BROWNFIELDS CLEANUP GRANT

1) Cleanup Grants 

Brownfield Cleanup Grants provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the applicant. Applicants may request either:

• Up to $500,000 to clean up one brownfield site or to allocate up to $500,000 among multiple sites; 
  
• Between $500,001 and $2,000,000 to clean up one brownfield site or to allocate among multiple sites; or 
  
• Between $2,000,001 and $4,000,000 to clean up one brownfield site or to allocate among multiple sites 

Applicants may request funding to address one or more brownfield sites contaminated by hazardous substances (i.e., sites with potential contamination of hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants) and/or petroleum (i.e., sites with potential petroleum contamination). 

Brownfield Cleanup Grants funds can also be used for programmatic management of the grant; purchase of environmental insurance; and local governments may use up to 10% of their grant funds for the following activities:

• Health monitoring of populations exposed to hazardous substances from a brownfield site; and 
  
• Monitoring and enforcement of any institutional control used to prevent human exposure to any hazardous substance from a brownfield site.
  

An applicant must be the sole owner of the site(s) that is the subject of its Brownfield Cleanup Grants application and must own the site(s) by November 14, 2024, to be eligible to receive a Brownfield Cleanup Grant. 
The following entities are eligible to apply for Brownfield Cleanup Grants: 

• State; General Purpose Unit of Local Government; Land Clearance Authority; Government Entity Created by State Legislature; Regional Council established under a governmental authority (e.g., Regional Planning Commissions); or a Group of General Purpose Units of Local Government established under Federal, state, or local law (e.g., councils of governments) to function as a single legal entity with authority to enter into binding agreements with the Federal Government; Indian Tribe other than in Alaska; an Alaska Native Regional Corporation; an Alaska Native Village Corporation; the Metlakatla Indian Community; Nonprofit Organizations (i.e., 501(c)(3)); Limited Liability Corporations; Limited Partnerships; Qualified Community Development Entities as defined in Section 45D(c)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and Other Nonprofit Organizations. 

Applicants can only apply for one Brownfield Cleanup Grant. 
The EPA requires applicants to adequately describe environmental outputs (performance measures) and outcomes to be achieved with the award. 
The EPA encourages communities to take an area-wide approach to planning for the assessment, cleanup, and reuse of brownfield sites; especially where multiple sites are connected through location, infrastructure, economic, social, and environmental conditions. 
Applications will be evaluated based on the extent to which the applicant demonstrates: a vision for the cleanup, reuse, and redevelopment of brownfield sites and a strategy for leveraging resources to help accomplish the vision; the environmental, social, health, and economic needs and benefits of the target area(s); strong community engagement; reasonable costs, eligible tasks, and appropriate use of grant funding; the capacity for managing and successfully implementing the cooperative agreement; and other factors. 
Applicant must provide the community with notice of its intent to apply for a Brownfield Cleanup Grant and allow the community an opportunity to comment on the draft application. Failure to demonstrate timely community notification will disqualify the application. 

A brownfield site is defined in CERCLA § 101(39) as real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants, controlled substances, petroleum, or petroleum products, or is mine-scarred land. All applications must be for projects that support Goal 6—Safeguard and Revitalize Communities, Objective 6.1—Clean Up and Restore Land for Productive Uses and Health Communities of EPA’s Strategic Plan. 
Brownfield Cleanup Grants will be awarded as cooperative agreements. Cooperative agreements require the EPA Project Officer to be substantially involved in overseeing the work performed by selected recipients. 
For examples of grant project accomplishments across the country, please see the EPA Brownfield Grant Recipients’ Success Stories. For more information on a range of brownfield funding topics, please refer to the EPA’s Brownfields Webpage.