July 2005

Where to start your search for brownfields funding

Start at the end. That’s the advice of Karen Homolac, when asked how to find federal funds for brownfields cleanup.

In other words, think beyond the contamination. “Don’t get caught up in thinking ‘I’ve got a brownfield and I’ve got to find specific brownfields funding,’” advises Homolac, Regional Coordinator and Brownfields Coordinator for Capital Projects Division, Oregon Economic and Community Development Department. Instead, do end use planning. Starting with what you want to accomplish with your project helps you be creative when looking for money.

For example, if it’s an infrastructure project, that might make you eligible for certain funds. If you want to build a community center, that opens up another door of possible money sources. If you can argue that eliminating a brownfield will eliminate the source of a plume and therefore non-source pollution, you gain yet another funding resource. Your end use is key because it will drive what kind of federal funding you’re eligible for.

Looking beyond the EPA
Not that traditional EPA brownfields funding doesn’t exist. It does. But it’s limited and can be complicated. And it’s not an easy option if you’re a for-profit business or a private property owner. That’s because EPA money is intended for communities, counties, states and nonprofit organizations, yet even those nonprofits must look beyond the EPA.

Other resources are available. A brownfields project is a redevelopment project, and that means clean up is just one part that needs financing. You have more federal funding options available as a result, options like the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

For federal funds, start with the state Your initial homework shouldn’t be going online to look for cleanup funds, however. Instead, spend that time figuring out who’s assisting with funding at your state or local government level.

“It’s not that hard to tap into federal funds; you just have to know how to do it,” says Homolac. That’s where your state or local brownfields people come in. They’re involved with economic and community development, and it’s their job to stay on top of the different funding sources, not just brownfield. They can help you look for federal funds, and state and local options as well.

And if you’re a private property owner or part of a for-profit organization, you automatically start at the state level because federal funds aren’t meant for you. However, it is possible for you to access them working through your state. Look for more information about tapping into state funding and resources in next month’s issue.

To find your brownfields representative, start with your state’s Web site:

  • Share/Bookmark