Agency Awards 304 Grants for Brownfield Revitalization
Communities in 40 states, four Tribes, and one U.S. Territory will share $78.9 million in brownfields grants to help clean up, revitalize, and sustainably reuse contaminated properties, according to a press release from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The grants will provide funding to eligible entities through brownfields assessment, revolving loan fund, and cleanup grants. The money will be used for abandoned gas stations, old textile mills, closed smelters, and other abandoned industrial and commercial properties.
As of March 2010, EPA’s brownfields assistance has leveraged more than $14 billion in cleanup and redevelopment funding, and 61,277 jobs in cleanup, construction, and redevelopment. These investments and jobs target local, under-served and economically disadvantaged neighborhoods – places where environmental cleanups and new jobs are most needed.
The grants will be administered through:
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188 assessment grants, totaling $42.56 million, for site assessment and planning for cleanup at one or more brownfields sites as part of a community-wide effort.
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17 revolving loan fund grants, totaling $17 million, for loans and subgrants to begin cleanup activities at brownfields sites. Revolving loan funds are generally used to provide low-interest loans for brownfields cleanups.
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99 cleanup grants, totaling $19.36 million, to carryout cleanup activities at brownfield sites.
In 2002, Congress passed the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act. The brownfields law expanded the definition of what is considered a brownfield, so communities may now focus on mine-scarred lands, sites contaminated by petroleum, or sites contaminated as a result of manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs (e.g. meth labs).
For information on the FY 2010 grant recipients, visit www.epa.gov/brownfields/grant_announce/selectedgrants (pdf).