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 Federal Opportunities & Grants
National Brownfields Conference in Detroit this summer
Join the world's largest gathering of brownfield professionals at this 4-day conference and learn from people who have walked in your shoes. You'll hear about brownfield successes and why they're working; explore innovative ways to engage your community; and learn best practices in remediation, redevelopment, environmental justice, and sustainability. Tuesday-Friday, August 8-11, Detroit, Michigan.
USDA grants for rural communities
Rural Community Development Initiative Grants range from $50,000 to $500,000 and can be used to improve housing, community facilities, and community and economic development projects in rural areas.
You can apply electronically or by paper. Electronic applications due 8:59 p.m. Pacific time, Wednesday, June 28. Paper applications due 5 days later at your local Rural Development State Office. Learn more.
Zero out dirty school buses
EPA's 2023 Clean School Bus Grant Program is awarding $400 million in competitive grants to replace existing school buses with zero-emission buses and build charging infrastructure. Priority will be given to applicants needing to replace buses that serve:
- High-need local education agencies
- Rural areas
- Tribal school districts funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or
- Public school districts that receive basic support payments for students living on Tribal land.
Subscribe to the newsletter or attend a webinar for details. Applications due 8:59 p.m. Pacific time, Tuesday, August 22. Learn more.
Grants for expanding high-speed Internet access
The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program is providing $42.45 billion to government entities for funding planning, infrastructure deployment, and adoption programs. Projects should aim to expand Internet access in locations that have limited to no service. Learn more.
Letters of Intent due Tuesday, July 18, and initial planning funds applications due Tuesday, August 15. Apply on the NTIA Grants Portal.
Video spotlights resources for environmental & climate justice
Watch a 14-minute overview about the grants and technical assistance now available through EPA's Environmental and Climate Justice Communities Grant Program and the Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights. Learn more.
Apply for a Targeted Brownfields Assessment
EPA's Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) program promotes the cleanup and redevelopment of brownfields by helping states, tribes, municipalities, other government entities, and nonprofit organizations minimize the uncertainties of contamination often associated with brownfields. Unlike funded grants, TBAs are an EPA service, and the assessments are conducted by an EPA contractor. A TBA may encompass one or more of three activities:
- “All appropriate inquiries” assessment (Phase I), which includes a background and historical investigation and a site inspection.
- Full site assessment (Phase II), including sampling activities to identify areas of contamination and types and concentrations of contaminants.
- Determining how much more investigation is needed and/or establishing cleanup options and cost estimates based on planned uses after redevelopment.
No application deadlines for this service. Learn more.
Pacific Northwest Opportunities
Three winners will boost their brownfield's profile in August
Apply for a chance to spotlight your brownfield project this summer and attract the attention of investors!
EPA will host the Perfect Pitch competition (formerly called Redevelopment Rodeo) at the National Brownfields Conference on August 10. You can apply to be one of three entities chosen to "pitch" their brownfield project in front of this dynamic audience. The goal is to increase your site's profile, build capacity, and connect with investors, developers, and resources so you can accelerate your redevelopment timeline.
EPA's Technical Assistance to Brownfields (TAB) providers will review all applications, then select three entities from across the country to present in Detroit.
Before the event, the three winners will receive coaching and advice from their regional TAB provider (for example, Center for Creative Recycling would coach Region 9 or 10 applicants if they were selected). All three winners will also receive audience feedback during the event, as well as $20,000 in pro bono expert consulting assistance, with sample services such as a market analysis, reuse planning, and/or pro forma support. One winner will be chosen "Best Presentation" at the conference.
Apply through SurveyMonkey by 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, Monday, June 12. Learn more.
Independent remedial action grants available to local govt.
Local governments can apply for Independent Remedial Action Grants through June 16. These grants are available for local governments that have completed an independent cleanup through the Voluntary Cleanup Program and received a no further action determination. Applications due 5 p.m. Pacific time, Friday, June 16.
Review Ecology's Guidance for Independent Remedial Action Grants for the 2021–23 biennium. If you have any questions, contact:
New loan & grant program for deteriorating heating oil tanks
There are more than 50,000 heating oil tank systems in Washington state. If you own one of them, the Pollution Liability Insurance Agency has loans and grants that help you:
- Pay for site assessment and cleanup of releases
- Upgrade, replace, or remove heating oil tank systems to prevent future releases
- Install new infrastructure
Applicants must own the property where the heating oil tank is located, or provide written consent from the property owner. Applications accepted through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, June 29. Learn more.
Affordable Housing Planning Grant applications accepted July 5–Aug 31
Have an affordable housing project in the works? Ecology's new planning grants can help. Funding is available to public, private, and nonprofit entities that are considering cleaning up a contaminated site with affordable housing as the end use.
Review the criteria in our 2023–25 affordable housing planning grant guidance to learn if your project is eligible, then apply during the window: Wednesday, July 5–Thursday, August 31. We'll continue posting the dates here, but you can also track them on our Affordable Housing Planning Grant webpage or by subscribing to Ecology's RAG email list.
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Integrated Planning Grant applications accepted July 5–Aug 8
Local governments that own (or are considering acquiring) a brownfield property can apply for Ecology's Integrated Planning Grants to help plan, clean up, or redevelop it.
Watch for new IPG guidance in June, then submit your application during the window: Wednesday, July 5–Tuesday, August 8. We'll continue posting the dates here, but you can also track them on our Integrated Planning Grant webpage or by subscribing to Ecology's RAG email list.
Conferences, Trainings, Webinars
CCLR's webinar helps strengthen redevelopment strategies
Join CCLR for a Reuse Reports Roundup webinar and in-depth tour of technical assistance reports you can (and should) leverage when making your redevelopment decisions. They'll highlight market studies, stakeholder engagement plans, site reuse/design/redevelopment plans, and more. 11 a.m. Pacific time, Thursday, June 1. Learn more.
Farmworker housing conference in Oregon July 18–20
The 3-day Farmworker Housing Conference in Hood River this summer is co-sponsored by Casa of Oregon and the Office of Rural & Farmworker Housing. The one-of-a-kind event brings together advocates, policymakers, affordable housing developers, and experts in the field to discuss challenges and solutions for building affordable, quality housing for farmworkers. In-person conference Tuesday–Thursday, July 18–20. Learn more.
Save the date! IACC conference in Wenatchee Oct 24–26
Join us this fall for the 2023 Infrastructure Assistance Coordinating Council Conference in Wenatchee, Washington. The annual 3-day event will be in-person only this year (no hybrid option) with sessions, tech teams, exhibits, and networking events that connect you with funding resources and technical assistance, as well as local, state, federal, and Tribal governments.
To propose a session, contact Claire.Miller@Commerce.wa.gov. To reserve an exhibitor table, contact Cynthia.Fuller@Commerce.wa.gov.
In-person conference Tuesday-Thursday, October 24–26. Learn more.
News
Nominations open for the WA Smart Communities Awards
The Governor’s Smart Communities Awards recognize outstanding efforts of local communities and their partners throughout Washington state, creating vibrant and livable communities by achieving the goals of the Growth Management Act and other community development objectives. Awards are available in six categories.
Nominations accepted through Friday, June 2. Learn more.
Interactive tool makes brownfield assessment & cleanup costs public
An interactive Analysis of Brownfields Costs (ABC) Tool from Kansas State University TAB provides available data from multiple sources and helps you make initial brownfields redevelopment and planning decisions. You can slice and dice the data to understand how different factors affect brownfields cleanup costs. Learn more.
Infrastructure funding from Washington State Public Works Board
If you're an infrastructure manager for roads and bridges, domestic water, wastewater, stormwater, or solid waste, recycling and organics, you'll want to catch PWB's 2023–25 funding cycle before it closes on Friday, July 7. Learn more.
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