Biden and Democrats delivered the resources to rebuild our economy and make this basic public health investment in communities like Malden. I'm proud to have helped secure this funding, and I will continue fighting until every kitchen faucet runs clean and clear."
"This investment by the Biden-Harris Administration positions Massachusetts to continue removing lead from historic drinking water infrastructure," said Commissioner Bonnie Heiple of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). "We've made great strides in removing lead pipes, but some remain and have been in place for nearly a century. It is high time to finish this work, and we're grateful for the municipal partnerships and federal funding that make this possible."
"We are grateful to Democratic Whip Clark for her support of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and for helping secure this important funding for Malden," said Mayor Christenson. "This funding will allow for the replacement of both the public and private sides of lead service lines and remove a significant health hazard for low-income residents who cannot afford the cost. Thank you also to our Engineering Department led by Director Yem Lip and to MassDEP and EPA because it is these partnerships that will create healthier and safer environments for our families."
On May 2,2024, EPA announced over $50 million of funding for President Biden's Investing in America agenda to help Massachusetts identify and replace lead service lines, preventing exposure to lead in drinking water.
Other significant awards in MA include:
Boston Water and Sewer Commission received $4,698,888 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $1,879,555 in additional subsidy, to eliminate lead water services in both the public way and private property.
The Fall River Water Department has received $4,150,000 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including $2,400,778 in additional subsidy, to replace 107 partial lead service lines in public-right-of-way and the public right-of-way of 533 of existing full lead service lines.
The Methuen Water Department received $870,000 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to develop an inventory of water service lines to identify any lead service lines that would need replacement.
For more information, including state-by-state allotment of 2024 funding, and a breakdown of EPA's lead Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, please visit EPA's Drinking Water website – www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/engaging-community-lead-service-lines.
For help on identifying lead service lines in your home, check out EPA's Protect Your Tap: A Quick Check for Lead, an online step-by-step guide. The guide also provides tips on actions to reduce lead exposure in drinking water, information on certified laboratories for water testing, and resources to learn more.
EPA awards $3 million for cleanup and redevelopment projects in Sioux Falls, Lead and rural South Dakota communities
Sioux Falls, S.D. – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $3 million in Brownfields grant funding to support the environmental assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of critical properties in communities across South Dakota. The EPA awards are being provided to two grantees. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (SDDANR) will receive $2 million in EPA Brownfields funding for high-priority projects in several South Dakota communities including Box Elder, Lake City and Sioux Falls. The South Dakota Science and Technology Authority (SDSTA) will also receive $1 million to assess and clean up contaminated properties at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“EPA’s Brownfields grants continue to help South Dakota communities transform blighted properties,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “Today’s funding will help leaders in Sioux Falls, Lead, Box Elder and Lake City reclaim contaminated buildings and outdoor spaces and put them back into safe and productive reuse as businesses and public amenities.”
The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources: $2 million
The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources will receive a $2 million EPA Brownfields grant to help local leaders assess and cleanup properties in Sioux Falls (Falls Park, Quarry Lake, and Sioux Empire Fairgrounds) Lake City (Fort Sisseton State Park) and Box Elder (Villa Ranchaero).
“The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources is committed to protecting and preserving our environment and natural resources through the assessment of blighted properties across the state,” said DANR Secretary Hunter Roberts. “Using these grant dollars to expand our Brownfields program will help ensure abandoned properties are properly assessed, facilitating growth and development in our communities.”
SDDANR will use the EPA grant funds to support several projects in Sioux Falls, including efforts to address contamination at former landfills in Falls Park and Quarry Lake and enhance the City’s “Parks for All” initiative. Environmental assessments will include dredge and soil sampling as well as water quality tests for PFAS and other contaminants. Reuse plans include new recreational access and features, a restored fishery, and park amenities such as an expanded picnic shelter, community pavilion and great lawn, a visitor center and a hands-on agricultural experience for visitors. In addition, EPA funds will be used to evaluate the 22-acre Sioux Empire Fairgrounds Former Landfill site for methane, PFAS and potential risks to the Big Sioux River. This site has been identified for potential reuse as a rideshare parking lot, electric vehicle charging stations, greenway, community garden and walking and biking trails.
The State will also use EPA funds to assess and cleanup the Villa Ranchaero site in Box Elder, which includes approximately 4 acres near Ellsworth Air Force Base. The site has been home to several small retail shops, restaurants and dry cleaners and has been designated as a priority site for assessment, cleanup and reuse. The State will also complete environmental assessments Fort Sisseton Historic State Park to enable the construction of a new visitor center, including soil borings, asbestos and lead paint investigations in historic buildings.
South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, Lead, SD: $1 million
The South Dakota Science and Technology Authority will receive $1 million in EPA Brownfields funding to assess and clean up several contaminated properties that are a high priority for reuse at the former Homestake Gold Mine, which has been transformed into the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in the City of Lead. SURF is the deepest underground laboratory in the U.S., and an internationally renowned science facility.
“Protecting the environment has always been a core value at SURF,” said Mike Headley, the executive director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority and the Laboratory Director at SURF. “This strong support from the EPA advances the on-going efforts to ensure environmental health and safety, habitat restoration, historic preservation, and sustainable practices here at America’s Underground Lab.”
Aerial view of the SURF complex in Lead, S.D.EPA’s grant funding will allow SDSTA to address asbestos and other environmental concerns at priority buildings throughout the SURF complex, including the Yates Compressor Building, the Ellison Boiler Building and the Foundry Building. In addition to asbestos, known and potential environmental concerns include petroleum hydrocarbons, PCBs, volatile organic compounds, lead-based paint and metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic. Redevelopment plans include the safe reuse of contaminated spaces and a proposed new main entrance to the facility.
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 continue to help South Dakota communities transform blighted properties,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “Today’s funding will help leaders in Sioux Falls, Lead, Box Elder and Lake City reclaim contaminated buildings and outdoor spaces and put them back into safe and productive reuse as businesses and public amenities.”
The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources: $2 million
The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources will receive a $2 million EPA Brownfields grant to help local leaders assess and cleanup properties in Sioux Falls (Falls Park, Quarry Lake, and Sioux Empire Fairgrounds) Lake City (Fort Sisseton State Park) and Box Elder (Villa Ranchaero).
“The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources is committed to protecting and preserving our environment and natural resources through the assessment of blighted properties across the state,” said DANR Secretary Hunter Roberts. “Using these grant dollars to expand our Brownfields program will help ensure abandoned properties are properly assessed, facilitating growth and development in our communities.”
SDDANR will use the EPA grant funds to support several projects in Sioux Falls, including efforts to address contamination at former landfills in Falls Park and Quarry Lake and enhance the City’s “Parks for All” initiative. Environmental assessments will include dredge and soil sampling as well as water quality tests for PFAS and other contaminants. Reuse plans include new recreational access and features, a restored fishery, and park amenities such as an expanded picnic shelter, community pavilion and great lawn, a visitor center and a hands-on agricultural experience for visitors. In addition, EPA funds will be used to evaluate the 22-acre Sioux Empire Fairgrounds Former Landfill site for methane, PFAS and potential risks to the Big Sioux River. This site has been identified for potential reuse as a rideshare parking lot, electric vehicle charging stations, greenway, community garden and walking and biking trails.
The State will also use EPA funds to assess and cleanup the Villa Ranchaero site in Box Elder, which includes approximately 4 acres near Ellsworth Air Force Base. The site has been home to several small retail shops, restaurants and dry cleaners and has been designated as a priority site for assessment, cleanup and reuse. The State will also complete environmental assessments Fort Sisseton Historic State Park to enable the construction of a new visitor center, including soil borings, asbestos and lead paint investigations in historic buildings.
South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, Lead, SD: $1 million
The South Dakota Science and Technology Authority will receive $1 million in EPA Brownfields funding to assess and clean up several contaminated properties that are a high priority for reuse at the former Homestake Gold Mine, which has been transformed into the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in the City of Lead. SURF is the deepest underground laboratory in the U.S., and an internationally renowned science facility.
“Protecting the environment has always been a core value at SURF,” said Mike Headley, the executive director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority and the Laboratory Director at SURF. “This strong support from the EPA advances the on-going efforts to ensure environmental health and safety, habitat restoration, historic preservation, and sustainable practices here at America’s Underground Lab.”
Aerial view of the SURF complex in Lead, S.D.EPA’s grant funding will allow SDSTA to address asbestos and other environmental concerns at priority buildings throughout the SURF complex, including the Yates Compressor Building, the Ellison Boiler Building and the Foundry Building. In addition to asbestos, known and potential environmental concerns include petroleum hydrocarbons, PCBs, volatile organic compounds, lead-based paint and metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic. Redevelopment plans include the safe reuse of contaminated spaces and a proposed new main entrance to the facility.
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 $2M in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Washington
SEATTLE (May 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $2,279,070 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Washington while advancing environmental justice. EPA selected two communities in Washington to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant programs.
These investments through EPA’s Brownfields MAC 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.
“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.”
“With the aid of Brownfields MAC funding, communities can achieve significant and positive outcomes for their neighborhoods and businesses,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “Assessing and cleaning up pollution are crucial steps in building thriving, healthy communities.”
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 Grant Program Selection
The following organizations in Washington have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant Programs.
Forterra NW was selected to receive $1,779,070. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Roslyn Number 4 Mine. The property has been vacant since the mid-1970s. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a Public Involvement Plan and conduct community engagement activities.
The City of Kent was selected to receive $500,000. Grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, identify and prioritize additional sites, develop cleanup alternative evaluations, conduct visioning sessions and a site reuse assessment, and develop one revitalization plan. The target area for this grant is the City of Kent's Downtown and Midway Areas.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
Additional background:
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
To learn more about RLF Technical Assistance grant recipient visit EPA’s Brownfields Grow America webpage.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
These investments through EPA’s Brownfields MAC 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.
“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.”
“With the aid of Brownfields MAC funding, communities can achieve significant and positive outcomes for their neighborhoods and businesses,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “Assessing and cleaning up pollution are crucial steps in building thriving, healthy communities.”
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 Grant Program Selection
The following organizations in Washington have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant Programs.
Forterra NW was selected to receive $1,779,070. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Roslyn Number 4 Mine. The property has been vacant since the mid-1970s. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a Public Involvement Plan and conduct community engagement activities.
The City of Kent was selected to receive $500,000. Grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, identify and prioritize additional sites, develop cleanup alternative evaluations, conduct visioning sessions and a site reuse assessment, and develop one revitalization plan. The target area for this grant is the City of Kent's Downtown and Midway Areas.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
Additional background:
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
To learn more about RLF Technical Assistance grant recipient visit EPA’s Brownfields Grow America webpage.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $3 Million in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in New Jersey
NEW YORK – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in New Jersey while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.
EPA selected four communities in New Jersey to receive grants totaling $3 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.
For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming, and more.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”
“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That is 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 Brownfields program is a powerful tool that helps communities in New Jersey address local inequities by providing a means to revitalize abandoned properties and promote environmental health, economic growth, and job creation,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “The Brownfields program transforms communities, and this funding gives the program a huge shot in the arm – with a historic $1.5 billion dollars that will be leveraged to make a real and lasting on-the-ground difference for communities across the country.”
“Far too many communities in New Jersey continue to suffer at the hands of corporate polluters and legacy pollution. Cleaning up contaminated sites across our state has always been one of my highest priorities,” said Senator Bob Menendez. “I’m proud to have helped secure this funding that will advance the remediation of several sites, improve public health, safety, and our environment, and encourage economic redevelopment.”
“During my time as Mayor and as Senator, I have seen firsthand how the EPA’s Brownfields Program revitalizes communities across New Jersey that have been home to contaminated properties. This investment in Camden, Red Bank, and Woodbine will help clean up sites and transform them into clean, vibrant spaces that benefit the surrounding community. I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I voted to support, is delivering vital funding to improve public health and economic opportunity in New Jersey,” said Senator Cory Booker.
“South Jersey families deserve healthy and safe neighborhoods to call home,” Representative Donald Norcross (NJ-01) said. “Cleaning up old commercial and industrial sites to protect our communities from hazardous waste and polluted environments has been a longtime priority for me. I’m proud to have supported these Brownfield grants and to have worked with the Biden-Harris Administration to enact the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which is continuing to deliver historic investments that improve quality of life and create economic opportunities for South Jerseyans.”
“I’m glad to see that the Monmouth Conservation Foundation in my district is receiving federal funding to clean up contaminated land in Red Bank. It’s great to see that New Jersey is benefitting from funding I included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee last Congress and is helping communities across our state repurpose the land and return it to good use,” Representative Frank Pallone (NJ-06) said. “Today’s announcement will help build on our progress to clean up and revitalize these contaminated sites so we can generate new jobs and economic opportunities.”
“The EPA’s Brownfields program has been instrumental in helping New Jersey communities reclaim sites plagued by blight and restore them to productive and beneficial uses once again,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the support of our congressional delegation, more New Jersey communities will bear witness to this type of transformative investment.”
“My DEP colleagues and I are pleased to see Camden, Red Bank and Woodbine selected for these EPA grants,” said New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “These funds will advance work that will revitalize neighborhoods, protect public health and create economic growth. We thank the Biden-Harris Administration and our partners at the EPA for their continued commitment to our overburdened communities.”
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.
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The following organizations in New Jersey have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
Camden Lutheran Housing, Inc., Camden N.J. has been selected to receive $1 million. The grant will be used to clean up the Former West Jersey Paper Manufacturing Site in the City of Camden, which housed the West Jersey Paper Manufacturing Company from 1850 to 1967 and Latex Fiber Industries, Inc. from 1967 to 1974. The site, currently unused and vacant, is contaminated with heavy metals, arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and PCBs. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a Community Involvement Plan and conduct community engagement activities.
Camden Redevelopment Agency Camden, NJ has been selected to receive $500,000. This community-wide grant will be utilized to perform environmental site assessments. The assessment efforts will concentrate on the Federal Street Industrial and Commercial Corridor in the East Camden Neighborhood. Notably, priority sites include a vacant property formerly used for chemical manufacturing, a former incinerator site, and other former industrial and manufacturing properties.
Monmouth Conservation Foundation, Red Bank, NJ has been selected to receive $500,000. This community-wide grant will be utilized to perform environmental site assessments. The target area for this grant is a 210-acre portion of the western side of the Borough of Red Bank. Notably, priority sites include the 8.6-acre Red Bank Landfill and other surrounding and downstream properties.
Woodbine, NJ has been selected to receive $1 million. This grant will support a range of eligible activities, including environmental site assessments. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Old School site located at 808 Franklin Street and the Hat Company site located at 608 Dehirsh Avenue. Other priority sites include a former landfill that closed in 1984 and the Woodbine Municipal Airport.
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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EPA selected four communities in New Jersey to receive grants totaling $3 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.
For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming, and more.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”
“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That is 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 Brownfields program is a powerful tool that helps communities in New Jersey address local inequities by providing a means to revitalize abandoned properties and promote environmental health, economic growth, and job creation,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “The Brownfields program transforms communities, and this funding gives the program a huge shot in the arm – with a historic $1.5 billion dollars that will be leveraged to make a real and lasting on-the-ground difference for communities across the country.”
“Far too many communities in New Jersey continue to suffer at the hands of corporate polluters and legacy pollution. Cleaning up contaminated sites across our state has always been one of my highest priorities,” said Senator Bob Menendez. “I’m proud to have helped secure this funding that will advance the remediation of several sites, improve public health, safety, and our environment, and encourage economic redevelopment.”
“During my time as Mayor and as Senator, I have seen firsthand how the EPA’s Brownfields Program revitalizes communities across New Jersey that have been home to contaminated properties. This investment in Camden, Red Bank, and Woodbine will help clean up sites and transform them into clean, vibrant spaces that benefit the surrounding community. I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I voted to support, is delivering vital funding to improve public health and economic opportunity in New Jersey,” said Senator Cory Booker.
“South Jersey families deserve healthy and safe neighborhoods to call home,” Representative Donald Norcross (NJ-01) said. “Cleaning up old commercial and industrial sites to protect our communities from hazardous waste and polluted environments has been a longtime priority for me. I’m proud to have supported these Brownfield grants and to have worked with the Biden-Harris Administration to enact the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which is continuing to deliver historic investments that improve quality of life and create economic opportunities for South Jerseyans.”
“I’m glad to see that the Monmouth Conservation Foundation in my district is receiving federal funding to clean up contaminated land in Red Bank. It’s great to see that New Jersey is benefitting from funding I included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee last Congress and is helping communities across our state repurpose the land and return it to good use,” Representative Frank Pallone (NJ-06) said. “Today’s announcement will help build on our progress to clean up and revitalize these contaminated sites so we can generate new jobs and economic opportunities.”
“The EPA’s Brownfields program has been instrumental in helping New Jersey communities reclaim sites plagued by blight and restore them to productive and beneficial uses once again,” said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. “Thanks to President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the support of our congressional delegation, more New Jersey communities will bear witness to this type of transformative investment.”
“My DEP colleagues and I are pleased to see Camden, Red Bank and Woodbine selected for these EPA grants,” said New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “These funds will advance work that will revitalize neighborhoods, protect public health and create economic growth. We thank the Biden-Harris Administration and our partners at the EPA for their continued commitment to our overburdened communities.”
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.
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The following organizations in New Jersey have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
Camden Lutheran Housing, Inc., Camden N.J. has been selected to receive $1 million. The grant will be used to clean up the Former West Jersey Paper Manufacturing Site in the City of Camden, which housed the West Jersey Paper Manufacturing Company from 1850 to 1967 and Latex Fiber Industries, Inc. from 1967 to 1974. The site, currently unused and vacant, is contaminated with heavy metals, arsenic, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and PCBs. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a Community Involvement Plan and conduct community engagement activities.
Camden Redevelopment Agency Camden, NJ has been selected to receive $500,000. This community-wide grant will be utilized to perform environmental site assessments. The assessment efforts will concentrate on the Federal Street Industrial and Commercial Corridor in the East Camden Neighborhood. Notably, priority sites include a vacant property formerly used for chemical manufacturing, a former incinerator site, and other former industrial and manufacturing properties.
Monmouth Conservation Foundation, Red Bank, NJ has been selected to receive $500,000. This community-wide grant will be utilized to perform environmental site assessments. The target area for this grant is a 210-acre portion of the western side of the Borough of Red Bank. Notably, priority sites include the 8.6-acre Red Bank Landfill and other surrounding and downstream properties.
Woodbine, NJ has been selected to receive $1 million. This grant will support a range of eligible activities, including environmental site assessments. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Old School site located at 808 Franklin Street and the Hat Company site located at 608 Dehirsh Avenue. Other priority sites include a former landfill that closed in 1984 and the Woodbine Municipal Airport.
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
Follow EPA Region 2 on X and visit our Facebook page. For more information about EPA Region 2, visit our website.
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $2 Million Through Investing in America Agenda to Restore and Revitalize Arizona Communities
SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1,992,681 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of so-called brownfield sites – contaminated properties that often constitute blight on a community -- in Arizona. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help turn polluted properties into community assets while helping to create good-paying, rewarding jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.
EPA has chosen the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) and Pima County, Arizona, to receive funding from the competitive EPA Brownfields MAC Grant Program. These grants, totaling almost $2 million, will directly benefit the communities of Flagstaff, Show Low, Winslow, Prescott, Kingman, Munds Park, and Tucson, Arizona, helping support their transformation and economic growth.
"With this historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, the EPA is helping Arizona transform polluted, abandoned sites into thriving community assets," said U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman, "These grants will not only provide resources to communities seeking to revitalize, but also provide stable, good-paying jobs in areas that have faced underinvestment for far too long."
“Our infrastructure bill is addressing environmental and economic needs across Arizona,” said U.S. Senator Mark Kelly. “By investing in the cleanup of brownfield sites, these funds will help transform the outlook of entire communities, driving economic growth and improving the environment in which families grow and thrive.”
“Thanks to my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re cleaning up brownfield sites in Northern Arizona and Pima County to ensure our communities are vibrant, safe, and healthy places to live and thrive,” said U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Thanks to the continued push by Democrats to address environmental pollution in our communities and the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), we are seeing federal funds coming to Pima County and will finally turn a corner to redevelop this once contaminated site,” said U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva. “I’m proud to see BIL funding will be used to address the Roger Road Wastewater Reclamation Facility, and I will continue to support programs that build cleaner, healthier communities.”
“NACOG [Northern Arizona Council of Governments] is pleased to receive this award on behalf of our member jurisdictions across northern Arizona,” said Supervisor and NACOG Regional Council Chairman Alton Joe Shepherd. “The Brownfields program has been an invaluable resource to support reinvestment and revitalization in our local communities. This grant award will allow the region to expand on the successful work of the Route 66 Brownfields Coalition.”
Pima County Permit & Regulatory Compliance Officer Kimberly Baeza added, “We feel so much gratitude for all the support EPA has provided to Pima County. This award is a triumph for the wildlife that already uses the decommissioned Roger Road property, as well as for the community that wants to see this property returned to beneficial community use. Though stable so far, we are delighted that we’ll be removing all risk of future releases to the environment from these structures, and many community partners will be thrilled that this important step in the redevelopment process will soon be underway.”
Arizona Funding Breakdown:
The EPA selected the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) to receive a $1.5 million Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. The grant will be used to identify potentially polluted sites, complete subsequent environmental assessments, and conduct cleanups, area-wide plans, and community engagement activities to alert residents to potential actions and seek community input throughout the process.
NACOG’s assessment activities will focus on the cities of Flagstaff, Kingman, Show Low, Winslow, Prescott, and Munds Park. Additionally, NACOG has already prioritized a former residential mobile home park, a former oil distribution center, a former dry cleaner and laundry constructed in 1945, a 154-acre vacant property near a wood processing plant destroyed by a fire, and an abandoned former food store for this work.
The EPA also selected Pima County to receive a $492,681 Brownfields Cleanup Grant to clean up the Roger Road Wastewater Reclamation Facility property at 2600 West Sweetwater Drive in Tucson. Decommissioned in 2014, this 47-acre former wastewater treatment plant is contaminated with heavy metals and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds will also be used to develop a Community Involvement Plan and effectively engage with the impacted communities.
Additional Background:
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 communities 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.
You can read more about this year’s MAC Grant selectees here.
Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include overburdened communities. 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 finalizing 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. Before the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available yearly. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has increased that yearly investment by 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 significantly increased the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region here, and visit our Instagram, Facebook, and X.
EPA has chosen the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) and Pima County, Arizona, to receive funding from the competitive EPA Brownfields MAC Grant Program. These grants, totaling almost $2 million, will directly benefit the communities of Flagstaff, Show Low, Winslow, Prescott, Kingman, Munds Park, and Tucson, Arizona, helping support their transformation and economic growth.
"With this historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, the EPA is helping Arizona transform polluted, abandoned sites into thriving community assets," said U.S. EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman, "These grants will not only provide resources to communities seeking to revitalize, but also provide stable, good-paying jobs in areas that have faced underinvestment for far too long."
“Our infrastructure bill is addressing environmental and economic needs across Arizona,” said U.S. Senator Mark Kelly. “By investing in the cleanup of brownfield sites, these funds will help transform the outlook of entire communities, driving economic growth and improving the environment in which families grow and thrive.”
“Thanks to my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re cleaning up brownfield sites in Northern Arizona and Pima County to ensure our communities are vibrant, safe, and healthy places to live and thrive,” said U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Thanks to the continued push by Democrats to address environmental pollution in our communities and the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), we are seeing federal funds coming to Pima County and will finally turn a corner to redevelop this once contaminated site,” said U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva. “I’m proud to see BIL funding will be used to address the Roger Road Wastewater Reclamation Facility, and I will continue to support programs that build cleaner, healthier communities.”
“NACOG [Northern Arizona Council of Governments] is pleased to receive this award on behalf of our member jurisdictions across northern Arizona,” said Supervisor and NACOG Regional Council Chairman Alton Joe Shepherd. “The Brownfields program has been an invaluable resource to support reinvestment and revitalization in our local communities. This grant award will allow the region to expand on the successful work of the Route 66 Brownfields Coalition.”
Pima County Permit & Regulatory Compliance Officer Kimberly Baeza added, “We feel so much gratitude for all the support EPA has provided to Pima County. This award is a triumph for the wildlife that already uses the decommissioned Roger Road property, as well as for the community that wants to see this property returned to beneficial community use. Though stable so far, we are delighted that we’ll be removing all risk of future releases to the environment from these structures, and many community partners will be thrilled that this important step in the redevelopment process will soon be underway.”
Arizona Funding Breakdown:
The EPA selected the Northern Arizona Council of Governments (NACOG) to receive a $1.5 million Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. The grant will be used to identify potentially polluted sites, complete subsequent environmental assessments, and conduct cleanups, area-wide plans, and community engagement activities to alert residents to potential actions and seek community input throughout the process.
NACOG’s assessment activities will focus on the cities of Flagstaff, Kingman, Show Low, Winslow, Prescott, and Munds Park. Additionally, NACOG has already prioritized a former residential mobile home park, a former oil distribution center, a former dry cleaner and laundry constructed in 1945, a 154-acre vacant property near a wood processing plant destroyed by a fire, and an abandoned former food store for this work.
The EPA also selected Pima County to receive a $492,681 Brownfields Cleanup Grant to clean up the Roger Road Wastewater Reclamation Facility property at 2600 West Sweetwater Drive in Tucson. Decommissioned in 2014, this 47-acre former wastewater treatment plant is contaminated with heavy metals and inorganic contaminants. Grant funds will also be used to develop a Community Involvement Plan and effectively engage with the impacted communities.
Additional Background:
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 communities 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.
You can read more about this year’s MAC Grant selectees here.
Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include overburdened communities. 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 finalizing 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. Before the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available yearly. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has increased that yearly investment by 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 significantly increased the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region here, and visit our Instagram, Facebook, and X.
EPA awards $1.6 million for cleanup and redevelopment projects in Greeley and Kersey, Colorado
Greeley, Colo. (May 20, 2024) – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced more than $1.6 million in Brownfields grant funding to support the environmental assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of critical properties in the communities of Greeley and Kersey in Weld County, Colorado. The City of Greeley will receive $500,000 to assess several priority properties in the downtown Railway District and the Town of Kersey will receive $1,132,899 to cleanup and redevelop the former Union Pacific Railroad Grain Elevator property.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“EPA’s Brownfields grants are helping community leaders revitalize downtown areas through the transformation of blighted properties,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “Today’s funding will help reclaim contaminated buildings, soil, water and outdoor spaces and create new economic opportunities in Greeley and Kersey.”
“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.”
City of Greeley: $500,000
The City of Greeley will use EPA Brownfields funding to assess environmental contamination at targeted properties in the Railway District, Central Downtown and University Uptown.
Key properties include the 2.5-acre former Clarion Hotel/Quality Inn with legacy uses on the property including a former laundry and paint supply store, as well as a lime and cement company concerns persist about dioxins, furans, PAHs, heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons and asbestos and lead-based paint. The former Allnut Funeral Home at 702 13th Street, is also a prime spot for redevelopment, with the potential presence of asbestos, lead-based paint, and toxins related to embalming preservation fluids such as formaldehyde, menthol, phenol and glycerin hindering redevelopment. Gasoline stations and auto repair shops, either current or previously existing, border the property on three sides, creating petroleum contamination concerns.
"In the City of Greeley's continuous journey to shape our shared dream, the creation of beneficial buildings and urban spaces that cater to the needs of the future while showcasing pioneering urban design is of utmost importance,” said Mayor John Gates. “EPA Brownfields will be our guiding light in realizing these ambitions and charting our course of action. We are filled with anticipation for these initial strides and are filled with hope that a partnership for the ages is being crafted today, for a brighter and better community for our future generations."
"I am so excited for this support from the EPA Brownfields program,” said Tommy Butler, Council Member Ward I. “Greeley is proud of our agricultural and industrial roots. Our vision for the city is to honor those roots while building a vibrant, modern city. This support will help us focus on high-quality development that ensures a sustainable and innovative future for all the amazing folks that live in our community."
"The support from the EPA Brownfields program fuels the City of Greeley with the power to identify and assess potential sites within our historic redevelopment area that may face significant challenges to private investment,” said Raymond Lee III, Greeley City Manager. “Our partnership with EPA Brownfields signifies a monumental leap forward in bringing our vision for the Riverside and Railside sections of our urban heart to life. We are a city that embraces the future, and we are thrilled to collaborate with EPA on this esteemed program."
EPA funds will also be used to assess the 100-acre Wake Park and Recreation District, an old oil and gas yard adjacent to the Poudre River and U.S. 85 and 6th Avenue. Environmental concerns include the presence of several junkyards with vehicles potentially leaking petroleum into the soil. The site also hosted tire storage and agricultural feed/fertilizer facilities and oil and gasoline extraction, refinement and storage equipment. The community is concerned about potential petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and other contaminants in soils.
Additional sites to be addressed include the vacant Distinctive Furniture building, with potential surface contamination from diesel and coal freight activity from over a century of use. Concerns include coal particulates, asbestos, lead-based paint, petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents and heavy metals. Former grain elevator sites on 6th Street and 10th Street will also be assessed for lead-based paint and asbestos. Another target site, the Wholesale Plywood and Lumber property adjacent to Jefferson Junior High School will be evaluated for asbestos and lead-based paint, as well as contaminants associated with vehicle repair, including volatile organic compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents.
Potential reuse options for this slate of properties include new hotels, apartments and affordable housing, artist studio spaces, sports facilities, multi-use trails, indoor markets, distilleries and breweries and a cultural arts and community center.
Town of Kersey: $1,132,899
The Town of Kersey will use the EPA Brownfields grant funding to cleanup the former Union Pacific Railroad Grain Elevator, which sits on a 2-acre two-acre lot in the heart of downtown. The dilapidated building is blighted by pigeon guano, water damage and asbestos contamination, posing a safety hazard and preventing investment. The cleanup will transform the property into a vibrant destination, including a restaurant and brewery.
"We are very thankful to be receiving this Brownfield Grant from the EPA to remediate our old grain elevator,” said Mayor Gary Lagrimanta. “This project is not just about restoring a landmark structure; it’s about safely revitalizing an existing building for future use.”
The former Union Pacific Railroad Grain Elevator in the Town of Kersey
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
Greeley and Kersey 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 Northglenn, Colorado has been selected to receive $2,750,000.
Metro West Housing Solutions has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Pueblo, Colorado has been selected to receive $1 million.
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 helping community leaders revitalize downtown areas through the transformation of blighted properties,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “Today’s funding will help reclaim contaminated buildings, soil, water and outdoor spaces and create new economic opportunities in Greeley and Kersey.”
“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.”
City of Greeley: $500,000
The City of Greeley will use EPA Brownfields funding to assess environmental contamination at targeted properties in the Railway District, Central Downtown and University Uptown.
Key properties include the 2.5-acre former Clarion Hotel/Quality Inn with legacy uses on the property including a former laundry and paint supply store, as well as a lime and cement company concerns persist about dioxins, furans, PAHs, heavy metals, petroleum hydrocarbons and asbestos and lead-based paint. The former Allnut Funeral Home at 702 13th Street, is also a prime spot for redevelopment, with the potential presence of asbestos, lead-based paint, and toxins related to embalming preservation fluids such as formaldehyde, menthol, phenol and glycerin hindering redevelopment. Gasoline stations and auto repair shops, either current or previously existing, border the property on three sides, creating petroleum contamination concerns.
"In the City of Greeley's continuous journey to shape our shared dream, the creation of beneficial buildings and urban spaces that cater to the needs of the future while showcasing pioneering urban design is of utmost importance,” said Mayor John Gates. “EPA Brownfields will be our guiding light in realizing these ambitions and charting our course of action. We are filled with anticipation for these initial strides and are filled with hope that a partnership for the ages is being crafted today, for a brighter and better community for our future generations."
"I am so excited for this support from the EPA Brownfields program,” said Tommy Butler, Council Member Ward I. “Greeley is proud of our agricultural and industrial roots. Our vision for the city is to honor those roots while building a vibrant, modern city. This support will help us focus on high-quality development that ensures a sustainable and innovative future for all the amazing folks that live in our community."
"The support from the EPA Brownfields program fuels the City of Greeley with the power to identify and assess potential sites within our historic redevelopment area that may face significant challenges to private investment,” said Raymond Lee III, Greeley City Manager. “Our partnership with EPA Brownfields signifies a monumental leap forward in bringing our vision for the Riverside and Railside sections of our urban heart to life. We are a city that embraces the future, and we are thrilled to collaborate with EPA on this esteemed program."
EPA funds will also be used to assess the 100-acre Wake Park and Recreation District, an old oil and gas yard adjacent to the Poudre River and U.S. 85 and 6th Avenue. Environmental concerns include the presence of several junkyards with vehicles potentially leaking petroleum into the soil. The site also hosted tire storage and agricultural feed/fertilizer facilities and oil and gasoline extraction, refinement and storage equipment. The community is concerned about potential petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents, heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and other contaminants in soils.
Additional sites to be addressed include the vacant Distinctive Furniture building, with potential surface contamination from diesel and coal freight activity from over a century of use. Concerns include coal particulates, asbestos, lead-based paint, petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents and heavy metals. Former grain elevator sites on 6th Street and 10th Street will also be assessed for lead-based paint and asbestos. Another target site, the Wholesale Plywood and Lumber property adjacent to Jefferson Junior High School will be evaluated for asbestos and lead-based paint, as well as contaminants associated with vehicle repair, including volatile organic compounds, petroleum hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents.
Potential reuse options for this slate of properties include new hotels, apartments and affordable housing, artist studio spaces, sports facilities, multi-use trails, indoor markets, distilleries and breweries and a cultural arts and community center.
Town of Kersey: $1,132,899
The Town of Kersey will use the EPA Brownfields grant funding to cleanup the former Union Pacific Railroad Grain Elevator, which sits on a 2-acre two-acre lot in the heart of downtown. The dilapidated building is blighted by pigeon guano, water damage and asbestos contamination, posing a safety hazard and preventing investment. The cleanup will transform the property into a vibrant destination, including a restaurant and brewery.
"We are very thankful to be receiving this Brownfield Grant from the EPA to remediate our old grain elevator,” said Mayor Gary Lagrimanta. “This project is not just about restoring a landmark structure; it’s about safely revitalizing an existing building for future use.”
The former Union Pacific Railroad Grain Elevator in the Town of Kersey
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
Greeley and Kersey 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 Northglenn, Colorado has been selected to receive $2,750,000.
Metro West Housing Solutions has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Pueblo, Colorado has been selected to receive $1 million.
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.
Biden-Harris Administration announces nearly $6.4 million in Brownfield Grants to rehabilitate and revitalize communities in Vermont through Investing in America agenda
BOSTON (May 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $6,390,000 in grant awards from President Biden's Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Vermont while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA's Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.
EPA selected two communities in Vermont to receive two grants totaling nearly $3 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs. In addition, the agency is announcing $3.5 million in supplemental funding to one existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to help expedite their continued work at sites in Vermont.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the awards in Philadelphia today alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon 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."
"Brownfields grants are gamechangers—they turn polluted, abandoned sites into thriving community spaces. This isn't just about cleaning up the environment; it's about revitalizing neighborhoods, creating good jobs, and ensuring healthier living for everyone—it's a win-win-win-win-win-win," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This additional funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping to transform contaminated properties into valuable community assets, making a real difference for Vermont families, especially in the areas that need it most."
"These investments by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Biden-Harris Administration, which were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will put clean-up and revitalization projects in motion and play a key role in strengthening the economic wellbeing of underserved communities in Vermont," said U.S. Senator Peter Welch. "I'm pleased to see this funding coming back to our state, and look forward to watching this redevelopment transform our communities."
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 Vermont have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
Springfield Medical Care Systems, Inc., VT has been selected to receive $1,890,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center located at 140 Clinton Street in the City of Springfield, VT. The 1.6-acre cleanup site was used for manufacturing, including the founding, machining, and painting of machine parts, for over 50 years. It is contaminated with PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and benzene. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a Community Involvement Plan and cleanup plans, and conduct community engagement activities.
Town of St. Johnsbury has been selected to receive $1 million for a Brownfields Multipurpose Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Priority sites include the Public Works Yard and Municipal Forest, which was previously used for logging activities; the True Temper Factory, a former wooden dowel manufacturing facility; the Salvage Yard, a vacant lot containing old tires, machinery, and automobiles; and the Ames Building, a vacant 33,000 square-foot commercial building built in the 1900s. Grant funds will be used to conduct two Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments and develop cleanup plans for the Public Works Yard, Salvage Yard, and Ames Building site. Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup activities at the True Temper and Public Works Yard sites. The target area for this project is the Summerville District.
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
In addition, the Agency is announcing $3.5 million in non-competitive supplemental funding to one successful existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant programs in Vermont that have already achieved success in their work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. RLF Grants provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. The funding announced today will help communities continue to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfield sites. The following Vermont organizations have been selected to receive non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program.
Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development has been selected to receive $3.5 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to the $6,567,850 in EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 41 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include the Catamount Arts Hub in St. Johnsbury and the former J & L Plant in Springfield. The Catamount Arts Hub redevelopment will result in the expansion of the facility into a creative economy hub and will reuse historic structures. The former J & L Plant will be redeveloped into greenspace and connect with an active bike and pedestrian trail system and also provide access to the Black River. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in the state of Vermont.
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.
EPA selected two communities in Vermont to receive two grants totaling nearly $3 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs. In addition, the agency is announcing $3.5 million in supplemental funding to one existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to help expedite their continued work at sites in Vermont.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the awards in Philadelphia today alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon 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."
"Brownfields grants are gamechangers—they turn polluted, abandoned sites into thriving community spaces. This isn't just about cleaning up the environment; it's about revitalizing neighborhoods, creating good jobs, and ensuring healthier living for everyone—it's a win-win-win-win-win-win," said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This additional funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping to transform contaminated properties into valuable community assets, making a real difference for Vermont families, especially in the areas that need it most."
"These investments by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Biden-Harris Administration, which were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will put clean-up and revitalization projects in motion and play a key role in strengthening the economic wellbeing of underserved communities in Vermont," said U.S. Senator Peter Welch. "I'm pleased to see this funding coming back to our state, and look forward to watching this redevelopment transform our communities."
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 Vermont have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
Springfield Medical Care Systems, Inc., VT has been selected to receive $1,890,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center located at 140 Clinton Street in the City of Springfield, VT. The 1.6-acre cleanup site was used for manufacturing, including the founding, machining, and painting of machine parts, for over 50 years. It is contaminated with PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and benzene. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a Community Involvement Plan and cleanup plans, and conduct community engagement activities.
Town of St. Johnsbury has been selected to receive $1 million for a Brownfields Multipurpose Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Priority sites include the Public Works Yard and Municipal Forest, which was previously used for logging activities; the True Temper Factory, a former wooden dowel manufacturing facility; the Salvage Yard, a vacant lot containing old tires, machinery, and automobiles; and the Ames Building, a vacant 33,000 square-foot commercial building built in the 1900s. Grant funds will be used to conduct two Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments and develop cleanup plans for the Public Works Yard, Salvage Yard, and Ames Building site. Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup activities at the True Temper and Public Works Yard sites. The target area for this project is the Summerville District.
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
In addition, the Agency is announcing $3.5 million in non-competitive supplemental funding to one successful existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant programs in Vermont that have already achieved success in their work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. RLF Grants provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. The funding announced today will help communities continue to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfield sites. The following Vermont organizations have been selected to receive non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program.
Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development has been selected to receive $3.5 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to the $6,567,850 in EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 41 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include the Catamount Arts Hub in St. Johnsbury and the former J & L Plant in Springfield. The Catamount Arts Hub redevelopment will result in the expansion of the facility into a creative economy hub and will reuse historic structures. The former J & L Plant will be redeveloped into greenspace and connect with an active bike and pedestrian trail system and also provide access to the Black River. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in the state of Vermont.
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.
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.