EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund
Grants: Interested in Applying for Funding?
Here's what you need to know to get started...
What is the U.S. EPA Brownfields Program?
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (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. EPA provides
technical and financial assistance for
brownfields activities through an
A brownfield is 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.
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. These grants support
revitalization efforts by funding
environmental assessment,
cleanup, and job training activities.
Assessment Grants provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and
community outreach.
Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants provide funding to capitalize a revolving loan fund and to provide subgrants
to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites.
Job Training Grants provide environmental training for residents of brownfields communities.
Cleanup Grants provide direct funding for cleanup activities at specific sites.
Benefits of brownfields cleanup and reuse:
' increases local tax base
• facilitates job growth
• utilizes existing infrastructure
• conserves open land
• improves and protects the environment
What are Brownfields Revolving Loan
Fund Grants?
Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants provide
funding for a grant recipient to:
/ Capitalize a revolving loan fund and to provide
subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at
brownfields sites.
For a more detailed discussion on the use of
brownfields grant funding, please refer to the EPA
Proposal Guidelines for Brownfieds Assessment,
Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants (Proposal
Guidelines).
Who is Eligible to Apply for a
Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund
Grant?
Entities eligible to apply for and receive RLF Funding
Grants 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 state or government entities created by the state
legislature.
Some sites are excluded from the definition of a
brownfield site unless EPA makes a site-specific
funding determination that allows grant funds to be
used at that site. For a more detailed discussion of
eligible brownfield sites, refer to the Proposal
Guidelines.
How Much Brownfields Revolving Loan
Fund Grant Funding is Available?
Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund Grants
provide up to $1,000,000
Revolving Loan Fund Grants provide:
/ Up to $ 1,000,000 for an initial RLF grant.
/ Coalitions of eligible entities may apply together
under one recipient for up to $1,000,000 per
eligible entity.
/ These funds may be used to address sites
contaminated by petroleum and hazardous
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substances, pollutants, or contaminants (including
hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum).
/ At least 60 percent of the awarded funds must
be used to implement a revolving loan fund, in
order to provide no-interest or low-interest loans
for brownfields cleanups.
/ An RLF award requires a 20 percent cost share,
which may be in the form of a contribution of
money, labor, material, or services, and must be
for eligible and allowable costs. Please refer to
the Proposal Guidelines for a full explanation.
How Long is the Grant Period?
The performance period for Revolving Loan Fund
Grants is five years.
How Do I Apply for a Brownfields
Revolving Loan Fund Grant?
Current Proposal Guidelines are available at
http: //www. epa.gov/swerosps/bf/
applicat.htm#pg
'
Applicants must use the Proposal Guidelines for
Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and
Cleanup Grants published by EPA. 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. Proposals must
include:
/ A cover letter describing the project
/ Applicant information
/ Applicable mandatory attachments (e.g., state letter)
/ Responses to evaluation criteria
Grant proposals should be concise and well organized,
and must provide the information requested in the
guidelines. Applicants must demonstrate that they meet
threshold eligibility requirements and must respond to
evaluation criteria. Factual information about your
proposed project and community must be provided.
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/swerosps/bf/applicat.htm#pg
/ Information on the Brownfields Grant programs
may be found at www.fedgrants.gov
Is Pre-Application Assistance
Available?
/ EPA posts Frequently Asked Questions on its Web
site at:
http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/pg/fy2005pgfaq.htm
/ If resources permit, EPA Regions may conduct
open meetings with potential applicants. Check
with your regional office for date and location
information. Regional Brownfields contacts can
be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/corcntct.htm
/ EPA will respond to questions from individual
applicants about threshold criteria, including site
eligibility and ownership. EPA staff will not meet
with individual 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. Please note,
in some circumstances, EPA may seek additional
information.
What are the Application Due Dates
and Award Dates?
/ Revolving Loan Fund Grant proposals are due
by November 12, 2004.
/ EPA plans to announce RLF grants in Spring
2005.
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105T)
EPA-560-F-04-255
September 2004
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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