EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants-
Assessment Coalitions
EPA's Brownfields Program is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely
manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfields. Abrownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may
be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. EPA's Brownfields Program provides financial and
technical assistance for brownfield revitalization, including grants for environmental assessment, cleanup, and job training.
What are EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants?
Assessment grants provide funding for a grant recipient to:
• Inventory Sites: Compile a listing
Characterize Sites: Identify past uses
Assess Sites: Determine existing contamination
Conduct Planning for Cleanup and Redevelopment: Scope and plan process
Conduct Community Involvement: Inform and engage community
What are Assessment Coalitions?
An Assessment Coalition is comprised of three or more eligible entities. The lead coalition member submits a Community-
wide Assessment grant proposal on behalf of itself and the oilier members. The coalition may request up to $1 million to
work on a minimum of five hazardous substance and/or petroleum sites.
Who is Eligible to Apply as a Coalition for an Assessment Grant?
Eligible entities, including those with existing brownfields assessment grants, are: state, local and tribal governments, with
the exception of certain Indian tribes in Alaska; general purpose units of local government, land clearance authorities, or
other quasi-governmental entities; regional councils; redevelopment agencies; and government entities created by state
legislatures.
Coalition members are not eligible to apply for individual Community-wide or Site- specific Assessment grants
in the year they apply as part of a coalition.
Nonprofit organizations are not eligible to apply.
Some properties are ineligible for funding unless EPA makes a site-specific funding determination.
Why Coalition Assessments?
Increases access to assessment resources for communities that might have limited resources to administer a
brownfield grant.
Helps a state or county to focus assessment dollars on geographical areas with the greatest need over a given time. The
larger pool of funding allows the coalition to shift geographic focus to new areas as revitalization needs are identified.
Assessment Coalitions - The Basics
The grant recipient (lead coalition member) must administer the grant, be accountable to EPA for proper expenditure of
the funds, and be the point of contact for the other coalition members.
Assessment Coalition grants are Community-wide.
Assessment Coalitions must assess a minimum of five sites regardless of funding request (e.g., less than or up to
$1 million).
Assessment Coalitions may request petroleum and/or hazardous substance funding as long as the request is not over
$1 million.
A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) documenting the coalition's site selection process must be in place prior to the
expenditure of any funds that have been awarded to the lead coalition. It is up to the coalition to agree internally about
the distribution of funds and the mechanisms for implementing the assessment work.
A tribal community can be the lead coalition member or part of any coalition where the other coalition members are
eligible entities.
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Assessment Coalitions can cross regional boundaries,
but will be managed out of the EPA Region where the
grant recipient is located.
• An eligible city entity and a redevelopment authority
from the same locality can be coalition members
provided the entities are separate legal entities under
state and local law.
No more than $200,000 can be expended on a site.
For Assessment Coalitions involving state entities:
Only one eligible state entity can apply as the
lead coalition member (e.g., state environmental
agency, state economic development agency)
or be part of a coalition. An eligible state entity
cannot be a member of two or more Assessment
Coalitions.
If an eligible state entity is part of a coalition
that receives an Assessment grant, no additional
Assessment grants can be awarded to state entities
from the grant recipient's state.
Wliat are Some Examples of How Assessment
Coalitions Work?
Example #1
A state agency applies for EPA Brownfields funding
together with several smaller communities as members of
a coalition. The state assumes the role of "recipient" (i.e.,
the entity that would administer the grant, is accountable to
EPA for proper expenditure of the funds, and acts as point
of contact for other coalition members). These entities
have formed a coalition to target numerous sites that have
become blighted and/or under-utilized along an historic
highway running through the communities.
Example #2
A coalition of metro municipalities, such as one large
city and several surrounding cities/towns, could apply for
$1 million. In a given year, one coalition member's site
assessment needs may be relatively minimal compared to
another member's, or the ability to assess a targeted site
may be complicated by legal access issues. Priorities can
Brownfields Assessment grants do not provide resources
to conduct cleanup or building demolition activities.
Cleanup assistance is available under EPA's Cleanup or Revolving
Loan Fund (RLF) grants. Information on EPA's Brownfields Cleanup
and RLF grants can be found on the EPA Brownfields Web site at:
www.epa.gov/brownfields.
be set each year to conduct assessments on the properties
that have the most immediate need.
How Do I Apply as a Coalition for an Assessment Grant?
A single, eligible entity applies as a coalition for a
Community-wide Assessment grant on behalf of itself
and other eligible entities. A Community-wide proposal
submitted by a coalition must include:
Applicant information (e.g., describe all jurisdictions
covered under the proposal, and provide their general
populations).
Applicable mandatory attachments (e.g., coalition
applicants for Assessment grants must document how
all coalition members are eligible entities; and all
coalition members must submit a letter to the potential
grant recipient in which they agree to be part of the
coalition).
Responses to evaluation criteria.
How Long is the Performance Period for an Assessment
Grant?
The period of performance for an Assessment grant is
three vears.
United States Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Assessment Coalitions
Fact Sheet
EPA-560-F-08-252
June 2008
www.epa.gov/brownfields
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