EPA Announces $2M in Brownfield Grants Through Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Washington
Publilshed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
SEATTLE (May 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $2,279,070 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Washington while advancing environmental justice. EPA selected two communities in Washington to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant programs.
These investments through EPA’s Brownfields 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.
“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.”
“With the aid of Brownfields MAC funding, communities can achieve significant and positive outcomes for their neighborhoods and businesses,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “Assessing and cleaning up pollution are crucial steps in building thriving, healthy communities.”
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 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 Grant Program Selection
The following organizations in Washington have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup Grant Programs.
Forterra NW was selected to receive $1,779,070. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Roslyn Number 4 Mine. The property has been vacant since the mid-1970s. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a Public Involvement Plan and conduct community engagement activities.
The City of Kent was selected to receive $500,000. Grant funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, identify and prioritize additional sites, develop cleanup alternative evaluations, conduct visioning sessions and a site reuse assessment, and develop one revitalization plan. The target area for this grant is the City of Kent’s Downtown and Midway Areas.
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.
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.
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.
Read the full article at: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-announces-2m-brownfield-grants-through-investing-america-agenda-rehabilitate-and
