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 Conferences
  Two well-known friends joined members of the Washington State Brownfields Team (Ecology, Commerce, and EPA Region 10) at the annual IACC conference in Wenatchee, WA, Oct. 24-26, 2023.
Oscar the Grouch joins State Brownfields Team at listening session in Wenatchee
We're seeking your ideas and we started at the IACC Conference in Wenatchee in October. There's an unequal distribution of cleanup funding across Washington, with most grant applications coming from the same communities each year. The State Brownfields Team is exploring why more applications aren't coming in from different communities. We want to remove roadblocks so more people can take advantage of Washington's outstanding brownfields resources and reap the rewards of a cleaned-up property.
Lightearted approach, serious business.
Millions of dollars are available to Washington communities to clean up and redevelop their brownfields, but there’s an unequal distribution of applications happening right now. We often see the same communities successfully apply for brownfields funding but there’s room for many more communities to apply, too. Redeveloping a brownfield brings benefits, as Spokane and Kittitas Valley are seeing following redevelopment of Riverfront Park and the Fire & Rescue property in Ellensburg. Communities miss out when they don’t apply for brownfields funding, and we wanted to better understand the hurdles they face.
To investigate the problem, several members of the State Brownfields Team from Ecology, EPA Region 10, and Commerce hosted a listening session at the 2023 Infrastructure Assistance Coordinating Council Conference in Wenatchee this past October, and we asked Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster to come along. We connected with hundreds of people at our booth and in the hallways, inviting participants to share what they experience at decision points for their brownfields.
What we heard.
Even though a cleaned-up brownfield can bring more dollars into a neighborhood and lead to safe redevelopment like affordable housing, committing to a cleanup can be difficult. We heard many reasons why: It's too hard to apply... My staff and I wear too many hats to consider taking on a cleanup too... I don't know who to ask for help... We don't know how much contamination we'll find or how much it's going to cost to clean up...
We're listening and we want to hear from you, too.
Help us identify the obstacles you face when you're considering what to do with your brownfield. What keeps you from investigating the site? What keeps you from applying for funding to clean it up, and how can we make it easier?
Take this short survey through January 15, 2024, and tell us your obstacles.
Your responses will remain anonymous. In the coming months, we'll summarize what we heard and our next steps. To explore brownfields resources for your community, visit the Ecology, Commerce, and EPA Region 10 webpages.
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NEBC's Business & the Environment Conference & Expo in Portland, December 5–6
This annual event is the Northwest’s largest environmental conference and features an all-day Brownfields track this year. You'll also find several members of our State Brownfields Team presenting on brownfields funding, housing and redevelopment, environmental justice, community partnerships, and success stories. Learn more.
Funding opportunities, news, and resources
Building Blocks program offers non-competitive opportunity: apply by December 8
EPA’s Building Blocks technical assistance program offers quick, targeted help with your community’s brownfield redevelopment plans. Eligible applicants include local, county, or Tribal governments, or nonprofit organizations that have the support of the local government on whose behalf they are applying. See our November 22 announcement for details and contact Ecology's Brownfields Team if we can help with your letter. Letters of intent due to EPA by 2 p.m. Pacific on Friday, December 8.
Clean school bus rebate program: apply by December 14
EPA is awarding $500 million in rebates through the Clean School Bus Program and will announce recipients in March 2024. The process differs from their previous school bus rebate programs, so carefully review the requirements. Applications due by 2. p.m. Pacific on Thursday, Dec. 14. Learn more.
Floodplains by design competitive grants: apply by January 12
Washington communities can apply for grants from Floodplains by Design, an Ecology program to reduce flood risks and restore habitat along Washington's major river corridors. Past recipients are using their grants for a variety of projects, such as improving flood protection for people who live and work in floodplains, preserving farmland, and conserving habitat. Eligible entities are:
- Counties, cities, and towns
- Special purpose districts, such as flood control districts
- Federally recognized Tribes
- Conservation districts
- Municipal or quasi-municipal corporations
- Not-for-profit organizations that are recognized as tax exempt by the Internal Revenue Service
There will be a first round of review, after which selected applicants will be invited to present on their projects and submit a full application.
- Pre-applications due in EAGL by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024.
- Presentations to the evaluation team held the week of Feb. 12–16.
- Full applications due May 1.
- Watch the video. Learn more.
News: A bill is before the U.S. House to reinstate the Brownfields tax incentive
On November 15, Congress introduced an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that would "extend expensing of environmental remediation costs." Track the bill.
No-cost technical assistance available to communities
Your community can take advantage of technical assistance from EPA's expert organizations. They can help you with a long list of possibilities, like developing projects that promote environmental justice and incorporating land banking strategies. Learn more.
Your guide to federal brownfields programs & tax incentives
Explore 22 federal programs and 5 federal tax incentives that support brownfields cleanup and revitalization in EPA's 2023 Brownfields Federal Programs Guide.
You'll find descriptions of financial and technical assistance resources available from each agency, and the redevelopment process phase that applies. Each entry also has eligibility information, website links, and contacts, and a "snapshot highlight" of a local brownfield project that leveraged their assistance. Check out departments such as Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Small Business Administration--and even the National Endowment for the Arts.
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.
 Environmental & Climate Justice
Habitat restoration grants for Tribes and underserved communities: apply by December 19
NOAA offers grants for projects that advance the coastal habitat restoration and climate resilience priorities of Tribes and underserved communities. The funding also helps communities build capacity for participating in restoration activities. $20 million of the $45 million available is specifically available to U.S. federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and organizations that represent Tribes through formal legal agreements. Proposals due in Grants.gov by Tuesday Dec. 19 at 8:59 p.m. Pacific. Read the news release. Learn more.
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EPA engages communities on equity & climate resiliency
A new initiative is facilitating creative space for communities to learn, connect, dream, and cultivate ideas that will create a positive change. Led by EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation and Office of Environmental Justice & External Civil Rights, this initiative provides another way communities can confront environmental justice and climate change challenges.
Watch the video announcement. Read the November 2023 news release. Learn more.
Playbook offers rural communities practical steps
EPA has a playbook to help rural communities revitalize their downtowns, with practical steps for organizing a local team that has the right mix of skills to reimagine, initiate, and attract investment. Download the PDF. Download the webinar.
 Contact us if you have a brownfield project!
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