EPA awards almost $71 million in grants
Communities in 38 states–including Idaho and Washington–will receive brownfields grants to help revitalize former industrial and commercial sites. Two territories and five tribal nations also will share the $70.7 million from the EPA.
“By transforming thousands of blighted sites into engines of economic rebirth, EPA’s Brownfields program is proving to be one of the greatest environmental success stories of the past decade,” says Administrator Stephen L. Johnson in an EPA press release.
This year, 202 applicants were selected to receive 294 assessment, revolving loan fund and cleanup grants. The $70.7 million will provide:
- 189 assessment grants totaling $36.8 million to be used to conduct site assessment and planning for eventual cleanup at one or more brownfields sites or as part of a community-wide effort
- 92 cleanup grants totaling $17.9 million to provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfields sites owned by the grants’ recipients
- 13 revolving loan fund grants totaling $16 million to provide funding for communities to capitalize a revolving loan fund and to provide sub-grants to carry cleanup activities at brownfields sites. Revolving loan funds are generally used to provide low interest loans for brownfields cleanups
In Region 10, eight grants totaling more than $2 million were awarded to projects in Idaho and Washington. For a list of the grants and descriptions of their projects, visit www.epa.gov/brownfields.
There are about 450,000 abandoned and contaminated waste sites in the country. Since the beginning of the program, EPA has awarded 1,067 assessment grants totaling more than $262 million, 217 revolving loan fund grants totaling more than $201.7 million, and 336 cleanup grants totaling $61.3 million.
In more grant-related news, EPA this year is considering moving up the cycle for the assessment, revolving loan fund and cleanup grants. In recent years grant notices were released in the late fall with applications due in December and grants announced the following May. EPA may release the grant notice much earlier for the 2008 cycle. Applications would be due 45 to 60 days after the announcement.
To receive a notice about any changes in the grant process, e-mail Brownfields.R10@epa.gov to be added to the list serve for further EPA regional notices.
