EPA Brownfields Assessment Grants:
Interested in Applying for Funding?
' what you need to know to get started...
What is EPA's Brownfields Program?
The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's
(EPA) Brownfields
Program is designed
to empower states,
communities, and
other stakeholders
to work together in
a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up,
and sustainably reuse brownfields. EPA provides
technical and financial assistance for brownfields
activities through an approach based on four main
goals: protecting human health and the environment,
sustaining reuse, promoting partnerships, and
strengthening the marketplace. Brownfields grants
serve as the foundation of the Brownfields Program and
support revitalization efforts by funding environmental
assessment, cleanup,
and job training
activities. Thousands
of properties have been
assessed and cleaned up
through the Brownfields
Program, clearing the
way for their reuse.
Abrownfield is defined as: real property,
the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse
of which may be complicated by the
presence or potential presence of a
hazardous substance, pollutant, or
contaminant.The2002BrownfieldsLaw
further defines the term to include a site
that is: "contaminated by a controlled
substance; contaminated by petroleum
or a petroleum product excluded from
the definition of 'hazardous substance';
or mine-scarred land."
What are the Four Grant Types?
* Assessment grants provide funding for brownfields
inventories, planning, environmental assessments,
and community outreach.
^ Revolving Loan Fund grants provide funding
to capitalize a revolving loan fund that provides
subgrants to carry out assessment and/or cleanup
activities at brownfields.
^ Cleanup grants provide direct funding for cleanup
activities at specific sites.
^ Job Training grants provide environmental training
for residents of brownfields communities.
What are 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 Cleanup and Redevelopment Planning:
Scope and plan process
^ Conduct Community Involvement: Inform and
engage community
For a Community-Wide Grant:
^ An applicant may apply for a community-wide
assessment grant if a specific site has not been
identified or if the assessment will address more
than one site within the community.
^ Applicants electing to apply for up to $200,000
for a community-wide hazardous substance
assessment grant are not eligible for a site-specific
hazardous substance assessment grant in the same
grant competition. Applicants applying for up to
$200,000 for a community-wide petroleum or
petroleum product assessment grant will not be
eligible for a site-specific petroleum assessment
grant.
For a Site-Specific Grant:
^ A site-specific assessment grant must be applied for
if the assessment is limited to one, and only one,
site. A site-specific assessment grant application
must be made if a waiver of the funding limitation
is requested.
* Applicants will not be allowed to substitute another
site for a site-specific assessment grant where the
subject site is determined to be ineligible.
For the complete discussion of Brownfields Program
grant funding, refer to the EPA Proposal Guidelines
for Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan
Fund, and Cleanup grants at: http://www.epa.gov/
brownfields/applicat. htm
How Do I Apply for an Assessment Grant?
Applicants submit a proposal for each grant type that
they are applying for (i.e., assessment, revolving loan
fund, and/or cleanup). Each proposal must address the
selection criteria outlined in the guidelines.
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Grant proposals should be concise and well organized.
and must provide the information requested in the
guidelines. Applicants must demonstrate that they
meet threshold criteria requirements and must respond
to evaluation criteria. Factual information about your
proposed project and community must be provided.
Proposals must include:
^ Cover letter describing project
^ Applicant information
^ Applicable mandatory attachments
(e.g., state letter)
^ Responses to evaluation criteria
All applicants must refer to the Proposal Guidelines
published by EPA.
Who is Eligible to Apply for an Assessment
Grant?
Eligible entities include: 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 council or redevelopment agencies;
or states or legislatures. Some properties are excluded
from the definition of a brownfield unless EPA makes
a site-specific funding determination that allows grant
funds to be used at that site.
Applicants may apply for both community-wide and
site-specific assessment grants; however, an applicant
is limited to submitting only ONE hazardous substance
assessment grant proposal and ONE petroleum
assessment proposal.
Each eligible entity may submit no more than two
assessment proposals.
How Much Assessment Grant Funding is
Available?
* Up to $200,000 to assess a site contaminated by
hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants
(including hazardous substances co-mingled with
petroleum).
^ Up to $200,000 to address a site contaminated by
petroleum.
^ For site-specific proposals, applicants may seek
a waiver of the $200,000 limit and request up to
$350,000 for a site contaminated by hazardous
substances, pollutants, or contaminants and
up to $350,000 to assess a site contaminated
by petroleum. Such waivers must be based on
the anticipated level of hazardous substances,
pollutants, or contaminants including hazardous
substances comingled with petroleum) or
petroleum at a single site. (Community-wide
assessment grants are not eligible for assessment
grant "waivers.")
^ Total grant fund requests should not exceed a total
of $400,000 unless such a waiver is requested.
^ Up to $1 Million for assessment coalitions.
A coalition is made up of 3 or more eligible
applicants that submits one grant proposal under
the name of one of the coalition members who will
be the grant recipient.
How Long is the Assessment Period?
The performance period for an assessment grant is
three years.
Where Do I Find the Proposal Guidelines?
Electronic copies of the Proposal Guidelines can be
obtained from the EPA brownfields Web site at:
http://www. epa.gov/brownfields/applicat. htm
Additional information on grant programs may be
found at: www.grants.gov
Is Pre-Application Assistance Available?
If resources permit, EPA Regions may conduct open
meetings with potential applicants. Check with your
regional office for date and location information. Your
regional Brownfields Program contacts can be found at:
http://www. epa.gov/brownfields/corcntct. htm
EPA can respond to questions from applicants about
threshold criteria, including site eligibility and
ownership.
EPA staff can not meet with applicants to discuss
draft proposals or provide assistance in responding to
ranking criteria.
What is the Evaluation/Selection Process?
Brownfields grants are awarded on a competitive
basis.Evaluation panels consisting of EPA staff and
other federal agency representatives assess how
well the proposals meet the threshold and ranking
criteria outlined in the Proposal Guidelines for
Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and
Cleanup grants. Final selections are made by EPA
senior management after considering the ranking
of proposals by the evaluation panels. Responses to
threshold criteria are evaluated on a pass/fail basis. If
the proposal does not meet the threshold criteria, the
proposal will not be evaluated. In some circumstances,
EPA may seek additional information.
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA-560-F-05-236
August 2009
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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