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Note: This article is directed toward businesses looking to build or expand possibly on remediated brownfields, not those that are interested in purchasing a site and cleaning it up themselves.
EPA Grants
The EPA recently announced its latest round of brownfields grants. Grants investments totaling $54.3 million went to 243 projects in 147 communities nationwide.
EPA’s brownfields grants support revitalization efforts by funding environmental assessment, cleanup, and job training activities. Brownfields Assessment Grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach. Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants provide funding to capitalize loans that are used to clean up brownfields. Brownfields Job Training Grants provide environmental training for residents of brownfields communities. Brownfields Cleanup Grants provide direct funding for cleanup activities at certain properties with planned greenspace, recreational, or other nonprofit uses.
Tip: While these grants are available to governments and nonprofits, there is good reason for businesses to find out what grants were awarded in their communities and/or encourage their communities to apply for brownfields grants.
Join us for the Practical Impact of New UST Rules on Industry webinar on July 30 to learn the practical impact these new EPA UST rules. Register now!
What Are Brownfields?
Just a recap: Brownfields are abandoned and idle properties often found in poor urban communities that are, or are thought to be, contaminated with chemical wastes from manufacturing processes.
Advantages at Remediated Brownfields Sites
If you are looking to build or expand your facility, knowing what your community is doing in terms of brownfields can open up a number of opportunities.
Brownfields that have been remediated by your community provide spaces with existing buildings that has been updated, and in many cases, made energy efficient. Since brownfields are usually in downtown areas, they are in attractive locations for business because the infrastructure that a business needs is already there.
Practical Impact of New UST Rules on Industry: How to Prepare for Tougher EPA Compliance Requirements
Sweeping changes to the underground storage tank (UST) regulations are finally here. On July 15, 2015, the EPA published its revised UST regulations in the Federal Register. Learn more.
In addition, a number of states have incentives for businesses to locate at a remediated brownfield, i.e., provide for the sustainable reuse of the property.
Florida, for example, offers a $2,500 Job Bonus Refund for each new job created in a designated brownfield area by an eligible business. These benefits may be greater if the area has other designations (e.g., Enterprise Zone).
Oklahoma amended the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Act to apply to basic industries that locate their principal business activities on properties of at least 10 acres in size that qualify as a state or federal Superfund site, or a site that was remediated according to an order of the state Department of Environmental Quality. These companies may be eligible for the Quality Jobs Program incentive payments.