2015
Brownfields
Federal Programs
Guide
United States
Environmental Protection
k Agency
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Contents
INTRODUCTION IV
OVERVIEW OF BROWNFIELDS FEDERAL PROGRAMS VII
FEDERAL PROGRAMS XI
Appalachian Regional Commission 2
Department of Agriculture
Rural Development Mission Area 4
United States Forest Service 9
Department of Commerce
Economic Development Administration 11
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 14
Department of Defense
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 16
Office of Economic Adjustment 19
Department of Energy 21
Department of Health and Human Services
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 25
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 28
Office of Community Services 34
Department of Housing and Urban Development 36
Department of the Interior
National Park Service 41
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 43
Department of Labor 45
Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration 47
Federal Transit Administration 49
Office of the Secretary 53
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Housing Finance Agency
General Services Administration
Small Business Administration. .
55
67
70
72
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FEDERAL TAX INCENTIVES AND CREDITS
New Markets Tax Credit
Low Income Housing Tax Credits
Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Brownfields Expensing Tax Incentive
76
78
82
86
89
.93
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Introduction
As the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA)
Brownfields Program celebrates its 20th anniver-
sary in 2015, it is a good time to reflect on some of
the factors that contribute to successful brownfields
efforts at the federal, state, and local levels. This guide
focuses on one factor in particular: partnerships.
Building partnerships is an important part of the
Brownfields Program. The importance of partner-
ships began with EPA's early efforts to join with other
federal agencies to leverage available resources and
coordinate the federal government's efforts to assist
communities in addressing brownfields and economic
development challenges. Maintaining healthy federal
partnerships is as important today as it was in the
early years of the program. In July 1996, EPA created
both the Interagency Working Group on Brownfields
and the Interagency Steering Committee to provide
a forum for federal agencies to exchange informa-
tion and develop a coordinated national strategy for
brownfields. The strategy focused on environmental
and economic development issues. In May 1997, the
Brownfield National Partnership Action Agenda was
announced. More than 20 federal agencies partici-
pated in the partnership initiative, which found many
ways to better coordinate federal brownfield resources
and activities.
One of the major actions under the federal partner-
ship initiative was the Brownfields Showcase
Communities project. In fiscal year 1998, the Working
Group selected 16 pilot communities to showcase how
coordinated federal support can lead to successful
brownfields cleanup and redevelopment efforts. The
Showcase Communities initiative produced model
programs that demonstrated the benefits of focused
attention and provided a pattern for future coopera-
tive efforts on brownfields.
The "Portfields" initiative was another product of
the Brownfield National Partnership. This federal
interagency project, led by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, focused on the redevel-
opment of brownfields in port and harbor areas,
with emphasis on development of environmentally
sound port facilities. The Portfields initiative presented
an opportunity for federal agencies to partner with
port communities to help redevelop brownfields and
revitalize waterfront areas, improve marine transpor-
tation systems, and protect and restore coastal
resources.
Other cooperative efforts on the federal level
soon followed. Federal agencies partnered on the
Mine-Scarred Lands Initiative, the Urban Waters
Initiative, and most recently, the Partnership for Sustain-
able Communities, which is an interagency effort
between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), U.S. Department of Transporta-
tion, and EPA. Under the Partnership for Sustainable
Communities, the three agencies are leveraging
resources and removing barriers to help communities
provide more housing choices, make transportation
systems more efficient and reliable, and create vibrant
neighborhoods that attract business development and
jobs while protecting the environment.
Partnerships are essential because brownfields
redevelopment and community revitalization, spurred
by brownfields cleanup and reuse, most often succeed
when communities are able to leverage financial
support, technical assistance, and other resources
from a variety of public and private sources. While
EPA brownfields grants are important catalysts for
environmental cleanup and community revitaliza-
tion, communities usually have to find additional
resources to successfully address other redevelop-
ment challenges such as infrastructure improvements,
construction, and workforce training. EPA brownfields
grants provide essential funding for assessment and
seed money for cleanup of contaminated sites, but
usually can provide only a small portion of the total
investment needed to clean up and revitalize sites.
Nevertheless, brownfields grants often are critical to
attracting additional investments from other sources
that are necessary for successful revitalization projects.
Through fiscal year 2014, each dollar of federal
brownfields funding leveraged $1 7.79 in addi-
tional investment. EPA's brownfields investments
leveraged more than $21.3 billion in cleanup
and redevelopment funding from a variety of
public and private sources. Local grantees also
report that through fiscal year 2014, brownfields
investments resulted in the creation of approxi-
mately 97,500 jobs. These national-level statis-
tics are reflective of local, community-based
efforts. Successful local brownfields and land
revitalization projects often are built by assem-
bling packages of funding and support from
many sources.
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The revitalization of brownfields is supported by other
federal agencies involved in improving economic
development, infrastructure, housing, transportation,
and sustainability efforts: The U.S. Economic Develop-
ment Administration (EDA) for economic development
and manufacturing expansion; HUD for community
development and affordable housing in brownfields-
impacted communities, and for economic resilience
projects; the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for
the deployment of renewable energy on brownfields;
the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for
upgrading infrastructure for more connected and
mobile communities; the U.S. Department of Agricul-
ture (USDA) for urban forestry, urban agriculture,
and community facilities in small and rural communi-
ties; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for waterfront
brownfields redevelopment; the Small Business
Administration (SBA) for small business development
on vacant and blighted sites; the National Endowment
for the Arts (NEA) for creative placemaking on
brownfield properties; and others in the federal family
that have a stake in the betterment of communities.
For the most effective and efficient remediation of
brownfields, efforts between federal, state, local, and
private organizations must be coordinated. The role of
the local city government and surrounding community
is especially important, since local governments are
in the best position to prioritize sites most in need of
revitalization, encourage private sector participation,
and serve as a champion for other stakeholders. Local
financing tools can include loans, loan guarantees,
revolving loan funds, bond financing, tax abatements/
credits, tax increment financing (TIFs), grants, and the
provision or improvement of public infrastructure. Still,
the often complex package of resources that must
be assembled to support brownfields redevelopment
often begins with identifying and mobilizing resources
offered to local governments through the federal
government, either directly or through the states.
The 2015 Edition of the Brownfields Federal Programs
Guide
This guide is intended to help local governments,
nonprofit organizations, and other entities involved
in brownfields redevelopment navigate the web of
financial and technical assistance available from the
federal government. The 2015 Brownfields Federal
Programs Guide is a compendium of the technical
assistance and financial resources available from
federal agencies for brownfields and land revital-
ization projects. It also includes information about
assistance available through federal tax incentives and
encourages communities to explore state tax credits,
loans, loan guarantees, and other incentives.
The 2075 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide updates
the 2013 edition. There were relatively few significant
changes to programs listed in the previous version of
the guide, but a few new programs were added and a
few were eliminated. Here are some of the highlights:
> The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
awarded a third round of Area-Wide Planning grants
in FY 2015. These grants encourage communi-
ties to put together a redevelopment plan and
implementation strategy to address an area or
neighborhood with several brownfields by engaging
members of the community, assessing infrastructure,
conducting market studies, and creating a plan for
phased development of the entire area. ERA plans to
continue awarding AWP grants in the coming years.
EPA plans to award the next round of Brownfields
Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grants in FY 2016. The
Agency currently awards RLF grants every two years,
while continuing to issue a Request for Proposals
(RFP) for Brownfields Assessment and Cleanup
grants every year.
Information on grants and technical assistance
resources available through EPA's Office of Sustain-
able Communities is a new addition to this edition
of the guide. The Office of Sustainable Communi-
ties works with local, state and national experts
to promote development strategies that protect
human health and the environment, foster economic
opportunities, and provide attractive and affordable
neighborhoods for people of all income levels.
This 2015 version of the guide also includes
information on financial assistance offered
through the EPA Office of Water's Urban Waters
Small Grants program. The goal of this program
is to fund research, investigations, experiments,
training, surveys, studies, and demonstrations that
will advance the restoration of urban waters by
improving water quality through activities that also
support community revitalization and other local
priorities.
> The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a new
Rural Business Development Grant program that
promotes sustainable economic development in
rural areas with exceptional needs. USDA's new
Strategic Economic and Community Develop-
ment program will reserve up to 10 percent of the
funds appropriated to certain rural development
programs each fiscal year to fund projects that
support implementation of strategic economic and
community development plans across multi-jurisdic-
tional areas.
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The Department of Commerce's Economic
Development Administration renewed its
commitment to strengthening American innovation
with the Regional Innovation Strategies program.
This program aims to spur innovation and capacity-
building activities in communities across the nation
by helping them develop regional innovation
strategies, create and expand science and research
parks, and launch new businesses. It is the latest
of several EDA grant-based programs aimed at
spurring private capital investment and long-term
job creation in economically distressed areas,
particularly small towns and rural areas.
The Department of Housing and Urban
Development created the Office of Economic
Resilience. This office replaces the former Office
of Sustainable Housing and Communities, and
currently oversees HDD's sustainable communities
programs, including the HUD/DOT/EPA Partnership
for Sustainable Communities Initiative. Creation
of this new office underscores HUD's increased
emphasis on job creation and strong economies as
the driving force behind sustainable communities.
Federal Tax Incentives: There were several
changes to federal tax incentives since the 2013
edition of the guide. The Brownfields Expensing
Tax Incentive lapsed in December 2011, but this
guide includes basic information about the incentive
for your information. Congress did not include an
extension of the provision in the American Taxpayer
Relief Act of 2012, so it was not eligible for extension
in the Tax Increase Prevention Act that passed in
December 2014. Thus, this incentive no longer is
in effect. Prospects for an independent reauthoriza-
tion of the brownfields expensing tax incentive are
remote at this time. Also, two tax provisions that
were offered to encourage energy conservation
and renewable energy were allowed to expire. The
Residential Energy Conservation Subsidy Exclusion is
no longer available, and the Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy tax credits were renewed only
through 2014.
USING THIS GUIDE
The entry for each federal agency or organization
describes its mission and its connection to brownfields
and lists the programs that provide technical or
financial assistance relevant to brownfields. Descrip-
tions of eligibility requirements, availability, and
uses and applications, as well as restrictions on
use or eligibility, are included where applicable.
"Snapshots" illustrate brownfields projects that
successfully leveraged funding from these programs
and are included to show how resources from federal
programs stimulate brownfields cleanup and redevel-
opment throughout the country. The section on
"Federal Tax Incentives and Credits" describes options
for using federal tax incentives for brownfields cleanup
and revitalization.
In addition to the federal resources discussed in this
guide, communities are encouraged to build state
and local partnerships and explore opportunities to
work with local, regional, and national philanthropic
organizations on brownfields-related projects. Tapping
into these additional sources of funding and expertise
often can provide the additional resources that a
brownfields project needs to succeed. EPA encourages
stakeholders to think broadly about brownfields
projects and take advantage of the numerous sources
of support available for technical and financial
assistance. For additional information and assistance,
contact your EPA Regional Brownfields Coordinator
(http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/contacts.htm) or
your EPA Regional Land Revitalization Coordinator
(http://www.epa.gov/landrevitalization/contactus.htm).
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Overview of Brownfields Federal Programs
Appalachian Regional
Commission
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Grants through state programs
for economic development and
brownfields redevelopment.
Technical assistance to address
brownfields, including mine-scarred
lands, in the 13 Appalachian states.
Department of Agriculture,
Rural Development
Loan guarantees for rural businesses.
Loans for small businesses.
Rural business development grants.
Grants for strategic planning and
visioning and multi-jurisdictional
planning.
Grants to accelerate job creation in
rural communities.
Grants and loans to develop
community facilities.
Grants and loans to develop water
and waste disposal systems in rural
areas.
Renewable energy grants.
Grants to promote local food and
farmers markets.
Technical assistance for rural businesses.
Technical assistance for strategic
planning and community visioning for
economic development.
Department of Agriculture,
U.S. Forest Service
Financial assistance to plant and
maintain trees for beautification or
remediation of brownfields.
Technical assistance for planting trees on
mine-scarred lands and for phytoreme-
diation.
Technical assistance for planting trees for
open space, parks, and land conserva-
tion projects.
Assistance to rural and urban communi-
ties applying for USDA grants.
Department of Commerce,
Economic Development
Administration
Grants for infrastructure and
facilities in distressed areas.
Grants for regional economic
development planning.
Grants to support innovation-centric
economic sectors that support
commercialization and entrepre-
neurship, and cluster development.
Economic adjustment grants.
Assistance with economic development
planning.
Promote innovative approaches to
economic development.
Strengthen linkage between economic
development and environmental quality.
Department of Commerce,
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
Matching funds to state/local
governments to purchase
threatened coastal and estuarine
lands.
Assistance with the restoration of
contaminated coastal sites.
Special projects relating to coastal
resource management.
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FEDERAL AGENCY
Department of Defense,
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
NANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Congressionally mandated water
resource civic works.
CHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Reimbursable water- and land-related
engineering technical assistance.
Watershed and ecosystem planning
support for states.
Centers of expertise.
Department of Defense,
Office of Economic Adjustment
Grants for planning for the redevel-
opment of closed military facilities.
Assistance with planning for the redevel-
opment of closed military facilities.
Department of Energy
Grants for energy efficiency and
renewable energy projects.
Loans for the development of
advanced technology, energy-
efficient vehicles.
Research to reduce building energy use.
Facilitating the beneficial reuse of
former brownfields into energy parks
and facilities that design and produce
renewable energy technologies.
Feasibility studies for renewable energy
projects.
Department of Health and
Human Services, Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry
Grants to assess health issues
associated with redevelopment plans.
Limited health pilot awards for
brownfield and reuse sites.
Technical assistance to public health
agencies.
Assistance to review and assess environ-
mental sampling data and other site data.
Health-related information sharing in
reviewing environmental assessment data.
Tools to help make health part of the land
renewal process.
Department of Health and
Human Services, National
Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences
Grants to develop health and safety
training programs.
Research grants to seek solutions to
health and environmental issues.
Training workers for hazardous materials
handling and disaster preparedness.
Advanced technology training program.
Training for minority workers in environ-
mental restoration.
Department of Health and
Human Services, Office of
Community Services
Job training program grants.
Grants to small communities for
training and technical assistance for
rural water facilities.
Assistance to community develop-
ment corporations.
Technical assistance for rural water
facilities.
Department of Housing and
Urban Development
Nationwide block grants for
community development.
Loan guarantees for community
development.
Affordable housing block grants.
Lead-based paint abatement grants.
Grants to integrate housing and
transportation components into
environmentally friendly develop-
ments.
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FEDERAL AGENCY
Department of the Interior,
National Park Service
NANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Transfer of surplus federal land to
state and local governments for
park creation.
CHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Technical assistance for conservation and
recreation projects.
Department of the Interior,
Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement
Grants to reclaim streams affected
by acid mine drainage.
Grants to states and tribes to
reclaim abandoned mine lands.
Technical assistance and capacity-
building for watershed development.
Watershed remediation internships.
Department of Labor
Job training grants.
Technical assistance to states, localities
and community organizations on
workforce development.
Technical assistance to states on readiness
for brownfields redevelopment job needs.
Department of Transportation,
Federal Highway
Administration
Grants for transportation projects
and planning.
Grants for air quality improvement
and congestion mitigation.
Grants for transportation enhance-
ments and alternatives, such as
bicycle and pedestrian paths.
Technical assistance for long-range
transportation planning.
Department of Transportation,
Federal Transit Administration
Grants for public transportation
capital projects in urban and rural
areas.
Grants for new and expanded rail,
bus, and ferry systems and facilities.
Grants to replace, rehabilitate, and
purchase buses and related facilities.
Grants for repairing and upgrading
the nation's rail transit systems and
high-intensity motor bus systems.
Technical assistance to transit agencies
working with other state and local
governmental agencies on transit
projects involving brownfields.
Department of Transportation,
Office of the Secretary
Grants for major transportation
projects that will enhance economic
competitiveness and livability.
Environmental Protection
Agency
Grants for brownfields assessment
and cleanup, and for capitalizing
revolving loan funds for brownfields
cleanup.
Grants for area-wide planning.
Grants for environmental workforce
development and job training.
Grants to states and tribes to
enhance response and brownfields
programs.
Targeted brownfields assessments.
Loans for water quality improve-
ment projects, including drinking
water.
Grants for projects to restore local
urban water quality.
Brownfields and Land Revitalization
Technology Support Center.
Information dissemination on use of
innovative technologies.
Technical assistance to brownfields
communities.
Technical assistance targeted for
capacity-building to implement stustain-
able strategies.
Support for development and implemen-
tation of action plans to promote local
food and downtown revitalization.
Technical assistance for smart growth
implementation.
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Federal Housing Finance
Agency
Loans for housing and economic
development that benefit low- and
moderate-income families.
Loans and grants for affordable
housing.
CHNICAL ASSISTANCE
General Services
Administration
Assistance to match underused federal
properties and surplus federally owned
brownfields with local revitalization
objectives.
Small Business Administration
Loans to small businesses to invest
in major fixed assets, such as land
and buildings.
Loans to small businesses for
general business purposes.
Technical assistance for small business
development.
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This section outlines the key programs and incentives
offered by the federal government that can be used
to support brownfield projects. Organized by agency,
each entry provides a general description of the
agency's overall mission and identifies the resources
(financial assistance and technical assistance) that are
available. Contact information is provided for each.
When considering potential sources of assistance
for brownfield efforts, keep in mind that many
federal programs may not specifically use the term
"brownfields." Nevertheless, they still may offer
resources applicable for brownfields cleanup and
redevelopment.
Brownfield-related resources are outlined for the
following federal agencies:
Appalachian Regional Commission
Department of Agriculture—Rural Development Mission Area
Department of Agriculture—United States Forest Service
Department of Commerce—Economic Development Administration
Department of Commerce—National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of Defense—U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Department of Defense—Office of Economic Adjustment
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services—Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Department of Health and Human Services—National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Department of Health and Human Services—Office of Community Services
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of the Interior—National Park Service
Department of the Interior—Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
Department of Labor
Department of Transportation—Federal Highway Administration
Department of Transportation—Federal Transit Administration
Department of Transportation—Office of the Secretary
Environmental Protection Agency
Federal Housing Finance Agency
General Services Administration
Small Business Administration
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Appalachian Regional Commission
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC)
mission is to be a strategic partner and advocate
for sustainable economic and community develop-
ment in Appalachia. ARC's membership comprises
the governors of the 13 Appalachian Mountain states
and a federal co-chair appointed by the president.
Each year, the governors elect one of their members
to serve as state co-chair. Grassroots participation is
provided through local development districts, multi-
county agencies with boards composed of elected
officials, business people, and other local leaders.
Congress appropriates funds annually, which ARC
allocates among its member states.
Brownfields Connections
ARC's strategic plan seeks to raise awareness of and
leverage support for the reclamation and reuse of
brownfields. Brownfields are a key element of ARC's
Asset-Based Development initiative. ARC has awarded
numerous grants for brownfields-related projects since
1965, including 2013 grants in Lenoir City, Tennessee,
and Anderson County, South Carolina. The former
grant is funding relocation of a water line to allow for
brownfield remediation and redevelopment. Lenoir
City used 2014 EPA brownfields assessment grant
funds to assess the site and develop a concept plan.
The latter grant, co-funded with local resources, an
EPA 2008 brownfields assessment grant, and a 2010
cleanup grant, is accelerating redevelopment of the
Toxaway Street Mill site in Anderson County. The
project will remove 2,000 tons of debris, thus clearing
the way for the 14-acre brownfield site to be capped
with 16,500 cubic yards of fill dirt.
ARC also participated in the Brownfields Federal
Partnership and Mine-Scarred Lands (MSL) Working
Group. Although this working group has been
dormant since 2005, ARC anticipates renewing joint
activities with the U.S. Department of the Interior's
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforce-
ment.
In addition, ARC supports the Appalachian Regional
Reforestation Initiative, which since 2004 has
encouraged the restoration of high-quality forests
on reclaimed surface coal mines in Appalachia. ARC
is participating in the most recent phase of the U.S.
Department of Commerce's Investing in Manufactur-
ing Communities Partnership (IMCP), an Adminis-
tration-wide initiative to accelerate the resurgence
of manufacturing and help communities cultivate
an environment for businesses to create well-paying
manufacturing jobs in cities across the country.
The Northwest Georgia region and the Tennessee
Valley are two of the 12 designated manufacturing
communities.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Area Development Program
The Area Development Program promotes a diversi-
fied regional economy through strategies that help
communities create and retain businesses and jobs;
develop an educated, skilled workforce; create access
to affordable, quality health care; and support the
development and improvement of infrastructure,
including water and sewer services and Internet
access. Grants are awarded to projects that further the
four goals in ARC's strategic plan:
• Increase job opportunities and per capita income in
Appalachia to reach parity with the nation.
• Strengthen the capacity of the people of Appalachia
to compete in the global economy.
• Develop and improve Appalachia's infrastructure to
make the region economically competitive.
• Build the Appalachian Development Highway System
to reduce Appalachia's isolation.
Most ARC grants originate at the state level. Potential
applicants should contact their state ARC program
manager to request a pre-application package. The
local development district serving the county in which
the project is located also may provide guidance on
a project's eligibility for funding and assistance in
preparing a grant application.
Eligibility Requirements: Typically, ARC grants are
awarded to state and local agencies and governmen-
tal entities (e.g., economic development authorities),
local governing boards (e.g., county councils), and
nonprofit organizations (e.g., schools and organiza-
tions that build low-cost housing).
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SNAPSHOT - WEST VIRGINIA DIVISION OF ENERGY
The West Virginia Division of Energy (WVDOE) received a $250,000 ARC grant to supplement $250,000
in local funding to support development of new uses for former surface-mined lands. Potential uses
include the production of wind and solar energy and establishment of biomass (trees and other crops).
Three competitively funded cost-share grants of up to $75,000 each will support project development
on surface-mined lands, and three studies will provide information to advance commercial wind de-
velopment. In addition, data will be collected and analyzed for the development of six plans for reuse
of former and existing surface mine land properties in West Virginia. WVDOE is using a competitive
selection process to select projects for participation in the cost-share grants.
Limitations: ARC funding is limited to projects in 420
designated counties in the 13 Appalachian states.
ARC focuses resources on distressed counties and
designated distressed areas. Because individual states
may limit ARC funding to specific areas, applicants
should consult ARC program managers for informa-
tion on their state's ARC funding priorities. ARC
expects grantees to contribute matching resources
to projects to the extent they are able to do so, and
to seek additional non-ARC funding assistance in a
diligent manner. ARC has specific requirements for
matching funds; individual states may have additional
requirements. State ARC program managers or local
development districts can provide information about
state matching requirements.
Availability: All applicants considering brownfields
redevelopment activities should contact their ARC
State Program Manager to request pre-application
information.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Planning and technical assistance to address
brownfields problems.
• Infrastructure needed to convert brownfields to new
economic uses.
• Conversion of obsolete industrial sites to public
purposes.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Mine-Scarred Lands Working Group
ARC participated in the MSL Working Group, which
was established in 2003 as a component of the
Brownfields Federal Partnership. To learn about
mine-scarred lands challenges and how federal, state,
and local entities can work together, the MSL Working
Group identified six demonstration projects, including
three in Appalachian coal communities: Hazleton,
Pennsylvania; Lee County, Virginia; and Kanawha
County, West Virginia. Details on these pilot projects
are provided in Mine-Scarred Lands Revitalization:
Models through Partnerships (Publication Number:
EPA-560-R-05-003, September/October 2005).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Molly Theobald
Director, Program Operations
Appalachian Regional Commission
1666 Connecticut Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20009-1068
202-884-7767
mtheobald@arc.gov
Main Site
http: 7/www. a re. g ov
ARC State Program Managers
http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeld= 13
Local Development District Contacts
http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeld = 20
ARC-Designated Distressed Counties
http://www.arc.gov/funding/ARCDistressedCounties-
Grants.asp
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Department of Agriculture—
Rural Development Mission Area
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
RESOURCES
Mission
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural
Development Mission Area is committed to helping
improve the economy and quality of life in all of
rural America by providing financial programs to
support essential public and private facilities and
services such as water and sewer systems, housing,
health clinics, emergency service facilities, and
electric and telephone service. Rural Development
promotes economic development by providing loans
to businesses through banks and community-managed
lending pools, while also helping communities partici-
pate in community empowerment programs.
USDA is in a key position to support activities that are
critical to community brownfields revitalization efforts.
USDA's Rural Development Office operates a variety of
programs that rural communities can find useful when
undertaking redevelopment projects, and nearly all of
the following programs can contribute to brownfields
projects: (1) Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
Improvements Program; (2) housing programs; (3)
community facilities programs; (4) business programs;
(5) Cooperative programs; (6) electric programs;
(7) telecommunication programs; (8) water and
environment programs; (9) community development
programs; and (10) utilities programs.
The USDA Rural Development programs are adminis-
tered on a state-by-state basis and through districts
within each state. Identifying a State Director's Office
and local contact will facilitate access and help in
applying for grants and loans from the various Rural
Development programs. (See http://www.rurdev.usda.
gov/StateOfficeAddresses.htmI to find individual State
Director's Office websites and contact information.)
Brownfields Connections
• Grants, loans, and loan guarantee assistance for
a variety of business, commercial, and industrial
brownfields redevelopment projects in small towns
and rural areas.
• Support for the installation and improvement of
critical infrastructure needed to support economic
development in brownfields-impacted communities.
• Financing for the construction of key public facilities.
Financial Assistance
Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program
(Rural Development's Rural Business-Cooperative
Service)
The Business and Industry (B&l) Guaranteed Loan
Program provides financial backing for rural businesses.
The program guarantees up to 80 percent of a loan
made by commercial lenders to businesses located in
rural areas. The program is administered at the state
level by USDA Rural Development state offices.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
cooperatives, corporations, partnerships, trusts and
other for-profit or nonprofit entities; Indian tribes; and
municipalities, counties, and other local governments.
The loans are normally available in rural areas, which
include all areas other than cities or towns of more
than 50,000 people and the contiguous and adjacent
urbanized area of these cities or towns.
Availability: The maximum loan guarantee is $25
million. Repayment schedules for real estate loans
are not to exceed 30 years. Equipment loans are not
to exceed 15 years. Working capital is not to exceed
seven years.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Pollution control and abatement.
• Construction of businesses, real estate development,
conversion, repair, modernization, enlargement, etc.
• Purchase of machinery, equipment, supplies,
working capital, land, easements, rights-of-way, etc.
• Debt refinancing.
http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/business-
industry- loan-guarantees
Intermediary Relending Program (Rural Develop-
ment's Rural Business-Cooperative Service)
The purpose of the Intermediary Relending Program
(IRP) is to alleviate poverty and increase economic
activity and employment in rural communities through
loans made to intermediaries that establish programs
for providing loans to ultimate recipients for business
and community developments in a rural area.
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The IRP capitalizes locally managed revolving loan
funds for small businesses unable to secure adequate
bank financing on their own. Similar to the B&l
program, resources from the IRP can be used for real
estate and equipment purposes.
Eligibility Requirements: Intermediaries may be
private nonprofit corporations, public agencies, Indian
tribes, or cooperatives with at least 51 percent rural
membership. The loans are normally available in rural
areas, which include all areas other than cities or
towns of more than 50,000 people and the contiguous
and adjacent urbanized area of these cities or towns.
Availability: An intermediary may receive up to $1
million under its first financing and up to $1 million
at a time thereafter, with total indebtedness not to
exceed $15 million. Loans to intermediaries are
scheduled for repayment over a period of 30 years.
The interest rate on loans for intermediaries is one
percent per year.
Uses/Applications Include (all apply to loans
from intermediaries to ultimate recipients):
• Pollution control and abatement.
• Establishment of new businesses or expansion of
existing business, purchase of land, equipment,
leasehold improvements, and machinery, etc.
• Working capital, feasibility studies, debt refinancing,
reasonable fees and charges.
• Development of educational institutions, hotels,
motels, and tourist recreation facilities.
• Creation of employment opportunities or preserva-
tion of jobs.
• Support of community development projects.
http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/intermedi-
ary-relending-program
The Rural Business Development Grant Program
(Rural Development's Rural Business-Cooperative
Service)
The Rural Business Development Grants (RBDG)
program promotes sustainable economic develop-
ment in rural communities with exceptional needs.
Grants can be made for the identification and analysis
of business opportunities; the establishment of
support centers to assist with the creation of new rural
businesses; regional, community, and local economic
development planning; and other related training,
planning, and coordination efforts. RBDG is a compet-
itive grant designed to support targeted technical
assistance, training and other activities leading to the
development or expansion of small and emerging
private businesses (with fewer than 50 employees and
less than $1 million in gross revenues) in rural areas.
Programmatic activities are separated into enterprise
or opportunity type grant activities.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
rural public (governmental) entities, nonprofit corpora-
tions, and Indian tribes. Rural public entities include,
but are not limited to:
• Towns.
• Communities.
• State agencies.
• Authorities.
• Nonprofit corporations.
• Institutions of higher education.
• Federally recognized tribes.
• Rural cooperatives.
Availability: There is no maximum grant amount for
enterprise-type grants; however, smaller requests are
given higher priority. Generally, grants range from
$10,000 up to $500,000. There is no cost sharing
requirement. Opportunity-type grant funding is limited
to a maximum award of $50,000 for unreserved
funds. Total opportunity-type grant funding is limited
statutorily to up to 10 percent of the total RBDG
annual funding.
Uses/Applications Include: Enterprise-type grant
funds must be used on projects to benefit small and
emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the
grant application. Uses may include:
• Pollution control and abatement.
• Training and technical assistance, such as project
planning, business counseling/training, market
research, feasibility studies, professional/technical
reports, or product/service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or
rights of way; construction, conversion, or renovation
of buildings, plants, machinery, equipment, access
streets and roads, parking areas, or utilities.
• Capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds
that will make loans for startups and working capital.
• Distance adult learning for job training and
advancement.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide | 5
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• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.
Opportunity-type grant funding must be used for
projects in rural areas, such as:
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.
http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-
business-development-grants
The Strategic Economic and Community Develop-
ment Program (Rural Development)
Through the Strategic Economic and Community
Development Program (SECD) program, USDA
enables communities to realize their long-term goals
through provision of technical assistance and grants
that support strategic planning and community
visioning to provide a foundation for economic
development. Through this program, USDA will
reserve up to 10 percent of the funds appropriated to
certain Rural Development programs each fiscal year
to fund projects that support the implementation of
strategic economic and community development plans
across multi-jurisdictional areas. The programs from
which funds will be reserved are:
• Community Facility Loans.
• Fire and Rescue and Other Small Community
Facilities Projects.
• Community Facilities Grant Program.
• Community Programs Guaranteed Loans.
• Water and Waste Disposal Programs Guaranteed
Loans.
• Water and Waste Loans and Grants.
• Business and Industry Guaranteed Loanmaking and
Servicing.
• Rural Business Development Grants.
Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible for the reserved
funds, projects must first be eligible for funding under
the programs from which the funds are reserved.
Link pending but see: http://www.rd.usda.gov/
about-rd/initiatives/communitv-economic-development
The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant
Program (Rural Development's Rural Business-
Cooperative Service)
The Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant
(REDLG) program provides funding to rural projects
through local utility organizations. Under the loan
program, intermediaries that have or have had a
borrowing relationship with Rural Development's Rural
Utility Service can receive zero-interest loans that are
passed through to rural small businesses to assist
business and create new jobs or retain existing jobs.
The grant program provides grant funds to interme-
diaries to establish revolving loan funds for use in
making loans to rural small businesses for the creation
and retention of viable jobs in rural areas.
Eligibility Requirements: To receive funding (which
is forwarded to selected eligible projects) under the
REDLG program, an entity must:
• Have borrowed and repaid or pre-paid an insured,
direct, or guaranteed loan received under the Rural
Electrification Act.
• Be a not-for-profit utility that is eligible to receive
assistance from the Rural Development Electric or
Telecommunication Program.
• Be a current Rural Development Electric or Telecom-
munication Program borrower.
Availability: The maximum funding for a loan is
$2,000,000. The maximum funding for a grant to
establish a revolving loan fund is $300,000. During
FY2014, approximately $91 million was available for
loans and $10 million for grants.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Community development, purchase of real estate/
buildings, facilities and equipment for education/
training/rural medical care.
• Industrial development parks.
• Business incubators or expansion.
• Revolving loan funds.
http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-
economic-development-loan-grant- program
Community Facilities Program: Guaranteed Loans,
Direct Loans, and Grants (Rural Development's Rural
Housing Service)
USDA provides grants and loan guarantees for
commercial lending that will develop essential
community facilities, including public safety and
hospital facilities, for communities with populations of
up to 20,000 people. The direct loan program does
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the same thing, except that USDA functions as the
lender. In either case, the loans can run for up to 40
years or for the useful life of the facility (if less than 40
years). In the case of distressed rural communities that
cannot qualify for a private or USDA loan for essential
community facilities, USDA Rural Development can
make grants.
Eligibility Requirements: Community Facilities
Programs can make and guarantee loans to develop
essential community facilities in rural areas and towns
of up to 20,000 in population. Loans and guarantees
are available to public entities such as municipalities,
counties, and special-purpose districts, as well as to
nonprofit corporations and tribal governments. Grants
also are available to public entities, special-purpose
districts, and nonprofit corporations and tribal govern-
ments.
Availability: The amount of grant assistance for
project costs depends upon the median household
income, the population in the community where the
project is located, and the availability of grant funds. In
most instances, projects that receive grant assistance
have a high priority and are highly leveraged with
other loan and grant awards. Grant assistance may
be available for up to 75 percent of project costs.
Grant funding limitations are based on population and
income, economic feasibility, and availability of funds.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Constructing, enlarging, or improving community
facilities for health care, public safety, and public
services.
http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/
com m unity- facilities-guaranteed-loan-program
Wafer and Waste Disposal Direct Loans, Loan
Guarantees, and Grants (Rural Developments Rural
Utilities Service)
USDA Rural Development offers several programs
aimed at developing, repairing, or improving water
and waste disposal systems in rural areas with popula-
tions of 10,000 or less. These programs can be used
to support industrial activities. The loans can run up
to 40 years with interest dependent upon the median
household income of the borrower.
Eligibility: Funds are available to public bodies,
nonprofit corporations and Indian tribes.
Availability: Rural Development made $1,000,000
available for competitive grants in FY 2014. The
maximum amount of financing to eligible entities is
$100,000, which must be repaid within 10 years.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Construction and improvement of water and waste
facilities.
• Land acquisition.
• Legal fees and engineering fees.
• Equipment and initial operation and maintenance
costs.
http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/water-
waste-disposal-loan-grant-program
Guaranteed Loans and Grants
Rural Energy for America Program (Rural Develop-
ment's Rural Business-Cooperative Service)
The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP)
has loan guarantees and competitive grant funds
available to purchase renewable energy systems and
make energy efficiency improvements for agricul-
tural producers and rural small businesses to reduce
energy costs and consumption.
Eligibility: For energy audits and renewable energy
development assistance, state, tribal, and local govern-
ments; land grant colleges, universities, and other
institutions of higher learning; rural electric coopera-
tives and public power entities; and the National
Resources Defense Council and other councils are
eligible to receive assistance under conservation
programs administered by USDA. Guaranteed loan
and grant eligibility is limited to rural small businesses
and agricultural producers. An agricultural producer
is an individual or entity directly engaged in the
production of agricultural products (crops, livestock,
forestry products, hydroponics, nursery, and aquacul-
ture) whereby 50 percent or greater of their gross
income is derived from the operations.
Availability: REAP includes grants of up to $500,000
for renewable energy systems and grants of up to
$250,000 for energy efficiency improvements. Loans
for renewable energy systems have a maximum
of $25 million. Repayment terms for the loans for
real estate must not exceed 30 years, and loans for
machinery and equipment must not exceed 15 years.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Renewable energy systems.
• Energy efficiency improvements.
• Renewable energy development assistance.
• Energy audits.
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide | 7
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http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/
rural-energy-america-program-energy-audit-
renewable-energy-development-assistance
http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/
rural-energy-am erica-program-renewable-energy-
systems-energy-efficiency
Other USDA Programs
The Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion
Program (Agricultural Marketing Service)
According to USDA, approximately 2,686 farmers
markets operated in the U.S. in 2014, more than
double the number 10 years ago. Throughout the
country, communities are responding to this trend by
transforming contaminated properties into locations
where communities can grow and buy food locally. The
Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program
includes two competitive grant programs: the Farmers
Market Promotion Program (FMPP) and Local Food
Promotion Program (LFPP). The goals of FMPP grants
are to increase domestic consumption of and access to
locally and regionally produced agricultural products,
and to develop new market opportunities for farm and
ranch operations serving local markets by developing,
improving, expanding, and providing outreach, training,
and technical assistance to, or assisting in the develop-
ment, improvement, and expansion of, domestic farmers
markets, roadside stands, community-supported agricul-
ture programs, agritourism activities, and other direct
producer-to-consumer market opportunities.
Eligibility Requirements: All applicants must be
domestic entities owned, operated, and located within
the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands. Eligible entities include agricultural
businesses and cooperatives, community-supported
agriculture networks and associations, economic
development corporations, local governments, nonprofit
corporations, producer networks, producer associations,
public benefit corporations, regional famers market
authorities, and tribal governments.
Availability: The maximum award for an FMPP grant
is $100,000.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Bring local farm products into federal nutrition
programs with electronic benefits transfer technology
at direct-market outlets.
• Raise customer awareness of local foods through
promotion and outreach.
• Educate farmers and growers in marketing, business
planning, and similar topics.
• Increase market awareness through advertising and
branding efforts.
• Purchase eguipment, such as refrigerated trucks, or
eguipmentfor a commercial kitchen for value-added
products.
http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/fmpp
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
See http://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/
all-programs for a list of all USDA Rural Develop-
ment Programs, many of which may be applicable to
brownfields development.
Holly Fliniau
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Environmental Management Division
740 Simms Street, Room 309
Golden CO 80401
303-275-5547
holly.fliniau@ogc.usda.gov
Main Site
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov
State Contacts
http://www.rurdev.usda.aov/StateOfficeAddresses.html
SNAPSHOT - OGDEN, IOWA
Ogden, Iowa, opened a new medical center in early 2014. Built on three centrally located brown-
field properties in the downtown commercial district, the new building housing the medical center
became the cornerstone of Ogden's Main Street revitalization. Financing for the $850,000 development
came from a variety of sources, including a USDA Rural Economic Development Loan Grant for up to
$300,000 and a $500,000 grant from a local philanthropy. The project spawned reuse of the buildings
around it, which include a bank, nurse practitioner's office, flower shop, photography studio, and other
businesses.
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Department of Agriculture-
United States Forest Service
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain
the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's
forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present
and future generations. The Forest Service manages
a system of 154 National Forests and 20 National
Grasslands for the public good (totalling 193 million
acres); provides technical and financial assistance to
state and local agencies, tribes, communities, and
private landowners; conducts research and delivers
knowledge and technology on all aspects of forestry,
rangeland management, and forest resource utiliza-
tion; and provides international assistance for the
protection and management of the world's forest
resources.
Forest Service Cooperative Forestry programs,
delivered through state forestry agencies, provide
information and assistance to communities involved in
brownfield projects. These programs help communities
manage natural resources to enhance forest health
and ecosystem services and to promote community
resilience and economic development. Forest Service
research provides information on brownfields remedi-
ation and ecological rehabilitation.
Brownfields Connections
• Technical and financial assistance for integrat-
ing natural infrastructure into redevelopment and
brownfields reuse projects in 50 states, the District
of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and affiliated Pacific
Island Nations through the state forestry agencies.
• Technical assistance for afforestation and ecological
restoration associated with redeveloping brownfields
located in rural and urban communities, or near
mine-scarred lands.
• Technical, financial, and educational assistance
for communities that want to convert existing
brownfields into natural open space, parks, or
tree-covered parks, or to conduct other land conser-
vation projects to increase access to nature.
• Assistance to rural and urban brownfields communi-
ties in applying for US DA grants and loans.
RESOURCES
Financial and Technical Assistance
Urban and Community Forestry Program
The Urban and Community Forestry Program (UCF)
is a cooperative program of the U.S. Forest Service
that focuses on the stewardship of urban natural
resources. UCF responds to the needs of urban
areas by maintaining, restoring, and improving
forest ecosystems on more than 130 million acres
of urban land. Through these efforts, the program
encourages and promotes the creation of healthier,
more livable urban environments across the nation.
Urban forests, which include urban parks, street
trees, landscaped boulevards, public gardens, river
and coastal promenades, greenways, river corridors,
wetlands, nature preserves, natural areas, shelter belts
of trees and working trees at industrial brownfield
sites, are dynamic ecosystems that provide environ-
mental services such as clean air and water. Trees cool
cities and save energy, improve air quality, reduce
stormwater runoff, strengthen local economies,
improve social connections that create restorative
commons to improve health and well-being, and
complement smart growth principles. UCF provides
financial and technical assistance to plan, protect,
establish, and manage and utilize trees, forests, and
related resources.
Eligibility Requirements: Local governments,
nonprofit organizations, community groups,
educational institutions, and tribal governments are
eligible for assistance. The program is delivered
through the state forestry agencies in the states,
District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and affiliated
Pacific Island Nations.
Availability: Funding depends upon annual congres-
sional appropriations.
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide | 9
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SNAPSHOT - RANDOLPH COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA
The 90-acre Barton Bench brownfield was mined for coal in the 1970s and is part of over 40,000 acres
acquired by the USFS in the 1980s. The ecological restoration of Barton Bench kicked off when The Wes-
Mon-Ty Resource Conservation and Development Project Inc. and the Monongahela National Forest
received $1 7,000 in grants through the West Virginia Brownfields program to address barriers to revital-
ization and plan for marketing implementation. The goal of ecological restoration was total naturaliza-
tion leading to a healthy watershed and native red spruce-northern hardwood ecosystem.
The USFS partnered with the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative and the Office of Surface
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to decompact soil and prepare the site for planting. This effort
led to additional partnerships with the Arbor Day Foundation to fund the purchase of native tree species
and with AmeriCorps to provide planting labor. An agreement with the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection helped fund vernal pool creation and wetland redesign. Ecological restoration
of Barton Bench kick-started restoration efforts in other areas. The USFS has since prepared and planted
over 100 additional acres, and prepared another 145 acres in 2014. Canaan Valley Institute construct-
ed a stream channel and over 130 wetlands on the recently prepared land, and plans to install more
than 62,000 native plants. Successful restoration at Barton Bench contributes to a larger effort to restore red
spruce-northern hardwood ecosystems across hundreds of thousands of acres in Central Appalachia.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Revitalizing city centers, older suburbs, and exurban
areas through green infrastructure planning.
• Planting, caring for, and using trees as part of
brownfields reuse.
• Restoring degraded rivers or other ecological
restoration activities.
• Planting trees for phytoremediation at brownfield
sites.
• Providing service learning for youth working in the
environment through partner programs.
http://www.fs.fed.us/ucf/
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
U.S. Forest Service
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20250
Janette Davis
Assistant Director, Cooperative Forestry
jkdavis@fs.fed. us
Beth Larry
National Program Leader, Urban Research
eblarry@fs.fed.us
Main Site
http://www.fs.fed.us/
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Department of Commerce—
Economic Development Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
RESOURCES
Mission
The Economic Development Administration (EDA)
provides grant-based investments to units of state
and local government and nonprofits in communities
and regions suffering from economic distress. EDA
assistance is available to rural and urban areas experi-
encing chronic high unemployment or underemploy-
ment, low per capita income, or a severe disruption to
the economic base of the community or region. EDA's
investments are intended to be catalytic, spurring
private capital investment and long-term job creation
by helping to build the regional capacity to support
bottom-up, regionally driven economic development
priorities. Traditionally, over half of all EDA resources
go to small towns and rural areas.
EDA encourages brownfields redevelopment through
its existing investment programs—often focused on the
"back-end" or redevelopment aspects of brownfield
projects. EDA's projects range from upfront economic
development planning efforts to multimillion-dollar
infrastructure improvements. Key brownfield activities
include physical infrastructure upgrades/demolition;
reuse of publicly owned buildings; redevelopment
plans; site-specific market feasibility studies; and the
capitalization of revolving loan funds (RLFs).
Between FY 2001 and FY 2014, EDA invested approxi-
mately $298 million in over 270 brownfield redevel-
opment projects (with an average investment of
roughly $1.1 million).
Brownfields Connections
• Funding for public works and infrastructure enhance-
ments relating to brownfields redevelopment.
• Funding for economic development planning
to economically distressed states, regions, and
communities impacted by brownfields.
• Funding for local technical assistance to help public
and nonprofit leaders with their economic develop-
ment decision-making.
• Funding to capitalize revolving loan funds for state
and local implementation of strategies to attract
private sector investment.
Financial Assistance
Public Works Program
EDA's Public Works (PW) funding enables communi-
ties to construct or rehabilitate public infrastructure
and facilities that are essential to job creation and
economic development. Grants can be provided to
support business incubators, industrial parks, and
utility infrastructure needed for a private development,
among other uses. Grants generally require a 50
percent local cost share.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants in
communities experiencing economic decline and distress
include Indian tribes or a consortium of tribes; states,
cities, or other political subdivisions of a state; nonprofit
organizations acting in cooperation with a political
subdivision; and institutions of higher education.
Limitations: Individuals orfor-profit private entities
are not eligible.
Availability: EDA allocated approximately $99
million for the Public Works and Economic Develop-
ment Facilities program in FY 2015. EDA has quarterly
rounds of funding for PW. See the EDA website at
http://www.eda.gov/funding-opportunities/ for specific
requirements.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Support for the construction or rehabilitation of
essential public infrastructure and facilities necessary to
generate or retain private sector jobs and investments.
Economic Adjustment Assistance Program
EDA's Economic Adjustment Assistance (EAA) funding
flexibly supports the design and/or implementation of
strategies (e.g., strategy development, infrastructure
construction, RLF capitalization/recapitalization) to
assist communities or regions that experienced or are
under threat of serious damage to their underlying
economic base. Grants generally require a 50 percent
local cost share.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants in
communities experiencing economic decline and
distress include Indian tribes or a consortium of
tribes; states, cities, or other political subdivisions of
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide 111
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a state; nonprofit organizations acting in cooperation
with a political subdivision; and institutions of higher
education.
Limitations: Individuals or for-profit private entities
are not eligible.
Availability: EDA allocated approximately $45 million
for the EAA program in FY 2015. EDA has quarterly
rounds of funding for EAA. See the EDA website at
http://www.eda.gov/funding-opportunities/ for specific
requirements.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Provides construction and nonconstruction assistance
(including public works, technical assistance,
economic recovery strategies, and RLF projects) in
regions experiencing severe economic dislocations
that occur suddenly or over time.
Planning Program
Planning program grants help regional organiza-
tions (Economic Development Districts, Indian tribes,
and other eligible areas) develop, implement, revise,
or replace comprehensive economic development
strategies (CEDS). A CEDS is a strategy-driven plan
for regional economic development, a result of a
"regionally owned" planning process designed to guide
the economic prosperity and resiliency of an area or
region. An EDA-approved CEDS is a prerequisite for
requesting an EDA-funded PW or EAA investment
(see above). EDA also provides limited planning-grant
assistance for short-term planning activities. Grants
generally require a 50 percent local cost share.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants in
communities experiencing economic decline and distress
include Indian tribes or a consortium of tribes; states,
cities, or other political subdivisions of a state; nonprofit
organizations acting in cooperation with a political
subdivision; and institutions of higher education.
Limitations: Individuals or for-profit private entities
are not eligible.
Availability: EDA allocated approximately $30 million
for the Planning program in FY 2015. EDA accepts
applications on a rolling basis for short-term planning.
For other planning activities, please contact the
appropriate EDA regional office. See the EDA website
at http://www.eda.gov/funding-opportunities/ for
specific requirements.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Develop, maintain, and implement CEDS and
related short-term planning activities.
• Integrate brownfields redevelopment into a CEDS.
Local Technical Assistance Program
The Local Technical Assistance program is designed
to provide focused assistance to public and nonprofit
leaders to help in economic development decision-
making (e.g., impact analyses, feasibility studies).
Grants generally require a 50 percent local cost share.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants in
communities experiencing economic decline and
distress include Indian tribes or a consortium of
tribes; states, cities, or other political subdivisions of
a state; nonprofit organizations acting in cooperation
with a political subdivision; and institutions of higher
education.
Limitations: Individuals or for-profit private entities
are not eligible.
Availability: EDA allocated approximately $11 million
to the Technical Assistance Program (which includes
National Technical Assistance) in FY 2015. EDA accepts
applications on a rolling basis for local technical
assistance. See the EDA website at http://www.eda.
gov/funding-opportunities/ for specific requirements.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Help communities inform their economic develop-
ment decision-making, including the feasibility/
impact of brownfields-related projects.
Regional Innovation Grants
Under the Regional Innovation grant program, EDA
provides funding under three separate competitions:
1. i6 Challenge
2. Science and Research Park Development Grants
3. Cluster Grants for Seed Capital Funds.
The Regional Innovation grant program supports EDA's
commitment to helping foster connected, innovation-
centric economic sectors that support commercializa-
tion and entrepreneurship. Funding provided through
these three competitions support capacity-building
activities that include Proof of Concept Centers and
Commercialization Centers as well as scaling of
existing commercialization programs and centers;
feasibility studies for the creation and expansion of
facilities such as science and research parks; and
opportunities to close the funding gap for early-stage
companies.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants include
states; Indian tribes; cities or other political subdivi-
sions of a state; nonprofit organizations, institutions
of higher education, public-private partnerships, science
or research parks, federal laboratories, or economic
development organizations or similar entities that are
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SNAPSHOT - MANCHESTER BIDWELL, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA
EDA provided a $1,132,800 grant to the Manchester-Bidwell Corporation and the Business & Industry
Development Corporation to help redevelop a Pittsburgh-area brownfield into the 63,000-square-foot
Harbor Gardens Park office building and adjacent 40,000-square-foot Drew Mathieson Center greenhouse
facility. This project transformed an underutilized property into a horticultural science education center and
greenhouse that provide educational and job training opportunities to the unemployed youth of inner city
Pittsburgh.
The Harbor Gardens office building and Drew Mathieson Center for Horticultural and Agricultural Technolo-
gy initially concentrated on orchid production, but over the last decade, evolved to offer programs in fields
ranging from horticulture to medical information technology records management. Today, the Manchester
Bidwell Corporation is a nationally accredited and state-licensed adult career training institution. A number
of individuals who were trained in horticultural science at the facility now work in commercial greenhouses.
supported by a state or a political subdivision of a state;
or a consortium of any of the entities described above.
Limitations: Individuals are not eligible.
Availability: In FY 2014, EDA allocated approxi-
mately $8 million for the i6 Challenge, $5 million for
Science and Research Park Development Grants, and
$2 million for Cluster Grants for Seed Funds. Awards
ranged from $250,000 to $500,000 per applicant.
See the EDA website at http://www.eda.gov/funding-
opportunities for specific requirements.
Uses/Applications Include:
• ;6 Challenge Grants: Support the creation of centers
for innovation and entrepreneurship that increase
the commercialization of innovations, ideas, intellec-
tual property, and research into viable companies.
• Science and Research Park Development Grants:
Support the entire lifecycle of commercialization,
from idea generation to business creation, through
startup and growth of a science or research park,
thereby significantly bolstering the health of the
regional economy.
• Cluster Grants for Seed funds: Support feasibility,
planning, formation, or launch of cluster-based seed
capital funds to be deployed in support of innova-
tion-based startups with a potential for high growth.
Other
EDA regularly uses a portion of its funding to support
multi-agency funding opportunities (e.g., Jobs and
Innovation Accelerator Challenge). These interagency
challenges provide strategic, catalytic funding for
competitive, high-potential regional partnerships that
accelerate cluster-based innovation and strengthen
capacity in a variety of areas (e.g., manufacturing,
commercialization). These initiatives leverage existing
financial and technical resources from EDA and other
federal agencies, allowing applicants to seek multiple
sources of federal funding from a single combined
federal funding opportunity. See http://www.eda.gov/
about/multi-agency-initiatives.htm for more informa-
tion.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Kenneth M. Kukovich
National Brownfields Coordinator
Room 71018 HCHB
1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20230
202-482-0806
kkukovich@eda.gov
David R. Ives, AICP
Sustainability Coordinator
Room 71030 HCHB
1401 Constitution Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20230
202-482-0529
dives@eda.gov
Main Site
http://www.eda.gov
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Department of Commerce—
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
RESOURCES
Mission
The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) works to
balance environmental and economic needs in coastal
communities.
Brownfields Connections
• Technical assistance to coastal state, territorial, and
local governments for coastal resource protection
and management relating to brownfields.
• Expertise to improve brownfields cleanup and
redevelopment and expedite decision-making.
• Programs that benefit local economies and improve
quality of life in coastal communities by applying
sustainable economic development programs.
• Local workshops sponsored by NOAA that focus on
brownfields revitalization efforts to help communities
gather input from all parties involved in the revital-
ization process, creating strong partnerships for
more efficient action.
• Strong partnerships with state coastal zone
management programs that help rebuild community
waterfronts and redevelop brownfields.
• Use of advanced marine transportation tools and
services to revitalize port areas.
• Partnerships with local communities and other
agencies to improve quality of life, the environment,
and regional economies.
• Training, guidance, and decision-making tools for
specific watersheds, ports, and harbors to assist
coastal communities with the assessment, cleanup,
and restoration of contaminated coastal sites
(including brownfields).
Outreach/Technical Assistance
National Ocean Service's Office of Response and
Restoration
NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) provides
science-based solutions through collaborative partner-
ships to address evolving economic, environmental,
and social pressures on our oceans and coasts. NOS
delivers the tools and services needed to understand
and respond to challenges along 95,000 miles of
shoreline and 3.5 million square miles of U.S. coastal,
Great Lakes, and deep-ocean waters. Thousands
of brownfields that once were thriving industrial
facilities are located along coastal waterfronts. With a
coastal focus and experience in solving environmental
challenges, several NOS programs provide resources
and technical assistance to coastal communities
that assist with brownfields cleanup and reuse. The
Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) provides
scientific support to the U.S. Coast Guard for spills
and coordinates with other agencies for hazardous
material releases to ensure protection and restora-
tion of its trust resources. OR&R also coordinates with
federal, state, and tribal natural resource trustees to
assess and restore degraded coastal resources and
the services they provide. Among its specialized skill
areas, OR&R forecasts the movement and behavior of
spilled oil and chemicals, evaluates risk to resources,
and recommends protective cleanup actions.
OR&R Assessment and Restoration Division (ARD)
also works with co-trustees and the EPA at federal
Superfund, state-lead cleanup sites, and brownfield
sites in various roles. ARD provides technical support
in contaminated site assessments, including contami-
nated sediment sites, ecological risk assessment,
site remediation, and natural resource restoration.
Through the NOAA Damage Assessment Remediation
and Restoration Program, natural resource damage
assessments are conducted to achieve compensa-
tion for lost services and restoration of coastal and
estuarine habitats. OR&R also coordinates NOAA's
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SNAPSHOT - DELAWARE RIVER URBAN WATERS FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP
NOAA is a co-lead federal agency for the Delaware River Urban Waters Federal Partnership site. This includes
the cities of Camden, N.J., Philadelphia, Pa., Chester, Pa., and Wilmington, Del. NOAA co-leads the Brown-
field Community of Practice, which focuses on brownfields revitalization efforts and practices at these
locations. Several brownfields redevelopment projects in this area have restored tidal and non-tidal wetlands,
shorelines, public access, stormwater functions, water quality, and other services directly beneficial to these
coastal communities as well as the larger Delaware Estuary. The Harrison Island landfill (Camden, N.J.)
estuarine habitat restoration project and the South Wilmington Wetlands (Wilmington, Del.) project, which sig-
nificantly reduced flooding impacts to the South Wilmington community, are sites where NOAA had specific
roles. The Community of Practice is discussing and evaluating ways to include an assessment/evaluation of
brownfields revitalization at a regional scale, looking at ecological and human connections between the
sites, and incorporating regional Delaware Estuary restoration goals into the planning. NOAA is providing
technical assistance for specific brownfields restoration sites and projects and facilitating regional collabora-
tion of brownfields efforts relative to the goals of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership.
participation in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership,
which is active in several urban coastal communities,
by promoting restoration of urban waters and coastal
resiliency.
Eligibility Requirements: OR&R coordinates with
federal and state trustee agencies.
Limitations: Assistance is limited based on agency
priorities.
Availability: Limited to sites that impact trust
resources.
http://www.response.restoration.noaa.gov
Uses/Applications Include: Projects are selected
based on OR&R's strategic priorities and available
funds.
Office for Coastal Management
The Office for Coastal Management was established
in 2014 when NOAA combined two offices: the
Coastal Services Center and the Office of Ocean and
Coastal Resource Management. This new office works
closely with the private sector, nonprofit organizations,
the scientific community, and state, local, and federal
governments on a wide range of issues and initiatives
designed to protect coastal and estuarine resources
and communities.
One key component of the Office for Coastal
Management is the Coastal and Estuarine Land
Conservation Program (CELCP). CELPC provides
matching funds to state and local governments to
purchase threatened coastal and estuarine lands or
obtain conservation easements. To be considered, the
land must be important ecologically or possess other
coastal conservation values, such as historic features,
scenic views, or recreational opportunities. Since
2002, CELPC has protected more than 100,000 acres.
Many CELCP projects also protect critical habitat for
species under NOAA's jurisdiction under the Coral
Reef Conservation Act, Endangered Species Act, and
Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation Act.
Eligibility Requirements: Coastal states with
approved coastal zone management plans or
National Estuarine Research Reserves are eligible
to participate in the CELCR State participation is
voluntary, and states may choose to participate by
developing a Coastal and Estuarine Conservation
Plan for approval by NOAA.
Limitations: Projects are selected based on CELCP's
national priorities.
Availability: Assistance is limited based on agency
priorities and availability of funds.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Smart Growth initiatives.
• Brownfields information outreach.
http://coast.noaa.gov
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Michel Gielazyn, Ph.D.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Office of Response & Restoration/Assessment and
Restoration Division
263 13th Ave. South
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
michel.gielazyn(g)noaa.gov
Main Site
http://www.response.restoration.noaa.gov
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Department of Defense-
Li.S. Army Corps of Engineers
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USAGE) provides
assistance for the development and management
of the nation's water resources in an environmen-
tally sustainable, economic, and technically sound
manner. USAGE provides comprehensive planning,
design, construction, engineering management,
and technical support to the Army and to the nation.
In addition, USAGE responds to engineering-related
brownfields questions and project inquiries from any
community within the U.S. and its territories for major
water resource-related endeavors. USAGE will guide
communities to appropriate congressional contacts for
authorization and appropriation support for individual
projects.
Brownfields Connections
• Reimbursable technical services are provided to other
federal agencies engaged in brownfields activities
targeted to local governments. Such services align
water resources development and management
efforts with community brownfields objectives.
• Implementation of civil works water resource
projects emphasizes integrated and sustainable
systems-based solutions for ecosystem restoration,
inland and coastal navigation, and flood and storm
damage reduction—targeted to state and local
governments.
RESOURCES
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Reimbursable Support
USAGE may perform technical oversight and
management of engineering, environmental, and
construction contracts, including technical assistance
for brownfields-related activities, non-Department of
Defense federal agencies, and states on a reimburs-
able basis. The work is fully funded by the partner
(e.g., local government).
Uses/Applications Include:
• Technical and project management capabilities for
most water- and land-related natural resources
activities.
• Engineering, facility design, construction
management, and other technical services.
• Environmental restoration.
Planning Assistance to States (Section 221)
USAGE provides technical assistance to states to
support preparation of comprehensive water and
related land resources development plans, including
watershed and ecosystem planning. USAGE assists
in conducting individual studies supporting the
state plan. Assistance is given on the basis of state
requests and availability of USAGE expertise rather
than through congressional authorization procedures.
Section 22 cannot be used to supplement other
ongoing or pending USAGE efforts, or to offset
required state contributions to federal grant programs.
Eligibility Requirements: There is general authority
for USAGE to cooperate with states, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, and federally recognized Indian
tribes. Reimbursable support from USAGE is not
available to private entities.
Limitations: The Planning Assistance to States
program is funded annually by Congress. Federal
allotments for each state or tribe from the nationwide
appropriation are limited to $2,000,000 annually, but
typically are much less. Individual studies, of which
there may be more than one per state or tribe per
year, are cost-shared on a 50 percent federal-50
percent non-federal basis. The sponsor has the option
of providing its required 50 percent of study costs as
cash or through work-in-kind.
Availability: The availability of planning assistance
depends on annual congressional appropriations to
the program.
Section 22 of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA)
of 1974, as amended, provides authority for USAGE to assist the
states, local governments, Native American tribes, and other non-
federal entities, in the preparation of comprehensive plans for the
development and conservation of water and related land resources.
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Centers of Expertise (CX)
USAGE Centers of Expertise, whose special-
ized capabilities can be helpful in solving specific
brownfields challenges, include the Curation and
Management of Archaeological Collection Center,
the Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise
(EMCX), the Photogrammetric Mapping Center, the
Preservation of Historic Buildings and Structures
Center, the Rapid Response Corps of Engineers
Center of Expertise, and the Sustainable Design and
Development Center. Assistance from these centers is
generally available on a reimbursable basis.
Eligibility Requirements: There is general authority
for USAGE to cooperate with states, the District
of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands, and federally recognized Indian
tribes. Reimbursable support from USAGE is not
available to private entities.
Availability: Priority is given to requests for support
that have national significance.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Preserving historic buildings and structures.
• Rapid response to hazardous, toxic, and radioactive
waste incidents.
• Coordinating acid mine drainage cleanup with other
infrastructure issues (e.g., wastewater systems).
Curation and Management of Archaeological
Collections Center of Expertise
The Mandatory Center of Expertise (MCX) for the
Curation and Management of Archeological Collections
(CMAC) is a group of skilled professionals established
by USAGE and located at the St. Louis District (CEMVS).
MCX-CMAC maintains state-of-the-art technical
expertise in the curation of archaeological collections,
collections management (including historic properties
database and website development), special purpose
designs and construction requirements of curation
facilities, mass graves investigations, mass disaster
fatalities recovery (in support of FEMA), forensic support
to United States government agencies, and archival/
historic cartographic investigations to assist military
and intelligence agencies. MCX-CMAC provides USAGE
Headquarters and USAGE Commands with program
guidance, technology transfer, and interagency coordi-
nation for the curation of archaeological collections.
MCX-CMAC manages all USAGE curation-needs
assessments and design services for the curation of
archeological collections. When MCX-CMAC staff and
services are available, CEMVS will, on a reimbursable
basis, assist other Major Army Commands (MACOMs),
Department of Defense (DoD) services and agencies,
and other federal, state, and local government agencies.
Photogrammetric Mapping Center
CEMVS is the Center of Expertise (CX) for Photogram-
metric Mapping in USACE's Directory of Expertise.
The mission of the CX is to provide rapid response,
full-service photogrammetric mapping support and
maintain technical capability and proficiency in all
aspects of photogrammetry, including:
• Project planning and specialization.
• Photogrammetric map compilation.
• Architect-engineer contracting.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) development.
• Photo interpretation.
Center of Expertise for the Preservation of Historic
Buildings and Structures
The Technical Center of Expertise (TCX) for the Preser-
vation of Historic Buildings and Structures serves
the USAGE community, federal agencies, and DoD
facilities in need of assistance for the treatment and
management of historic structures. As a center for
best practices, the program offers technical excellence
and outstanding staffing credentials to guide resource
personnel and property managers in making good
decisions for a wide range of historic properties,
including buildings, objects, vessels, landscapes, and
civil works projects. Housed within Environmental and
Cultural Resources Branch, the TCX works collabora-
tively with the Cultural Resources Section.
The Center also provides liaison assistance between the
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National
Park Service, and other various preservation organiza-
tions, along with state and local governments.
Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise
In 1990, USAGE Headquarters established the
Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, as the
Ordnance and Explosives Center of Expertise and
Design Center. In 2007, the Environmental and
Munitions Center of Expertise (EMCX) was established,
merging the former OE CX (also called the Military
Munitions CX) and the Hazardous, Toxic and Radioac-
tive Waste Center of Expertise (HTRW CX). The former
MM CX is now the Military Munitions Division of the
EMCX. The EMCX was established to assist USAGE
organizational elements in performing their activities
and maintaining state-of-the-art technical expertise
for all aspects of response activities. The EMCX does
not execute response actions for programs or projects
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SNAPSHOT - SELMA TO MONTGOMERY NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL, ALABAMA
The federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities is helping communities along Alabama's 54-mile Selma
to Montgomery National Historic Trail grow and develop while celebrating its history and creating new oppor-
tunities for residents. Designated in 1996 by Congress, the trail commemorates the 1965 Voting Rights March
along U.S. Highway 80, beginning in the small town of Selma and ending in the historic Peacock neigh-
borhood in Montgomery. To build on this unique federal, state, and local collaboration, partners used the
upcoming commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the march to catalyze the process.
The Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail Petroleum Brownfields Revitalization Initiative is a forum for
public and private parties to organize their coordination, resource leveraging, and planning efforts to assess,
clean up, and reuse petroleum sites along this historic corridor. The Initiative will raise visibility for ongoing
brownfields revitalization efforts underway in Alabama and across the nation. The targeted corridor runs for
54 miles along U.S. 80 from Selma through Benton and Mt. Sinai to Montgomery. By focusing attention on a
targeted corridor, the partners hope to identify and expand practices that will help other stakeholders gain a
better understanding of opportunities associated with the revitalization of petroleum brownfield sites. Lessons
learned here and across the state will be compiled and shared with many others nationwide.
Revitalization began with 18 brownfield site assessments conducted by the State of Alabama and EPA to
determine the best sites for redevelopment in the rural and underserved communities along the trail. Nine
community visioning sessions supported by EPA, USACE, and the National Park Service helped draft plans
to connect historic points of interest. Funding and assistance from USACE and other federal agencies was
used for community visioning, stormwater infrastructure, construction of a greenway and a community park,
streetscape improvements, affordable homes for police and teachers, and repairs to the historic Mount Zion
Church, where the march concluded.
but assists USACE at all levels in their performance.
The EMCX supports the USACE Military Munitions
Response Program (MMRP) and other munitions-
related operations in reducing the human health and
environmental risk associated with munitions and
explosives of concern (MEC) and munitions constitu-
ents (MC). They maintain state-of-the-art technical
expertise for all aspects of environmental remediation
and munitions response activities. They also manage
and provide oversight of the USACE Formerly Used
Defense Sites (FUDS) MMRP Site Inspection Program.
EMCX provides remediation services for properties
contaminated with hazardous waste, radioac-
tive materials, and/or ordnance in compliance
with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
The Center's projects strive for sustainability while
meeting current and future land and water use needs,
safeguarding human health and safety, improving
quality of life, and enhancing the natural environment.
USACE supports military and civil agencies nationwide
in environmental and munitions responses.
Rapid Response Center of Expertise
The Rapid Response Center of Expertise (RRCX) provides
quick-response environmental services. RRCX is capable
of providing the following special functions:
• Time critical remediation/removal project execution.
• Rapid response site "start up" and transition to
traditional District for final execution.
• USACE Headquarters "Tiger Team" support.
• Cost reimbursable contract management training.
• Cost reimbursement contract oversight assistance.
• Site support to USACE teams.
• Site support to other federal agencies.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Suresh R. Kikkeri, PE, PMP
US Army Corps of Engineers
Attn: CEMP-CEP
441 GSt., NW
Washington, DC 20314
202-761-5633
suresh.r.kikkeri(a)usace.army.mil
Main Site
http://www.usace.armv.mil
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Department of Defense—
Office of Economic Adjustment
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) is the
Department of Defense's (DoD) primary source for
assisting communities that are adversely impacted
by defense program changes, including base
closures and realignments. OEA provides economic
adjustment planning assistance to eligible communi-
ties affected by the closure or realignment of a military
installation. Within OEA, the primary resource for
DoD's economic adjustment projects is the Defense
Economic Adjustment program for Base Realign-
ment and Closure (BRAC). Since 1961, OEA worked
with communities impacted by downsizing and base
closures to address issues such as unemployment,
economic development, and land use planning.
Since 1988, five independent BRAC commissions
recommended closing 451 installations. Although no
future rounds of closures are approved by Congress,
the 2005 Commission recommended that Congress
authorize another BRAC round in 2015.
Brownfields Connection
• Assistance and information on planning for the
redevelopment of brownfields on closed or realigned
military facilities.
RESOURCES
Technical and Financial Assistance
Community Economic Adjustment Planning
Assistance
OEA helps communities and states plan and carry out
local economic adjustment programs, including but
not limited to base redevelopment plans, business
and operational plans, infrastructure assessments,
feasibility studies, staff and operational assistance, and
other activities necessary to respond to these defense
actions. OEA encourages and helps communities to
understand existing environmental conditions and
integrate cleanup measures with redevelopment plans.
When responding to BRAC actions, affected communi-
ties focus on economic development goals, and when
appropriate, adapt the concepts and techniques of
brownfield redevelopment within their program.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
states, cities, counties, other political subdivisions
of a state, special purpose units of state or local
government, and tribal nations affected by a base
closure or realignment that will impose a direct and
significant adverse consequence. Applicants interested
in this assistance should contact OEA to determine
eligibility for assistance under this program.
Availability: Annual noncompetitive grant awards
range from $50,000 to $2 million.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Prepare redevelopment plans and related studies/
assistance to support the reuse of surplus military
installation property.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Bryant Monroe, Program Lead (BRAC)
Office of Economic Adjustment
2231 Crystal Dr., Suite 520
Arlington, VA 22202-3711
703-697-2105
bryant.monroe(a)wso.whs.mil
Main Site
http://www.oea.gov
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SNAPSHOT - NEWPORT CHEMICAL DEPOT, INDIANA
The Newport Chemical Depot (NECD) is a 7,130-acre former Army Materiel Command facility located
approximately 35 miles north of Terre Haute in west-central Indiana. It was established in 1941 as an
explosive and chemical production plant and later operated as a chemical agent destruction facility
for the munitions that had been stockpiled at the site. DoD recommended the closure of the NECD
under 2005 BRAC actions. At the time, the depot was the largest employer in Vermillion County. By June
2010, all activities required for closure of the NECD were completed. In addition, the county established
the Newport Chemical Depot Reuse Authority (NeCDRA) to guide its efforts to respond to the closure of
the facility.
NeCDRA completed a reuse master plan for the site that includes a variety of future uses, including
parks and restored prairie habitat, as well as business, technology, and manufacturing centers. In collab-
oration with local utilities, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Labora-
tory, NeCDRA is investigating the feasibility of installing a utility-scale wind energy project on a portion of
the site. The results of the November 2013 feasibility study, which was conducted under EPAs RE-Powering
America's Land initiative, will be incorporated into the overall master redevelopment plan for the site.
Changes in national energy usage and production, technology, industry, transportation, and logistics,
as well as a focus on sustainability of the natural and built environments, will shape the depot's redevel-
opment over the course of the next few decades. The Phase 1 parcel (6,652 acres) was transferred to
NeCDRA in September 2011, and the Phase 2 parcel (483 acres) was transferred in September 2012.
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Department of Energy
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
RESOURCES
Mission
The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to
advance the national, economic, and energy security
of the United States; to promote scientific and techno-
logical innovation in support of that mission; and to
ensure the environmental cleanup of the national
nuclear weapons complex. DOE continues to be
caretaker and manager of the facilities that manufac-
tured nuclear weapons and the property on which
the weapons are located. DOE supports brownfields
reuse by providing technical assistance in the fields
of energy use and environmental remediation and in
the Los Alamos National Laboratory Sustainable Design
Guide.
Brownfields Connections
• Technical assistance in the field of environmental
cleanup and stabilization.
• Financial assistance to transfer property for a public
purpose.
• Green Energy Parks at DOE facilities.
• Evaluations of brownfields as sites for renewable
energy technologies.
DOE's Office of Legacy Management (LM) continues
to take significant steps to ensure that DOE's environ-
mental and human legacy responsibilities are properly
managed for current and future generations. LM
accomplishes this mission by:
• Protecting human health and the environment
through effective and efficient long-term surveillance
and maintenance.
• Preserving and protecting legacy records and
information, and effectively communicating with the
public.
• Sustaining the continuity of workers' pension and
medical benefits.
• Managing legacy land and assets and emphasizing
safety, reuse, and disposition.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
(EERE) works with business, industry, universities,
national laboratories, and others to increase the use
of renewable energy and energy efficiency technolo-
gies. One way EERE encourages the growth of these
technologies is by offering financial assistance
opportunities for their research and development.
EERE evaluates projects that may include brownfields
as proposed sites for renewable energy technologies.
Eligibility Requirements: Financial assistance is
available for businesses, industries, universities, and
others.
Availability: Competitive grants are the most
common type of financial assistance awarded by
EERE. Cooperative agreements also are competi-
tive. Like most federal government funding, funding
for EERE financial assistance awards is authorized by
an appropriation approved by Congress. Congress
determines the overall budget for DOE activities, and
this amount determines how much money will be
available for EERE financial assistance awards.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Renewable energy and energy efficiency research
and development.
• Transfer of money, property, or services.
http://www.eere.energy.gov
Nafional Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is
EERE's principal research laboratory and the nation's
primary laboratory for renewable energy and energy
efficiency research and development. Its mission and
strategy are focused on advancing DOE's and the
nation's energy goals. NREL's research and develop-
ment capabilities advance national energy goals by
developing innovations to change the way we power
homes and businesses and fuel cars.
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As part of EPA's RE-Powering America's Land Initiative,
EPA and NREL collaborated on a project in FY 2011
to evaluate the feasibility of siting renewable energy
production on potentially contaminated sites. This
effort paired EPA's expertise on contaminated sites
with NREL's expertise in renewable energy. The
feasibility studies provide site owners and communi-
ties with a realistic and achievable plan for putting
renewable energy on a given site. In FY 2011, 26
potentially contaminated sites with potential for wind,
solar, biopower, or geothermal production were
selected for this program.
http://www.nrel.gov
RE-Powering America's Lands website:
http://www.epa.gov/oswercpa/index.htm
Office of Environmental Management
The mission of the Office of Environmental
Management (EM) is to complete the safe cleanup
of the environmental legacy brought about from
five decades of nuclear weapons development and
government-sponsored nuclear energy research. The
Cold War left a legacy of 1.5 million cubic meters of
solid waste, 88 million gallons of highly radioactive
liquid waste, 2,400 metric tons of used nuclear fuel,
special nuclear material, more than 100 square miles
of contaminated soil and groundwater, and thousands
of excess nuclear facilities. The EM program makes
significant progress in treating and disposing of the
waste, stabilizing the nuclear fuel and materials,
and remediating the soil, groundwater, and facilities.
EM continues this cleanup mission with a focus
on constructing and operating complex treatment
facilities to solidify the liquid waste into a safer form
for ultimate disposal. EM's work has taken place in 35
states and on properties that cover two million acres.
In partnership with community reuse organizations
and others interested in establishing energy parks, EM
transfers properties for commercial reindustrializa-
tion, notably in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. These reuse
efforts are part of the broader Asset Revitalization
Initiative to leverage assets and create opportunities
to enable local development and economic diversifica-
tion. Projects are dependent on what the community
wants, what suits the land and climate, and what
can be offered by DOE. DOE supports the partner-
ship through technology and technical assistance for
remediation and property reuse efforts.
Limitations: EM program activities are focused
on contaminated nuclear weapons production and
nuclear energy research testing sites across the United
States.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Reducing risk and environmental liability at nuclear
production and nuclear energy research sites.
• Constructing and operating facilities to treat radioac-
tive liquid tank waste.
• Securing and storing nuclear materials in a stable,
safe configuration in secure locations.
• Transporting and disposing of transuranic and
low-level wastes in a safe and cost-effective manner.
• Cleaning up soil and groundwater at EM sites.
• Facilitating revitalization projects at DOE facilities.
http://www.em.doe.gov/pages/emhome.aspx
DOE's Asset Revitalization Initiative
The Asset Revitalization Initiative (ARI) is a DOE-wide
effort to advance the beneficial reuse of its unique
and diverse mix of assets, including land, facilities,
infrastructure, equipment, technologies, natural
resources, and a highly skilled workforce. By 2020,
DOE plans to conduct the following activities at each
of the field sites in the DOE Complex:
• Seek to conduct operations sustainably, incorporat-
ing clean energy technologies wherever possible.
• Develop modern, adaptable, and efficient site
infrastructures and closely coordinate multi-agency
efforts at the sites.
• Promote public-private partnerships and commercial
opportunities.
• Engage local communities and stakeholders in the
development and asset revitalization process.
Although the initiative was launched in 2011,
several sites in the DOE Complex had already been
working toward achieving some of the initiative's
goals. For example, over the last ten years, DOE's
Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, which
has over 1,300 acres of clean land that is ready for
beneficial reuse, executed over 90 leases with private
businesses, transferred 19 properties, and leased
330 acres of DOE-owned property. By transferring
responsibility for facility demolition and maintenance
to private businesses, Oak Ridge realized millions of
dollars in savings, thereby demonstrating the benefits
of ARI.
Office of Legacy Management
The mission of the Office of Legacy Management (LM)
is to fulfill DOE's post-closure responsibilities and
ensure the future protection of human health and the
environment. LM has control and custody of legacy
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land, structures, and facilities and is responsible for
maintaining them at levels consistent with DOE's
long-term plans. The goals of LM are to:
• Protect human health and the environment.
• Preserve, protect, and share legacy records and
information.
• Meet commitments to the contractor workforce.
• Optimize the use of land assets.
• Sustain management excellence.
With more than 100 sites, DOE activities and those of
its predecessor agencies left a legacy of environmen-
tal contamination that can impact human health and
the environment. LM was formally established in 2003
to manage long-term surveillance and maintenance
(LTS&M) activities and ensure the future protection of
human health and the environment.
LM currently conducts routine LTS&M activities at 89
sites and will continue to receive sites as they are
cleaned up and closed. LM is expected to be respon-
sible for 128 sites by 2020. As LM conducts LTS&M
activities for these sites, there is a focus on beneficial
reuse of the land. LM currently has 11 sites that
are being reused, totaling over 4,000 acres. This
represents nearly one-third of the federally owned
sites under LM custody and control. Site reuse includes
agriculture (e.g., hay production, livestock grazing);
habitat preservation; community use (e.g., visitor
or interpretive centers); and leasing to local utility
companies.
Los Alamos National Laboratory
The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is
a premier national security research institution,
delivering scientific and engineering solutions for the
nation's most crucial and complex problems. Its work
also advances earth and environmental sciences.
LANL produced the LANL Sustainable Design Guide,
which recommends selecting properties with opportu-
nities for minimal environmental impacts, including
brownfields, for development.
http://www.lanl.gov/orgs/eng/engstandards/esm/
architectural/Sustainable.pdf
Support for Environmental Justice Communities
DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration, LM,
and EM's Dr. Samuel R Massie Chairs of Excellence
Program provide technical and grant-writing
assistance to environmental justice communities
located near DOE sites. These organizations provide
assistance in developing brownfields strategies,
drafting initial concepts, writing portions of proposals,
and conducting research to support project needs.
(NOTE: The Massie Chairs support is conducted as
part of the DOE Environmental Justice Program).
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Loan Programs Office
DOE's Loan Programs Office provides direct loans to
vehicle manufacturers and component manufacturers
to support the development of advanced technology
vehicles (ATVs). Advanced Technology Vehicles
Manufacturing (ATVM) loans support the develop-
ment of ATVs and associated components in the
United States. Applications for this loan financing from
qualified businesses are accepted on a rolling basis
until funding is expended.
Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible for an ATVM
loan, an applicant must be either: (1) an automotive
manufacturer satisfying specified fuel economy
requirements; or (2) a manufacturer of qualifying
components. In addition, an applicant must be
financially viable without the receipt of additional
federal funding for the proposed project.
Limitations: All passenger automobiles or light-duty
trucks that meet 125 percent of the 2005 Corporate
Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards qualify as
ATVs, as do ultra-efficient vehicles.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Re-equipping, expanding, or establishing manufac-
turing facilities in the United States to produce ATVs
or qualifying components.
• Engineering integration of ATVs or qualifying
components performed in the United States.
http://energy.gov/lpo/loan-programs-office
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Melinda Downing
Environmental Justice Program Manager
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Legacy Management
1000 Independence Ave., SW
Room 6G-041
Washington, DC 20585
202-586-7703
melinda.downing(g)hq. doe.gov
Main Site
http://www.enerav.gov
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |23
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SNAPSHOT - AURORA, COLORADO
EPA and DOE's NREL conducted a study on the potential for solar power generation on the 146.4-acre
Tower Road site in Aurora, Colorado. The feasibility study evaluated the technical and economic op-
portunities and challenges at the site. The Tower Road site contains areas contaminated with petroleum,
solvents, and other contaminants, which originated from historic activities at nearby Buckley Air Force
Base. The property is zoned for industrial uses, and adjacent land is owned by the city and maintained as
parks, recreational land, and open space. Because the property is located within Buckley Air Force Base's
Accident Potential Zone, it is subject to strict land use restrictions, including height, line-of-sight, and radio-
frequency restrictions. These restrictions significantly reduce redevelopment options for the property.
The City of Aurora's 2009 Comprehensive Plan emphasizes strategies to increase the number of
renewable energy projects on city property, incentivize renewable energy projects, and reduce the city's
greenhouse emissions. The Tower Road site has the potential to host up to an 18-MW solar energy system
based on available acreage. However, this large area does not need to be developed all at once and
can be developed in phases. Multiple characteristics of the site and local energy market—the high cost
of energy, the dropping cost of PV, and the existence of an adequate solar resource and incentives-
made the Tower Road site a viable candidate for a community solar project. In November 2013, the City
of Aurora celebrated the opening of the 498 kW, 1,684-panel solar garden array. The project is expected
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 621 metric tons per year, the equivalent of burning
1,440 barrels of oil or 70,000 gallons of gasoline.
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Department of Health and Human
Services—Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) is directed by congressional mandate to
perform specific functions concerning the effect on
public health of hazardous substances in the environ-
ment. These functions include public health assess-
ments of waste sites, health consultations concerning
specific hazardous substances, health surveillance
and registries, response to emergency releases of
hazardous substances, applied research in support
of public health assessments, information develop-
ment and dissemination, and education and training
concerning hazardous substances.
The 2002 Brownfields Amendments to the Compre-
hensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act (CERCLA) provide a public health focus on
the impacts of brownfields, particularly in disadvan-
taged communities and among sensitive popula-
tions. One facet of this public health focus urges local
governments to monitor the health of populations
exposed to hazardous substances from brownfields
and to enforce institutional controls that prevent
human exposure to those substances.
ATSDR NATIONAL BROWNFIELDS/LAND
REUSE HEALTH INITIATIVE
ATSDR's mission is to serve the public through
responsive public health actions that promote
healthy and safe environments and prevent harmful
exposures to environmental contaminants. Sites such
as brownfield/land reuse sites may be the source of
potentially harmful exposures because of contamina-
tion from previous property uses. Addressing public
health concerns and issues related to the restoration
of contaminated properties is essential.
Community health considerations are important
parts of ATSDR's land revitalization activities. As such,
through its Brownfields/Land Reuse Health Initiative,
ATSDR works to conduct the following activities:
• Promote a well-rounded approach to redevelop-
ment.
• Include health as an important part of redevelopment.
• Grow community resources to promote health.
• Measure changes in community health.
• Encourage early community involvement in decision-
making.
• Restore and revitalize communities in a way that is
fair to all community groups.
• Promote relationships among agencies, partners,
and communities.
• Improve ways to talk about health and environmen-
tal risks.
RESOURCES
ATSDR provides financial and technical assistance to
identify and evaluate environmental health issues
associated with brownfield land reuse sites. These
resources enable state and local health departments
to further investigate environmental health concerns
and educate communities.
Financial Assistance
Community Health Projects Related to Brownfield/
Land Reuse
Brownfields and land reuse sites may be the source of
potentially harmful exposures because of contamina-
tion from previous property uses. Addressing public
health concerns and issues related to the restora-
tion of contaminated properties is essential. ATSDR
is funding these community health projects to ensure
that public health is an integral part of the land reuse
process.
These projects identify, address, and improve public
health to ensure that redevelopment of brownfield/
land reuse sites includes identifying and addressing
health issues before redevelopment and assessing
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |25
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changes in community health associated with reuse
plans and redevelopment. These community health
projects also address impacts of contamination at
brownfield/land reuse sites and further ATSDR's public
health mission.
For more information about eligibility, limitations, and
funding availability, see: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
sites/brownfields/grants.html.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Review and Assess Environmental Sampling Data
Through ATSDR's cooperative partnerships, the agency
can review and assess environmental sampling data
and other site-related information.
Health-Related Information Sharing
ATSDR can provide health-related information on
specific hazardous substances, coordinate a response
to a real or perceived elevated incidence of disease
near a site, and help individual workers or community
members find experienced, private medical attention
for significant hazardous substance exposure.
ATSDR Action Model
The ATSDR Brownfields/Land Reuse Action Model
helps the diverse members of the development
community- officials, developers, community
supporters, and residents - find ways to make health
part of the renewal process. Communities can use the
action model to identify common goals and incorpo-
rate these goals in strategic planning.
Community Health and Site Inventory Tools
ATSDR offers the following tools to help local officials
with land reuse decisions and help them to provide
timely responses:
ATSDR Site Tool - Helps environmental and health
professionals identify and catalog contaminants and
health concerns associated with former and current
uses of a property. Download for free!
ATSDR Dose Calculator - Helps users estimate the
amount of a toxic substance people could be exposed
to (dose) from air, soil, water, and fish consumption.
Download for free!
Environmental Public Health Resources
Compendium - A searchable database of public
health assessment reports about brownfield and land
reuse sites. Users can search by contaminant, public
health categories, site name, and location.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Brownfields Program Coordination:
Laurel Berman, PhD, National Brownfields
Coordinator
ATSDR Division of Community Health Investigation
77 West Jackson Blvd.
Room 433, M/S ATSD-4J
Chicago, IL 60604
312-8866-7476
LABerman@cdc.gov
K. Leann Bing, Regional Representative
ATSDR Region 4
61 Forsyth St., SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-562-1784
Kbing@cdc.gov
Captain Gary D. Perlman, Regional Representative
ATSDR Region 1
5 Post Office Square, Suite 1010
Mailcode: ATSDR 10-1
Boston, MA 02109-3921
gap6@cdc.gov
Tina Forrester, Deputy Division Director
ATSDR Division of Community Health Investigation
Mailstop F58
4770 Buford Hwy, NE
Atlanta, GA 30341
770-488-3788
tforrester@cdc.gov
Steven L. Jones, Office Director
ATSDR Liaison Office to EPA Headquarters
Division of Community Health Investigation
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Ariel Rios Building MC 5202P
Washington, DC 20460
703-603-8729
Sxj6@cdc.gov
Main Site
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov
ATSDR Brownfield/Land Reuse Initiative
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/brownfields/index.html
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SNAPSHOT - BARABOO, WISCONSIN
Nestled in the heart of the Wisconsin Dells, the Baraboo, Wisconsin, waterfront was once pristine.
However, more than a century of uncontrolled heavy industrial and commercial activity contaminated
both soil and groundwater up to five feet deep and littered the landscape with debris. When a group
of Baraboo residents vowed in the late 1990s to reclaim their tarnished landscape, they turned to the
ATSDR for help.
In early 2008, ATSDR implemented its Action Model, a framework created to help communities that,
like Baraboo, are looking to revitalize a potentially contaminated area. As a first step toward this goal,
community members established a partnership with several government agencies, creating the
Baraboo Development Community (BDC). Using ATSDR's Action Model, community members identified
15 different public health challenges. They then considered redevelopment options and evaluated
their potential economic, social and health impacts on the community. Finally, after a series of
meetings, BDC was able to create 33 ways to measure, or gather indicators of, the public health
impact and success of the actions they were about to take.
The project is an example of the opportunities available through ATSDR's Brownfield/Land Reuse
program to turn these sites into economically sustainable, safe, and healthy places for everyone to
enjoy.
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Department of Health and Human
Services—National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The mission of the National Institute of Environ-
mental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is to discover how
the environment affects people in order to promote
healthier lives. The vision of NIEHS is to provide
global leadership for innovative research that
improves public health by preventing disease and
disability. NIEHS contributes to scientific knowledge
of human health and the environment and to the
health and well-being of people everywhere.
NIEHS's Worker Training Program (WTP) supports
the training and education of workers engaged in
activities related to hazardous materials and waste
generation, removal, containment, transportation,
and emergency response. The NIEHS Environmental
Career Worker Training Program (ECWTP), formerly
the Minority Worker Training Program (MWTP),
positively changes lives and communities by reaching
out to deliver comprehensive training to disadvan-
taged adults to prepare them for employment in the
fields of environmental restoration and hazardous
materials/waste handling, construction, and
emergency response.
Brownfields Connections
• Conducts the ECWTP to assist communities by
addressing the need for a more comprehensive
training program to foster economic and environ-
mental restoration of brownfields.
• Conducts the ECWTP to increase the recruitment
and training of under-represented minorities in the
fields of hazardous waste remediation, emergency
response, construction, and green jobs. Individuals
living near hazardous waste sites or in a community
at risk of exposure to contaminated properties are
targeted, with the specific focus on training them
to be safe while working in the environmental and
construction fields to clean up their communities.
• Conducts a hazardous waste worker training
program for training and educating workers
engaged in activities related to hazardous waste
removal, containment, and emergency response.
• Provides grants to small businesses under the
Advanced Training Technology (ATT) or E-Learning
program to develop products for the health and
safety training of hazardous materials workers,
emergency responders, and skilled support
personnel. This program is also called the Small
Business Innovative Research (SBIR) E-Learning
Program.
• In coordination with EPA, conducts the Superfund
Research Program (SRP)—a network of university
grants that are designed to seek solutions to
complex health and environmental issues associated
with the nation's hazardous waste sites.
RESOURCES
Outreach/Technical Assistance
NIEHS Worker Training Program
The NIEHS WTP supports the training and education
of workers engaged in activities related to hazardous
materials and waste generation, removal, contain-
ment, transportation, and emergency response.
Its mission is to fund nonprofit organizations with
a demonstrated track record of providing occupa-
tional safety and health education in developing and
delivering high-quality training to workers in handling
hazardous waste or in responding to emergency
releases of hazardous materials. Among the program
areas are the Hazardous Waste Worker Training,
Environmental Career Worker Training, HAZMAT
Disaster Preparedness Training, DOE Nuclear Worker
Training, and ATT programs. A list of organizations
funded through July/August 2015 can be found at:
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/awardees/
index.cfm
http://www.niehs.nih.aov/careers/hazmat/index.cfm
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Hazardous Waste Worker Training Program
Hazardous material and waste workers include
workers engaged in active and inactive waste
treatment, storage and disposal; hazardous waste
generation, cleanup and remedial action; and
emergency response, as well as workers engaged
in hazardous materials transportation, including
safe loading, unloading, handling, and storage.
Target populations for this training include those
covered by requirements of Federal Occupational
Health and Safety Administration (Code of Federal
Regulations, Title 29, Part 1910) and Environmental
Protection Agency (CFR, Title 40, Part 311) standards
for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency
Response, regulations governing the NIEHS Hazardous
Waste Worker Training Program (CFR, Title 42, Part
65), as well as hazardous materials transportation
workers regulated by the Department of Transporta-
tion (49 CFR 171-177).
Since 1987, the Hazardous Waste Worker Training
Program (HWWTP) has supported 20 primary
awardees per award cycle. These represent over 100
different institutions that trained more than 2.7 million
workers across the country. Each year approximately
130,000 to 1 75,000 workers receive critical safety and
health training under these programs, which account
for more than 30 million contact hours of actual
training. For 2013, approximately 8,607 courses were
offered for 142,141 workers with 1,407,102 contact
hours. More information about the awardees and
descriptions of all NIEHS WTP programs can be found
at: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/.
Eligibility Requirements: The following organiza-
tions and institutions are eligible to apply: public/
state-controlled institutions of higher education;
private institutions of higher education; Hispanic-
serving institutions; historically black colleges and
universities; tribally controlled colleges and univer-
sities; Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving
institutions; Asian American/Native American/Pacific
Islander-serving institutions and nonprofits with
501 (c)(3) IRS Status (other than institutions of higher
education).
Limitations: A request for applications is released
every five years for a five-year funding period. The
current grant cycle is 2010-2014. The next grant
cycle will be 2015-2019 with a funding opportunity
announcement (FOA) that was released on July 28,
2014 and due date of application on November 6,
2014. For more about the FOA, go to http://grants.
nih.aov/arants/auide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-14-008.html.
Availability: For the period of 2014-2015, approxi-
mately $20.6 million was allocated to this program.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Train and educate workers engaged in activities
related to hazardous waste removal, containment,
and emergency response.
• Conduct special training for workers who may be
exposed to unique or special hazards.
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/about_
wetp/hwwt/i ndex. cf m
Environmental Careers Worker Training Program
It has been suggested that disadvantaged communi-
ties face greater likelihood of exposure to ambient
hazards, and that differential "vulnerability" may
modify the effects of toxicants on biological systems.
The Environmental Careers Worker Training Program
(ECWTP) seeks to address the needs of vulnerable
and disadvantaged communities by increasing the
emphasis of the training to promote a sustainable
environmental career path for workers in the fields of
hazardous materials handling, waste, construction,
and other emerging industries. The MWTP, now the
ECWTP, was established in 1995 to provide a series of
national pilot programs to test a range of strategies
for the recruitment and training of young persons from
vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. These
are individuals who live near hazardous waste sites or
in a community at risk of exposure from contaminated
properties who wish to work in the environmental
field. The program represents a broad geographic
distribution and reaches numerous populations in
high-risk contaminated areas across the United
States. Over the years the program evolved to focus
on delivering comprehensive training to increase
the number of disadvantaged and underrepresented
minority workers in many areas, such as environmen-
tal restoration, construction, and hazardous materials/
waste handling, as well as emergency response.
These programs promote long-lasting and effective
partnerships in minority and underserved communi-
ties that help reinforce occupational health and
worker education, and mitigate health disparities at
the community level. The different programs provide
pre-employment job training, including literacy, life
skills, environmental preparation, green jobs, and
other related courses; construction skills training;
environmental worker training, including hazardous
waste, asbestos and lead abatement training; and
safety and health training. Some training also includes
enrollment in apprenticeship programs for construe-
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |29
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tion and environmental remediation worker training.
In addition, particular focus is placed on establishing a
program of mentoring. This program helps to enhance
the participants' problem-solving skills, understand-
ing of individual self-esteem, and team work in the
application of technical knowledge to environmental
and related problems. The ECWTP promotes partner-
ships or subagreements with academic and other
institutions, with a particular focus on minority-serving
institutions, and public schools and community-based
organizations located in or near the impacted area to
provide pre-math, science, or other related education
to program participants prior to or concurrent with
entry into the training program. For FY 2013, ECWTP
trained 367 individuals, with 279 employed for an
outstanding job placement rate of 76 percent.
There are important guidance documents that describe
the successes of the NIEHS Worker Training Program.
The Minority Worker Training Program: Guidance on
How to Achieve Successes and Best Practices report
provides a detailed assessment of the develop-
ment of the program, key findings, best practices for
implementation and success, short- and long-term
recommendations, and numerous case studies from
the program. Since the inception of this program,
approximately 10,000 people were trained in more
than 30 communities across 20 states and the District
of Columbia, with a job placement rate of roughly
70 percent including the Brownfields Minority Worker
Training that ended in 2007. By helping to increase
sustainable employment opportunities, promote
economic development, address health disparities,
and advance environmental justice, the program
transformed the lives of trainees, families, and
communities traditionally overburdened by economic
distress and exposure to hazardous environmen-
tal conditions. This model is designed to effectively
address the significant impediments to training
and employment that challenge underserved and
disadvantaged people. The program makes significant
contributions to environmental justice by providing
training and increasing job opportunities to people
from underserved and disadvantaged communities.
The program enables these people to participate
in addressing the needs of their communities in a
more meaningful way. The full report can be found at
http://tools.niehs.nih.gov/wetp/public/hasl get blob.
cfm?ID=10040.
Eligibility Requirements: The following organi-
zations and institutions are eligible: public/state-
controlled institutions of higher education; private
institutions of higher education; Hispanic-serving
institutions; historically black colleges and universities;
tribally controlled colleges and universities; Alaska
Native and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions; Asian
American/Native American/Pacific Islander-serving
institutions and nonprofits with 501 (c)(3) IRS Status
(other than institutions of higher education).
Limitations: A request for applications is released
every five years for a five-year funding period. The
current grant cycle is 2010-2014. The next grant
cycle will be 2015-2019. The funding opportunity
announcement was released July 28, 2014, with
applications due November 6, 2014. For more about
the FOA, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/
rfa-files/RFA-ES-14-008.html.
Availability: For the period of 2014-2015, approxi-
mately $3.5 million was allocated to this program.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Recruitment of under-represented minority residents
who live in urban areas near hazardous waste sites
or in communities at risk of exposure to contami-
nated properties for work in the environmental field.
• Pre-employment job training, including literacy, life
skills, environmental preparation, green jobs, and
other related courses for construction skills training.
• Safety and health training in areas such as
hazardous waste remediation and asbestos and lead
abatement.
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/about_
wetp/ecwtp/index.cfm
HAZMAT Disaster Preparedness Training Program
NIEHS developed a HAZMAT Disaster Prepared-
ness Training Program (HDPTP) in response to
the experiences and lessons learned in recent
national disasters, including terrorist attacks. This
program enhances the safety and health training of
current hazardous materials workers and chemical
responders to create materials and deliver training
to workers responding to a disaster. HDPTP, through
its Emergency Support Activation Plan, aims to
augment prevention preparedness efforts in a wide
variety of high-risk settings, and to ensure responders
are aware of site-specific hazards and mitigation
techniques prior to and during response activities.
This initiative is intended to foster the develop-
ment of disaster-specific training programs as an
extension of the HWWTP for the purpose of preparing
a cadre of experienced workers for prevention and
response to future terrorist incidents in a wide variety
of facilities and high-risk operations. The purpose of
the NIEHS HDPTP is to complement the Department
of Homeland Security's (DHS) various preparedness
301 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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training programs by enhancing the safety and health
training capacity of HAZMAT workers and emergency
responders to prevent, deter, or respond to terrorist
incidents involving weapons of mass destruction as
well as natural disasters. Since the program started
in 2005, awardees responded and trained workers
after Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Sandy; the 2007
California wildfires; and the Deepwater Horizon Gulf
Oil Spill, with approximately 5,473 courses offered for
79,288 workers, representing 801,977 contact hours
of training. In 2013, approximately 825 courses were
offered for 12,465 workers representing 112,668
contact hours of training.
Training developed under this program should
complement the National Incident Management
System (NIMS) standardized incident management
processes, protocols, and procedures that all
responders-federal, state, tribal, and local-will use to
coordinate and conduct response actions.
Eligibility Requirements: The following organiza-
tions and institutions are eligible to apply: public
and state-control led institutions of higher education;
private institutions of higher education; Hispanic-
serving institutions; historically black colleges and
universities; tribally controlled colleges and univer-
sities; Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-serving
institutions; Asian American/Native American/Pacific
Islander-serving institutions and nonprofits with
501 (c)(3) IRS Status (other than institutions of higher
education).
Limitations: A request for applications is released
every five years for a five-year funding period. The
current grant cycle is 2010-2014. The next grant
cycle will be 2015-2019. The funding opportunity
announcement was released on July 28, 2014, with
a due date of November 6, 2014. For more about
the FOA, go to http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/
rfa-files/RFA-ES-14-008.html.
Availability: For the period of 2014-2015, approxi-
mately $2.2 million was allocated to this program.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Enhanced training on chemical-intensive operations
for current hazardous materials workers and
chemical responders who protect the nation's
infrastructure from potential terrorist attacks as a
continuing high-priority national need.
• Training for skilled response personnel to ensure
appropriate response and remediation actions.
Bio-terrorist attacks using weaponized microbials is
a high-priority area for training program response.
The OSHA designation of anthrax response
coverage by 1910.120 regulations identifies a clear
target training population.
http://www.osha.gov/dep/anthrax/hasp/index.html
• Development of a nationwide cadre of well-trained
environmental response workers and emergency
responders to ensure that the nation is prepared
to respond to future disasters of national signifi-
cance. This training is patterned after the successful
Hazardous Waste Worker Training (HWWT) Program,
which provides worker certification.
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/about_
wetp/hdpt/index.cfm
Advanced Technology Training Program
The Advanced Technology Training Program (ATT)
program solicits SBIR grant applications from small
business concerns that propose to further the develop-
ment of advanced technology training products for
the health and safety training of hazardous materials
workers, emergency responders, and skilled support
personnel. These products complement the goals
and objectives of the WETP, which is to prevent
work-related harm by assisting in training workers
to protect themselves and their communities from
exposure to hazardous materials. ATT addresses the
need to ensure that learning and training technolo-
gies are further developed, field-tested, and applied to
real-world situations. The financial support for this
initiative comes directly from NIEHS Worker Education
and Training Branch SBIR funds.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities are U.S.
small business concerns.
Availability: Funding is available every year. For this
funding opportunity, budgets up to $100,000 total
cost per year and time periods of up to one year for
Phase I may be requested. Budgets up to $200,000
total cost per year and time periods of up to two years
may be requested for Phase II. Future-year amounts
will depend on annual appropriations.
Uses/Applications Include:
• SBIR grants support the development of emerging
technologies to improve worker preparedness
through training and education enhancements and
methodologies (such as e-collaboration, e-teaching,
and e-learning) in safety and health training for
workers engaged in hazardous materials response.
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/about_
wetp/att/index.cfm
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Superfund Research Program
The Superfund Research Program (SRP) is a network of
university grants that are designed to seek solutions
to the complex health and environmental issues
associated with the nation's hazardous waste sites.
One goal of the program is to improve public health
by supporting integrated research that is multidisci-
plinary and is capable of identifying, assessing, and
evaluating the potential health effects of exposure
to hazardous substances. Another goal is to develop
innovative chemical, physical, and biological technolo-
gies for reducing potential exposure to hazardous
substances. The research conducted is coordinated
with EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
accredited domestic institutions of higher education.
Availability: Funding is available almost every year.
The SRP offers several grant opportunities, including
the following:
Multiproject Center Grants (P42) - These grants
made under the SRP are for coordinated, multiproject,
multi- and interdisciplinary centers. The objective is to
establish and maintain a unique center that links and
integrates biomedical research with related engineer-
ing, hydrogeologic, and ecologic components. Grant
awards are made in response to requests for applica-
tions (RFA). The current FOA was released on June
12, 2014. The Letter of Intent due date was August 3,
2014, and the application due date was September 3,
2014.
Small Business Innovation Research & Small
Business Technology Transfer Grants (SBIR/STTR,
R41, R42, R43, R44) - SRP's Hazardous Substances
Detection and Remediation Program supports Small
Business Innovation Research & Small Business
Technology Transfer Grants to foster the commer-
cialization of technologies, products, and devices for
detection and remediation of hazardous substances
in the environment. The SRP is specifically interested
in proposals applying new engineering, bioengineer-
ing, and biotechnology approaches to develop novel
strategies to characterize, monitor, and remediate
hazardous substances at contaminated sites. Applica-
tion receipt dates are April 5, August 5, and December
5. If interested in applying, please contact Heather
Henry at henryh@niehs.nih.gov or (919) 541 -5330.
Please see the SBIR/STTR webpage (https://sbir.nih.
gov/) for application information, as well as other
SBIR/STTR opportunities within NIEHS.
Superfund Research Program Support for Confer-
ences and Scientific Meetings (R13) - The NIEHS
Conference grant program is considered an integral
part of the overall mission of the Institute; thus, it is
critical that all conference grant applications have
a direct relationship to advancing the mission of
NIEHS. In order to be responsive, all conference
grant proposals must focus on or clearly indicate
relevance to advancing our understanding of the role
of environment and/or gene-environment interac-
tions in disease/dysfunction. This includes environ-
mental science and engineering proposals, such as
the following: methodologies to detect hazardous
substances in the environment; and basic biological,
chemical, and physical methods to reduce the amount
and toxicity of hazardous substances.
NIEHS will accept applications under the following
budget guidelines: The maximum amount of support
that may be requested is $25,000. Please contact the
R13 Conference Coordinator for approval to submit an
application in an amount greater than $25,000. Also,
please note that an average award from NIEHS is
$8,000. NIEHS actively participates in co-funding with
other NIH institutes. A letter requesting permission to
submit a conference application is required and must
be received via email no later than six weeks prior to
the selected receipt date. The application receipt dates
for conference grants are April 12, August 12, and
December 12. If interested in applying, please contact
Heather Henry at henryh@niehs.nih.gov or (919)
541-5330. For more information, see http://www.
niehs.nih.gov/funding/grants/mechanisms/rl 3u13/
index.cfm.
Occupational and Safety Training Education
Programs on Emerging Technologies (R25) - The
overarching goal of the SRP Occupational and Safety
Education Programs on Emerging Technologies is
to support educational activities that complement
or enhance the training of a workforce to meet the
nation's biomedical, behavioral and clinical research
needs. To accomplish the stated goal, this funding
opportunity will support creative educational activities
with a primary focus on courses for skill develop-
ment and curriculum or methods development. The
intent is to provide higher education institutions the
opportunity to develop continuing education and
academic curricula on the occupational health and
safety management practices in the areas of emerging
technologies (e.g., emerging hazardous waste
products, green chemistry, sustainable remediation,
and detection technologies) to industrial hygienists
321 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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SNAPSHOT - ALABAMA FIRE COLLEGE COLLABORATION WITH THE NATIVE
AMERICAN FISH AND WILDLIFE SOCIETY
NIEHS's Worker Training Program (WTP) is an asset for training and conducting outreach to underserved
and rural communities, especially Native American/American Indian first responders, including tribal
employees of natural resources, law enforcement, emergency medical, fire service, public works
agencies and other hazardous materials and transportation workers. In 2014, the WTP trained nearly
1,200 Native Americans. Specifically, the Alabama Fire College (AFC) trained nearly 700 American
Indians representing 14 tribes to protect themselves and their communities from hazardous materials
encountered in workplaces and during emergency response operations through their partnership with
the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society (NAFWS). Key training occurred at the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in central Oregon and at three tribal locations in Albuquerque,
New Mexico - the Jicarilla Apache Tribe, Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council, Inc., and the Pueblo
of Sandia Tribe. AFC offered two eight-hour hazardous awareness trainings at the NAFWS National and
Pacific Northwest Regional Conferences in Pendleton, Oregon.
and graduate students involved in the research,
evaluation, management, and handling of hazardous
substances. The SRP also expects that such programs
will provide a unique educational opportunity to
those professionals involved in the training of other
personnel for careers in these new industries. These
programs are also meant to expand and complement
existing educational programs in occupational and
safety and health and industrial hygiene. The deadline
for application submission is October 20, 2015. For
more information, see http://grants.nih.gov/grants/
auide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-15-014.html.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Sharon D. Beard
Industrial Hygienist
Worker Education and Training Program
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
NIH, DHHS
RO. Box 12233, MD K3-14
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2233
919-541-1863
beard 1 (a)niehs.nih.aov
Joseph (Chip) Hughes, Director
Worker Education and Training Program
Division of Extramural Research and Training
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,
NIH, DHHS
PO. Box 12233, MD K3-14
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2233
919-541-0217
hughes3@niehs. nih.gov
Main Sites
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/careers/hazmat/index.cfm
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |33
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Department of Health and Human
Services—Office of Community Services
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Office of Community Services (OCS) works in
partnership with states, communities, and other
agencies to address the economic and social services
needs of the urban and rural poor at the local level
by providing grant monies and technical assistance
to these organizations. The goal of the programs
administered by OCS is to increase the capacity of
individuals and families to become self-sufficient and
to revitalize communities.
Brownfields Connection
• Provides grants to community development corpora-
tions and community action agencies for brownfields
redevelopment and job creation projects.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Community Economic Development Program
The Community Economic Development (CED)
Program provides funds to create employment and
business development opportunities for low-income
residents. This program offers two different types of
grants:
• CED Multi-Purpose grants can be used to create
or expand businesses in a variety of industries,
including technology, manufacturing, retail, hospital-
ity, and more.
• CED-Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) grants
can be used to create or expand a variety of healthy
food-oriented businesses, such as grocery stores,
farmers markets, and food-distribution businesses,
in an effort to improve access to healthy, affordable
foods, particularly within food desert areas.
CED-HFFI seeks to fund projects that implement
strategies to increase healthy food access, foster
self-sufficiency for low-income families, and create
sustained employment opportunities in low-income
communities.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Startup or expansion of businesses' physical or
commercial activities.
• Capital expenditures such as the purchase of
equipment or real property.
• Allowable operating expenses.
• Loans or equity investments.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants include
private, nonprofit organizations that are community
development corporations, including faith-based,
charitable, tribal, and Alaskan-native organizations.
Available Funds:
• FY 2015, $29.83 million.
• FY 2014, $29.59 million.
CED awarded 40 total grants in FY 2014 (26 CED
Multi-purpose grants and 14 CED-HFFI grants),
which are expected to support the creation of over
1,500 jobs. Award amounts varied from $150,000 to
$800,000.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/ced/index.html
Community Services Block Grant Program
The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program
provides funds to alleviate the causes and conditions of
poverty in communities. These grants are available to:
• States.
• District of Columbia.
• Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
• U.S. Territories.
• Federally and state-recognized Indian tribes and
tribal organizations.
• Community Action Agencies.
• Migrant and seasonal farm workers.
• Other organizations specifically designated by the
states.
341 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Eligibility Requirements: Grants are sub-awarded to
local community-based organizations generally called
Community Action Agencies.
Availability: Grants are determined by a statutory
formula. Approximately $663 million in CSBG funds
were allocated for FY 2015.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Employment services.
• Education and training.
• Income management assistance.
• Emergency services.
• Housing assistance.
• Nutrition services.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/programs/csbg
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Rural Community Development Program
Rural Community Development (RCD) is a federal
grant program that works with regional and tribal
organizations to manage safe water systems in small
rural communities. RCD-funded projects are designed to:
• Provide low-income individuals access to safe and
affordable drinking water in their homes.
• Strengthen economic conditions and opportunities
in small, rural communities through water supply
and wastewater disposal training and technical
assistance.
• Construct, improve, and preserve water supply and
disposal systems in a cost-effective manner.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Provide safety and security training and technical
assistance.
• Improve coordination among federal, state, and
local agencies in water waste management.
• Improve capacity of small rural and very small water
systems to better prepare for emergencies.
• Develop emergency preparedness plans for small
water systems.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
multistate, regional, private, nonprofit (501 (c)(3))
tax-exempt organizations.
Available Funds:
• FY 2015, $6.5 million.
• FY 2014, $5.9 million.
RCD awarded eight grants, including two to tribal
entities in 2014. Award amounts ranged from
$190,712 to $857,895. Projects have five years to
complete implementation and achieve proposed
goals.
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/programs/rcd
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Community Services
370 L'Enfant Promenade, SW
Washington, DC 20201
Main Site
http://www.acf.hhs.aov/proarams/ocs/
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |35
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Department of Housing and Urban
Development*
DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM
Mission
The overall mission of the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) is to create strong,
sustainable, inclusive communities and quality
affordable homes for all. HUD has several brownfield-
applicable programs:
• Community Development Block Grant Program
(includes the Entitlement Communities Program and
several non-entitlement communities programs).
• Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program.
• Sustainable Communities Initiative.
• Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program.
Brownfields Connections
• Block grants and competitive awards to state and
local governments for revitalizing communities.
• Federally guaranteed loans to state and local
governments for large economic development and
revitalization projects in communities.
• Grants to communities for integrating brownfields
redevelopment planning with transportation and
housing planning.
• Block grants to state and local governments for
meeting safe and affordable housing needs in
developed areas.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Community Development Block Grant Program
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
program in the Office of Community Planning
and Development (CPD) is a flexible program that
provides communities with resources to address
a wide range of unique community development
needs. The CDBG program began in 1974 and is
one of the longest continuously run programs at
HUD. The CDBG program provides annual grants on
a formula basis to over 1,200 general units of local
government and to states and U.S. territories.
The CDBG program allocates annual grants to
entitlement communities and states with the principal
statutory objective of developing viable communi-
ties by providing decent housing and a suitable living
environment and by expanding economic opportu-
nities, principally for persons with low or moderate
incomes. Eligible entitlement community grantees
are principal cities of metropolitan statistical areas
(MSAs), other metropolitan cities with populations
of at least 50,000, and qualified urban counties
with populations of at least 200,000 (excluding the
population of entitled cities). The states allocate and
administer funds for non-entitlement communities.
HUD allocates CDBG funds to entitlement communi-
ties on a statutory dual-formula basis that uses
several objective measures of community needs,
including the extent of poverty, population, housing
overcrowding, age of housing, and population-
growth lag in relation to other metropolitan areas.
HUD allocates CDBG funds to the states based on a
statutory formula that takes into account population,
poverty, incidence of overcrowded housing, and
age of housing. Neither HUD nor states distribute
funds directly to citizens or private organizations.
The states distribute all funds (other than administra-
tion and the technical assistance set-aside funds) to
units of general local government. The entitlement
grantee or state must ensure that at least 70 percent
of its CDBG grant funds are used for activities that
benefit low- and moderate-income persons over a
one-, two-, or three-year time period selected by the
state. This general objective is achieved by granting
"maximum feasible priority" to activities that benefit
low- and moderate-income families or aid in the
prevention or elimination of slums or blight.
Grantees have broad discretion in selecting activities
to pursue with CDBG funds. For example, the states
of Texas, Arizona, California, and New Mexico
* Note:Although EPA made an effort to ensure that the information contained in this section is as accurate as possible, HUD did not
review this section in its entirety. Please check with your local HUD office for the most up-to-date information about these programs.
361 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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allocate up to ten percent of their CDBG funds to
assist communities on the U.S.-Mexican border
(co/on/as) in maintaining sanitary housing, water, and
sewage systems. Additionally, CDBG plays a vital role
in many local brownfields reuse strategies.
Brownfields contribute to eroding economic
conditions, creation of blight, and reduction of
economic opportunities for low- and moderate-
income persons. CDBG funds may be used in
smaller neighborhood-based projects as well as
larger projects to aid in demolition, site cleanup,
and remediation of environmental issues such as
lead-based paint and asbestos. Therefore, the use
of CDBG funds to revitalize brownfields often meets
the program's mission to help low- and moderate-
income people by driving economic development or
eliminating blight.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entitlement
communities are cities with populations of at least
50,000 and qualified urban counties with popula-
tions of at least 200,000. HUD awards funding on
a formula basis. Eligible non-entitlement communi-
ties are cities with populations less than 50,000
and qualified urban counties with populations less
than 200,000. States award funding based on state
priorities and selection criteria.
Limitations: Expenses for general government
operations or the acquisition, construction, or
reconstruction of buildings for government operations
are not eligible. CDBG-funded activities must meet
one of the program's three national objectives:
(1) principally benefit low- and moderate-income
persons; (2) prevent or eliminate slums or blight;
or (3) meet other urgent community development
needs. Entitlement communities must submit to
HUD a Consolidated Plan, which is a jurisdiction's
comprehensive planning document and applica-
tion for funding under the following CPD formula
grant programs: CDBG, HOME Investment Partner-
ships, Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS
(HOPWA), and Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG).
Availability: Congress appropriated $3.0 billion for
the CDBG program in FY 2015, including set-asides.
HUD distributes 70 percent of the CDBG formula
appropriations to entitlement communities, and the
remaining 30 percent of the formula funds go to the
states for distribution to non-entitlement small cities
and counties.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Prepare plans for redevelopment or revitalization of
brownfields.
• Acquire real property.
• Conduct environmental site assessments.
• Clean up contamination.
• Clear sites and demolish and remove buildings.
• Rehabilitate public and private buildings.
• Construct public works, including water and sewer
facilities, streets, neighborhood centers, and the
conversion of school buildings for eligible purposes.
• Conduct activities relating to energy conservation
and renewable energy resources.
• Provide assistance to prof it-motivated businesses to
carry out economic development and job creation/
retention activities.
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_
offices/comm planning/communitydevelopment/
programs
Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program
Section 108 provides communities with a source
of financing for economic development, housing
rehabilitation, public facilities, and large-scale
physical development projects. Section 108 is the
loan guarantee provision of the CDBG program.
Local governments borrowing funds guaranteed by
Section 108 must pledge their current and future
CDBG allocations to cover the loan amount as security
for the loan. Section 108 allows communities to
capitalize large revitalization projects that can renew
entire neighborhoods. Such public investment often is
needed to encourage private economic investment in
distressed areas. Several cities made the 108 program
a focal point of their local brownfields strategies.
Eligible applicants include the following public entities:
• Metropolitan cities and urban counties that are
CDBG entitlement recipients.
• Non-entitlement communities that are assisted in
the submission of applications by states administer-
ing the CDBG program.
• Non-entitlement communities eligible to receive
CDBG funds under the HUD-administered Small
Cities CDBG program (Hawaii and Insular Areas).
The public entity may be the borrower or it may
designate a public agency as the borrower.
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |37
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Section 108 obligations are financed through
underwritten public offerings. Financing between
public offerings is provided through an interim lending
facility established by HUD. To date, there has been
no default under Section 108 resulting in a repayment
by HUD. In the event of default requiring a payment,
HUD would continue to make payments on the loan in
accordance with its terms.
Eligibility Requirements: To determine eligible uses
of funds, CDBG rules and requirements apply. As with
the CDBG program, all projects and activities must
either principally benefit low- and moderate-income
persons, aid in the elimination or prevention of slums
and blight, or meet urgent needs of the community.
Limitations: CDBG entitlement community recipients
and states may borrow an amount equal to five times
the recipients' latest CDBG entitlement grant. The
maximum repayment period for a Section 108 loan is
20 years.
Availability: HUD has $500 million in guarantee
authority available for FY 2015.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Economic development activities and housing
rehabilitation eligible under CDBG.
• Acquisition of real property (including brownfields).
• Rehabilitation of publicly owned real property
(including brownfields).
• Construction, reconstruction, or installation of public
facilities (including street, sidewalk, and other site
improvements).
• Related relocation, clearance, and site improve-
ments.
• Payment of interest on the guaranteed loan and
issuance costs of public offerings.
• Debt service reserves.
• Public works and site improvements in co/on/as.
• Housing construction in limited circumstances.
https://www.hudexchange.info/section-108/
Sustainable Communities Initiative
The Office of Economic Resilience (OER), previously
known as the Office of Sustainable Housing and
Communities, administers the Sustainable Communi-
ties Initiative to stimulate more integrated and sophis-
ticated regional planning to guide state, metropolitan,
and local investments in land use, transportation, and
housing, as well as to challenge localities to undertake
zoning and land-use reforms. This initiative has four
main tasks:
• Partner with the Department of Transportation
(DOT) and EPA in the Partnership for Sustain-
able Communities to catalyze a new generation of
integrated metropolitan transportation, housing,
land-use, and energy planning, using state-of-the-
art data, analytic tools, and geographic information
systems.
• Fund Community Challenge Grants to enable local
and regional planning to establish policies, codes,
tools, and critical capital investments needed to
achieve sustainable and inclusive development.
• Support capacity-building and a clearinghouse
designed to support grant recipients and other
communities interested in implementing sustainable
community strategies.
• Provide funding for a joint HUD-DOT-ERA research
effort designed to advance transportation and
housing linkages on a number of levels.
OER is the lead office within HUD for the Partnership
for Sustainable Communities, which was launched in
2009 as an interagency partnership involving HUD,
DOT, and EPA. United around six livability principles,
the agencies are working together to align federal
policies, improve access to affordable housing,
enhance economic competitiveness, increase the
number of available transportation options, and lower
transportation costs while protecting the environment
in communities nationwide. This interagency collabo-
ration is reflected in the grant-making processes of the
participating agencies. HUD, DOT, and EPA officials
work together to draft grant solicitations, review
grant applications, and coordinate investments. HUD
streamlined sustainability across many of its grant
programs by awarding "Preferred Sustainability Status"
to a number of communities and regions that receive
bonus points on competitive grant applications for
projects that complement their sustainability goals.
Eligibility Requirements: Applicants eligible for
Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants
are consortia of units of government, regional
planning agencies, and nonprofit organizations. If a
Metropolitan Planning Organization exists within a
region, it must be a part of the consortium. Applicants
eligible for Community Challenge Planning Grants are
state, local, and tribal governments.
381 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Limitations: Applicants for a Sustainable Communi-
ties Regional Planning Grant or a Community
Challenge Planning Grant must provide a match equal
to 20 percent of the requested funding amount in
the form of cash, verified in-kind contributions, or a
combination of these sources.
Availability: Although not funded since 2011,
funding for this program could be restored in future
years.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Provide more transportation choices.
• Promote equitable, affordable housing.
• Enhance economic competitiveness.
• Support existing communities and neighborhoods.
• Coordinate and leverage federal policies and
investment.
Partnership for Sustainable Communities:
http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov
OER: http://portal.hud.aov/hudportal/HUD?src=/
program_offices/economic_resilience
Lead-Based Paint Grant Programs
The Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
(OHHLHC) was established to eliminate lead-based
paint hazards in privately owned and low-income
housing, and to lead the nation in addressing
other housing-related health hazards that threaten
vulnerable residents. HUD's lead-based paint program
was established in 1993 to reduce young children's
exposure to lead paint hazards in homes.
Several grant programs provide funding to identify and
control lead-based paint hazards:
• Lead-based Paint Hazard Control (LHC) grant
program.
• Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration (LHRD) grant
program.
• Lead Elimination Action Program grants.
Two additional grant programs provide funding for
outreach and technical assistance. These grants assist
states, tribes, cities, counties/parishes, and other units
of local government in undertaking comprehensive
programs to identify and control lead-based paint
hazards in eligible privately owned rental or owner-
occupied housing. Funds made available under this
program are awarded competitively on an annual
basis through a selection process conducted by HUD.
Eligibility Requirements: LHRD grants must be used
to address housing privately owned and occupied
by, or rented to, low-income families. LHRD grant
recipients must provide a 25 percent match. LHC grant
recipients must provide a 10 percent match.
Availability: In FY2015 OHHLHC made available
$48 million for LHC grants and $45 million for LHRD
grants.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Lead-based paint inspections and risk assessments.
• Community awareness or education programs on
lead hazard control and lead poisoning prevention.
• Blood testing of children prior to lead hazard control
work.
• Lead hazard control work (this includes cleaning,
interim controls, and hazard abatement).
• Temporary relocation of families during hazard
control activities.
• Training for workers and supervisors.
• Training on lead-safe maintenance practices
for residents and others working in low-income
housing.
http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_
offices/healthy homes
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Stan Gimont, Director
Office of Block Grant Assistance
Office of Community Planning and Development
451 7th Street, SW, Room 7286
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-3587x4559
stanley.gimont@hud.gov
Steve Johnson, Director
Entitlement Communities Division
Office of Block Grant Assistance
451 7th Street SW, Room 7282
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-1577x4548
steve.johnson@hud.gov
[CDBG Entitlement Communities]
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SNAPSHOT - GARY, INDIANA
The City of Gary, with the assistance of a HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) from the
Partnership for Sustainable Communities, developed a plan to establish priorities for brownfields redevel-
opment and sustainability in four distressed neighborhoods. City officials and federal government officials
worked together to identify focus areas for redevelopment, which led to the development of the "Gary
Northside Redevelopment" plan. The plan focused on four key areas and helped catalyze a coordinated
and focused redevelopment effort into which the city could direct regional, state, and federal resources,
and establish priorities for redevelopment. Gary assembled a package of $1.8 million from EPA, HUD,
the Northwest Indiana Redevelopment Agency, and the city for the demolition of the long-abandoned
Sheraton hotel, and leveraged $155,000 in HUD CDBG funds for targeted demolition of homes, $1.5
million for the rehabilitation of the Hudson-Campbell fitness center, and a $150,000 transportation-
oriented development planning grant from the Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission. These
funds helped the city establish capacity and rebuild local areas to move the plan forward. The momentum
created by this project was a key contributing factor for the city's designation as a Strong Cities, Strong
Communities Initiative participant in 2014.
Pam Glekas-Spring, Director
State and Small Cities Division
Office of Block Grant Assistance
451 7th Street SW, Room 7184
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-1322x4449
pamela.qlekas(a)hud.qov
[CDBG Non-entitlementCommunities]
Paul Webster, Director
Financial Management Division
Office of Block Grant Assistance
451 7th Street SW, Room 7178 x 4563
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-1871
paul.webster(a)hud.gov
[Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program]
Virginia Sardone, Director
Office of Affordable Housing Programs
451 7th Street, SW, Room 7100 ~
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-2690x4606
Virginia.sardone(a)hud.aov
Harriet Tregoning, Director
Office of Economic Resilience
451 7th St., SW
Washington, DC 20410
202-402-5620
harriet.tregoning(a)hud.gov
[Sustainable Communities Initiative]
Matt Ammon, Director
Office of Healthy Homes and Lead Hazard Control
451 7th Street, SW, Room 8236
Washington, DC 20410
202-708-0310x4337
matthew.e.ammon(a)hud.gov
[Lead Based Paint Grant Programs]
Main Site
http://www.hud.aov
401 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Department of the Interior-
National Park Service
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The National Park Service (NFS) preserves natural and
cultural resources and manages the national park
system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration
of this and future generations. The NFS cooperates
with partners to extend the benefits of natural and
cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation
throughout this country and the world.
Brownfields Connections
• Assistance provided to state and local governments,
as well as community-based organizations, to assist
community-led natural resource conservation and
outdoor recreation initiatives, including those in
urban areas.
• Assistance to states and local governments in the
acquisition of surplus federal lands.
• Assistance for community revitalization.
RESOURCES
Outreach Assistance
Federal Lands to Parks Program
The NPS's Federal Lands to Parks (FLP) Program helps
communities create new parks and recreation areas
by transferring surplus federal land to state and local
governments. This program helps ensure public access
to park lands and promotes good stewardship of
natural, cultural, and recreational resources.
Eligibility Requirements: States, counties, munici-
palities, and similar government entities may acquire
surplus federal land for parks and recreational
areas. Private and nonprofit organizations, religious
institutions, and individuals are not eligible to
acquire surplus federal land for recreation through
the program. However, these entities may act as
advocates for the acquisition of federal lands by state
and local governments.
Limitations: Land or buildings obtained through
this program must be used for public parks and
recreational activities in perpetuity. The FLP Program
periodically monitors property use and development to
make sure that parks obtained under the program are
managed according to the terms and conditions of the
deed and approved use plan.
Availability: More than 1,590 properties, represent-
ing approximately 178,470 acres, were transferred to
state and local governments for parks and recreation
areas since the program's inception in 1949. When
federal land becomes available for reuse, the General
Services Administration (or the military agency in
cases of base closures, or at times another federal
"disposing" agency) will notify other federal and
state agencies. FLP Program staff review notices of
available property for park and recreation opportu-
nities and notify relevant state, regional, and local
park agencies. Notices often are posted on military or
General Services Administration websites.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Creating or expanding public parks and recreation
areas.
• Providing or expanding park and recreational
amenities to camp, hike, play sports, improve
quality of life, help revitalization efforts, and attract
businesses.
• Protecting open spaces, extending hiking trails, and
opening boating and fishing access.
• Preserving historical and natural resources, such as
forts, lighthouses, shorelines, and wildlife habitat.
• Converting abandoned military bases into widely
used, productive recreational assets.
• Renewing a sense of community through community
gardens, senior and cultural centers, and other
gathering places.
http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/flp
Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program
The NPS's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance
(RTCA) program provides assistance to communities
so they can conserve rivers, preserve open space, and
develop trails and greenways. NFS staff help build
partnerships to achieve community-defined goals
by assessing resources, developing concept plans,
engaging public participation, and identifying potential
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |41
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sources of funding for conservation and outdoor
recreation projects. Some of the assistance is targeted
to urban areas. As such, the program can complement
brownfields redevelopment efforts.
Four NFS project areas support conservation efforts:
urban area projects, trails and greenway projects,
rails-trails projects, and river projects. A redevelopment
project may use any or all of these project areas at the
same time. The Groundwork USA Initiative is a pilot
program of NFS in cooperation with EPA's Brownfields
Program, through which NPS provides technical
assistance to successful pilot community applicants.
EPA provides NPS with the funds for this program
under an interagency agreement. NPS awards financial
assistance to successful applicants and administers
the assistance agreements. The Groundwork USA
Initiative builds the capacity of communities impacted
by brownfields and abandoned lands. The Groundwork
USA Initiative improves a community's environment for
conservation, recreation, and economic development
by supporting the establishment of locally organized
and controlled Groundwork Trusts. Each of the trusts is
an independent, not-for-profit environmental business.
The trusts partner with government agencies and the
private sector to engage residents in the remediation of
brownfields to build consensus on reusing these sites for
community benefit and facilitating their transformation.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible project partners
include nonprofit organizations, community groups,
tribes or tribal governments, and local, state, or federal
government agencies. Federal agencies may be the
lead partner only in collaboration with a nonfederal
partner. Projects are locally requested and led and
should include significant public involvement. Projects
should also include the commitment, cooperation, and
cost-sharing of all partners.
Limitations: Generally the NPS involvement in these
partnerships lasts two years.
Availability: Assistance is provided for one year and
may be renewed for a second year, if warranted.
SNAPSHOT - HUDSON RIVER, NEW YORK
In 2012, NPS's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program provided assistance to local communi-
ties, state agencies, and community groups in New York to designate the Hudson River Greenway Water
Trail as a National Water Trail. The 256-mile water trail, which extends from the Adirondack Park and Lake
Champlain in northern New York to New York City, provides at least one access point every 10 miles or
less along both shores of the river, with 96 designated public access sites. The Water Trail is part of the
Hudson River Valley Greenway Program. The trail will be administered by NPS and become part of a new
National Water Trails System, which was established to protect and restore America's rivers, shorelines,
and waterways; conserve natural areas along waterways; and increase access to outdoor recreation on
shorelines and waterways.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Assisting in the development of conservation
partnerships.
• Providing resource assessment and identifying
potential sources of funding.
• Designing public outreach and participation
strategies.
• Helping communities achieve on-the-ground conser-
vation successes for their projects.
• Offering assistance in greenway efforts ranging
from urban promenades, to trails along abandoned
railroad rights of way, to wildlife corridors.
• Promoting river conservation through downtown
riverfronts, regional water trails, and stream restoration.
http: 7/www. n ps. g ov/rtca
http://www.groundworkusa.org/
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Wendy Ormont, Leader
National Park Service
Federal Lands to Parks Program
1201 Eye St., NW, Floor 9
Washington, DC 20005
202-354-6915
wendy_orm ont@nps.gov
Stephan Nofield, Leader
National Park Service
Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program
1201 Eye St., NW, Floor 9
Washington, DC 20005
202-354-6922
stephan_nofield(g)nps.gov
Main Site
http: //www. n PS . a ov
421 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Department of the Interior—
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The mission of the Department of the Interior's
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforce-
ment (OSMRE) is to carry out the requirements of
the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
in cooperation with states and tribes. The primary
objectives are to ensure that coal mines are operated
in a manner that protects citizens and the environ-
ment during mining, the land is restored to beneficial
use following mining, and the effects of past mining
are mitigated by aggressively pursuing reclamation of
abandoned coal mines.
Brownfields Connections
• Provides grants to states and tribes to reclaim land
and waters damaged by coal mining operations.
• Through its OSMRE/VISTA (Volunteers in Service to
America) Program, supports community efforts to
promote environmental and economic improve-
ments. This assistance is targeted to watershed
groups and other entities eligible to apply for grants
to support brownfields redevelopment.
• Supports local governments in the assessment,
reclamation, and redevelopment of abandoned
mine lands as brownfields.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program
The Watershed Cooperative Agreement Program
makes funds available for reclamation projects to
clean streams affected by acid mine drainage.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
nonprofit organizations, especially small local
watershed organizations.
Availability: Applicants normally receive up to
$100,000 for each reclamation project, primarily
for project construction. Watershed Cooperative
Agreements have a two-year performance period.
Between 1999 and 2013, OSMRE awarded 279
Watershed Cooperative Agreements and amendments
to existing agreements totaling more than $23 million.
Limitations: Matching funds are required.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Project construction.
• Administrative costs.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Abandoned Mine Lands Program
The Abandoned Mine Lands (AMI) Program addresses
threats to public health, safety, and general welfare
through the reclamation of environmental hazards
caused by past mining practices. In 2006, the program
was extended to 2021.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
watershed groups working on properties mined prior
to August 3, 1977, and limited sites mined after that
date.
Limitations: Each state must have an approved
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
regulatory (Title V) program and a reclamation (Title
IV) program before it is eligible to receive reclama-
tion grant funding. Tribes are allowed access to AMI
funds derived from reclamation fees if they have an
approved reclamation program.
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/
Abandoned Mine Lands.html
OSM/VISTA Teams
OSMRE and the AmeriCorps VISTA program assist
watershed groups in poverty alleviation, environmen-
tal improvements, and capacity-building to revitalize
their communities. The OSMRE/VISTA initiative can
provide a watershed group or other community
improvement group with a full-time, college graduate
VISTA Volunteer to support economic redevelopment,
environmental stewardship, project implementation,
and community outreach and education.
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SNAPSHOT - DURANGO, COLORADO
An OSMRE/VISTA Volunteer has been working with the Animas Watershed Partnership (AWP), located in
Durango, Colorado, to empower community members to improve the health of their environment and
sustain and improve the economic productivity of their land and livelihoods. The volunteer has been
working with the AWP to develop the Animas and Florida River Water Quality and Habitat Improvement
Project, which focuses on implementing agricultural best management practices (BMPs) recommended
in the Animas Watershed Based Plan. The targeted BMPs will address top sources of contamination identi-
fied in a major tributary, the Florida River, ranked as a priority inflow for nutrient and sediment loading to the
Animas River. The project incorporates riparian fencing and irrigation efficiency improvement BMPs, moni-
toring and evaluation of project results, and strategic outreach to key audiences. The primary goal of the
project is to improve the water quality and aquatic habitat of the lower Florida River and the Animas River
by reducing the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus contributed to the Florida River and ultimately to the
Animas River. In addition, the project aims to sustain and advance the mission and collaboration of the
AWP and to educate key audiences about water quality.
Eligibility Requirements: The sponsoring watershed
organization must demonstrate its capacity for
effective supervision and support of the OSMRE/VISTA
Volunteer, adherence to the core goals for OSMRE/
VISTA, and community support.
Limitations: There is a small cost-share requirement
for all OSMRE/VISTA projects.
Availability: Applicants must complete an applica-
tion that documents the poverty of the watershed,
the support of local agencies, and a work plan. The
position is in place for three years, although most
OSMRE/VISTAs serve a single year.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Building capacity in the sponsoring organization by
preparing grant documents, organizing volunteers,
and assisting with other activities.
• Organizing the water-quality monitoring critical to
future funding.
• Reaching out to youth and adults in the community
to create awareness about watershed issues.
• Engaging in economic revitalization efforts.
• Finding funding for the revitalization efforts.
http://www.coalcountryteam.org and
http://www.hardrockteam.org
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
T. Allan Comp, Ph.D.
Coordinator: OSM/VISTA Teams
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
Department of the Interior- Room 121
Washington, DC 20240
202-208-2836
tcom p@osm re. gov
Appalachian Coal Country Team
http://www.coalcountryteam.org
Western Hardrock Watershed Team
http://www.hardrockteam.org
Main Site
http://www.osmre.gov
441 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Department of Labor
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) fosters, promotes,
and develops the welfare of wage earners, job seekers,
and retirees of the United States; improves working
conditions; advances opportunities for profitable
employment; and assures work-related benefits and
rights. In carrying out this mission, DOL administers
a variety of federal labor laws, including those that
guarantee workers' rights to safe and healthful working
conditions, a minimum hourly wage and overtime pay,
and freedom from employment discrimination.
DOL's Employment and Training Administration
(ETA) works in partnership with states, localities, and
community organizations to assist adults and youth in
transitioning to good jobs.The agency accomplishes
this mission by administering effective, value-added
programs that expand opportunities for employment,
continuous learning, business competitiveness, and
community prosperity.
With its state and local partners and grantees, ETA is
currently implementing the provisions of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) which was
passed into law in July 2014. Future regulations and
policy information related to this Act and the various
activities undertaken by state and local governments
to prepare can be found online.
http://www.doleta.gov/wioa
https://wioa.workforce3one.org/index.aspx
Brownfields Connection
• While DOL/ETA does not execute a specific
brownfields initiative, its mission and discretionary
grant investments often complement and support
local redevelopment efforts that require workers
who are trained and skilled to handle environ-
mental cleanup and sustainable redevelopment of
brownfields.
RESOURCES
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Job Training
ETA administers programs that provided training and
employment assistance to over 16 million adult workers
and youth during Program Year 2013.
Services for job seekers and employers are offered
through approximately 2,500 One-Stop Career Centers.
Many of these centers are located in brownfields
communities and provide job seekers with job vacancies
and labor market information, job search and placement
assistance, assessment and career counseling, and
access to training. The centers also provide services to
employers to find skilled workers. Information about
these centers and the business-led local Workforce
Boards that provide overall strategic direction can be
found at America's Service Locator.
http://www.servicelocator.org
In August 2003, ETA issued a Training and Employment
Notice to the public workforce system on potential
collaboration with ERA on brownfields economic
development.
ETA also routinely posts information related to ERA
brownfields and other environmental investments on its
website (www.doleta.gov/usworkforce). ETA highlights its
future discretionary grant opportunities that may be of
interest at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm.
The brownfields community also should note that ETA
announced a major update to its CareerOneStop website
(http://www.careeronestop.org) in March 2013. A March
2015 Training and Employment Notice to the public
workforce system summarizes the most recent changes to
the suite of online career tools for jobseekers, students,
workforce professionals, and businesses.
http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEN/
TEN 25-14 Acc.pdf
Eligibility: Technical assistance linked to job training
and workforce development is available to brownfields
communities. State or local governments interested in
this support are encouraged to contact one of ETA's
regional offices.
http://www.doleta.gov/regions/regoffices
Availability: Each state and local workforce area has a
Workforce Investment Board that oversees the One-Stop
Career Center system in each state/local area, develops
strategic direction, and sets investment priorities. These
business-led Boards are currently reviewing the WIOA
statute to prepare for new governance and operational
responsibilities.
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SNAPSHOT - STATE OF CONNECTICUT
In June 2011, the Employment and Training Administration awarded a $5.8 million Green Jobs Initiative
Fund grant to the Connecticut Department of Labor to help workers receive job training in green industry
sectors and occupations, and access green career pathways. The Connecticut Green Jobs Funnel Initia-
tive will promote career pathways in the green construction industry for 975 unemployed and underem-
ployed workers in seven Connecticut communities with high poverty and unemployment rates. The grant
targets providing unemployed and underemployed workers with training and credentials to obtain employ-
ment in green construction and related industries, such as brownfields remediation, deconstruction, ret-
rofitting, weatherization and energy management, and construction skilled trades that require green skills.
(Other information related to the Green Jobs Initiative Fund can be found at http://www.doleta.gov/brg/
Green Jobs/. 1
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Division of Strategic Investments
Office of Workforce Investment
Employment and Training Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
200 Constitution Ave., NW, RM C-4518
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-3949
DSI@dol.gov
Main Site
http://www.dol.aov
461 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Department of Transportation—
Federal Highway Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
RESOURCES
Mission
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) works to
ensure that America's roads and highways continue
to be safe and technologically up to date. It provides
financial and technical support to state, local, and tribal
governments for constructing, improving, and preserving
America's highway system. Its budget is primarily divided
between two programs: federal-aid funding to state
and local governments, and Federal Lands Highways
funding for national parks, national forests, Indian lands,
and other land under federal stewardship. The FHWA is
committed to protecting and preserving the environment
through stewardship and timely reviews.
Brownfields Connections
• Encourages the appropriate consideration of
brownfields in transportation planning, FHWA's
National Environmental Policy Act (NERA) process,
and state-related project development process.
• Encourages state and local transportation agencies
to develop their improvement programs in concert
with brownfield site remediation and redevelopment
efforts.
• Encourages transportation agency sponsors to
consider brownfield properties when siting projects
as part of redevelopment efforts.
• Develops working partnerships with a broad range
of environmental, state, local, and private sector
partners interested in supporting the redevelopment
of brownfields.
• Provides technical assistance as needed to communi-
ties considering brownfields redevelopment
programs on how to use federal-aid highway funds
to meet program goals.
• Seeks cooperative partnerhips between transpor-
tation, permit, and resource agencies in effective
utilization and or redevelopment of brownfields, as
well as opportunities to share innovative financing
and other project responsibilities with other govern-
mental agencies and the private sector.
• Explores issues concerning liability and the level of
cleanup necessary to make brownfields reusable.
Financial Assistance
Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement
Program
The Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improve-
ment Program (CMAQ) is continued by the Moving
Ahead for Progress in the 21 st Century Act of 2012
(MAP-21) to provide a flexible funding source to state
and local governments for transportation projects and
programs to help meet the requirements of the Clean
Air Act. Funding is available to reduce congestion and
improve air quality for areas that do not meet the
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone,
carbon monoxide, or particulate matter (non-attain-
ment areas) and for former non-attainment areas that
are now in compliance (maintenance areas). Funding
surface transportation programs at over $105 billion
for fiscal years 2013 and 2014, MAP-21 is the first
long-term highway authorization enacted since 2005.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants include
state departments of transportation and local govern-
ments.
Limitations: Funds must be spent in non-attain-
ment or maintenance areas. Projects must reduce
the pollutant for which the area is designated as
non-attainment or maintenance. No funds may be
used to add capacity except for high-occupancy
vehicle facilities that are available to single-occupant
vehicles only at off-peak times.
Availability: CMAQ funds require a state or local
match. The typical split is 80 percent federal and 20
percent state and/or local.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Supporting transit and public transportation
programs specifically through service or system
expansion, provision of new transit service, and
financial incentives to use existing transit services.
• Traffic flow improvements.
• Travel demand management strategies.
• Ride-sharing programs
• Pedestrian and bicycle programs.
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |47
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• Alternative clean fuels.
• Public/private partnerships.
• Workforce development, training, and education
activities.
http://www.fhwa. dot. gov/environment/air_quality/
cmaq/
Transportation Alternatives Program
The Transportation Alternatives (TA) Program is
a new program that was authorized by MAP-21.
The TA Program combines programs that were
authorized under the Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users,
including Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes
to School, and Recreational Trails. It also includes
funding for some road uses.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants include
states.
Limitations: States must suba I locate 50 percent of
their TA funds to Metropolitan Planning Organizations
and communities for local project grants. States can
use the remaining 50 percent for TA projects or spend
these dollars on other transportation priorities, such as
air quality improvement projects.
Availability: The combined funding for the TA
Program for all uses is approximately $820 million for
2014.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
• Safe routes for nondrivers projects and systems.
• Construction of turnouts, overlooks, and viewing areas.
• Vegetation management practices in rights of way
and other activities under Section 319 (similar to
landscaping and beautification).
• Historic preservation, rehabilitation, and operation
of historic transportation buildings, structures and
facilities.
• Preservation of abandoned railway corridors for
public uses, including pedestrian and bicycle trails.
• Inventory, control, and removal of outdoor advertising.
• Archeological activities related to transportation
projects.
• Any environmental mitigation, including existing uses.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Transportation Planning
FHWA has programs related to transportation
planning for local, rural, metropolitan, state, tribal,
federal, and citizen partners. These programs may
apply to brownfields planning and redevelopment.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Climate change and planning.
• Land use and transportation.
• Economic development.
• Public involvement.
• Smart growth and communities.
• Tools for planning.
Eligibility Requirements: FHWA's planning
programs provide planning assistance to local, rural,
metropolitan, state, tribal, and other federal partners.
Information is available online according to issue
and program. State and metropolitan transportation
planning processes are governed by federal law and
applicable state and local laws if federal highway or
transit funds are used for transportation investment.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Constance Hill Galloway, Ph.D.
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
Office of Natural Environment
Sustainable Transport and Climate Change Team
(HEPN-40)
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20590
804-775-3378
connie.hill@.dot.gov
Main Site
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov
481 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) provides
financial and technical assistance for locally planned,
constructed, and operated public transportation
systems throughout the United States, including
buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, monorail,
passenger ferryboats, trolleys, inclined railways,
paratransit for the elderly and disabled, and people
movers.
Because many brownfields are located in urbanized
areas where transit is a viable transportation option,
FTA programs can play a role in local efforts to find an
economically productive use for a brownfield site. FTA
funds are specifically designated for transit projects,
but funds also may be used to assess or clean up any
part of a brownfield site that is proposed for use as
part of a transit project. FTA shares best practices and
offers technical assistance to transit agencies working
with other state and local government agencies on
transit projects involving brownfield sites.
Brownfields Connections
• Financially assists metropolitan planning organiza-
tions in planning transportation investment decisions
in metropolitan areas impacted by brownfields.
• Provides grants to public transit agencies in urban
and non-urban areas for transit capital projects.
• As part of project development for a transit capital
investment, assists the transit agency in assessing
the associated environmental impacts and benefits
of the proposed project, such as locating it on a
brownfield site.
RESOURCES
As this information may change before this document
is updated, please visit the FTA website for the most
current information.
http://www.fta.dot.gov
Financial Assistance
Urbanized Area Formula Program (Section 5307)
The Urbanized Area Formula Program makes federal
funding available to designated transit agencies in
urbanized areas with a population of 50,000 or more.
It may be used for transit planning and transit capital
projects, such as bus purchases. Funding also is
available for transit operating assistance in urbanized
areas with a population under 200,000, and limited in
urbanized areas over $200,000.
Eligibility Requirements: Designated recipients must
be public entities with the legal authority to receive
and dispense federal transit funds.
Limitations: In most instances, the federal share
of the transit project is not to exceed 80 percent of
the net project cost. The federal share of a transit
operating assistance project may not exceed 50
percent of the net project cost.
Availability: Congress authorized over $4.4 billion
for these grants in FY 2014.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Transit planning, engineering design, and evaluation
of transit projects and other technical transportation-
related studies.
• Capital investments in bus and bus-related activities,
such as replacement, overhaul, or rebuilding of
buses; crime prevention and security equipment;
and construction of bus maintenance and passenger
facilities.
• Capital investments in new and existing fixed
guideway systems, including rolling stock, overhaul
and rebuilding of vehicles, tracks, signals, communi-
cations, and computer hardware and software.
http://www.fta. dot.gov/documents/FINAL_FTA_
circular9030.1E.pdf
Formula Grants for Rural Areas (Section 5311)
Formula Grants for Rural Areas is a formula-based
transit program that provides funds to states and tribes
for the purpose of supporting public transportation
in rural areas with populations of less than 50,000.
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The goal of the program is to enhance the access
in rural areas to health care, shopping, education,
employment, public services, and recreation; assist in
the maintenance, development, improvement, and
use of public transportation systems in rural areas;
encourage and facilitate the most efficient use of
all transportation funds used to provide passenger
transportation in rural areas through the coordination
of programs and services; provide financial assistance
to help carry out national goals related to mobility
for all, including seniors, individuals with disabilities,
and low-income individuals; increase availability of
transportation options through investments in intercity
bus services; assist in the development and support
of intercity bus transportation; encourage mobility
management, employment-related transportation
alternatives, joint development practices, and transit-
oriented development; and provide for the participa-
tion of private transportation providers in rural public
transportation.
Eligibility Requirements: Grants are awarded to
states and Indian tribes. The state often allocates the
funds to subrecipients of the program, which include
local governmental authorities, such as counties,
nonprofit organizations, or other operators of public
transportation in the rural area.
Limitations: The federal share of the capital transit
project may not exceed 80 percent of the net project
cost. The federal share of transit operating assistance
may not exceed 50 percent of the net project cost.
Availability: Congress authorized over $600 million
for this program in FY2014.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Planning, capital, job access, and reverse commute
projects, and the acquisition of public transportation
services.
http://www.fta. dot. gov/documents/MAP-21_Fact_
Sheet - Formula Grants for Rural Areas.pdf
Fixed Guideway Capital Investment Grants ("New
Starts" and "Core Capacity") (Section 5309)
The Fixed Guideway Transit Capital Investment Grant
(CIG) program is a discretionary grant program that
provides capital assistance for new and expanded
heavy rail, commuter rail, light rail, streetcar, bus
rapid transit, and ferry systems. The program provides
funds for construction of new fixed guideway systems
or extensions to existing systems, corridor-based bus
rapid transit systems that may not contain a fixed
guideway but represent a substantial investment in
the corridor, and capacity expansion projects on fixed
guideway systems that are at capacity today or will
be within five years. A fixed guideway refers to any
transit service that operates on a separate right of way
exclusively for the use of public transportation, or that
includes a rail or a catenary system.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants under
the CIG program are public bodies and agencies
(transit authorities and other state and local public
bodies and agencies), including states, municipalities,
other political subdivisions of states; public agencies
and instrumentalities of one or more states; and
certain public corporations, boards, and commis-
sions established under state law. To be eligible for
funds, projects must proceed through a multiyear,
multistep process specified in law and receive at least
a "Medium" overall rating from FTA when evaluated
against the criteria specified in law (49 USC § 5309).
Limitations: The maximum CIG share allowed under
the program's authorizing legislation for a proposed
CIG project is 80 percent, with a 20 percent required
local match. However, appropriations law directs
FTA to limit the CIG share for New Starts and Core
Capacity projects to 60 percent or less.
Availability: Congress authorized approximately $1.9
billion for this program in FY2014.
Uses/Applications Include:
• New fixed guideway projects or extensions consisting
of heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, streetcar,
ferries, or bus rapid transit.
• Corridor-based bus rapid transit systems.
• Core capacity projects, which expand capacity by at
least 10 percent in existing fixed guideway transit
corridors that are already at or above capacity today,
or are expected to be at or above capacity within five
years.
http://www.fta.dot.gov/12304.html
Bus and Bus Facilities (Section 5339)
The Bus and Bus Facilities program provides capital
funding to replace, rehabilitate, and purchase buses
and related equipment and to construct bus-related
facilities.
Eligibility Requirements: Designated recipients
under Section 5307 and states that operate or allocate
funding to fixed-route bus operators are eligible.
Eligible subrecipients would include public agencies
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or private nonprofit organizations engaged in public
transportation, including those providing services open
to a segment of the general public, as defined by age,
disability, or low income.
Limitations: The federal share is 80 percent of the
total project cost, with a 20 percent required local
match.
Availability: Congress authorized over $427 million
for this program in FY2014.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Capital projects to replace, rehabilitate, and
purchase buses, vans, and related equipment, and
to construct bus-related facilities.
http://www.fta. dot.gov/documents/MAP-21_Fact_
Sheet - Bus and Bus Facilities.pdf
State of Good Repair Formula Grants (Section 5337)
The formula-based State of Good Repair program is
dedicated to repairing and upgrading the nation's
rail transit systems, along with high-intensity motor
bus systems that use high-occupancy vehicle lanes,
including bus rapid transit.
Eligibility Requirements: State and local
government authorities in urbanized areas with fixed
guideway public transportation facilities operating for
at least seven years are eligible.
Limitations: The federal share is 80 percent of the
total project cost, with a 20 percent match.
Availability: Congress authorized over $2.1 billion
for this program in FY2014.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Capital projects to maintain a system in a state
of good repair, including projects to replace and
rehabilitate rolling stock, track, line equipment and
structures, signals and communications, power
equipment and substations, passenger stations and
terminals, security equipment and systems, mainte-
nance facilities and equipment, and operational
support equipment, including computer hardware
and software.
• Transit Asset Management Plan development and
implementation.
http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/AAAP-21
Sheet - State of Good Repair Grants.pdf
Fact
Metropolitan and Statewide Planning Programs
(Sections 5303, 5304, 5305]
These programs provide funding and procedural
requirements for multimodal transportation planning
in metropolitan areas and states that is coopera-
tive, continuous, and comprehensive, resulting in
long-range plans and short-range programs of
transportation investment priorities. The planning
programs are jointly administered by FTA and the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), which
provides additional funding.
Eligibility Requirements: State Departments of
Transportation (DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning
Organizations (MPOs) are eligible. Federal planning
funds are first apportioned to state DOTs, which then
allocate planning funding to MPOs.
Limitations: The federal share is not to exceed 80
percent of the cost of the projects funded, with a
required 20 percent nonfederal match.
Availability: Funds are apportioned to states by a
formula that includes each state's urbanized area
population in proportion to the total urbanized area
population for the nation, as well as other factors.
States can receive no less than 0.5 percent of the
amount apportioned. These funds in turn are suballo-
cated by states to MPOs by a formula that considers
each MPO's urbanized area population, its individual
planning needs, and a minimum distribution.
Congress authorized approximately $129 million for
the program in FY 2014.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Supporting the economic vitality of the metropolitan
area, especially by enabling global competitiveness,
productivity, and efficiency.
• Increasing the safety of the transportation system for
motorized and nonmotorized users.
• Increasing the security of the transportation system
for motorized and nonmotorized users.
• Increasing the accessibility and mobility of people
and freight.
• Protecting and enhancing the environment,
promoting energy conservation, improving the
quality of life, and promoting consistency between
transportation improvements and state and local
planned growth and economic development
patterns.
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SNAPSHOT - ST. PAUL-MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
On June 14, 2014, the Twin Cities' Metro Transit system began light rail service along its new Green Line,
successfully completing the Central Corridor Light Rail Transit project. This $957 million dollar project
received a 50 percent contribution from the FTA to construct 18 new stations and integrate five existing
Blue Line stations along an 11 -mile route connecting downtown St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis. Prior
to redevelopment, the City of St. Paul identified 19 separate brownfields comprising 77.5 acres along
this corridor. With the addition of the 1-94 expressway in the 1970s and only limited bus services along
University Avenue, the corridor became underused, and portions of the area included abandoned
commercial properties. The historical use of the area also resulted in underlying soil and groundwater
contamination, thereby restricting investment and redevelopment efforts. During this project, most of
the contamination was capped by pavement or covered under more than four feet of clean soil.
The construction of the light rail tracks required relocation of public and private underground utilities
within the utility-dense University Avenue corridor, thus making this the largest utility project in Minnesota
history. In addition to the new line, 47 light rail vehicles were purchased. By 2030 the daily ridership is
projected to reach 40,000, and an estimated $2.5 billion dollars in redevelopment of the corridor is
planned or underway. The successful cleanup of the Metro Green Line not only created a new light
rail transit line, but also created the opportunity to strengthen the regional economy and to make the
adjacent neighborhoods safer and more livable.
• Enhancing the integration and connectivity of the
transportation system, across and between modes,
for people and freight.
• Promoting efficient system management and
operation.
• Emphasizing the preservation of the existing
transportation system.
http://www.fta. dot. gov/documents/MAP-21_Fact_
Sheet_-_Metropolitan_and_Statewide_and_Nonmetro-
politan Transportation Plannina.pdf
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Ms. Antoinette Quagliata, LEED AP
U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
Office of Planning and Environment
1200 New Jersey Ave., SE
East Building - Room E45-339
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4265
antoinette.quagliata@dot.gov
Main Site
http://www.fta.dot.gov
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Department of Transportation
Office of the Secretary
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT)
Office of the Secretary (OST) oversees the formula-
tion of national transportation policy and promotes
intermodal transportation. Other responsibilities
include negotiating and implementing international
transportation agreements, assuring the fitness of U.S.
airlines, enforcing airline consumer protection regula-
tions, issuing regulations to prevent alcohol and illegal
drug misuse in transportation systems, and preparing
transportation legislation.
DOT encourages state and local transportation
agencies to address community brownfields redevel-
opment in transportation planning and other project
development processes. Transportation agencies may
spend federal transportation funds on the assessment
and cleanup of contaminated sites, provided that the
activity is part of an "eligible transportation project"
and makes "transportation sense."
Brownfields Connection
• Provides grants to invest in innovative road, rail,
transit, and port projects that incorporate livability
and sustainability principles. These principles
improve economic competitiveness by expanding
transportation connections and choices for
communities across the nation that are impacted by
brownfields.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Transportation Investment Generating Economic
Recovery [TIGER) Grants
The Transportation Investment Generating Economic
Recovery, or TIGER Discretionary Grant program,
provides a unique opportunity for DOT to invest in
road, rail, transit, and port projects that promise to
achieve critical national objectives. Congress has
dedicated more than $4.1 billion to the program,
including $1.5 billion for TIGER I grants and $600
million for TIGER II grants. Annual appropriations
include $526,944 million for the FY 2013, and $600
million for the FY 2014 rounds of TIGER grants to
fund projects that have a significant impact on the
nation, a region, or a metropolitan area. For 2014,
the department received 797 eligible applications
from 49 states, U.S. territories, and the District of
Columbia, an increase from the 585 applications
received in 2013. Out of those, 72 TIGER grants
were awarded, including 30 planning grants. As
with previous rounds of TIGER, funds for the TIGER
program were awarded on a competitive basis for
projects that demonstrated a significant impact on
the nation, a metropolitan area, or a region. Overall,
the 2014 applications totaled $9 billion. The Consoli-
dated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of
2015, signed December 16, 2014, includes $500
million for National Infrastructure Investments (TIGER
Discretionary Grants).
Funding available for TIGER and the growing
number of projects supported would nearly double
if Congress passes the Administration's proposed
GROW AMERICA Act. The GROW AMERICA Act also
will help focus transportation planning on providing
jobs and economic opportunity. Ten communities will
take part in a $70 million pilot program to develop
better practices to connect neighborhoods to jobs,
education, and other opportunities.
Eligibility Requirements: TIGER grants are offered
on a competitive basis directly to state, local, and
tribal governments, including U.S. territories, transit
agencies, port authorities, metropolitan planning
organizations (MPOs), other political subdivisions
of state or local governments, and multistate or
multijurisdictional groups applying through a single
lead applicant (for multijurisdictional groups, each
member of the group, including the lead applicant,
must be eligible for capital projects that will enhance
economic competitiveness, safety, state of good
repair, environmental sustainability, and livability.
The TIGER 2014 program gave additional consider-
ation to projects that sought to strengthen community
connections to centers of employment, education,
and services, consistent with the Ladders of Opportu-
nity Initiative.
Limitations: Congress required a 20 percent cost
share for past projects in urbanized areas. For the
past three rounds of TIGER grants, the minimum
grant, by law, was $10 million for projects in urban
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |53
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areas and $1 million for capital projects in rural
areas. While the statutory maximum for any TIGER
grant is $200 million, awards average about $10
million per grant. Funding was provided for project
and regional planning grants in FY2010 and FY
2014, and planning grant awards totaling $31
million were made in 2014. However, it is uncertain
if future rounds of the grant competition will allow
use of TIGER funds for planning projects.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Conducting planning, design, and environmental
work needed for a project to proceed to construction
(but only when construction costs also are included
in the project).
• Acquiring rights of way needed for a project.
• Constructing transportation infrastructure improve-
ments, including but not limited to:
Highway and bridge improvements (widening,
new construction, high occupancy toll lanes,
bridge repair and replacement, and grade
separations).
Bus and light rail infrastructure.
- Creating transit centers.
Establishing electric vehicle networks.
Streetcars.
Bicycle and pedestrian trail networks.
Passenger and freight rail enhancements.
Port infrastructure.
Availability: In April 2015, DOT announced that
$500 million will be made available under the
seventh round of TIGER grants. Pre-applications were
due on May 4, 2015, and final applications were due
on June 5, 2015.
http://www.dot.gov/tiger/
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Camilla Mittelholtz
U.S. Department of Transportation
Office of the Secretary of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4861
camille.mittelholtz@dot.gov
Main Site
http://www.dot.gov
Partership for Sustainaable Communities
DOT, EPA, and the Department of Housing and
Urban Development work together to help communi-
ties improve access to affordable housing, increase
transportation options, and lower transportation costs
while protecting the environment.
http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov
SNAPSHOT - HOUSTON, TEXAS
DOT awarded a $10 million TIGER grant to the City of Houston in an effort to improve the existing arterial
management system's performance and operation, thereby improving the mobility and safety of
motorists, transit providers/passengers, and pedestrians among 150 arterial corridors. Upon completion,
this project will allow for greater traffic flow, improve vehicular flow (saving up to 2 million gallons of fuel
and cutting up tol 7,500 tons of CO2 annually, plus enhancing incident management through provision
of real-time information), reduce travel delays and emissions, and improve capacity and accessibil-
ity to the community. It will also reduce first responder response time and clearance of incidents by up
to 20 percent, and enhance timing and signal adjustments based on current conditions and planned
events.
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Environmental Protection Agency
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) is to protect human health and the
environment. EPA's purpose is to ensure that:
• All Americans are protected from significant risks to
human health and the environment where they live,
learn, and work.
• National efforts to reduce environmental risk are
based on the best available scientific information.
• Federal laws protecting human health and the
environment are enforced fairly and effectively.
• Environmental protection is an integral consideration
in U.S. policies concerning natural resources, human
health, economic growth, energy, transportation,
agriculture, industry, and international trade, and
these factors are similarly considered in establishing
environmental policy.
• All parts of society - communities, individuals,
businesses, and state, local and tribal governments
- have access to accurate information sufficient to
participate effectively in managing human health
and environmental risks.
• Environmental protection contributes to making our
communities and ecosystems diverse, sustainable,
and economically productive.
• The United States plays a leadership role in working
with other nations to protect the global environment.
Brownfields Connections
• Grants to assess site contamination.
• Grants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfields.
• Capital to establish revolving loan funds (RLFs).
• Funds to develop environmental job training for
residents of brownfields-impacted communities.
• Grants to conduct area-wide planning activities.
• Grants to establish and enhance state and tribal
response programs.
• Grants to capitalize RLFs to correct or prevent water
quality problems.
• Outreach and technical assistance to brownfields
communities.
• Grants to advance the restoration of urban waters.
• Grants and technical assistance to promote Smart
Growth principles.
OFFICE OF BROWNFIELDS AND LAND
REVITALIZATION
EPA actively promotes the cleanup and redevelop-
ment of brownfields through the Office of Brownfields
and Land Revitalization (OBLR). 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.
The EPA Brownfields Program encourages the redevel-
opment of America's abandoned and contaminated
brownfields through its annual grant program, as
well as its many outreach and technical assistance
programs.
Since the inception of EPA's Brownfields Program in
1995, cumulative brownfield program investments
have leveraged more than $22 billion from a variety
of public and private sources for cleanup and redevel-
opment activities. This equates to an average of
$17.79 leveraged per EPA brownfield dollar expended.
These investments have resulted in approximately
105,942 jobs nationwide. For a brief overview of the
economic benefits of brownfields redevelopment, see:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/overview/OBLR_
Brownfield%20postcard%202014 _v4 web.pdf.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
EPA's Brownfields Program provides direct funding for
brownfields assessment, planning, cleanup, and RLF
capitalization. To facilitate the leveraging of public
resources, the program collaborates with other EPA
programs, federal partners, and state agencies to identify
and make available resources that can be used for
brownfields and community revitalization activities. EPA also
provides technical assistance to brownfields communities
and information on brownfields financing opportunities.
EPA provides funding for the following grants:
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |55
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Assessment Grants
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by state legislature;
regional councils and groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; Indian tribes other than
in Alaska; and Alaska Native Regional Corpora-
tions, Alaska Native Village Corporations, and the
Metlakatla Indian Community.
Limitations: An applicant may apply annually for one
community-wide hazardous substances assessment
grant and one community-wide petroleum assessment
grant. Applicants applying for community-wide
assessment grants for both hazardous substances
and petroleum may also apply for one site-specific
assessment grant each year. No single entity may
apply for more than $750,000 in assessment funding
per year. Coalitions of three or more eligible entities
may apply for a single community-wide assessment
grant of up to $600,000. Coalition members may not
apply for any other assessment grants in the same
year.
http://epa.gov/brownfields/assessment grants.htm
Availability: Applicants may request grants of up
to $200,000 for assessing sites contaminated with
hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants
(including hazardous substances co-mingled with
petroleum), and up to $200,000 for assessing sites
contaminated with petroleum. Coalitions of three
or more eligible parties may submit one assessment
grant proposal for up to $600,000 under the name
of the lead coalition member. EPA awarded 179
brownfields assessment grants totalling $41.9 million
in FY2015.
Site-specific assessment grant proposals are appropri-
ate when the applicant identifies a specific site and
plans to spend grant funds to address conditions
only at that one site. For a site-specific brownfields
assessment grant proposal, applicants may seek
a waiver of the $200,000 limit and request up
to $350,000 for a single site. Such waivers must
be based on the anticipated level of hazardous
substances, pollutants, or contaminants (including
hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum) or
petroleum at the site. The performance period is up to
three years.
An applicant may submit a community-wide
assessment grant proposal when the requested
assessment grant is not targeted to a specific site or if
the applicant plans to spend grant funds on more than
one brownfield in the community.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Inventory sites.
• Characterize and prioritize sites.
• Assess sites.
• Conduct community involvement activities related to
brownfields.
• Conduct area-wide planning for brownfields
redevelopment.
• Conduct cleanup planning.
• Conduct redevelopment planning.
• Conduct health monitoring (local governments only).
• Monitor and enforce institutional controls (local
governments only).
• Develop and implement assessment program (local
governments only).
• Purchase environmental insurance.
Cleanup Grants
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by the state legislature;
regional councils and groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; nonprofit organizations;
Indian tribes other than in Alaska; and Alaska Native
Regional Corporations, Alaska Native Village Corpora-
tions, and the Metlakatla Indian Community. An
applicant must own the site that is the subject of the
grant proposal or obtain sole ownership by a deadline
specified in proposal guidelines.
Limitations: Each year, eligible applicants may apply
for up to three site-specific cleanup grants of up to
$200,000 each. Cleanup grants require 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. An applicant may request
that EPA waive the 20 percent cost-share requirement
based on hardship. Prior to submitting proposals,
applicants must complete a Phase II site assessment
using the ASTM El 903-97 standard or equivalent
assessment.
http://epa.gov/brownfields/cleanup grants.htm
Additional information is available regarding climate
change considerations in cleanups.
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/sustain_plts/
factsheets/ERA OBLR Climate Adaptation Checklist.pdf
561 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Availability: Applicants may submit proposals
for grants of up to $200,000 to carry out cleanup
activities at a brownfield site contaminated by
hazardous substances, pollutants, or contaminants
(including hazardous substances co-mingled with
petroleum), and up to $200,000 for a brownfield site
contaminated by petroleum. The performance period
is up to three years. EPA awarded 64 brownfields
cleanup grants totalling approximately $12.4 million
in FY2015.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Carry out cleanup activities.
• Oversee cleanup construction activities.
• Conduct environmental monitoring of cleanup work.
• Conduct health monitoring.
• Monitor and enforce institutional controls.
• Conduct program development and implementation
activities.
• Purchase environmental insurance.
• Consider climate change and site vulnerabilities in
cleanup and reuse planning.
Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grants
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by state legislature;
regional councils and groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; Indian tribes other than
in Alaska; and Alaska Native Regional Corporations,
Alaska Native Village Corporations, and the Metlakatla
Indian Community. Coalitions and single applicants are
eligible to submit a proposal for an RLF grant.
Limitations: RLF grants provide funding to capitalize
an RLF, make low-interest or no-interest loans for
brownfields cleanups, and provide subgrants to
eligible entities to carry out cleanup activities at
brownfield sites. At least 50 percent of the awarded
funds must be used to capitalize and implement an
RLF for loans. RLF grants require applicants to provide
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. Applicants
may request a waiver of the 20 percent cost share
requirement based on hardship.
http://epa.gov/brownfields/rlflst.htm
Availability: An applicant may request up to $1
million to capitalize an RLF. Coalitions of eligible
entities may apply together as one applicant for up to
$1 million per eligible entity. The performance period
is five years. A solicitation for new RLF grants will not
be issued in FY 2015. EPA expects to solicit requests
from existing, high-performing RLF grantees through a
Federal Register notice for supplemental RLF funding
in 2015.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Capitalize an RLF and provide low-interest or
no-interest loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup
activities at brownfield sites.
• Award subgrants to clean up sites contaminated with
petroleum and/or hazardous substances, pollutants,
or contaminants (including hazardous substances
co-mingled with petroleum).
• Conduct programmatic management of the grant.
• Perform health monitoring activities at brownfield
sites.
• Monitor and enforce institutional controls.
• Conduct program development and implementation
activities.
• Purchase environmental insurance.
Area-Wide Planning Grants
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
local governments; land clearance authorities and
other quasi-governmental entities; regional councils
and groups of local governments; government entities
created by state legislature; redevelopment agencies;
states that are serving in a fiscal and administrative
capacity on behalf of a local community; Indian tribes
other than in Alaska; Alaska Native Regional Corpora-
tions, Alaska Native Village Corporations, and the
Metlakatla Indian Community; and nonprofit organi-
zations, including institutions of higher education.
Coalitions and single applicants are eligible to submit
a proposal for an area-wide planning grant.
Limitations: Area-wide planning grants are designed
to assist predominantly underserved and economi-
cally disadvantaged communities. This may include
low-income, minority, and/or economically distressed
residents living in areas that face a disproportionate
level of environmental degradation, social inequities,
historic under-representation, economic stagnation,
and/or recent economic disruption (e.g., closure
of assembly or manufacturing plants, resulting in
recent and significant local job loss). Eligible uses of
EPA assistance under the area-wide planning grant
competition include direct costs necessary to provide
research, training, and technical assistance and to
facilitate community involvement in area-wide planning
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |57
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to develop plans and implementation strategies
to facilitate brownfields assessment, cleanup, and
subsequent reuse. Each project must result in a final
report accompanying the area-wide plan and identifica-
tion of next steps and resources needed for implemen-
tation. Project periods of up to 24 months are allowed.
Individuals, profit-making firms, and the FY 2010 and
FY2013 EPA Brownfields Area-Wide Planning Program
recipients are not eligible to apply.
http://epa.gov/brownfields/areawide grants.htm
Information is available regarding climate change
considerations in area-wide planning.
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/pdfs/EPA_
OBLR 2014 AWP Grantee Checklist Layout v5.pdf
Proposal guidelines for brownfields assessment,
cleanup, revolving loan fund, and area-wide
planning grants can be found at http://www.epa.gov/
brownf ields/applicat. htm.
Availability: An applicant may request up to
$200,000 in EPA assistance for area-wide planning
within a specific brownfields-impacted area, such
as a neighborhood, district, city block, or corridor.
For the purposes of this assistance, a brownfields-
impacted area is an area that is affected by a single
large brownfield or multiple brownfields, and where
revitalization of the area surrounding the brownfield(s)
is critical to the successful reuse of the property (or
properties). EPA awarded approximately $4 million in
area-wide planning grants to 20 communities in FY
2015.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Identifying community priorities related to near- and
long-term brownfields cleanup, reuse, and area
revitalization.
• Evaluating existing conditions of the project area,
such as local brownfields market potential, needed
infrastructure improvements, existing environmental
data and healthrisks.
• Researching other applicable community or regional
plans for coordination purposes.
• Developing strategies for brownfields assessment,
cleanup, reuse, and related improvements and
consolidating them into an area-wide plan.
• Considering climate change and area vulnerability as
part of area-wide planning grant funded activities.
• Identifying resources or leveraging opportunities as
implementation strategies, and incorporating them
into the brownfields area-wide plan.
• Building the capacity of local communities to be
effectively involved in the development of the
brownfields area-wide plan.
Environmental Workforce Development and Job
Training Grants Program
EPA provides funds to eligible entities to deliver
environmental workforce development and job training
programs focused on hazardous and solid waste
management, assessment, and cleanup associated
employment activities. Environmental Workforce
Development and Job Training (EWDJT) grants
are provided to recruit, train, and place residents
of communities impacted by blighted properties,
contaminated sites, and waste management facilities
in environmental jobs that cleanup contractors from
outside the affected community might otherwise fill.
A critical part of EPA's EWDJT grant program is to
ensure that residents living in communities histori-
cally affected by brownfields, economic disinvestment,
health disparities, and environmental contamina-
tion are provided an opportunity to reap the benefits
of jobs created during revitalization efforts in these
areas. Training programs must target unemployed
and underemployed individuals. EPA is committed
to integrating principles of environmental justice
by helping communities revitalize contaminated
properties, mitigate potential health risks, and restore
economic vitality. Through FY 2014, EPA funded 239
job training grants totaling over $49 million through
the former Brownfields Job Training program and
Environmental Workforce Development and Job
Training program. As of April 2015, more than 13,800
individuals completed the training, and of those, more
than 10,000 obtained employment in the environ-
mental field, with an average starting hourly wage of
$14.18. This equates to a cumulative placement rate
of approximately 72 percent since the program was
created in 1998.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by state legislature;
regional councils or groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; nonprofit organiza-
tions; Indian tribes other than in Alaska; and Alaska
Native Regional Corporations, Alaska Native Village
Corporations, and the Metlakatla Indian Community.
Workforce Investment Boards and organized labor
unions that meet the criteria may be eligible nonprofit
organizations. Public and nonprofit private educational
institutions are eligible to apply.
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Limitations: Applicants who received an EWDJT grant
from EPA in FY 2014 were not eligible to apply in FY
2015, unless they proposed to serve a different city or
target area.
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/job.htm
Availability: An eligible entity may apply for up to
$200,000. The performance period is three years. EPA
awarded approximately $3.6 million in EWDJT grants
to 19 communities in FY 2015.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Recruit job training participants from communities
impacted by hazardous and/or solid waste facilities
and contaminated properties.
• Conduct job development outreach activities
directed toward engaging prospective employers to
become involved in the job training program and
hire graduates.
• Train residents of impacted communities in the
handling and removal of hazardous substances and
petroleum, including health and safety certifica-
tion training and training for jobs in environmental
sampling, analysis, and site remediation.
• Train participants in the assessment, inventory,
analysis, and remediation of sites or facilities at
which hazardous substances, pollutants, contami-
nants, and petroleum are located, transported, or
disposed of, including training for jobs in environ-
mental sampling, demolition, underground storage
tank removal, groundwater extraction, and site
remediation associated with brownfields.
• Train participants in solid waste management or
cleanup; Superfund site cleanup and innovative
and alternative treatment technologies; wastewater
treatment; emergency planning, preparedness,
and response; enhanced environmental health and
safety; and integrated pest management.
• Train participants in use of compost and soil
amendments, plus associated sampling, testing,
design considerations, and management techniques
to support the assessment and cleanup of sites for
urban agriculture and horticulture; planning and
conducting ecological restoration of contaminated
land; and reuse of biosolids and other industry
residuals associated with remediation of contami-
nated lands or solid waste facilities.
• Train participants in the requirements and conduct
of "all appropriate inquiries" and due diligence,
which can be defined as the process of evaluating a
property for the potential presence of environmental
contamination and assessing potential liability for
any contamination present at the property.
• Provide skills in innovative technologies, green
remediation techniques, recycling of demolition
materials, installation of solar panels and other
renewable energy systems, preparation of sites
for water or stormwater management systems,
low-impact development, and LEED certification and
other relevant areas.
State and Tribal Response Programs
Section 128(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA),
as amended, authorizes a noncompetitive $50 million
grant program to establish and enhance state and tribal
response programs. State and tribal response programs
oversee assessment and cleanup activities at the
majority of brownfield sites across the country. CERCLA
128(a) response program grants are funded with
categorical State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG)
appropriations. Section 128(a) cooperative agreements
are awarded and administered by EPA Regional offices.
The four required elements of a response program
are: (1) timely survey and inventory of brownfield
sites on state or tribal land; (2) oversight and enforce-
ment authorities or other mechanisms and resources;
(3) mechanisms and resources to provide meaningful
opportunities for public participation; and (4)
mechanisms for approval of a cleanup plan and verifi-
cation and certification that cleanup is complete. State
and tribal recipients may use the funding to start or
enhance a new response program and to meet public
record requirements established in the statute. States
and tribes also may use funding to increase the number
of sites at which response actions are conducted or
perform activities that add or improve a response
program. In addition, the funds can be used to oversee
cleanups, conduct site-specific activities, purchase
environmental insurance, or develop other insurance
mechanisms to provide financing for cleanup activities.
Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible for funding,
a state or tribe must: (1) demonstrate that its response
program includes, or is taking reasonable steps to
include, the four elements of a response program,
or be a party to a voluntary response program
memorandum of agreement with EPA; and (2) maintain
and make available to the public a record of sites at
which response actions were completed in the previous
year and are planned to address in the coming year.
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Limitations:
• States and tribes cannot allocate more than
$200,000 per site for assessments, and no more
than $200,000 per site can be used for cleanups.
• A state or tribe may not use the awarded funds
to assess and clean up sites that are owned or
operated by the recipient or held in trust bythe U.S.
government for the recipient.
• In most cases, assessments and cleanups cannot
be conducted at sites where the state or tribe is a
potentially responsible party (see grant guidelines
for exceptions).
• Subgrants cannot be awarded to entities that may
be potentially responsible parties under CERCLA.
Availability: For FY 2015, EPA considered funding
requests of up to $1 million per state or tribe.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Develop legislation, regulations, procedures,
guidance, etc., to establish or enhance the adminis-
trative and legal structure of a response program.
• Establish and maintain the required public record.
• Capitalize an RLF for brownfields cleanup.
• Purchase environmental insurance or develop a
risk-sharing pool, indemnity pool, or insurance
mechanism to provide financing for response actions
under a state or tribal response program.
• Conduct limited site-specific activities, such as
assessment or cleanup, provided such activities
establish and/or enhance the response program and
are tied to the four elements.
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/state_tribal
Targeted Brownfields Assessment Program
EPA's Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) Program
is designed to minimize the uncertainties of contami-
nation often associated with brownfields. The program
is tailored to entities that do not have EPA brownfields
assessment grants. TBA is not a grant program, and
EPA does not provide TBA funding directly to the entity
requesting the services. The TBA program provides
technical services through an EPA contractor to conduct
environmental assessment activities. TBA assistance
is available through two sources: directly from EPA
through programs administered by EPA Regional
brownfields offices, and from state or tribal voluntary
response programs using funds provided by EPA.
Eligibility Requirements: TBA funds may be used
only at properties eligible for EPA brownfields
funding. Property owners can include state, local, and
tribal governments; general purpose units of local
government; land clearance authorities and other quasi-
governmental entities; regional councils and redevelop-
ment agencies; states; and nonprofit organizations.
Limitations: Unless there is a clear means of
recouping EPA expenditures, EPA generally will not
fund TBAs at properties where the owner is respon-
sible for the contamination. The TBA program does
not provide resources to conduct cleanup or building
demolition activities.
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/grant_info/tba.htm
Availability: The TBA selection process varies
with each EPA Region and by each state and tribal
voluntary response program. The selection process is
guided by Regional and state criteria.
Uses/Applications Include:
• An "all appropriate inquiries" Phase I environmental
site assessment, including a historical investigation
and a preliminary site inspection.
• A more in-depth (Phase II) environmental site
assessment, including sampling activities to identify
the types and concentrations of contaminants and
the areas of contamination to be cleaned.
• Evaluation of cleanup options and/or cost estimates
based on future uses and redevelopment plans.
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Brownfields and Land Revitalization Technology
Support Center
EPA created the Brownfields and Land Revitalization
Technology Support Center (BTSC) in 1998 to help
decision-makers evaluate strategies to streamline the
site investigation and cleanup process, identify and
review information about complex technology options,
evaluate contractor capabilities and recommendations,
and explain complex technologies to communities. BTSC
helps eligible parties when traditional site assessment
and cleanup approaches are too time-consuming and
expensive to support the redevelopment of brownfield
sites. Services are classified into two categories: direct
support services and information requests.
Eligibility Requirements: Direct support is available
to state and local governments, tribes, brownfields
grantees, EPA Regional Coordinators, EPA Remedial
Project Managers, EPA On-Scene Coordinators,
and other EPA regional staff. Information about site
investigation and cleanup activities is available to
all brownfields stakeholders, including real estate
professionals, financial institutions, and other private
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redevelopment interests; engineers, consultants, and
other private remediation professionals; potentially
responsible parties; affected communities; and
members of the public.
Limitations: Local and state government personnel,
EPA personnel, tribes, and nonprofits with active EPA
brownfields cleanup grants may request site-specific
support for brownfields sites from the BTSC at no
cost. Nongovernment organizations may submit only
information requests.
http: 7/www. b rownf iel dstsc.org/
Availability: The BTSC offers two services: direct
support and response to information requests.
Information about site investigation and cleanup
activities is available to all brownfields stakeholders.
Services provided by BTSC include:
• Review and comment on project documents, such as
requests for proposals, work plans, field sampling
plans, and quality assurance plans.
• Facilitate the consideration and use of the Triad
approach.
• Provide information about field-based technologies
for site assessment and cleanup.
• Identify how dynamic work strategies and decision-
support tools can be incorporated in site assessment
activities.
• Evaluate remedial technologies and their
advantages and limitations for site-specific features
and needs.
• Share technical information with nontechnical audiences.
• Provide easy access to resources, tools, recent news,
and lessons learned.
• Review literature and electronic resources.
• Support demonstration planning.
Technical Assistance to Brownfields Communities
Program
Under the Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB)
Communities Program, EPA awards grants to organi-
zations that provide geographically based technical
assistance and training on brownfields issues to
communities and other stakeholders. The goal is to
increase community understanding and involvement
in brownfields cleanup and redevelopment. Each TAB
grantee serves as an independent source of informa-
tion in assisting with community involvement activities
and increasing understanding of the health impacts
of brownfield sites; science and technology relating to
brownfield site assessment, cleanup, and site prepara-
tion activities; brownfields finance questions; and
integrated approaches to brownfields cleanup and
redevelopment.
In FY 2014, EPA awarded TAB grants to three organiza-
tions to offer these services directly to communities in
their respective geographic regions. TAB grantees are:
EPA Regions 1 and 3: The New Jersey Institute of
Technology: http://www.njit.edu/tab
EPA Regions 2, 4, 9, and 10: Center for Creative Land
Recycling: http://www.cclr.org/technical-assistance
EPA Regions 5, 6, 7, and 8: Kansas State University:
https://www. ksutab.org/
Eligibility Requirements: Entities facing brownfields
challenges can determine whether they can get
technical assistance by contacting the TAB grantee
that supports their geographic area. Eligible entities
include state and local governments; land clearance
authorities and other quasi-governmental entities;
government entities created by state legislature;
regional councils and groups of local governments;
redevelopment agencies; nonprofit organizations;
Indian tribes other than in Alaska; and Alaska Native
Regional Corporations, Alaska Native Village Corpora-
tions, and the Metlakatla Indian Community.
Availability: Most TAB services are provided free of
charge, but applicants should check with their specific
TAB providers.
Uses/Applications Include:
TAB grantees can assist brownfields communities in
the following areas:
• Reviewing and explaining brownfields-related
technical reports.
• Providing information about basic science, environ-
mental policy, and other technical matters related to
brownfields sites.
• Explaining health risks associated with a brownfield
property.
• Helping to identify financing options for brownfields
projects.
• Explaining or interpreting scientific information or
environmental policy.
• Providing information to help the community
understand environmental issues and how they
affect brownfields cleanup and redevelopment.
• Facilitating brownfields redevelopment efforts
by supporting community and other stakeholder
involvement activities.
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• Sponsoring a workshop.
• Holding a webinar or providing other Web-based tools.
• Answering questions posted on a website, or
providing information through a newsletter, resource
center, or case studies.
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/grant_info/tab.htm
Training, Research and Technical Assistance Grants
for Brownfields Communities
EPA periodically requests proposals to support general
training, research and technical assistance on issues
of interest to brownfield communities as well as more
targeted and focused grant awards as needs arise.
Examples of past projects as well as links to project fact
sheets and grantees selected in 2014 can be found at
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/trta_k6 /index, htm.
OFFICE OF WATER
ERA's Office of Water (OW) ensures drinking water is
safe, and restores and maintains oceans, watersheds,
and their aquatic ecosystems to protect human health,
support economic and recreational activities, and
provide healthy habitat for fish, plants, and wildlife.
OW is responsible for implementing the Clean Water Act;
Safe Drinking Water Act; portions of the Coastal Zone
Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990; Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act; Ocean Dumping Ban
Act; Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act;
Shore Protection Act; Marine Plastics Pollution Research
and Control Act; London Dumping Convention; the
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution
from Ships; and several other statutes.
Headquartered in Washington, D.C., OW works with
the ten EPA Regional offices, other federal agencies,
state and local governments, American Indian tribes,
the regulated community, organized professional
and interest groups, land owners and managers, and
the public at large. OW provides guidance, specifies
scientific methods and data collection requirements,
performs oversight, and facilitates communication
among those involved. OW helps the states and
American Indian tribes to build capacity, and can
delegate to them for implementation.
Financial Assistance
Clean Water State Revolving Fund
Communities that have brownfields and suffer from
water quality impairment may be able to access and
use monies from the Clean Water State Revolving
Funds (CWSRFs) to correct or prevent water quality
problems at such properties. Through the CWSRF
program, each state and Puerto Rico maintain a
revolving loan fund to provide an independent and
permanent source of low-cost financing for a wide
range of water quality infrastructure projects. Funds
to establish or capitalize the CWSRF programs are
provided through federal government grants and
state matching funds (equal to 20 percent of federal
government grants). Today, all 50 states and Puerto
Rico are operating successful CWSRF programs. In
recent years, the CWSRF programs provided, on
average, more than $5 billion annually to fund water
quality protection projects for wastewater treatment,
nonpoint source pollution control, and watershed
and estuary management. Over the last two and half
decades, the CWSRFs provided over $100 billion,
funding more than 33,320 low-interest loans.
CWSRF programs operate much the same as environ-
mental infrastructure banks that are capitalized with
federal and state contributions. CWSRF monies can
be loaned to communities, and loan repayments are
recycled back into the program to fund additional
water quality protection projects. The revolving nature
of these programs provides an ongoing funding source
that will last indefinitely. States can design CWSRF
programs to address their own priorities and may
include a variety of assistance options, including loans,
refinancing, purchasing, or guaranteeing local debt
and purchasing bond insurance. States also can set
specific loan terms, including interest rates (from zero
percent to market rate) and repayment periods (up to
20 years). Nationally, interest rates for CWSRF loans
average 1.7 percent, compared to market rates that
average 3.7 percent. CWSRFs can fund 100 percent
of the project cost and provide flexible repayment
terms up to 20 years. States have the flexibility to
target resources to their particular environmental
needs, including brownfields remediation, treatment
of contaminated runoff from urban and agricultural
areas, wetlands restoration, estuary management, and
wastewater treatment.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible loan recipients
include large and small communities, homeowners,
farmers, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
Eligibility for funding varies by state. States also may
customize loan terms to meet the needs of small and
disadvantaged communities. In addition, some states
provide specialized assistance for communities that are
disadvantaged or experiencing financial hardship. These
states might offer lower or no-interest loans to provide
greater subsidies for disadvantaged communities.
Limitations: States set CWSRF funding priorities and
project approvals.
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Uses/Applications Include:
• Excavate and dispose of underground storage tanks.
• Construct wetlands as a filtering mechanism.
• Cap wells.
• Excavate, remove, and dispose of contaminated soil
or sediments.
• Safely abandon wells.
• Perform Phase I, II, and III environmental site assess-
ments.
http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/cwsrf/cwsrf_
index.cfm
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund
The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF)
was established by the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA) Amendments to provide loans to publicly and
privately owned public water systems. The loans can
be used for infrastructure improvements needed to
protect public health and ensure compliance with the
SDWA. The DWSRF is a state-run program that works
like a bank, providing low- or no-interest loans to
communities, public utilities, and private companies
for drinking water projects that meet the program's
criteria. Federal and state contributions capitalize the
programs, which exist in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
In addition to providing loans, states may set aside
up to 31 percent of their DWSRF grants to finance a
variety of activities, such as encouraging improved
water system management and performance and
helping public water systems prevent contamination
through source water protection measures.
Annually, DWSRF programs provide nearly $2 billion
in assistance to drinking water projects. Using the
loan fund and set-asides, state DWSRF programs can
provide financial assistance in a variety of ways to
support the rehabilitation of brownfield sites across
the country.
In response to a public health risk, state DWSRFs
are able to loan money to water systems for the
infrastructure costs needed to provide a brownfield
site with safe drinking water, if certain conditions are
met. States should consider the criteria described in
the online resources below to determine whether a
brownfield-related drinking water project is eligible
for a DWSRF loan. Because exact project eligibility and
available funding vary by state, water systems should
contact their state DWSRF representative for more
information.
http://water.epa.gov/qrants fundinq/dwsrf
DWSRF Factsheet:
http://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.
cai?Dockey=2000ZZBI.txt
Urban Waters Small Grants Program
The goal of the Urban Waters Small Grants program is
to fund research, investigations, experiments, training,
surveys, studies, and demonstrations that will advance
the restoration of urban waters by improving water
quality through activities that also support community
revitalization and other local priorities. As part of the
urban waters movement, the program helps communi-
ties, especially underserved communities, connect to
their waterways and engage in restoration to improve
water quality and revitalize their neighborhoods.
The Urban Waters Small Grants program strives to
make a visible difference by working with a diversity
of partners to support community-driven solutions
that connect the intrinsic value of urban waters with
improving the livability and economic health of the
community. In 2014, EPA selected 37 organizations
to receive grants of $40,000 to $60,000, totaling
approximately $2.1 million in support.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible applicants include
states, local governments, the District of Columbia,
Indian tribes, U.S. possessions and territories, public
and private universities and colleges, public or private
nonprofit institutions and organizations, intertribal
consortia, and interstate agencies.
Limitations: To strengthen and diversify the work
going on in the 18 Urban Waters Federal Partner-
ship designated locations, the 2013/14 request for
proposals (RFP) had a geographic focus and aligned
with these locations. This competition also resulted
in collaboration between OW and the Office of
Children's Health Protection. Organizations were
eligible to apply if they were within the eligible
geographic areas.
Availability: The Urban Waters Small Grants are
competed and awarded every two years. During the
2013/14 competition, EPA awarded $2.1 million to
37 organizations in 17 states and Puerto Rico. Grant
amounts ranged from $40,000 to $60,000 for projects
taking place in areas that align with the 18 designated
Urban Waters Federal Partnership locations.
Uses/Applications Include:
In general, projects should meet the following four
program objectives:
• Improve and restore local urban water quality.
• Engage, educate, and empower local residents and
entities.
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• Support community priorities.
• Involve underserved communities.
2013/14 awardees:
http://www2.epa.gov/urbanwaters/urban-waters-
small-grants#awardees
OFFICE OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES
Located within the Office of Policy, the Office of Sustain-
able Communities (OSC)—also known as EPA's Smart
Growth Program—collaborates with other EPA programs;
federal agencies; regional, state, and local governments;
and a broad array of nongovernmental partners to help
communities become stronger, healthier, and more
sustainable through smarter growth and green building.
This work helps to address EPA's priorities for improving
water and air and cleaning up communities while
furthering the Administration's objectives with respect to
environmental justice.
OSC helps communities improve their development
practices and achieve the type of development they
want. The program works with local, state, and national
experts to create and encourage development strategies
that protect human health and the environment, foster
economic opportunities, and provide attractive and
affordable neighborhoods for people of all income
levels. OSC also coordinates EPA's green building work.
OSC's work includes:
• Working with tribes, states, regions, and communi-
ties through grants and technical assistance.
• Conducting research.
• Producing reports and other publications.
• Providing examples of outstanding smart growth
communities and projects.
• Bringing together through partnerships diverse
interests to encourage better growth and development.
• Providing education and outreach by supporting
Smart Growth Online (http://www.smartgrowth.org)
and the New Partners for Smart Growth conference
(http://newpartners.org).
http://www2.epa.gov/smart-growth
Technical Assistance
Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities
Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities provides
quick, targeted technical assistance to selected
communities using a variety of tools for demonstrated
results and widespread application. The purpose
of delivering these tools is to stimulate a discussion
about growth and development and strengthen
local capacity to implement sustainable approaches.
Technical assistance is delivered by EPA staff and
EPA-hired consultant teams. Each technical assistance
project includes:
• Public engagement through a one- to two-day
workshop.
• Direct consultation with relevant decision-makers.
• A memo outlining specific steps the community could
take to implement the ideas generated during the
workshop.
In addition to the EPA-delivered Building Blocks
assistance, EPA provides grants to nonprofit organi-
zations to provide similar assistance to communities.
These grantees have their own application require-
ments, application periods, and tools available.
http://www2.epa.gov/smart-growth/building-blocks-
sustainable-communities-assistance-grantees
Eligibility Requirements: The assistance is for
individual jurisdictions. In addition to local govern-
ments, examples of eligible applicants include
community groups, neighborhood associations, univer-
sities, regional planning groups, and similar organiza-
tions representing broader community interests that can
demonstrate that they have the support of the munici-
pality or municipalities they represent. Applicants must
be located in, and project activities must be conducted
within, the United States, Puerto Rico, or a territory or
possession of the United States.
Limitations: EPA provides direct assistance through a
federal contract; therefore, no funds are transferred
to the community. Selected communities receive
assistance in the form of a one-day workshop.
Availability: Applications are accepted only for open
solicitations, which will be announced on OSC's website.
Uses/Applications Include:
EPA offers a variety of tools through the Building Blocks
for Sustainable Communities Program. Not every tool is
offered in every round. Once EPA uses a tool in several
communities, the tool is refined to create a product that
any community can use with limited outside assistance.
Recent tools offered include:
• Bikeshare Planning.
• Infill Development in Distressed Communities.
• Flood Resilience for Riverine and Coastal Communities.
• Sustainable Strategies for Small Cities and Rural Areas.
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• Supporting Equitable Development.
• Creating a Green Streets Strategy.
• Land Use Strategies to Protect Water Quality.
• Neighborhood Planning for Healthy Aging.
http://www2.epa.gov/smart-growth/building-blocks-
sustainable-communities
Local Foods, Local Places
Local Foods, Local Places is a program supported
by EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA),
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Appala-
chian Regional Commission, and the Delta Regional
Authority to help create more livable places by
promoting local foods. Technical assistance is
delivered by consultant teams.
Eligibility Requirements: Communities anywhere
in the United States are eligible to apply. Particular
consideration is given to communities in areas served
by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the
Delta Regional Authority, federally designated Promise
Zones, and USDA-designated StrikeForce counties.
Limitations: EPA provides direct assistance through
a federal contract; no funds are transferred to the
community. Selected communities receive assistance in
the form of a site visit from a team of experts to help
them develop and implement action plans promoting
local food and downtown revitalization. Selected
communities in Appalachia and the Delta region are
eligible to receive financial assistance to help them
implement those plans.
Availability: Applications are accepted only during
open solicitation periods, which will be announced on
OSC's website.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Boosting economic opportunities for local farmers
and businesses, and fostering entrepreneurship.
• Improving access to healthy local food, particularly
among disadvantaged groups with limited access to
fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Revitalizing downtowns, main street districts, and
traditional neighborhoods by supporting farmers
markets, food hubs, community gardens, community
kitchens, and other kinds of local food enterprises,
and by providing people with affordable choices for
accessing those amenities, such as walking, biking,
or taking transit.
http://www2.epa.gov/smart-growth/local-foods-local-
places
Other Smart Growth Technical Assistance Programs
OSC offers other technical assistance programs, including:
> Governors' Institute on Community Design -
Technical assistance, delivered through a grantee,
to help governors and their staffs make informed
decisions about investments and policy decisions that
influence the economic health and physical develop-
ment of their states. States can apply at any time.
http://www2.epa.gov/smart-growth/governors-
institute-community-design
> Greening America's Capitals - Technical assistance
to help state capital cities envision and implement
design strategies for more sustainable communi-
ties. Only state capital cities are eligible to apply, and
mayors of eligible cities will be sent a letter inviting
them to apply when a new application round opens.
http://www2.epa.gov/smart-growth/greening-
americas-capitals
> Smart Growth Implementation Assistance -
Technical assistance for public-sector entities that
want to incorporate smart growth techniques into
their development. Tribal, state, local, and regional
governments and nonprofit organizations partnered
with a governmental entity are eligible to apply.
Applications are accepted only during open solicita-
tion periods, which are announced on OSC's website.
http://www2.epa.gov/smart-growth/smart-growth-
implementation-assistance
HUD-DOT-EPA Partnership for Sustainable Communities
OSC is the lead EPA office for the Partnership for
Sustainable Communities (PSC), a joint effort among
the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop-
ment (HUD), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT),
and EPA to help communities nationwide improve access
to affordable housing, increase transportation options,
and lower transportation costs. The three agencies
work together to meet these goals while protecting the
environment, promoting equitable development, and
helping to address the challenges of climate change.
PSC coordinates federal housing, transportation,
water, and other infrastructure investments to make
neighborhoods more prosperous, allow people to
live closer to jobs, save households time and money,
and reduce pollution. The partnership agencies
work together to align their funding and technical
assistance programs and policies.
The PSC agencies periodically offer funding opportu-
nities. When these grants are offered, they are
announced on the PSC website and on Grants.gov.
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SNAPSHOT - TOLEDO, OHIO
In 2013, the City of Toledo was awarded an EPA brownfields area-wide planning (BF AWP) grant to help the city
more holistically address the huge challenges associated with the multiple brownfield sites located within the
Overland Industrial and Cherry Street Legacy neighborhoods, a 664-acre area just north of downtown Toledo.
Some of these challenges include high poverty and unemployment rates, a high percentage of vacant parcels,
limited access to food, and difficult transportation access due to an outdated street layout. This area serves as
the key connection between the city's downtown core and its northern neighborhoods, which makes its successful
revitalization crucially important to these adjacent areas.
Through their BF AWP process, community members were able to further organize together and build upon
several previous efforts, including EPA-supported brownfields assessment and cleanup activities, urban agriculture
development, sustainable communities technical assistance, and technical support from Global Green through
EPA. In addition, new support was leveraged from the Toledo Community Foundation Partners for Places initiatives,
Vista volunteers from the Corporation for National Service, and brownfield assessment support from the State of
Ohio. Numerous stakeholder meetings, workshops, and open houses were held with key neighborhood partners
and residents to gather data and share ideas for what types of redevelopment would be most appropriate for
the project area, and a project website (www.toledoawp.com) was developed to widely disseminate updates
and new information. Together, the stakeholders completed an approach that concentrates on strategies for the
overall social, economic, and environmental revitalization of the project area. The community now envisions that
the revitalized area will include a mix of industrial, commercial, and live/work spaces.
In addition, each agency maintains websites to track
their own grant announcements. EPA offers grants to
support activities that improve the quality of develop-
ment and protect human health and the environment.
http://www.sustainablecommunities.gov
www.grants.gov
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Patricia Overmeyer
U.S. EPA, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
Mail Code5105T
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
202-566-2774
overmeyer.patricia(a)epa.gov
Ji-Sun Yi
U.S. EPA, Office of Water
Mail Code4101M
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
202-566-0730
vi.ii-sun(a)epa.aov
Sarah Dale
U.S. EPA, Office of Sustainable Communities
MC 1807T
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20460
202-564-6998
dale.sarah(a)epa.gov
Main Site
http://www.epa.gov
Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/
Office of Water
http://water.epa.gov/
Office of Sustainable Communities
http://www2.epa.aov/smart-arowth
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Federal Housing Finance Agency
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) mission
is to make sure the Federal National Mortgage
Association (Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan
Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal
Home Loan (FHL) Bank System, which includes 12
FHLBanks, and the Office of Finance, operate in a safe
and sound manner so they serve as a reliable source
of liquidity and funding for housing finance and
community investment.
FHFA was created on July 30, 2008, when the
President signed into law the Housing and Economic
Recovery act of 2008. This law amended the Federal
Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness
Act of 1992 to place regulation of Fannie Mae,
Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Bank
System under a single regulator, enhance supervi-
sion of these regulated entities, and enhance FHFA's
authorities as conservator or receiver. The FHFA
now regulates the FHLBanks, which are govern-
ment-chartered, member-owned corporations. The
FHLBanks have more than 7,500 members, including
commercial banks, thrifts, credit unions, and insurance
companies. Each member is a shareholder in one of
the FHLBanks.
The FHLBanks provide short-term and long-term
loans (called "advances") to their members, who use
the proceeds to make loans to individuals or entities
in the community for residential mortgages and
community economic development activities, including
brownfields redevelopment projects. Only members
and housing associates of FHLBanks receive advances
from their respective FHLBank.
Lending programs include, but are not limited
to, the Affordable Housing Program (AHP); the
Community Investment Program (CIP), which has
housing and community development components;
and the Community Investment Cash Advances
(CICA) program for community development. All the
FHLBanks offer an AHP and CIP, and most offer one
or more types of CICA programs. The CICA program
provides financing for targeted economic development
projects, including brownfields.
Brownfields Connections
• FHLBanks finance their member institutions to
provide a wide range of services for affordable
housing projects, rental and owner-occupied
properties, and single-family and multifamily units.
• FHLBanks encourage member institutions to engage
in lending to meet community development needs,
such as housing and economic development, that
can take place on brownfield sites.
• FHLBanks use a variety of financing tools for
redevelopment, such as the purchase of taxable and
tax-exempt bonds and issuance of letters of credit
backing the bonds.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
Community Investment Program
Each FHLBank operates a CIP that offers below-
market-rate loans to its member institutions for
long-term financing of housing or for community
economic development that benefits low-income
families and neighborhoods. CIP is an advance or
loan that a member financial institution borrows from
its FHLBank to lend to a project. CIP loans support
projects that create and preserve jobs and help build
infrastructure to catalyze community growth. CIP loans
may be combined with other housing or community
development funds.
Eligibility Requirements: Projects funded by the
member institutions of an FHLBank must meet several
requirements, depending on the type of project.
Projects may involve owner-occupied and rental
housing; construction of roads, bridges, retail stores,
sewage treatment plants, or other capital improve-
ment projects; and small business loans to create or
retain jobs.
Limitations: Advances are made only on a secured
basis with collateral requirements consistent with
those of all FHLBank credit programs. Advances to
refinance debt are generally not allowed under the
CIR
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Availability: Advances are available in various
maturities, including long-term maturities of 20 years
or more, on a continuous basis through FHLBanks
member institutions.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Home purchases by families with incomes at or
below 115 percent of the area median.
• Purchase or rehabilitation of rental housing for
families with incomes at or below 115 percent of the
area median.
• Commercial and economic development activities,
including those relating to brownfields, that benefit
low- and moderate-income families (those at or
below 80 percent of median income) or activities
that are located in low- and moderate-income
neighborhoods.
• Projects that include a combination of these
activities.
Community Investment Cash Advances Programs
The Community Investment Cash Advances (CICA)
Programs offer funding, often at below-market
interest rates, for members to use to finance economic
development projects to benefit targeted beneficia-
ries or defined geographic areas. Eligible uses include
brownfields redevelopment; commercial, industrial,
manufacturing, and social services projects; infrastruc-
ture; and public facilities and services. Notably, CICA
includes two programs, a Rural Development Advance
Program and an Urban Development Advance
Program.
Eligibility Requirements: Only FHLBank members
may borrow CICA funds. Eligibility requirements for
project funding vary among FHLBanks.
Limitations: Before applying, each FHLBank must have
a Community Lending Plan that describes its program
objectives and funding availability.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Assistance to brownfields cleanup and redevel-
opment projects in areas eligible for a federal
brownfields tax credit.
• Assistance to Champion Communities, Empower-
ment Zones, or Enterprise Communities.
• Assistance to housing, commercial, industrial, and
other economic development activities.
• Assistance to areas affected by federal military base
closings.
• Assistance to small businesses as defined by the
Small Business Administration.
• Assistance to tribal homelands.
Affordable Housing Program
The Affordable Housing Program (AHP) subsidizes the
cost of owner-occupied housing for individuals and
families with incomes at or below 80 percent of the
area median income, and rental housing in which at
least 20 percent of the units with affordable rents are
reserved for households with incomes at or below 50
percent of the area median income. The subsidy may
be in the form of a grant or a below-cost subsidized
interest rate on an advance.
FHLBanks contribute 10 percent of their net income
to affordable housing through the AHR AHP funds are
available primarily through a competitive application
program at each of the FHLBanks. This competitive
grant program is the largest source of private-sector
grants for housing and community development in
the country.
In addition to the funds awarded in the competi-
tive program, AHP funds are awarded through the
homeownership set-aside program. An FHLBank
may set aside an amount up to the greater of $4.5
million or 35 percent of its AHP funds each year
to assist low- and moderate-income households
in purchasing homes. In the set-aside program,
members provide grants directly to households for
down payment and closing costs, and in some cases,
counseling and rehabilitation costs. Each member
sets its own maximum grant amount, which may not
exceed $15,000 per household. Between 1990 and
2013, the FHLBanks contributed AHP subsidies to
assist 724,000 households, including 428,000 very
low-income households.
An FHLBank may elect to give application scoring
preference to AHP projects that promote empower-
ment or community stability, including those that are
part of a neighborhood stabilization plan
Eligibility Requirements: Only member financial
institutions of an FHLBank can apply for AHP funds.
To be considered eligible for AHP funding, housing
projects must meet eight requirements, including
those related to occupancy, feasibility, need, timing,
retention of owner-occupied or rental units, and
project sponsor qualifications.
Limitations: Projects using AHP funds are subject to
retention requirements. The retention period is five
years for home ownership projects. Rental projects
681 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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SNAPSHOT - OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
The Tassafaronga apartment complex in Oakland, California, originally consisted of an 87-unit public
housing development built by the government in 1945 and a pasta factory built in 1947. In the
following decades, some of the original housing unit structures were demolished, and the northern half
of the pasta factory parcel was leased to an auto repair business and a gasoline station. Subsequent
environmental assessments determined that there was some contamination within the soil near the
housing complex. The Oakland Housing Authority applied for and received an EPA Brownfields Cleanup
grant to remediate the site. Site cleanup, performed in conjunction with California's Voluntary Cleanup
Program, was completed in October 2008 with funds from the cleanup grant. The Federal Home Loan
Bank's Affordable Housing Program helped move this project forward by providing a $200,000 subsidy,
which was used for construction. Construction of the Tassafaronga Village began shortly thereafter and
was completed in May 2010. The new housing complex is a green neighborhood of 157 units designed
to bring a diversity of affordable housing to an underserved area of Oakland. The complex, which
currently is home to more than 500 residents, includes affordable family rental apartments, affordable
rental townhouses, and an on-site medical clinic.
must maintain household income and rental payment
restrictions during a 15-year retention period.
Availability: Each FHLBank has at least one AHP
funding round each year in which members submit
applications on behalf of sponsors and developers of
affordable housing projects.
Uses/Applications Include:
Over the years, the AHP provided assistance to:
• Low- and moderate-income homeowners and
first-time homebuyers.
• Very-low-income residents of rental housing.
• Special-needs households, including the elderly,
disabled, homeless, or victims of domestic violence
who need supportive services.
• Residents in rural communities.
• Residents in urban areas.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Peter E. Garuccio
Associate Director of Communications
Office of Congressional Affairs and Communications
Federal Housing Finance Agency
400 7th St., SW
Washington, DC 20024
202-649-3036
peter. garuccio(a)f hfa.gov
Main Site
http://www.fhfa.gov
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General Services Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The General Services Administration (GSA) leverages
the buying power of the federal government to
acquire best value for taxpayers and its federal
customers. With thousands of federal properties
throughout the country, GSA partners with other
federal agencies, state regulatory agencies, and local
communities to recycle surplus federal properties.
GSA expedites the cleanup and reuse of contami-
nated federal real estate by leveraging its real estate
expertise, meaningful stakeholder input, and all
available real property and environmental authorities.
Brownfields Connections
GSA works with federal landholding agencies
to review and identify surplus federally owned
brownfields. GSA seeks to redeploy these brownfields
in close coordination with local community planning
objectives. GSA serves as the "honest broker" in
returning these properties to productive use. To carry
out this role, GSA:
• Coordinates with state and federal representatives to
ensure that the identification of underutilized federal
properties incorporates the latest state and federal
revitalization initiatives.
• Executes a process that brings stakeholders together
on issues related to contaminated properties.
• Provides local communities, community stakehold-
ers, and the private sector with information on the
federal real property disposal process.
• Educates states and communities engaged in
brownfields revitalization about innovative disposal
methods and options for remediation privatization.
RESOURCES
Technical Assistance
Brownfields Redevelopment Initiative
When a property is determined to be surplus to the
needs of the federal government, GSA works with
state and local planners, economic development
officials, and community groups to marry GSA's real
property authorities and local revitalization objectives
effectively. GSA employs specific strategies in the
redeployment of federal brownfields. Transactions are
structured in ways that allow the federal government
to realize the asset's embedded equity while
expediting the completion of environmental remedia-
tion and property redevelopment.
Eligibility Requirements: GSA works with local
officials, community stakeholders, and state and
federal agencies in communities with surplus federal
real property.
Availability: GSA works with all federal landhold-
ing agencies to develop real estate strategies that
identify options for better management of underuti-
lized assets. This process includes identifying potential
federal brownfields through GSA's utilization studies,
providing recommendations to federal landhold-
ing agencies for environmental characterization and
additional due diligence, and developing real property
strategies that expedite environmental regulatory
closure.
Uses/Applications Include:
• GSA identifies federal brownfields, incorporates
meaningful stakeholder input in matching available
real property authorities with local revitalization
objectives, and develops environmental and real
property strategies for successful return to productive
reuse.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Lee Anne Galanes
General Services Administration
Office of Real Property Utilization and Disposal
1800 FSt., NW
Washington, DC 20405
202-821-7230
leeanne.galanes(a)gsa.gov
Main Site
http://www.gsa.gov
Office of Real Property Utilization and Disposal
http://propertvdisposal.asa.gov
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SNAPSHOT-ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA
GSA utilized its brownfields expertise to redeploy 543 acres of the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition
Plant (TCAAP). TCAAP was used for small arms ammunition production dating back to World War II. Due to
extensive soil and groundwater contamination, the site was listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983.
GSA worked with the U.S. Army to identify a portion of TCAAP as excess to the Army. Through close coordi-
nation with the City of Arden Hills and Ramsey County, Minnesota, GSA developed a real estate strategy
for two parcels in line with community redevelopment objectives and property remediation needs. The
first transfer of 116 acres created a public park and wildlife corridor. The second parcel comprised 427
acres. GSA structured a negotiated sale to Ramsey County to expedite site remediation and redevelop-
ment. Ramsey County assumed responsibility for soil contamination while the Army retained responsibil-
ity for groundwater remediation. At the April 2013 closing, the county received 397 acres in fee and 30
acres under a lease. The second closing is planned for October 2015. At that closing, GSA will deed the
remaining 30 acres to Ramsey County, if the county completes its remediation to regulatory satisfaction.
Ramsey County will redevelop the property in partnership with the City of Arden Hills.
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |71
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Small Business Administration
DESCRIPTION OF ORGANIZATION
Mission
The Small Business Administration (SBA) was created
in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal
government to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the
interests of small business concerns; to preserve
free competitive enterprise; and to maintain and
strengthen the overall economy of the nation. SBA
recognizes that small business is critical to the
nation's economic recovery and strength, to building
America's future, and to helping the United States
compete in today's global marketplace. Although
SBA evolved in the years since it was established,
its bottom-line mission remains the same: The SBA
helps Americans start, build, and grow businesses.
Through an extensive network of field offices and
partnerships with public and private organizations,
SBA delivers its services to people throughout the
United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
and Guam.
Brownfields Connections
The SBA encourages the redevelopment of
brownfields. SBA loan guarantees are available to
small businesses interested in locating on revitalized
brownfields. Typically, this occurs through utilization
of one or more of the following factors: (1) indemni-
fication; (2) completed remediation; (3) "No Further
Action" letter obtained; (4) "minimal contamination"
achieved; (5) cleanup funds approved; (6) escrow
account available; (7) groundwater contamina-
tion originating from another site; (8) a pledge of
additional or substitute collateral; or (9) other factors,
such as the existence of adequate environmental
insurance.
RESOURCES
Financial Assistance
The SBA provides financial assistance programs for
small businesses, including the Certified Development
Company/504 (CDC/504) Program and 7(a) loans.
Certified Development Company/504 Program
The CDC/504 loan program is a long-term financing
tool for economic development within a community.
The 504 Program provides growing businesses
with long-term, fixed-rate financing for major fixed
assets, such as land and buildings. A CDC is a
private, nonprofit corporation set up to contribute to
the economic development of its community. CDCs
work with SBA and private-sector lenders to provide
financing to small businesses.
Typically, a 504 project includes a loan secured from
a private-sector lender, with a senior lien covering
up to 50 percent of the project cost; a loan secured
from a CDC (backed by a 100 percent SBA-guaran-
teed debenture), with a junior lien covering up to 40
percent of the total cost; and a contribution from the
borrower of at least 10 percent equity.
Eligibility Requirements: Eligible entities include
businesses that are operated for profit, do business
in the United States or its possessions, fall within the
size standards set by the SBA, use proceeds for an
approved purpose, have no funds available from other
sources, indicate ability to repay the loan on time,
and possess relevant management expertise and a
feasible business plan. Under the CDC/504 Program,
a business qualifies as small if it has a tangible net
worth of $15 million or less and an average net
income of less than $5 million after taxes for the
preceding two years. If business and personal financial
resources are found to be excessive, the business will
be required to use those resources in lieu of part or all
of the requested loan proceeds.
Limitations: The CDC/504 Program cannot be
used for working capital or inventory; consolidat-
ing, repaying, or refinancing debt; or speculation or
investment in rental real estate.
Availability: The maximum SBA debenture is $5
million for each small business concern for regular
504 loans or public policy projects. The eligible
debenture amount may increase to $5.5 million if
the borrower is a small manufacturer, if the project
reduces the borrower's energy consumption by at
least 10 percent, or if the project generates at least 10
percent of the borrower's energy needs at the facility.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Purchasing land, including existing buildings.
• Making improvements, including grading, streets,
utilities, parking lots, and landscaping.
721 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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• Constructing new facilities or modernizing,
renovating, or converting existing facilities.
• Purchasing long-term machinery and equipment.
http://www.sba.gov/financialassistance/borrowers/
guaranteed/CDC504lp/index.html
Basic 7(a) Loan Program
The 7(a) loan program is SBA's primary program to
help startup and existing small businesses obtain
financing, with financing guaranteed for a variety of
general business purposes. SBA does not make loans
itself, but rather guarantees loans made by participat-
ing lending institutions. The 7(a) name comes from
section 7(a) of the Small Business Act. The 7(a) loans
are the most basic and most used types of SBA loans.
Eligibility Requirements: To be considered for a 7(a)
loan, applicants must meet certain eligibility require-
ments. These requirements are designed to be as
broad as possible so the program can accommodate
the most diverse variety of small business financing
needs.
Availability: Borrowers must apply through a partici-
pating lender institution.
Limitations: SBA does not fully guarantee 7(a) loans.
The lender and SBA share the risk that a borrower will
not be able to repay the loan in full.
Uses/Applications Include:
• Working capital.
• Purchase, renovation, and new construction of land
or buildings.
• Acquisition of equipment, machinery, furniture, and
fixtures.
• Establishment of a new business, or operation or
expansion of an existing business.
• Debt refinancing (under special conditions).
http://www.sba.gov/financialassistance/borrowers/
guaranteed/7alp/index.html
Outreach/Technical Assistance
Office of Small Business Development Centers
SBA administers the Small Business Development
Centers program (SBDC), which provides management
assistance to current and prospective small business
owners. SBDCs offer one-stop assistance to individu-
als and small businesses by providing a wide variety
of information and guidance in central and easily
accessible branch locations. The program is a cooper-
ative effort of the private sector, the educational
community, and federal, state, and local governments.
It enhances economic development by providing small
businesses with management and technical assistance.
Eligibility Requirements: Assistance from an SBDC
is available to anyone who cannot afford the services
of a private consultant and is interested in beginning
a small business for the first time or improving or
expanding an existing small business.
https://www.sba.gov/offices/headquarters/osbdc
Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to
helping small businesses get off the ground, grow,
and achieve their goals through education and
mentorship. SCORE is a resource partner with the SBA.
It has 320 chapters throughout the United States and
its territories, with 11,000 volunteers nationwide. Both
working and retired business owners and profession-
als donate time and expertise as business counselors.
Eligibility Requirements: Small business owners and
entrepreneurs can receive assistance online or at local
SCORE branches, which are listed online.
http://www.score.org/index.html
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Rachel Newman Karton
Small Business Administration
Office of Small Business Development Centers
409 3rd St., NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20416
202-619-1816
rachel.newman-karton(a)sba.gov
Main Site
www.sba.gov
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |73
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SNAPSHOT - VENTOWER INDUSTRIES, PORT OF MONROE, MICHIGAN
In early 2010, Ventower Industries opted to locate a state-of-the-art wind turbine tower manufacturing
facility on a former industrial landfill located on Port of Monroe property in Monroe, Michigan. Ventower
purchased the 38-acre parcel from the Port of Monroe as a bona fide prospective purchaser. In anticipa-
tion of a future expansion of its existing facility, Ventower also acquired an additional 10 acres for stockpil-
ing excess contaminated soils generated from construction activities.
State and EPA brownfield assessment funds were used to conduct some of the environmental site as-
sessment activities to facilitate these transactions. Approximately $4.5 million in cleanup funds from the
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the Downriver Community Conference Brownfield
Coalition's Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant were used to prepare the site for redevelopment. SBA
provided a Section 504 loan guarantee of approximately $4 million for the construction of a LEED-inspired,
115,000-square-foot manufacturing facility with the capacity to build 250 wind turbine towers per year. A
second-phase expansion is planned that will increase the size of the facility to 220,000 square feet and
add 48 contiguous acres of tower staging and storage space. The initial phase of the project is expected
to create 150 jobs, with an additional 150 new jobs following expansion.
741 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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761 2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Often, the success of a brownfields redevelopment
project depends on crafting a financing package that
takes advantage of federal programs that offer tax
incentives or credits for various components of the
project. Since the Brownfields Law was enacted in
2002, emphasis increased on building partnerships
among federal agencies offering targeted resources
that can be used to support brownfields redevelop-
ment projects.
Many states adopt their own financing programs and
approaches to integrate traditional state development
programs into the brownfields financing mix. Such
programs include tax incentives and credits, targeted
financial assistance, and direct brownfields financing.
Effective brownfield redevelopment approaches
increasingly involve linking federal and state incentive
and assistance programs to help provide the financing
needed to overcome brownfields challenges,
from assessment to site preparation to redevelop-
ment. Information on state incentive and assistance
programs may be available through the states'
brownfields programs. To locate these state programs,
visit http:7/www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/state_tribaI/
state map.htm.
Creatively crafted and carefully targeted incentives
and credits can help advance cleanup activities and
prepare properties for reuse. This section provides an
overview of federal tax incentives and credits that can
be leveraged for brownfields cleanup, redevelopment,
and reuse. The following topics are outlined:
• New Markets Tax Credits
• Low Income Housing Tax Credits
• Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
• Brownfields Expensing Tax Incentive
The following information about these incentives
reflects the most recent changes and extensions
authorized by the Tax Increase Prevention Act, which
Congress passed on December 16, 2014. Most
provisions were extended for only one year, until the
end of 2015, although the 114th Congress, seated in
January 2015, plans to consider comprehensive tax
legislation sometime during its term. Please refer to
EPA's website (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields) for the
latest information on rules or interpretations affecting
their use.
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New Markets Tax Credit
The New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program is
designed to stimulate the economies of distressed
urban and rural communities and create jobs in
low-income communities by expanding the availabil-
ity of credit, investment capital, and financial
services. The NMTC program was created through
the Community Renewal Act of 2000. The program
is administered by the Community Development
Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund within the U.S.
Department of the Treasury. Each year, tax credits are
allocated through the CDFI Fund and distributed to
qualified Community Development Entities (CDEs).
CDEs include a range of for-profit and nonprofit
organizations, such as community development
corporations, CDFIs, organizations that administer
community development venture capital funds or
community loan funds, small business development
corporations, specialized small business investment
companies, and others. In the United States, there
are nearly 6,000 organizations certified as CDEs,
including subsidiaries (CDE partners), and approxi-
mately 1,000 certified CDFIs. Brownfields developers
can approach existing CDEs to help fund their projects
or, in certain circumstances, consider applying for CDE
certification themselves.
Given their focus on distressed areas, many of which
are characterized by blighted and abandoned buildings,
NMTCs have significant potential to support brownfields
projects. Since its inception, the NMTC program is
credited with supporting construction of 22 million
square feet of manufacturing space, nearly 72 million
square feet of office space, and more than 55 million
square feet of commercial space. Through 11 rounds
as of June 2014, the CDFI Fund made 836 awards
allocating a total of $40 billion in tax credit authority to
CDEs through a competitive application process. This
$40 billion includes $3 billion in American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act Awards and $1 billion of special
allocation authority to be used for the recovery and
redevelopment of the Gulf Opportunity Zone. Under the
most recent NMTC allocation authority in 2013, all 87
of the recipients indicated that they will invest at least 95
percent of equity investments into low-income communi-
ties, which exceeds the minimum required 85 percent. To
date, every federal dollar put in the program leveraged
in private investments.
over
Demand for the tax credits remains high since the
program's inception. In the 2013 round (awarded in
June 2014), 310 applicants requesting a total of $25.9
billion in NMTC allocation authority competed for
$3.5 billion in allocation authority. In the December
2014 tax act, Congress provided $3.5 billion in new
authority, which will likely be allocated in mid-2015.
This unique funding mechanism is a viable option
for many brownfields redevelopers, given the typical
target investments that allocation recipients identify.
How the Program Works: The NMTC program
allows certified CDEs to apply competitively for an
allocation from the CDFI Fund tax credit pool. Once
a CDE receives an allocation of tax credits, the CDE
can offer the tax credits to private-sector investors,
including banks, insurance companies, corporations,
and individuals. Investors acquire (using cash only)
stock or a capital interest in the CDE on which the
investor can gain a potential return. The investor also
receives a 39 percent tax credit on the amount of the
investment (total purchase price of the stock or capital
interest). The credit is claimed over a seven-year
period. Investors receive a five percent credit annually
during the first three years after purchase and a six
percent credit during the final four years. Thus, for
each hypothetical $100,000 investment, an investor
would realize $39,000 in tax credits over seven years.
Investors may not redeem their stock or capital interest
in CDEs prior to the conclusion of the seven-year
period. In short, the CDE secures investors through
the sale of stock or issuance of an equity interest in
exchange for tax credits, and then uses the resulting
cash to make investments in low-income communities.
In return for providing the tax credit to the investor, the
CDE receives cash. The CDE must invest "substantially
all" of the cash proceeds into qualified low-income
community investments (QLICIs). Over half of all
CDE investments are investments in real estate
or businesses. Eligible QLICIs include loans to, or
investments in, businesses to be used for developing
residential, commercial, industrial, and retail real
estate projects. Examples of QLICIs include:
• Direct investments in qualified low-income,
community-based businesses.
• Purchases of loans made by a CDE to qualified
low-income businesses that allow a return via a
secondary market-type approach.
• Purchases of financial counseling and other technical
services to qualified active low-income community
businesses (QALICBs).
781 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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(
1
CDFI
i
Fund Investor*
Tax credits to Cash ' ^
' \ '
Community Development Entity ((
1
1 I
5
Tax credits to
(against Federal
Income tax)
:DE)
*
Qualified Low Income Community Investments
Invests in or Lends to
Qualified Active Lower
Income Community
Businesses (QALICBs)
Which may Include Brownfields
Redevelopment Projects
Purchases Loans from CDEsl
Which may Include Community
Development Loans for
Brownfields Redevelopment
Projects
Provides Financial
Counseling and Related
Services
Invests in or Lends to CDEs
Which may include Financing
Brownfields Redevelopment
Projects
* Loans or investments in real estate projects that can
include brownfields cleanup and redevelopment.
A CDE must be certified to be eligible to receive
NMTCs. The Department of the Treasury's CDFI
Fund evaluates applications for CDE certification in
four areas: business strategy, capitalization strategy,
management capacity, and community impact. In
addition, the CDE must demonstrate that it will
maintain accountability to residents of low-income
communities, which is typically done through
representation on a governing or advisory board.
Community entities applying to become a CDE may
submit CDE certification applications at any time of
the year to the CDFI Fund. Completing an applica-
tion for CDE certification can be lengthy, but the
process is straightforward, and the CDFI Fund makes
decisions relatively quickly. Once an organization
is certified, the designation lasts for the life of the
organization. Both nonprofit and for-profit groups
may apply for certification by the CDFI Fund.
While the CDE certification and the Department of
Treasury allocation processes are complex, the actual
operation of the NMTC program is relatively simple:
• An investor (taxpayer) decides to seek NMTCs.
• The investor identifies a CDE that received a NMTC
allocation (listed on the Department of Treasury's
website) and is in the process of completing a
redevelopment project, which could be on a
brownfield property.
• In exchange for a cash investment in the CDE's
project, the investor receives 39 percent of the
investment value in tax credits ($39,000 in credits for
each hypothetical $100,000 investment), over the
seven-year schedule noted above.
• The investor also receives stock or an equity interest
in the CDE's redevelopment project.
Advantages for Brownfields Site Redevelopers:
The NMTC program offers several advantages to
developers seeking financing to clean up and reuse
brownfields properties:
• CDEs may be willing to structure a more favorable
deal than traditional lending institutions for
brownfields projects, which can be a key consider-
ation when financing is tight.
• CDEs can offer funding for a full range of redevelop-
ment activities, including land acquisition, environ-
mental remediation, demolition, site preparation,
construction, renovation, and infrastructure improve-
ments—making them a true "one-stop" financing
source.
• CDEs involved in brownfields cleanup and redevel-
opment projects, especially nonprofit entities, can
facilitate packaging of different public financing
sources for one project. Financing sources can
include state and local programs and credits,
initiatives such as tax increment financing, federal
programs such as the Department of Housing and
Urban Development's Community Development
Block Grants, and ERA's Brownfields Grants.
• Tax credits available to investors through CDEs can
encourage investors to commit additional funds
for qualifying projects or attract new investors who
ordinarily might not consider investing in brownfields
projects located in low-income communities.
Brownfields stakeholders interested in making the
NMTC program part of their brownfields project
financing strategies generally follow one of three
approaches:
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |79
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SNAPSHOT - FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS
Founded in 1837, Borden & Remington is the oldest privately owned chemical distributor in the country. Many
of its leaders have lived and worked in Fall River, Massachusetts, most of their lives, and are committed to
ensuring that Fall River remains economically fit. In 2005, Borden & Remington purchased a 29-acre mill
complex that contained 850,000 square feet of facility space in a census tract with a 23 percent poverty rate
and an unemployment rate 1.64 times the national average. Their vision for the site was to transform it into
a destination for innovative businesses looking to operate in the 21st century. In order to attract such firms,
Borden & Remington officials looked to the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program to fund a redevelop-
ment project that would revive the complex, attract new businesses to the city, and create much needed jobs
for local workers. With a $2.25 million NMTC loan from Rockland Trust Community Development, Borden &
Remington revitalized an historic mill building in the complex for Arizona-based TPI Composites Inc., a wind
turbine manufacturer and industry leader in sustainable energy solutions. In addition to the TPI project, eight
unsalvageable buildings were demolished, which created nine acres of development-ready parcels for future
business expansions. For TPI, Borden & Remington oversaw the renovation of a 70,000-square-foot building,
a project that resulted in the creation of 75 temporary construction jobs as well as 25 full-time jobs. The NMTC
loan from Rockland Trust not only attracted a major manufacturer of renewable energy products to the site,
but also helped to brand the site as an ideal location for innovative business expansions, fueling Fall River's
economic recovery.
• Contact existing CDEs for funding. Several recipients
of tax credit allocations identified brownfields redevel-
opment as one of the goals for their economic
development efforts, but any CDE potentially can
invest in a brownfield project, which is the easiest
and most common approach. Brownfields developers
should consult the CDFI/Treasury website to identify
CDEs operating in their state.
• Apply for and receive CDE certification, and then
apply for an allocation of tax credits to offer to
potential investors. Although this process is more
complex, it is viable for stakeholders with sufficient
staff, technical capacity, and commitment for large-
scale or long-term brownfields efforts.
• Apply for and achieve CDE certification, and then
apply to other CDEs that have their own tax credit
allocations for equity financing. CDEs can invest in
the projects of other CDEs, including brownfields
projects, as long as these investments are made in
low-income areas. However, little funding was made
available through this channel in recent years. Less
than one percent of the allocations announced in
June 2014 are expected to be used this way.
The $3.5 billion in credit allocations announced
in June 2014 went to 87 private and nonprofit
CDEs headquartered in 32 states and the District
of Columbia, with investments anticipated in all 50
states and the District of Columbia. This year, 19 of
the allocatees will focus on local markets in cities that
also have a tradition of successful brownfield revital-
ization - including Milwaukee, Atlanta, Chicago,
Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City. In addition, 12
allocatees were designated "rural" and plan to invest
$540 million in smaller communities.
Limitations: CDEs can be a vital source of capital for
brownfields revitalization. Because of the underwrit-
ing effort and costs involved, the NMTC program tends
to work best for mid-sized and larger projects. While
there is no hard and fast rule, most NMTC projects
are at least $1 million in size. Although NMTCs can be
used as part of the financing for numerous brownfields
projects, many CDEs are unaware of the brownfields
redevelopment process and potential leveraging
advantages. Still others may be confused by the
program's use of the term "designated brownfields"
in its competitive criteria. Consequently, the first task
facing local officials and community leaders may be to
educate CDEs about the brownfields process and the
role that state voluntary cleanup programs can play
in bringing certainty and closure to environmental
concerns at these properties.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Community Development Financial Institutions Fund
601 13th St., NW, Suite 200 South
Washington, DC 20005
NMTC Support Line: 202-622-8662
http://www.cdfifund.aov
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SNAPSHOT - SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
Founded in 1980, Artspace Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit developer that creates affordable living and work space
for artists, cultural organizations, nonprofits, and small retail shops. It helped to develop Artspace Commons
North, which is a green, mixed-use artist community in downtown Salt Lake City. Artspace Commons North is
located in the Granary District, which is undergoing a transition from a warehouse and industrial use district
to a district with more residential and commercial space. Artspace Commons North comprises a three-level
commercial building with perimeter parking and an interior courtyard, and a four-story mixed-use building that
houses commercial space on the ground floor and residences on the upper floors. It was built with a total of
$27.1 million in NMTC financing, including $20 million from Enterprise's fifth-round NMTC allocation and $7.1
million in allocation from Brownfield Revitalization LLC. The buildings were built to U.S. Green Building Council
LEED Gold standards, and benefited from a $50,000 grant from Enterprise's Green Communities initiative.
Green features include solar heating, energy-efficient boilers and windows, Energy Star appliances, water-
conserving plumbing fixtures, landscaping with native plants, and green berms. The development includes 102
affordable rent-to-own apartments for households earning up to 70 percent of area median income (AMI) and
53,000 square feet of commercial space for offices, art galleries, studios, and retail on the site of a former scrap
metal recycling facility. At the end of the seven-year NMTC compliance period, the apartments will be sold as
condominiums affordable to households earning up to 80 percent of AMI. Current residents will be given the
opportunity to purchase their units before they are put on the open market.
The CDFI Fund website provides access to CDE
application materials and workshops, legal review
services for NMTC-related documents, and a map of
qualified census tracts and counties under the NMTC
program. It also contains lists of certified CDEs, recent
NMTC recipients and their target states for investing,
and profiles of CDE-supported community revitaliza-
tion projects. In addition, the website includes the
NMTC Qualified Equity Investment (QEI) Issuance
Report, which identifies, among other things, the
amount of credits each CDE can allocate, how much
credit authority they committed, and the amount
remaining to be issued to investors. The QEI issuance
report is updated monthly.
http://www.cdfifund.gov/what_we_do/programs_
id.asp? program I D=5
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |81
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Low Income Housing Tax Credits
Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) were created
under the Tax Reform Act of 1986 to provide incentives
for the use of private equity in the development of
affordable housing for low-income Americans. The
program is administered at the state level. Each state
receives an allocation of federal tax credits determined
by a formula based on its population. In 2014, each
state's LIHTC ceiling was slightly increased to the
greater of $2.30 multiplied by the state population,
or $2,635,000. These credits are intended to ensure
an attractive minimum rate of return on investments
in low-income housing. Each state can issue LIHTC
tax-exempt bonds up to its ceiling to attract investment
capital for the development of low-income housing.
LIHTCs may be used as part of a brownfields financing
package if affordable rental housing is part of a project.
The credits are used successfully in many states as part
of mixed-income housing developments and as infill
projects on brownfields sites.
LIHTCs are more attractive than tax deductions
because tax credits provide investors of affordable
housing developments with a dollar-for-dollar
reduction in their federal taxes, while a tax deduction
only reduces taxable income and therefore provides
a lesser tax benefit. Development capital is raised
by "syndicating" the credit to an investor or a
group of investors by selling the rights to future
tax credits in exchange for upfront cash. As these
credits are syndicated, developers obtain the equity
capital necessary to build or rehabilitate structures
for low-income housing. The tax credit is paid to
investors annually over a 10-year period. The funds
generated through syndication vary from market
to market and from year to year. A few years ago,
turmoil in the financial market reduced demand for
tax breaks. LIHTCs were bought for only about 65
to 75 cents per tax-credit dollar. However, market
demand for the credits bounced back. In 2013, the
most recent year for which data is available, LIHTCs
generated about 90 to 100 cents per tax-credit
dollar.
State housing agencies administer the LIHTC program
by reviewing tax credit applications submitted by
developers and then allocating the credits. This process
allows each state to set its own priorities and address
its specific housing goals. Some states consider infill,
vacant property reclamation, and mixed use in their
allocation plans, all of which are priorities that can
make brownfield sites more attractive to housing
developers as they compete for LIHTC allocations.
As an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirement,
projects that serve the lowest-income tenants and
guarantee low-rent affordability for the longest time
period are given priority. Owners must keep the rental
units available to low-income tenants for at least 30
years after completion of the project.
Both for-profit and nonprofit brownfields developers
can use LIHTCs to help finance low-income housing
projects. The tax credit program can be used either
to construct new buildings or to rehabilitate existing
buildings. All activities associated with the development
of housing, including cleanup and demolition, can be
claimed as expenses associated with the development
of low-income housing for the purposes of claiming the
tax credit.
As part of their credit allocation plans, some states
promote projects located in specific geographic areas or
distressed rural or urban areas. To the extent that these
policies dovetail with local brownfields priorities, they
may encourage investment in brownfields revitaliza-
tion. In addition, the Housing and Economic Recovery
Act of 2008 (HERA) required states to include energy-
efficient construction as an allocation priority. As a
result, to the extent that brownfields housing projects
include "green" technologies and sustainable develop-
ment provisions, they may become more attractive to
developers seeking LIHTCs. Over the past 20 years,
states received significant levels of LIHTC allocations that
supported the development of many housing units. Since
beginning operation through 2011 (the most recent
year for which aggregate data is available), the LIHTC
program allocated over $7.5 billion in federal tax credits
to support 1.8 million low-income housing units. Almost
all new affordable multifamily construction undertaken
since 2000 received a subsidy under this program. Some
of the projects were conducted on brownfield sites, but
full potential for the development of low-income housing
on brownfield sites is as yet unrealized.
How the Program Works: The LIHTC program
enables funding for the development of affordable
housing by allowing a taxpayer to claim federal tax
credits for the costs incurred during development
of affordable units in a rental housing project. The
program authorizes state housing credit agencies to
award nine percent tax credits for projects receiving
821 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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no other federal subsidy, and four percent credits for
projects financed with tax-exempt bonds. Tax credits
are available only to help cover the cost of units within
qualified projects reserved for rental to low-income
households. The tax credits are used by developers to
raise capital from investors through syndication for their
projects. The capital generated from the tax credits
prior to the start of a project lowers the debt burden
on LIHTC projects, making it easier for owners to offer
lower, more affordable rents. Investors, such as banks,
obtain a dollar-for-dollar reduction in their federal tax
liability. The nine percent and four percent tax credits
are paid annually over a 10-year period.
To qualify, a project must have at least 20 percent of its
units rented to households with incomes at or below
50 percent of the area median income, or at least 40
percent of its units rented to households with incomes
at or below 60 percent of the area median income.
Although the developer may claim the tax credit directly,
the credits usually are passed on to investors through
syndication. A syndicator acts as a broker between the
developer and investors in the project. Syndicators may
pool several projects' tax credits into one LIHTC equity
fund and offer the credits to investors who buy a piece of
the equity fund. This process spreads the risk to investors
across various projects. In addition, the investors typically
become limited partners in the housing project and
have an ownership interest. The developer typically
receives a development and property management
fee plus a share in any cash flows and any profits
when the property is sold. By using the investors'
equity, the developer is able to complete the project
with less debt-service financing. Thus, the rents for
the building can be reduced and serve lower-income
individuals.
Advantages for Brownfields Site Redevelop-
ers: The LIHTC program offers several advantages
to developers considering affordable housing
projects on brownfields, which are enhanced by the
renewed interest in central cities and consideration
of abandoned sites and properties for infill uses.
These range from cost savings to opportunities for
leveraging funding from other programs.
• LIHTCs offer an opportunity to restore buildings
that may have historic significance to provide
affordable housing. These properties may be
located in distressed neighborhoods that will
benefit from low-income housing options. In
other cases, the properties may be in emerging
neighborhoods, and their redevelopment can lead
to affordable housing for lower-wage workers that
is located closer to places of employment.
Lender
Loan payment
reduced
Rents
Money
Loan for
housing
project
reduced
Syndicator
1 >
Money 1
(equity)^
i
^ (vyuiiy)
>„
Tax credits
Investors
(Corporations or
individuals)
Tax credits
Housing project
application
Tax credits
State Housing
Agency
Developer
(general partner of project)
Tax credits
Money (equity)
Housing project application ^
Tax benefits (tax credits/deductions)
Internal Revenue
Service
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |83
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• LIHTCs can be combined with federal historic preser-
vation tax credits to create a powerful investment
incentive. If the brownfield is a historical structure, it
can be a relatively easy fit with low-income housing
development.
• LIHTCs can attract new investors in redevelopment
projects. LIHTCs offer a strong incentive for investors
to consider financing a low-income housing project
on a brownfield property in instances where they
otherwise might not consider including low-income
housing in the project. This is especially true if a
syndicator is able to pool tax credits from several
projects and create a LIHTC equity fund, which can
reduce the liability risk for individual investors.
Nonprofit housing developers such as community
development corporations often find the program
especially advantageous because each state must set
aside at least 10 percent of its credit allocation for
projects developed by nonprofits. The guaranteed
return stemming from the tax credit can attract
private banks not normally interested in housing
or brownfields projects. A nonprofit can sell the tax
credits to investors or syndicators and become the
principal partner in the project. The tax-related value
of these credits is of little use to nonprofits because
they already are exempt from paying taxes.
Limitations: Brownfields housing projects may be
hindered by the same forces affecting the banking
and housing industries as a result of the economic
downturn and sectoral restructuring. Reduced credit,
tighter bank underwriting, and tighter due diligence
standards all make housing development more
challenging. And in many areas, the stigma of contami-
nation and cleanup continues to limit the viability of
many potential projects.
In addition, state LIHTC allocation plans may vary in
their treatment of projects sponsored by local housing
authorities. Some states may award bonus points to
such projects. Others states may require local housing
authorities to work with nonprofit organizations to be
eligible to apply for tax credits. Stakeholders interested
in information about specific state policies should
contact their state housing authorities.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
HDD's Office of Policy Development and Research
maintains the HUD USER website, which contains an
extensive database of information on projects that used
the LIHTC.
HUD USER
RO. Box 23268
Washington, DC 20026-3268
Toll Free: 1-800-245-2691
http://www.huduser.org/datasets/lihtc.html
In addition, the following housing nonprofit and
advocacy groups track LIHTC trends and activities:
The National Council of State Housing Agencies is a
nonprofit organization created by the nation's state
Housing Finance Agencies to coordinate and leverage
advocacy efforts for affordable housing.
National Council of State Housing Agencies
444 North Capitol Street, NW, Suite 438
Washington, DC 20001
202-624-7710
http://www.ncsha.org/
The National Low Income Housing Coalition is a
nonprofit that educates, organizes, and advocates
to ensure decent, affordable housing within healthy
neighborhoods for everyone.
National Low Income Housing Coalition
727 15th Street, NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
202-662-1530
http://www.nlihc.org
The National Association of Local Housing Finance
Agencies is a nonprofit national association of profession-
als working to finance affordable housing in the broader
community development context at the local level.
National Association of Local Housing Finance
Agencies
2025 M Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
202-367-1197
http://www.nalhfa.org
841 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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SNAPSHOT - LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA
Mifflin Mills is Lebanon, Pennsylvania's, first affordable rent-to-own townhouse community. It was developed
by the Lebanon County Housing Authority through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program adminis-
tered by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. The development includes 20 three-bedroom townhomes
located just blocks from downtown Lebanon. During the first 15 years of occupancy, funds will be escrowed
for tenants to use toward the down payment on the townhome. The 1,380-square-foot 2- and 3-story units
have open floor plans, front porches, off-street parking, Energy Star appliances, and high efficiency natural
gas heat. Mifflin Mills was developed on a vacant blighted city block, and construction of the townhouse
community greatly improved the appearance of the neighborhood. In addition, the property was designed to
blend with the neighborhood streetscape, further adding to the aesthetics of the community.
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |85
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Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits
Historic rehabilitation tax credits were adopted by
Congress to discourage unnecessary demolition
of sound older buildings and to slow the loss of
businesses from older urban areas. The tax credits
encourage private investment in the cleanup and
rehabilitation of historical properties. The National
Park Service (NFS) administers the program in partner-
ship with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and State
Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs). Nearly 1.59
million historic buildings are listed in or contribute
to historic districts listed in the National Register of
Historic Places, with thousands added each year.
The NPS estimates that 20 percent of these buildings
qualify as income-producing.
The historic rehabilitation tax credit is well-suited for
packaging with other economic development grant
and loan programs. Using the historic preserva-
tion tax credit generally does not preclude the use of
other federal, state, or local funding sources or other
programs designed to encourage rehabilitation. In
FY 2014, 88 percent of the projects that used the
historic rehabilitation tax credit also took advantage
of at least one additional incentive or form of publicly
supported financing. Of the additional incentives, 50
percent used state historic preservation tax incentives,
and four percent used the low-income housing credit.
Nearly a quarter used local tax increment financing
(TIP) or property tax abatements.
Given that historic rehabilitation tax credits focus
on older buildings, they are an ideal brownfields
financing tool. Their use at brownfields properties
is rapidly accelerating across the country. The tax
credits help attract redevelopment capital to many
projects in blighted and ignored areas not ordinarily
considered for investment. These projects encompass
a wide range of properties and project types, including
offices, hotels, retail stores, warehouses, factories, and
rental housing.
How the Program Works: This incentive offers
private investors a tax credit that can be claimed for
the year in which the renovated building is put into
service. There are two separate tax credits: one for the
restoration of certified historic properties and one for
the rehabilitation of older but noncertified properties.
A certified historic structure is defined as a building
that is listed in the National Register of Historic Places,
either individually, as a contributing building in a
National Register historic district, or as a contributing
building within a local historic district that is certified
by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Rehabilita-
tion of income-producing, certified historic structures
qualifies for a credit equal to 20 percent of the cost
of the work. Rehabilitation work on older, noncer-
tified structures built before 1936 qualifies for a
credit equal to 10 percent of the cost of the work.
Most reconstruction work is eligible for the credit. All
restored buildings and properties must be income
producing and rehabilitated according to standards set
by the Department of the Interior and enforced by the
SHPOs.
The 20 percent tax credit is available for historic
properties rehabilitated for commercial, industrial,
agricultural, or rental residential purposes, but not
for properties used exclusively as an owner's private
residence. Working in conjunction with state historic
preservation agencies, the NPS must approve all
rehabilitation projects seeking to use the 20 percent
tax credit. The rehabilitation must be consistent with
the historic character of the property. Owners seeking
to claim the 20 percent tax credit must complete a
detailed application process and maintain certification
throughout the rehabilitation work. Generally, the tax
credit is claimed in the year in which the rehabilitated
building is placed back into service. The owner of the
building must maintain ownership of the building for
five years after completing rehabilitation or be subject
to a staggered recapture of the tax credit. In addition,
a rehabilitation project must meet several IRS criteria
to qualify for the tax credit:
• The structure must be depreciable.
• The rehabilitation must be "substantial," defined as
expenditures greater than $5,000.
• The property must be returned to an income-produc-
ing use.
• The building must be maintained as a certified
historic structure when returned to service.
The 10 percent tax credit is available for the rehabili-
tation of noncertified, nonresidential buildings built
before 1936. Former manufacturing facilities, office
buildings, and hotels located on a brownfield site
easily qualify for this tax credit. Projects that plan to
claim the 10 percent rehabilitation tax credit must
meet several physical structure tests:
861 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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• At least 50 percent of the building's external
walls existing at the time that rehabilitation
begins must remain in place as external walls upon
completion.
• At least 75 percent of the building's existing external
walls must remain in place as either external or
internal walls.
• At least 75 percent of the building's internal
structural framework must remain in place at
the time the building is returned to service.
Rehabilitation tax credits can be especially attractive
for cleanup and restoration of certified historic or
pre-1936 properties. An increasing number of states
are adopting their own rehabilitation tax incentive
programs and are encouraging developers to partici-
pate in both the state and the federal program to
maximize benefits. This opportunity creates a powerful
incentive and provides developers with increased
cash flow, which can make brownfields redevelop-
ment projects more financially viable. State programs
typically offer tax credits that range between 10 and
30 percent.
According to the NFS, $4.32 billion in structural
rehabilitation work was carried out in 2014 at 762
project sites. Many of these properties, including
old mills, vacant industrial buildings, gas stations,
and abandoned production facilities, are located in
blighted areas and meet the criteria to be classified
as brownfields. This investment in rehabilitation
led to the creation of nearly 78,000 jobs and the
development of almost 20,000 housing units in 2014.
Over 6,500 of the housing units were for low- and
moderate-income individuals, which created a link
between low-income housing tax credits and rehabili-
tation tax credits. Moreover, rehab tax credits are
well-suited for smaller projects; in 2014, 39 percent
were less than half a million dollars in size, and half
were less than $1 million in total cost.
Advantages for Brownfields Site Redevelop-
ers: Brownfields redevelopers can choose to sell or
syndicate rehabilitation tax credits in exchange for an
upfront cash investment in the project. This exchange
can translate into more upfront project funding if a
developer prefers having a larger cash flow infusion
before cleanup and redevelopment work is carried
out, rather than take a tax credit at the end of the
project or tax year. In addition, rehabilitation tax
credits offer significant leveraging possibilities with:
• Low-income housing tax credits.
• Industrial development bonds.
• A variety of federal development programs
described earlier in this guide, including SBA, HDD's
CDBG program, and USDA Rural Development.
• Numerous state and local financing, tax incentive,
and bond programs.
Limitations: While historic rehabilitation tax credits
can be beneficial and flexible sources of funding, taking
advantage of these credits sometimes can be difficult.
Brownfields developers contemplating old or historic
sites for new uses need to consider the following:
• Once a building is placed into service, tax credits are
not officially awarded until the project is reviewed
and approved by the SHPO. This can take time and
affect project cash flow.
SNAPSHOT - RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA
Built in 1930, the Albert Kahn-designed Ford Motor Assembly Plant in Richmond, Calfornia, was once the
largest automobile assembly plant on the West Coast. Manufacturing at the site ended in 1953, and the
building was later used as a movie set and a book depository. By the early 2000s, the 520,000-square-
foot building had sat vacant for years and suffered structural damage from earthquakes. Rehabilitation
of the building began in 2004 and was implemented in three phases. Although seismic retrofits were
required, special care was taken to retain historic features, such as the craneway, windows, sawtooth
light monitors, smokestack, and some historic mechanical systems like those housed in the boiler house.
Administrative areas were updated and the historic lobby was restored. The large assembly space with its
north and south mezzanines was kept largely intact and open as it had been during its life as an assembly
plant. After $55 million of rehabilitation work, which utilized historic rehabilitation tax credits, the building
is now home to several manufacturers of environmentally sustainable products as well as Craneway
Pavilion, a 45,000-square-foot meeting and entertainment venue designed to accommodate up to 5,000
guests. It also houses the visitor education center for the National Park Service's Rosie the Riveter National
Historic Park, which includes an interactive museum to interpret the World War II homefront movement
and orient visitors to Richmond's history from the era.
2015 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide |87
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SNAPSHOT - ROANOKE, VIRGINIA
Carlin's Amoco Station is an historic service station located on Williamson Road in Roanoke, Virginia. It
was originally constructed in 1947, and later remodeled in 1953 by the American Oil Company (Amoco)
into a "stylized-box" design by adding Streamlined Moderne features, such as rounded corners and
vertical strips of glass block backlit by green neon tubing. The building represents the aggressive effort oil
companies took, beginning in the 1930s, to market and sell their products through service stations that
promoted individual corporate identity and brands. In 2011, the owners of the gas station, at the encour-
agement of one of their employees, decided to restore the Amoco station and register it as a state and
national historic landmark. Renovation was made possible through historic tax credits. The station is now
listed on the State and National Historic Registries.
Complying with the Americans with Disabilities
Act, pursuing LEED certification, installing energy
efficient windows, and addressing environmental
considerations such as lead paint and asbestos may
impact a building's historic nature and complicate
project certification. Fortunately, more SHPOs are
gaining an understanding of the brownfields process
and what needs to be done to achieve appropriate
cleanups. In addition, some of the new remediation
and reconstruction techniques are proving to be less
disruptive to a structure's historic integrity.
Nonrefundable credits, such as the rehabilitation
tax credit, may not be used to reduce the alterna-
tive minimum tax. If a taxpayer is not eligible for
the rehabilitation tax credit because of the alterna-
tive minimum tax, the credit can be carried back or
forward.
To claim any credit, the investment must exceed
the greater of $5,000 or the adjusted basis of the
building and its structural components. This require-
ment can necessitate a large rehabilitation expendi-
ture on a big project.
Tax credit sales or syndications are most suitable for
larger projects, and may not work at smaller projects
because of their transaction costs.
In addition, tax credit recapture scenarios need to be
avoided if the full value of the credit is to be realized.
The tax credits can be subject to recapture (at 20
percent per year) if the property is disposed of before
five years pass after the credit is granted or if the
building is converted to tax-exempt use within five
years of being put back into service.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
National Park Service
Technical Preservation Services
1201 Eye St., NW, 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
202-513-7270
http: //www. nps. gov/tps/
The NPS website provides access to detailed tax
incentive information, regulations, applications, and
rehabilitation standards, including an overview of the
Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives can be
found at http://www.nps.aov/tps/tax-incentives.htm.
881 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
As communities become more concerned about the
economic and environmental impacts of the use
of fossil fuels, renewable energy technologies are
expected to play a greater role in meeting future
electricity demand. Renewable energy in the United
States, including hydroelectric, wood, biofuels, wind,
organic waste, geothermal, and solar, accounted for
more than 10 percent of the domestically produced
electricity in 2010. The U.S. Energy Information
Administration estimates that renewable-generated
electricity will account for 16 percent of total U.S.
electricity generation in 2035. This growth will be
driven mainly by the extension of federal tax credits,
new loan and grant programs, and state require-
ments.
Identifying and using land located in areas that are
amenable to high-quality renewable energy alterna-
tives will be an essential component to developing
new renewable energy sources. ERA screened more
than 13,000 potentially contaminated sites and solid
waste landfills covering nearly 22 million acres across
the United States for suitability to renewable energy
generation facilities. Tracked sites include brownfields,
Superfund sites, Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act (RCRA) sites, abandoned mine lands, and landfills.
Maps depicting the locations of these EPA-tracked sites
and their potential for supporting renewable energy
generation can be found at http://www.epa.gov/
oswercpa/rd mapping tool.htm. These maps enable
users to view screening results for various renewable
energy technologies at each site. Through coordination
and partnerships among federal, state, tribal, and other
government agencies as well as utilities, communities,
and the private sector, new renewable energy facilities
may be developed on many potentially contaminated
properties.
Combining energy incentives with contaminated
land cleanup incentives can allow investors and
communities to create economically viable, nonpol-
luting, renewable energy redevelopment projects on
brownfields, particularly sites where local economic
conditions prohibit more conventional reuse of the
site. Over the past decade, several statutes created,
expanded, or extended incentive programs such as
tax incentives, loans, grants, and loan guarantees to
encourage renewable energy generation and energy
efficiency projects; the Tax Increase Prevention Act
of 2014 extended these for one year, generally until
the end of 2014. This section contains information
about the federal tax incentives that are available
to potential developers considering the siting of
renewable energy generation and energy efficiency
projects on brownfields.
How the Programs Work:
Energy-Efficient Commercial Buildings Tax
Deduction
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established a tax
deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings
placed in service through the end of 2007. This
deduction was extended through 2008, and then
again through 2014. A tax deduction of $1.80 per
square foot is available to owners of new or existing
buildings who install lighting, heating, cooling,
ventilation, or other systems that reduce the building's
total energy and power cost by 50 percent or more in
comparison to a building meeting certain minimum
requirements. Deductions of $0.60 per square foot
are available to owners of buildings for which energy-
efficiency measures are installed but where total
energy and power cost savings from these improve-
ments do not meet the 50 percent threshold.
The deductions are available primarily to building
owners. Deductions are taken in the year in which
construction is completed. Energy savings must be
calculated using qualified computer software approved
by the IRS. The IRS released interim guidance in June
2006 to enable taxpayers to obtain a certification
that a property satisfies the energy efficiency require-
ments contained in the statute. IRS Notice 2008-40
was issued in March 2008 to further clarify the rules.
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National
Renewable Energy Laboratory published a report,
Energy Savings Modeling and Inspection Guidelines for
Commercial Building Federal Tax Deductions, Second
Edition, to provide guidelines for the modeling and
inspection of energy savings required by the statute.
DOE also compiled a list of qualified computer
software for calculating commercial building energy
and power cost savings.
• Notice 2008-40, Amplification of Notice 2006-52;
Deduction for Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings
http://www.irs.gov/irb/2008-14_IRB/ar12.html
• Energy Savings Modeling and Inspection Guidelines
for Commercial Building Federal Tax Deductions,
Second Edition
http://www.nrel.aov/docs/tyQ7osti/40467.pdf
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• Qualified Software for Calculating Commercial
Building Tax Deductions
http://energy.gov/eere/buildings/qualified-software-
calculating-commercial-building-tax-deductions
Bus/ness Energy Investment Tax Credit
The business energy federal investment tax credit
provides incentives for the development and
deployment of renewable energy technologies. Prior to
2005, a 10 percent federal investment tax credit was
available to businesses to offset capital expenditures
for solar or geothermal energy property. The federal
Energy Policy Act of 2005 expanded the tax credit
to include fuel cells, microturbines, and hybrid solar
lighting systems and raised the tax credit for solar to
30 percent. The tax credits were expanded significantly
by the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008
(EIEA) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009 (ARRA), and modified by the American
Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. Current tax credits are
summarized below for eligible technologies placed in
service before the end of 2016:
• Solar. In general, the tax credit is equal to 30 percent
of expenditures, with no maximum credit, for eligible
systems. Eligible solar-energy property includes
equipment that uses solar energy to generate
electricity, heat or cool a structure, heat water for
use in a structure, provide solar process heat, and
illuminate the inside of a structure using fiber-optic
distributed sunlight. Passive solar systems and solar
pool-heating systems are not eligible.
• Fuel Cells. The tax credit is equal to 30 percent of
expenditures, with no maximum credit. However,
the credit for fuel cells is capped at $1,500 per 0.5
kilowatt of capacity. Eligible property includes fuel
cells with a minimum capacity of 0.5 kilowatts that
have an electricity-only generation efficiency of 30
percent or higher.
• Small Wind Turbines. The tax credit is equal to 30
percent of expenditures, with no maximum credit.
Eligible small wind property includes wind turbines
up to 100 kilowatts in capacity.
• Geothermal Systems. The tax credit is equal to 10
percent of expenditures, with no maximum credit
limit stated. Eligible geothermal energy property
includes geothermal heat pumps and equipment
used to produce power from a geothermal deposit.
The credit for geothermal energy property, excluding
geothermal heat pumps, has no stated expiration
date.
• A/1/crofurb/nes. The tax credit is equal to 10 percent
of expenditures, with no maximum credit limit
stated. The credit for microturbines is capped at
$200 per kilowatt of capacity. Eligible property
includes microturbines up to two megawatts in
capacity that have an electricity-only generation
efficiency of 26 percent or higher.
• Combined Heat and Power (CHP). A CHP system,
also known as cogeneration, recovers waste heat
from electrical generation equipment and uses the
heat energy to power heating, cooling, dehumidi-
fication, and other systems. The credit is equal to
10 percent of expenditures, with no maximum limit
stated. Eligible CHP property generally includes
systems up to 50 megawatts in capacity that
exceeds 60 percent energy efficiency. The efficiency
requirement does not apply to CHP systems that
use biomass for at least 90 percent of the system's
energy source.
In general, the original use of the equipment must
begin with the taxpayer, or the system must be
constructed by the taxpayer. The equipment also
must meet any performance and quality standards
in effect at the time the equipment is acquired. The
energy property must be operational in the year in
which the credit is first taken. EIEA allows utilities to
use the credits and allows taxpayers to take the credit
against the alternative minimum tax (AMT), subject to
certain limitations. ARRA repealed a previous restric-
tion on the use of the credit for eligible projects also
supported by "subsidized energy financing."
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 continues
to allow facilities that produce solar electricity to
take a 30 percent investment credit in the year
that the facility is placed in service, with the other
facilities eligible for a production tax credit for
electricity produced over a ten-year period. But the
recent statute does allow facilities qualifying for
the production tax credit to elect to take the more
advantageous investment tax credit in lieu of the
production tax credit for facilities that began construc-
tion by the end of 2013.
Renewable Electricity Production Tax Credit
The renewable electricity production tax credit reduces
the federal income taxes of qualified taxpaying owners
of renewable energy projects based on the electrical
output, measured in kilowatt-hours, of grid-connected
renewable energy facilities. This type of credit
differs from an investment tax credit, which reduces
federal income taxes based on capital investment
in renewable energy projects. Originally enacted in
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1992, the production tax credit was renewed and
modified numerous times, most recently extended in
December 2014.
The tax credit amount is 1.5 cents per kilowatt hour
in 1993 dollars (now equal to 2.2 cents per kilowatt-
hour indexed for inflation) for some technologies, and
half of that amount for others. The rules governing
the production tax credit vary by resource and facility
type. Renewable technologies that qualify for the
production tax credit include wind energy, closed-
loop biomass, open-loop biomass, geothermal
energy, landfill gas production, municipal solid
waste combustion, qualified hydroelectric energy,
and marine and hydrokinetic (150 kilowatt or larger)
energy. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
made this provision more advantageous. Under the
Tax Increase Prevention Act of December 2014, the
deadline for qualifying for the tax credit applies to
systems that began construction before the end of
2014. This new deadline also applied to wind projects,
which also must have started construction before the
end of 2014. The duration of the credit generally is
ten years after the date the facility is placed in service,
with some exceptions. The tax credit is reduced for
projects that receive other federal tax credits, grants,
tax-exempt financing, or subsidized energy financing.
Taxpayers eligible for the production tax credit may
alternatively take the business energy investment tax
credit (described above).
Renewable Energy Bonus Depreciation Deduction
Businesses typically are allowed to deduct the costs
of capital expenditures over time according to various
depreciation schedules. Under the IRS's modified
accelerated cost recovery system (MACRS), certain
renewable energy technologies are classified as
five-year property, which means that the cost of the
equipment can be depreciated for federal income tax
purposes over a period of five years, as determined by
the IRS's depreciation schedule.
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
included a 50 percent "bonus" depreciation provision
for eligible renewable energy systems that allows
taxpayers to deduct 50 percent of the cost of the
property in the year in which it was placed in service,
with the remaining 50 percent depreciated over the
remaining AAACRS depreciation schedule.
Various statutes enacted over the past few years
amended the bonus depreciation. Eligible property
currently includes a variety of solar-electric and
solar-thermal technologies, fuel cells and microtur-
bines, geothermal electric, direct-use geothermal and
geothermal heat pumps, wind energy, and CHR The
first-year 50 percent deduction was extended through
the end of 2014 for properties placed in service after
December 31, 2012.
The bonus depreciation rules do not override the
depreciation limit applicable to projects qualifying for
the business energy investment tax credit. If a taxpayer
takes advantage of the business energy investment tax
credit, the amount of the bonus depreciation will be
reduced. For more information on the federal AAACRS,
see IRS Publication 946.
• IRS Publication 946, How to Depreciate Property
http://www.irs.gov/uac/About-Publication-946
Energy-Efficient New Homes Tax Credit for Home
Builders
The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 established tax
credits of up to $2,000 for builders of all new energy-
efficient homes, including manufactured homes.
Initially scheduled to expire at the end of 2007, the tax
credit was extended several times, now effective for
homes acquired through the end of 2014. Site-built
homes qualify for a $2,000 credit if they are certified
to reduce heating and cooling energy consumption by
50 percent relative to the International Energy Conser-
vation Code standard and meet minimum efficiency
standards established by DOE, and if building
envelope improvements account for at least one-fifth
of the reduction in energy consumption.
IRS Notice 2006-27 provides guidance for this
credit. Manufactured homes also must conform to
Federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety
Standards to qualify for a $2,000 credit. Manufac-
tured homes qualify for a $1,000 credit if they reduce
energy consumption by 30 percent and building
envelope component improvements account for at
least one-third of the reduction in energy consump-
tion. Alternatively, manufactured homes qualify if they
meet Energy Star Labeled Homes requirements. IRS
Notice 2006-28 provides guidance for the credit for
building energy-efficient manufactured homes. This
credit expired at the end of 2011 but may be extended
again.
• Notice 2006-27, Certification of Energy Efficient
Home Credit
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-06-27.pdf
• Notice 2006-28, Energy Efficient Home Credit;
Manufactured Homes
http://www.irs.aov/irb/2006-11 IRB/ar13.html
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SNAPSHOT - ATLANTA, GEORGIA
The Hickory Ridge landfill in Atlanta, Georgia, recently was capped after being filled with several tons
of waste. Instead of installing a polyethylene cap covered with compacted topsoil, the Atlanta landfill
was fitted with a geomembrane dotted with 7,000 thin-film photovoltaic solar panels. The Hickory Ridge
project will produce approximately 1.4 million kilowatt-hours of energy per year. The solar cap elimi-
nates the need for seeding, mowing, and maintenance of a vegetated polyethylene cap. The overall
cost of the Hickory Ridge solar cap was roughly $5 million dollars. The company that installed and
operates the photovoltaic cap will get a 30 percent tax credit on equipment and installation costs and
will sell the power generated from the landfill to Georgia Power.
Advantages for Brownfields Site Redevelopers:
As with the tax credits described in earlier sections,
integrating energy tax incentives into a project's
financing strategy can enhance project cash flow by
offsetting cleanup and construction costs. Using the
tax incentives can provide brownfields developers an
added income boost. In many cases, these incentives
were made more practical when they were made
applicable to projects that begin construction by the
due date (after the recent tax statute, typically the
end of 2014), rather than having to be completed
and placed into service. Energy projects can be ideal
at brownfields where market interest is insufficient
to support more traditional economic redevelopment
projects, or at large sites with few reuse options.
These properties often are idle for years and may be
purchased relatively inexpensively.
Limitations: The descriptions of these incentives
are simplified versions of the information in the tax
code, which often contains additional caveats, restric-
tions, and modifications. In addition, the long lead
times for many energy-related efforts may make
them infeasible, given the uncertainty of future tax
incentive extenders that may be needed as part of the
project's financing structure. Those interested in these
incentives should review the relevant sections of the
tax code in detail and consult with a tax professional
prior to making business decisions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
There are many sources of additional information on
renewable energy and energy efficiency. Some of the
more comprehensive sources include:
• EPA's RE-Powering America's Land website includes
maps of the renewable energy potential of current
and formerly contaminated land and mine sites, and
fact sheets describing state incentives for renewable
energy development.
http://www.epa.gov/oswercpa/
• DOE's Database of State Incentives for Renewables
and Efficiency (DSIRE) website is a comprehensive
source of information on state, local, utility, and
federal incentives that promote renewable energy
and energy efficiency. Established in 1995, funded
by DOE, and updated frequently, DSIRE is an
ongoing project of the North Carolina Solar Center
and the Interstate Renewable Energy Council Inc.
http://www.dsireusa.org/
• EPA established the Combined Heat and Power
Partnership in 2001 to encourage cost-effective CHP
projects by fostering cooperative relationships with
the CHP industry, state and local governments, and
other stakeholders.
http://www.epa.gov/chp
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Brownfields Expensing Tax Incentive
NOTE: Congress failed to include an extension of the
brownfields expensing tax incentive in the American
Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, so it was not eligible for
extension in the Tax Increase Prevention Act that passed
in December 2014. Thus, this incentive no longer is in
effect. It had lapsed in December 2011. Although the
prospects for an independent reauthorization of the
brownfields expensing tax incentive are remote at this
time given concerns over revenue losses, this guide
retains basic background on the incentive for your
information.
Designed to spur investment in blighted properties
and assist in revitalizing communities, the federal
brownfields tax incentive encouraged cleanup and
redevelopment of brownfields by allowing taxpayers
to reduce their taxable income by the cost of eligible
cleanup expenses in the year they were incurred.
Cleanup costs at eligible properties were fully
deductible in the year they were incurred, rather than
capitalized and spread over a period of years. Through
favorable tax treatment of cleanup costs, the incentive
program aimed to level the economic playing field
between greenfield and brownfield development.
Both large- and small-scale cleanup and redevel-
opment activities benefitted from the use of the
brownfields expensing tax incentive. From large
office buildings to small commercial strips, projects of
varying sizes successfully integrated the tax incentive
as a key part of their financing packages, especially
when considered in the early stages of planning the
cleanup and redevelopment process.
How the Program Worked: By using the federal
brownfields tax incentive, environmental cleanup costs
are fully deductible in the year that they are incurred,
rather than capitalized over time (up to 30 years in
some cases). There are three requirements to qualify:
• The property must be owned by the taxpayer
incurring the eligible cleanup expenses and used in
a trade or business or for the production of income.
• Hazardous substances or petroleum contamina-
tion must be present or potentially present on the
property.
• Taxpayers must obtain a statement from a
designated state agency (typically, the state's
environmental agency overseeing the voluntary
cleanup program (VCP)) that confirms the site is
a brownfield and therefore eligible for the tax
incentive. Participation in a state VCP satisfies this
requirement.
To be eligible for the brownfields expensing tax
incentive, costs of environmental cleanup needed to
be associated with activities that control the release
or disposal of a hazardous substance or petroleum
contamination, or activities that abate the threat of
a release or disposal of a hazardous substance or
petroleum contamination. Costs for activities, such
as implementation and monitoring of institutional
controls (for example, construction of access roads
that serve as caps for contaminated soils), demolition
and removal of contaminated materials, and state
VCP oversight fees, also were eligible expenditures.
Expenses associated with site assessment and investi-
gation activities at a qualified contaminated site
were eligible for the incentive program if conducted
in connection with the abatement or control of
hazardous substances or petroleum contamination.
Limitations: The brownfields tax incentive was not
frequently used, despite its great potential to support
property cleanup and reuse. A key reason for the
limited use of the incentive may have been uncertainty
over its availability over an extended period of time.
The tax provision never had long-term authorization,
and Congress allowed the provision to lapse six times
before dropping it from the tax code in December
2011.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Brownfields Tax Incentive Website
http://www. epa.gov/swerosps/bf/tax/index, htm
Brownfields Tax Incentive State Contacts
http://www.epa.gov/swerosps/bf/stxcntct. htm
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941 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Emergency Response
(5105T)
EPA 560-K-l 5-001
September 2015
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
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