EPA awards $1 million to the City of Monte Vista for cleanup and redevelopment projects
Monte Vista, Colo. (May 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the City of Monte Vista will receive $1 million in Brownfields grant funding to support contaminant cleanup, environmental assessments and redevelopment of critical properties in Monte Vista, Colorado.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“The City of Monte Vista is taking a strategic approach to cleaning up and revitalizing properties along its Main Street Corridor,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “EPA is proud to be supporting projects that will protect the health of residents and bring new redevelopment opportunities to the community.”
“In the wealthiest nation in the world, every family should be able to live in a clean environment,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “This funding will rightfully support Colorado communities disproportionately affected by contamination. These grants will help Colorado communities safely clean up polluted sites, protect their health, and rebuild in a way that creates jobs and economic opportunity.”
The city identified Monte Vista City Hall as the project’s first priority cleanup site. The historic building is currently being used by City Government and the Police Department, but formerly functioned as a hospital after being built in 1932. Grant funding at the City Hall site is aimed to address cracked stucco, leaking single-pane windows, lead paint, and floor and ceiling tiles that are likely composed of asbestos-containing materials (ACM). Additionally, impacts from historical heating oil tanks, old x-ray equipment, and other hospital-related historical impacts will also require assessment.
The second priority site identified in the plan is an abandoned building along the Main Street Corridor. The 3,120-square foot commercial property was originally built in in the 1920s and was most recently remodeled and developed into a restaurant. Unfortunately, because of the extensive costs to revitalize the space, developers have found that it is too cost prohibitive of a project to take on. EPA funding will be used for assessment and cleanup of asbestos containing materials, lead-based paint, and mold for future redevelopment of the building.
Images: Front and back sides of priority site #2 in Monte Vista, the abandoned building along the Main Street Corridor.
"The grant funding will be a catalyst for revitalization and spur redevelopment in our main commercial area,” said Monte Vista Mayor Dale Becker. “We will be thrilled to work with the contractor and our stakeholders to make these properties healthy and usable once again.”
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The City of Monte Vista is among six organizations in Colorado have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. Additional grantees announced today include:
The City of Greeley, Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Northglenn, Colorado has been selected to receive $2,750,000.
The Town of Kersey, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,132,899.
Metro West Housing Solutions, (Lakewood) Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Pueblo has been selected to receive $1,000,000.
Additional Background
EPA’s Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include overburdened communities.”
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“The City of Monte Vista is taking a strategic approach to cleaning up and revitalizing properties along its Main Street Corridor,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “EPA is proud to be supporting projects that will protect the health of residents and bring new redevelopment opportunities to the community.”
“In the wealthiest nation in the world, every family should be able to live in a clean environment,” said Senator Michael Bennet. “This funding will rightfully support Colorado communities disproportionately affected by contamination. These grants will help Colorado communities safely clean up polluted sites, protect their health, and rebuild in a way that creates jobs and economic opportunity.”
The city identified Monte Vista City Hall as the project’s first priority cleanup site. The historic building is currently being used by City Government and the Police Department, but formerly functioned as a hospital after being built in 1932. Grant funding at the City Hall site is aimed to address cracked stucco, leaking single-pane windows, lead paint, and floor and ceiling tiles that are likely composed of asbestos-containing materials (ACM). Additionally, impacts from historical heating oil tanks, old x-ray equipment, and other hospital-related historical impacts will also require assessment.
The second priority site identified in the plan is an abandoned building along the Main Street Corridor. The 3,120-square foot commercial property was originally built in in the 1920s and was most recently remodeled and developed into a restaurant. Unfortunately, because of the extensive costs to revitalize the space, developers have found that it is too cost prohibitive of a project to take on. EPA funding will be used for assessment and cleanup of asbestos containing materials, lead-based paint, and mold for future redevelopment of the building.
Images: Front and back sides of priority site #2 in Monte Vista, the abandoned building along the Main Street Corridor.
"The grant funding will be a catalyst for revitalization and spur redevelopment in our main commercial area,” said Monte Vista Mayor Dale Becker. “We will be thrilled to work with the contractor and our stakeholders to make these properties healthy and usable once again.”
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The City of Monte Vista is among six organizations in Colorado have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. Additional grantees announced today include:
The City of Greeley, Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Northglenn, Colorado has been selected to receive $2,750,000.
The Town of Kersey, Colorado has been selected to receive $1,132,899.
Metro West Housing Solutions, (Lakewood) Colorado has been selected to receive $500,000.
The City of Pueblo has been selected to receive $1,000,000.
Additional Background
EPA’s Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include overburdened communities.”
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $1.5M in Brownfields Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Kansas
LENEXA, KAN. (MAY 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1.5 million in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Kansas, while advancing environmental justice.
These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.
EPA selected the Flint Hills Regional Council in Kansas to receive $1.5 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through MAC Grant programs.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today, alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.
For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming, and more.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”
“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.”
"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to our partner organizations across Kansas," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our partners’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development."
"I'm thrilled to welcome new federal investments to Kansas to help clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated sites across our community,” said U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (KS-3). “This initiative will not only protect public health and the environment, but also revitalize our communities and create new economic opportunities."
“This significant award will empower our ongoing efforts to identify, assess, and facilitate the cleanup and revitalization of brownfield sites across the Flint Hills region,” said Flint Hills Regional Council Brownfield Project Manager Janna Williams.
“We are deeply committed to the environmental and economic well-being of the Flint Hills region," said Flint Hills Regional Council Board President Trish Giardano. "This grant not only supports our vision for a revitalized and thriving region, but also reinforces the trust and partnership we have cultivated with the EPA and our members."
“This level of grant funding from the EPA will go a long way in assessing and planning for cleanups of polluted sites in Kansas,” said Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek. “Communities in the Flint Hills will be able to use these funds to ensure a brighter future for their citizens, as well as the many visitors who travel throughout the region for business and leisure activities. This is another great investment for Kansas.”
Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization, and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.
Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.
EPA’s Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs’ Selections:
The following organization in Kansas has been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the MAC Grant programs:
Flint Hills Regional Council has been selected to receive $1.5 million to lead a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 30 Phase I and 27 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update the brownfield site inventory, prepare nine cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities. The target areas include the Historic Downtown and Grant Avenue Revitalization Area in Junction City; Downtown/6th Avenue Revitalization Area in Emporia; Central Core District Revitalization Area in Manhattan; and West Main Street Revitalization Area in Herington. Priority sites include the former Kaw Theater and a former lumber yard, gas station, and car wash in Junction City; Short Stop and Spic N’ Span Cleaners in Emporia; Fairlane Salvage Site, Cinderella Cleaners, Stickel Cleaners, and Midwest Concrete Material in Manhattan; and a former gas station and auto sales site, a former dry cleaner, and a former auto repair shop in Herington. Non-lead coalition members include the City of Herington, City of Manhattan, and Junction City Main Street Inc.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding, visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants page.
Additional Background
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today, once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400%. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
View the lists of the FY 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding and the RLF Supplemental funding recipients.
Learn more about the RLF Technical Assistance grant recipients.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram
Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.
EPA selected the Flint Hills Regional Council in Kansas to receive $1.5 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through MAC Grant programs.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today, alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.
For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming, and more.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”
“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.”
"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to our partner organizations across Kansas," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our partners’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development."
"I'm thrilled to welcome new federal investments to Kansas to help clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated sites across our community,” said U.S. Representative Sharice Davids (KS-3). “This initiative will not only protect public health and the environment, but also revitalize our communities and create new economic opportunities."
“This significant award will empower our ongoing efforts to identify, assess, and facilitate the cleanup and revitalization of brownfield sites across the Flint Hills region,” said Flint Hills Regional Council Brownfield Project Manager Janna Williams.
“We are deeply committed to the environmental and economic well-being of the Flint Hills region," said Flint Hills Regional Council Board President Trish Giardano. "This grant not only supports our vision for a revitalized and thriving region, but also reinforces the trust and partnership we have cultivated with the EPA and our members."
“This level of grant funding from the EPA will go a long way in assessing and planning for cleanups of polluted sites in Kansas,” said Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Janet Stanek. “Communities in the Flint Hills will be able to use these funds to ensure a brighter future for their citizens, as well as the many visitors who travel throughout the region for business and leisure activities. This is another great investment for Kansas.”
Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization, and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.
Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.
EPA’s Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs’ Selections:
The following organization in Kansas has been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the MAC Grant programs:
Flint Hills Regional Council has been selected to receive $1.5 million to lead a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 30 Phase I and 27 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update the brownfield site inventory, prepare nine cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities. The target areas include the Historic Downtown and Grant Avenue Revitalization Area in Junction City; Downtown/6th Avenue Revitalization Area in Emporia; Central Core District Revitalization Area in Manhattan; and West Main Street Revitalization Area in Herington. Priority sites include the former Kaw Theater and a former lumber yard, gas station, and car wash in Junction City; Short Stop and Spic N’ Span Cleaners in Emporia; Fairlane Salvage Site, Cinderella Cleaners, Stickel Cleaners, and Midwest Concrete Material in Manhattan; and a former gas station and auto sales site, a former dry cleaner, and a former auto repair shop in Herington. Non-lead coalition members include the City of Herington, City of Manhattan, and Junction City Main Street Inc.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding, visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants page.
Additional Background
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today, once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400%. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
View the lists of the FY 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding and the RLF Supplemental funding recipients.
Learn more about the RLF Technical Assistance grant recipients.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram
Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
EPA awards $1 million for cleanup and redevelopment projects in Havre, Browning and rural Montana communities
Havre, Mont. (May 20, 2024) – Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $1 million in Brownfields grant funding to support the environmental assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of critical properties in communities across northern Montana. The EPA awards are being provided to two grantees. The Bear Paw Development Corporation will receive $500,000 in EPA Brownfields funding for high-priority projects in Havre and Box Elder, Montana. The Sweetgrass Development Corporation will also receive $500,000 to assess properties in Browning, Sunburst and East Glacier Park, Montana.
These investments are part the agency’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
“EPA’s Brownfields grants are helping rural Montana communities expand and revitalize blighted and underused properties,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “We look forward to these efforts as they address contamination and create new opportunities for the residents of Havre, Box Elder, Browning, Sunburst and East Glacier Park.”
“Too often, folks in Montana suffer the lasting impacts of toxic waste – and the Brownfields in Havre, Box Elder, and Glacier County critically need these cleanup projects,” said Senator Jon Tester. “This funding is a big opportunity to boost economic development and improve quality of life. I’m proud to have secured this funding through my bipartisan infrastructure law, and I will keep pushing for more cleanup projects across our state.”
Bear Paw Development Corporation: $500,000
The Bear Paw Development Corporation will use EPA Brownfields funding to assess environmental contamination at targeted properties in Havre and Box Elder, Montana.
“This significant investment in Bear Paw Development’s Brownfields Program will assure the good work of assessing contaminated properties in northern Montana, with the goal of cleaning them up and having them once again become productive and useful, will continue as it has for more than a decade,” said Paul Tuss, Executive Director of the Bear Paw Development Corporation. “There are multiple wonderful examples in our region where previously contaminated properties have been cleaned up through Bear Paw’s Brownfields Program and now support businesses or other entities that contribute significantly to the community in which they are located. This is a big deal for our area and these funds will be put to immediate use for the betterment of the communities we serve.”
Key properties in Havre include the Bullhook Community Health Center, which recently purchased vacant homes on the adjacent city block in order to expand medical, dental, behavior health, and mental health services. EPA grant funds will be used for assessments of these homes for lead-based paint and asbestos prior to demolition for the expansion of the health center. The Havre Senior Center is also interested in expanding services, but a suspected petroleum release poses a barrier to their plans. EPA funds will be used to assess potential risks the center should consider when determining future investment and redevelopment of the property.
The Bear Paw Development Corporation also identified the Havre Police and Fire Station as a priority site. Currently, women are not allowed to serve as firefighters in the Havre Fire Department because the building does not offer a separate women’s locker room and dormitory. The Fire Department would like to convert the police station’s unused shooting range into these spaces, but investigations have confirmed asbestos, lead, and heavy metals on surfaces throughout the building. EPA grant funding will be used to do extensive cleanup planning for the best approach to remove the contamination.
The former Box Elder Landfill sits 25 miles south of Havre and operated from the early 1970’s to the early 2000’s. Hill County, the site’s current owner, would like to consider redevelopment of the site as a solar farm that would help reduce energy costs to residents in Box Elder and the Rocky Boy’s Reservation. EPA funding will be used to assess the former landfill and determine if any contamination is present and if cleanup is required.
Assessments for redevelopment projects at the Bullhook Community Health Center and the Havre Senior Center will expand services and education to the residents of Havre. The Bullhook Clinic expansion is expected to create approximately 15 jobs, and the redevelopment of the Havre Police and Fire Station will reduce exposure to asbestos and heavy metals while also allowing the station to hire female firefighters. Cleanup and redevelopment of the former Box Elder landfill into a solar field will help create more environmentally friendly energy sources as well as reduce energy cost burdens for area residents.
Sweetgrass Development Corporation: $500,000
The Sweetgrass Development Corporation in partnership with the North Central Montana Economic Development District (NCMEDD) will use the EPA Brownfields grant funding to assess five priority sites located in Browning, Sunburst, and East Glacier Park, Montana.
“The Board of Directors and staff of NCMEDD are very excited to move forward with the Brownfields Assessment grant award of $500,000. This, in conjunction with the recently obtained Brownfields revolving loan funds of $1 million, will allow for full project completion. We will be able to work with landowners to determine contamination, provide a clean-up plan, and move forward with the best possible remediation of the site,” said Sarah Converse, Executive Director of the Sweetgrass Development Corporation. “Many main streets and older buildings are changing owners, with our business revolving loan funds we can provide financing as well. This will allow for streamlined assistance for businesses to strengthen our economies. These funds will be a huge benefit to rural north central Montana and assistance to our Tribal partners.”
Priority sites in Browning, Montana include Coop’s Corner Conoco, a fueling station located along U.S. Highway 2/U.S. Highway 89 junction with an unresolved petroleum release. Redevelopment plans for the property include expanding the convenience store's services to offer more retail items and basic household essentials, as well as laundromat facilities and a car wash. The Cowboy Museum, a vacant lot in downtown Browning, has had potential developers discouraged by the possibility of asbestos and lead-based paint. EPA Brownfields funding will be used to assess these two sites for environmental concerns and future redevelopment.
The project also identifies the Sunburst Car Wash and Suta North as two priority sites in Sunburst, Montana. The Sunburst Car Wash property is currently for sale, but developers are concerned about threats of contamination from the site’s historic use as a lumbar yard. The owner of the Suta North site, a former fueling station with an unresolved petroleum release, is interested in selling the property to the city for development of an electric car charging station. The Glacier Village Restaurant in Glacier Park Village will also be assessed for asbestos and lead based paint. EPA Brownfields funding will assist with assessments at these sites before they can be sold and redeveloped.
Future uses of these sites include new commercial and retail spaces, workforce housing near the Canadian border and an electric vehicle charging station. Redevelopment of these sites will spur local investment, create jobs and expand services for rural communities.
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 rural Montana communities expand and revitalize blighted and underused properties,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “We look forward to these efforts as they address contamination and create new opportunities for the residents of Havre, Box Elder, Browning, Sunburst and East Glacier Park.”
“Too often, folks in Montana suffer the lasting impacts of toxic waste – and the Brownfields in Havre, Box Elder, and Glacier County critically need these cleanup projects,” said Senator Jon Tester. “This funding is a big opportunity to boost economic development and improve quality of life. I’m proud to have secured this funding through my bipartisan infrastructure law, and I will keep pushing for more cleanup projects across our state.”
Bear Paw Development Corporation: $500,000
The Bear Paw Development Corporation will use EPA Brownfields funding to assess environmental contamination at targeted properties in Havre and Box Elder, Montana.
“This significant investment in Bear Paw Development’s Brownfields Program will assure the good work of assessing contaminated properties in northern Montana, with the goal of cleaning them up and having them once again become productive and useful, will continue as it has for more than a decade,” said Paul Tuss, Executive Director of the Bear Paw Development Corporation. “There are multiple wonderful examples in our region where previously contaminated properties have been cleaned up through Bear Paw’s Brownfields Program and now support businesses or other entities that contribute significantly to the community in which they are located. This is a big deal for our area and these funds will be put to immediate use for the betterment of the communities we serve.”
Key properties in Havre include the Bullhook Community Health Center, which recently purchased vacant homes on the adjacent city block in order to expand medical, dental, behavior health, and mental health services. EPA grant funds will be used for assessments of these homes for lead-based paint and asbestos prior to demolition for the expansion of the health center. The Havre Senior Center is also interested in expanding services, but a suspected petroleum release poses a barrier to their plans. EPA funds will be used to assess potential risks the center should consider when determining future investment and redevelopment of the property.
The Bear Paw Development Corporation also identified the Havre Police and Fire Station as a priority site. Currently, women are not allowed to serve as firefighters in the Havre Fire Department because the building does not offer a separate women’s locker room and dormitory. The Fire Department would like to convert the police station’s unused shooting range into these spaces, but investigations have confirmed asbestos, lead, and heavy metals on surfaces throughout the building. EPA grant funding will be used to do extensive cleanup planning for the best approach to remove the contamination.
The former Box Elder Landfill sits 25 miles south of Havre and operated from the early 1970’s to the early 2000’s. Hill County, the site’s current owner, would like to consider redevelopment of the site as a solar farm that would help reduce energy costs to residents in Box Elder and the Rocky Boy’s Reservation. EPA funding will be used to assess the former landfill and determine if any contamination is present and if cleanup is required.
Assessments for redevelopment projects at the Bullhook Community Health Center and the Havre Senior Center will expand services and education to the residents of Havre. The Bullhook Clinic expansion is expected to create approximately 15 jobs, and the redevelopment of the Havre Police and Fire Station will reduce exposure to asbestos and heavy metals while also allowing the station to hire female firefighters. Cleanup and redevelopment of the former Box Elder landfill into a solar field will help create more environmentally friendly energy sources as well as reduce energy cost burdens for area residents.
Sweetgrass Development Corporation: $500,000
The Sweetgrass Development Corporation in partnership with the North Central Montana Economic Development District (NCMEDD) will use the EPA Brownfields grant funding to assess five priority sites located in Browning, Sunburst, and East Glacier Park, Montana.
“The Board of Directors and staff of NCMEDD are very excited to move forward with the Brownfields Assessment grant award of $500,000. This, in conjunction with the recently obtained Brownfields revolving loan funds of $1 million, will allow for full project completion. We will be able to work with landowners to determine contamination, provide a clean-up plan, and move forward with the best possible remediation of the site,” said Sarah Converse, Executive Director of the Sweetgrass Development Corporation. “Many main streets and older buildings are changing owners, with our business revolving loan funds we can provide financing as well. This will allow for streamlined assistance for businesses to strengthen our economies. These funds will be a huge benefit to rural north central Montana and assistance to our Tribal partners.”
Priority sites in Browning, Montana include Coop’s Corner Conoco, a fueling station located along U.S. Highway 2/U.S. Highway 89 junction with an unresolved petroleum release. Redevelopment plans for the property include expanding the convenience store's services to offer more retail items and basic household essentials, as well as laundromat facilities and a car wash. The Cowboy Museum, a vacant lot in downtown Browning, has had potential developers discouraged by the possibility of asbestos and lead-based paint. EPA Brownfields funding will be used to assess these two sites for environmental concerns and future redevelopment.
The project also identifies the Sunburst Car Wash and Suta North as two priority sites in Sunburst, Montana. The Sunburst Car Wash property is currently for sale, but developers are concerned about threats of contamination from the site’s historic use as a lumbar yard. The owner of the Suta North site, a former fueling station with an unresolved petroleum release, is interested in selling the property to the city for development of an electric car charging station. The Glacier Village Restaurant in Glacier Park Village will also be assessed for asbestos and lead based paint. EPA Brownfields funding will assist with assessments at these sites before they can be sold and redeveloped.
Future uses of these sites include new commercial and retail spaces, workforce housing near the Canadian border and an electric vehicle charging station. Redevelopment of these sites will spur local investment, create jobs and expand services for rural communities.
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 Over $8.4M in Brownfields Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Iowa
LENEXA, KAN. (MAY 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $8,485,900 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Iowa, 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 Iowa to receive grants totaling over $5,485,900 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through MAC Grant programs. In addition, the Agency is announcing $3 million in supplemental funding to existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant programs to help expedite their continued work at sites in Iowa.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today, alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.
For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming, and more.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America Agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”
“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.”
"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to our partner organizations across Iowa," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our partners’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development."
“This needed investment will boost public health and economic development across Iowa by transforming once-polluted sites into thriving community assets,” said U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (IA). “I supported the bipartisan infrastructure bill with the health and safety of Iowans in mind. I’m glad our state continues to see a return on that investment.”
“The City of Keokuk is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a Brownfields Grant,” said Keokuk Mayor Kathie Mahoney. “This grant is a testament to our commitment to revitalizing and rejuvenating our community while prioritizing environmental sustainability. We are grateful for the support and recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency’s $4.48 million Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We are excited to embark on this journey of transforming contaminated sites into vibrant, safe spaces for our communities. This grant will enable us to not only address environmental challenges, but also create new opportunities for economic growth and community development. We look forward to the positive impact this project will have on our community and beyond. Again, thank you for choosing Keokuk.”
"We are so thankful to the Biden-Harris Administration and the EPA for their continuing support of revitalizing often neglected areas,” said Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart. “This investment will help create the kind of change that will have generational impacts in our community."
“East Central Intergovernmental Association is excited to continue its partnership with EPA,” said ECIA Development Coordinator Dawn Danielson. “The EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund provides ECIA with critical funding for remediation of brownfield sites in rural and disadvantaged communities throughout eastern Iowa. This new EPA Brownfields supplemental funding will replenish ECIA’s revolving loan fund, enabling ECIA to disburse and revolve funds for numerous brownfield cleanup projects throughout the ECIA five-county region. Thank you, President Biden and EPA for their commitment and investment in eastern Iowa and for selecting ECIA as 2024 Brownfields funding recipient.”
Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization, and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.
Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.
EPA’s Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs’ Selections:
The following organizations in Iowa have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the MAC Grant programs:
The City of Keokuk has been selected to receive $4,485,900. EPA selected the city for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Elkem-Carbide Site Auditor’s Parcel, located at 365 Carbide Lane. The 9.6-acre cleanup site was first used as a zinc smelter and lead alloying facility. By 1929, the site transitioned to the manufacturing of carbide, and later in the 1950s to the manufacturing of carbon products. All operations ceased in 2007 and the site has been vacant since then. It is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, inorganic materials, and PCBs. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
The City of Waterloo has been selected to receive $1 million. EPA selected the city for a Brownfields Multipurpose Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments and conduct community engagement activities. Grant funds also will be used to clean up the 1.8-acre Altstadt and Langlas Site, located at 54 Lane Street. Additional priority sites include the Former Rath Plant at 1508 Sycamore Street; a former food warehouse at 70-80 Sycamore Street; the TechWorks out-lot near 360 Westfield Avenue; and the Grand Crossing 3 lot near 50 West Mullan Avenue.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants page.
Non-Competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs:
The Agency is announcing $3 million in non-competitive, supplemental funding to one successful, existing RLF Grant program that has already achieved success in its 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 Iowa organization has been selected to receive non-competitive, supplemental funding through the existing RLF Grant programs.
In addition to the $1.8 million in EPA funds already awarded, the East Central Intergovernmental Association’s Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) has been selected to receive an additional $3 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to three cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, and Jones counties in Iowa.
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants page.
Additional Background
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today, once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400%. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
View the lists of the FY 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding and the RLF Supplemental funding recipients.
Learn more about the RLF Technical Assistance grant recipients.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram
Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
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 Iowa to receive grants totaling over $5,485,900 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through MAC Grant programs. In addition, the Agency is announcing $3 million in supplemental funding to existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant programs to help expedite their continued work at sites in Iowa.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today, alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.
For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming, and more.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America Agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”
“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.”
"EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to our partner organizations across Iowa," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A. McCollister. "The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone involved, and we are proud of our partners’ efforts to provide a cleaner and healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic development."
“This needed investment will boost public health and economic development across Iowa by transforming once-polluted sites into thriving community assets,” said U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (IA). “I supported the bipartisan infrastructure bill with the health and safety of Iowans in mind. I’m glad our state continues to see a return on that investment.”
“The City of Keokuk is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a Brownfields Grant,” said Keokuk Mayor Kathie Mahoney. “This grant is a testament to our commitment to revitalizing and rejuvenating our community while prioritizing environmental sustainability. We are grateful for the support and recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency’s $4.48 million Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. We are excited to embark on this journey of transforming contaminated sites into vibrant, safe spaces for our communities. This grant will enable us to not only address environmental challenges, but also create new opportunities for economic growth and community development. We look forward to the positive impact this project will have on our community and beyond. Again, thank you for choosing Keokuk.”
"We are so thankful to the Biden-Harris Administration and the EPA for their continuing support of revitalizing often neglected areas,” said Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart. “This investment will help create the kind of change that will have generational impacts in our community."
“East Central Intergovernmental Association is excited to continue its partnership with EPA,” said ECIA Development Coordinator Dawn Danielson. “The EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund provides ECIA with critical funding for remediation of brownfield sites in rural and disadvantaged communities throughout eastern Iowa. This new EPA Brownfields supplemental funding will replenish ECIA’s revolving loan fund, enabling ECIA to disburse and revolve funds for numerous brownfield cleanup projects throughout the ECIA five-county region. Thank you, President Biden and EPA for their commitment and investment in eastern Iowa and for selecting ECIA as 2024 Brownfields funding recipient.”
Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization, and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.
Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.
EPA’s Brownfields program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.
State Funding Breakdown
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs’ Selections:
The following organizations in Iowa have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the MAC Grant programs:
The City of Keokuk has been selected to receive $4,485,900. EPA selected the city for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Elkem-Carbide Site Auditor’s Parcel, located at 365 Carbide Lane. The 9.6-acre cleanup site was first used as a zinc smelter and lead alloying facility. By 1929, the site transitioned to the manufacturing of carbide, and later in the 1950s to the manufacturing of carbon products. All operations ceased in 2007 and the site has been vacant since then. It is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, inorganic materials, and PCBs. Grant funds also will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
The City of Waterloo has been selected to receive $1 million. EPA selected the city for a Brownfields Multipurpose Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments and conduct community engagement activities. Grant funds also will be used to clean up the 1.8-acre Altstadt and Langlas Site, located at 54 Lane Street. Additional priority sites include the Former Rath Plant at 1508 Sycamore Street; a former food warehouse at 70-80 Sycamore Street; the TechWorks out-lot near 360 Westfield Avenue; and the Grand Crossing 3 lot near 50 West Mullan Avenue.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants page.
Non-Competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs:
The Agency is announcing $3 million in non-competitive, supplemental funding to one successful, existing RLF Grant program that has already achieved success in its 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 Iowa organization has been selected to receive non-competitive, supplemental funding through the existing RLF Grant programs.
In addition to the $1.8 million in EPA funds already awarded, the East Central Intergovernmental Association’s Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) has been selected to receive an additional $3 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to three cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Cedar, Clinton, Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, and Jones counties in Iowa.
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants page.
Additional Background
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today, once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through this law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400%. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
View the lists of the FY 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding and the RLF Supplemental funding recipients.
Learn more about the RLF Technical Assistance grant recipients.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook and Instagram
Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $300 Million in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities
WASHINGTON – Today, May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing over $300 million in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to help States, Tribal Nations, local governments and non-profit organizations assess and clean up polluted brownfield sites across the country. 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.
178 communities will receive 181 grant awards totaling $231 million through EPA’s MAC Grant Programs. EPA is also announcing $68 million in supplemental funding for 31 existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs, as well as the selection of Grow America, an RLF Technical Assistance provider, for an estimated $3 million in grant funding.
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 site 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.”
“I was proud to vote for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that is again delivering needed funding to Philadelphia. Cleaning and re-using brownfield sites is so important,” said Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03). “It brings and development and jobs to areas that need them, and it keeps green spaces from being paved over. I call that a win-win!”
Continuing the successes of previous Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded Brownfield grants, today’s investment will advance projects like these:
Located in Chippewa County, Michigan, the Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC) has long faced extensive soil and groundwater contamination from asbestos and lead paint. With the successful support of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, BMIC President Whitney Gravelle and Tribal Manager Rachel Lyons are working to convert a former brownfield site into a recreational destination with docks for kayaking and canoeing. This year, the Tribe’s reservation is receiving additional new funding to tackle another nearby brownfield – the Silver Dome Building, which was once polluted with dry-cleaning solvents and is now being transformed into a community center.
Dallas, Texas is leading the charge in using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law resources to transform some of the city’s most overburdened neighborhoods. In Joppa – a community in South Dallas founded by formerly enslaved people after the Civil War – Brownfields Grant funding is being leveraged to rebuild the once segregated, now shuttered Melissa Pierce School into a vibrant community center. Dallas will now receive an additional Brownfields grant this year to continue redeveloping affordable housing properties located in Dallas’ Southside.
With its momentous commitment to removing contaminated properties across all its neighborhoods, the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee is effectively using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants to renovate blighted brownfields into affordable housing. The city, under the leadership of Mayor Cavalier Johnson, will receive new loan funds this year to continue financing projects like the remediation of the long-underutilized Filer & Stowell factory site into a 576-unit apartments complex at the north end of Bay View in another historically overburdened community – a fourth of these apartments are set aside specifically for senior citizens.
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.
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.
These grants can be awarded once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by selected recipients. Selected grants will be awarded to States, Tribal Nations, local governments and non-profit organizations to address the health, economic, social and environmental challenges caused by brownfields.
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.
178 communities will receive 181 grant awards totaling $231 million through EPA’s MAC Grant Programs. EPA is also announcing $68 million in supplemental funding for 31 existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs, as well as the selection of Grow America, an RLF Technical Assistance provider, for an estimated $3 million in grant funding.
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 site 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.”
“I was proud to vote for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that is again delivering needed funding to Philadelphia. Cleaning and re-using brownfield sites is so important,” said Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03). “It brings and development and jobs to areas that need them, and it keeps green spaces from being paved over. I call that a win-win!”
Continuing the successes of previous Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded Brownfield grants, today’s investment will advance projects like these:
Located in Chippewa County, Michigan, the Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC) has long faced extensive soil and groundwater contamination from asbestos and lead paint. With the successful support of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, BMIC President Whitney Gravelle and Tribal Manager Rachel Lyons are working to convert a former brownfield site into a recreational destination with docks for kayaking and canoeing. This year, the Tribe’s reservation is receiving additional new funding to tackle another nearby brownfield – the Silver Dome Building, which was once polluted with dry-cleaning solvents and is now being transformed into a community center.
Dallas, Texas is leading the charge in using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law resources to transform some of the city’s most overburdened neighborhoods. In Joppa – a community in South Dallas founded by formerly enslaved people after the Civil War – Brownfields Grant funding is being leveraged to rebuild the once segregated, now shuttered Melissa Pierce School into a vibrant community center. Dallas will now receive an additional Brownfields grant this year to continue redeveloping affordable housing properties located in Dallas’ Southside.
With its momentous commitment to removing contaminated properties across all its neighborhoods, the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee is effectively using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants to renovate blighted brownfields into affordable housing. The city, under the leadership of Mayor Cavalier Johnson, will receive new loan funds this year to continue financing projects like the remediation of the long-underutilized Filer & Stowell factory site into a 576-unit apartments complex at the north end of Bay View in another historically overburdened community – a fourth of these apartments are set aside specifically for senior citizens.
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.
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.
These grants can be awarded once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by selected recipients. Selected grants will be awarded to States, Tribal Nations, local governments and non-profit organizations to address the health, economic, social and environmental challenges caused by brownfields.
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 Announces Almost $7.4M in Brownfields Grants to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in West Virginia
PHILADELPHIA (May 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $7.38 million in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in West Virginia. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (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.
EPA selected seven communities across the Mountain State to receive competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs.
“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.”
“Today’s announcement invests more than $26,000,000 across the mid-Atlantic to support the revitalization of brownfields,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “This funding will help assess and cleanup contamination, create jobs by returning idle properties to productive reuse, and continue our progress toward a healthy and safe environment for all Americans.”
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 brownfields cleanup and redevelopment projects.
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 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Supplemental Grants applicants selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.
West Virginia Funding Breakdown: Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The following organizations in West Virginia have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
· Belomar Regional Council has been selected to receive $1,500,000. The Belomar Regional Council, along with Wheeling Heritage and the Belmont County Port Authority, will inventory sites, conduct over 30 environmental site assessments, and support community engagement and planning efforts. Priority sites include a 60-acre property that houses an abandoned gas station, a 52-acre former steel mill, and a 60-acre site that housed a vineyard and later a public housing development.
· Huntington Area Development Council has been selected to receive $382,491. Grant funds will be used to clean up a 7.2-acre site that was once used for railroad activities from 1900 through the early 1970s and later as a practice field (Huntington East Practice Field ) for high school and college sports teams until 2018. The site is contaminated with volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
· The City of Morgantown has been selected to receive $1,999,062. Grant funds will be used to clean up the White Park Woodlands, which is currently managed as a wooded trail network in a city park. The 100-acre cleanup site was once operated as a crude oil tank farm and is contaminated with metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
· New River Gorge Regional Development Authority has been selected to receive $500,000. Grant funds will be used to clean up the former Rainelle Dump located on Snake Island Road in the Town of Rainelle. The 4.8-acre cleanup site once operated as a municipal dump and closed in the 1970s. It is contaminated with heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
· Raleigh County Parks and Recreation Authority has been selected to receive $2,000,000. Grant funds will be used to clean up almost ten miles of the Clear Fork Rail Trail in the Town of Whitesville. The trail was used as a railroad bed for the coal industry. It is contaminated with heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with creosote and herbicides used for railroad maintenance.
· Region 1 Planning and Development Council has been selected to receive $500,000. Grant funds will be used to conduct 19 environmental site assessments, planning activities for cleanups and regional development, and support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is six counties in the southeast corner of West Virginia with a focus on the City of Bluefield, the Town of Mullens, and the Town of Kimball. Priority sites include a 1-acre abandoned warehouse and two vacant hotels.
· The City of Wheeling has been selected to receive $500,000. Grant funds will be used to clean up the 140,511-square-foot Clay School building, a four-story structure that was used as a high school from 1953 to the 1990s and which is currently unused. It is contaminated with inorganic contaminants and other hazardous substances.
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
EPA selected seven communities across the Mountain State to receive competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs.
“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.”
“Today’s announcement invests more than $26,000,000 across the mid-Atlantic to support the revitalization of brownfields,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz. “This funding will help assess and cleanup contamination, create jobs by returning idle properties to productive reuse, and continue our progress toward a healthy and safe environment for all Americans.”
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 brownfields cleanup and redevelopment projects.
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 Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Supplemental Grants applicants selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.
West Virginia Funding Breakdown: Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The following organizations in West Virginia have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
· Belomar Regional Council has been selected to receive $1,500,000. The Belomar Regional Council, along with Wheeling Heritage and the Belmont County Port Authority, will inventory sites, conduct over 30 environmental site assessments, and support community engagement and planning efforts. Priority sites include a 60-acre property that houses an abandoned gas station, a 52-acre former steel mill, and a 60-acre site that housed a vineyard and later a public housing development.
· Huntington Area Development Council has been selected to receive $382,491. Grant funds will be used to clean up a 7.2-acre site that was once used for railroad activities from 1900 through the early 1970s and later as a practice field (Huntington East Practice Field ) for high school and college sports teams until 2018. The site is contaminated with volatile organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
· The City of Morgantown has been selected to receive $1,999,062. Grant funds will be used to clean up the White Park Woodlands, which is currently managed as a wooded trail network in a city park. The 100-acre cleanup site was once operated as a crude oil tank farm and is contaminated with metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
· New River Gorge Regional Development Authority has been selected to receive $500,000. Grant funds will be used to clean up the former Rainelle Dump located on Snake Island Road in the Town of Rainelle. The 4.8-acre cleanup site once operated as a municipal dump and closed in the 1970s. It is contaminated with heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
· Raleigh County Parks and Recreation Authority has been selected to receive $2,000,000. Grant funds will be used to clean up almost ten miles of the Clear Fork Rail Trail in the Town of Whitesville. The trail was used as a railroad bed for the coal industry. It is contaminated with heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with creosote and herbicides used for railroad maintenance.
· Region 1 Planning and Development Council has been selected to receive $500,000. Grant funds will be used to conduct 19 environmental site assessments, planning activities for cleanups and regional development, and support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is six counties in the southeast corner of West Virginia with a focus on the City of Bluefield, the Town of Mullens, and the Town of Kimball. Priority sites include a 1-acre abandoned warehouse and two vacant hotels.
· The City of Wheeling has been selected to receive $500,000. Grant funds will be used to clean up the 140,511-square-foot Clay School building, a four-story structure that was used as a high school from 1953 to the 1990s and which is currently unused. It is contaminated with inorganic contaminants and other hazardous substances.
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.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program: https://www.epa.gov/brownfields
DP World’s Centerm project at heart of employer-union dispute in Vancouver
The union representing Canada’s West Coast longshore foremen say they are holding off a strike vote while a mediation process takes place with maritime employers.
In Visit to Columbus, Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces New Investments in Local Urban Agriculture
COLUMBUS, Georgia, May 17, 2024 – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today visited the Turn Around Columbus, a nonprofit in Columbus, Georgia, focused on investing in youth development and learning opportunities to build the next generation of entrepreneurs, farmers, and community leaders. There, he highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to create more, new and better markets, generate new revenue, and ensure agriculture in Georgia communities and nationwide.