Biden-Harris Administration Awards $315M for Brownfield Site Cleanups, Assessments
More than 200 communities will benefit from this historic investment.
- By Alex Saurman
- May 26, 2023
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced $315 million will be awarded for brownfield cleanups and assessments.
This funding, which comes from the Investing in America Agenda, is the largest amount ever invested in brownfields and will go toward helping brownfield sites in 262 communities, according to a news release.
The $315 million will be distributed through two grant programs, $215 million through the Multipurpose, Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup (MARC) Grant programs and $45 million through the Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant programs, as well as $55 million to Brownfields Technical Assistance Providers and Brownfields Research Grant awardees, the EPA said.
“We’re working across the country to revitalize what were once dangerous and polluted sites in overburdened communities into more sustainable and environmentally just places that serve as community assets. Thanks to President Biden’s historic investments in America, we’re moving further and faster than ever before to clean up contaminated sites, spur economic redevelopment, and deliver relief that so many communities have been waiting for,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan in the news release.
Brownfield projects are vacant sites that require additional cleanup, potentially due to “hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant” before they can be reused. These sites, once cleaned up, are used to improve the community. This year, more than 80 percent of MARC and RLF recipients’ proposed work will take place "in areas that include historically underserved areas," per the EPA.
About the Author
Alex Saurman is the Content Editor for Environmental Protection.