Our Brownfields Team wishes you warm socks, warm laughter, and soul-satisfying work in the coming year. Photo by Alex Geerts on Unsplash.

Updates from Washington Brownfields

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Brownfield-related funding opportunities

Flood control assistance: Submit letter of intent by December 31

If your community needs to prepare for local flood hazards, a grant from Ecology's Flood Control Assistance Account Program (FCAAP) can help.

Eligible organizations include local governments, Tribes, conservation districts, and special purpose districts such as flood control districts that are developing or updating their Comprehensive Flood Hazard Plan or implementing activities from that plan.

Visit the FCAAP webpage for eligible project types such as feasibility studies and permitting work, then scroll further in that page to see the projects funded last round. 

• Solicitation opens Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025.
• Letters of intent submitted by Tuesday, Dec. 31 will be prioritized for review. 
• Download the guidebook.
• Subscribe to Floodplain Managers newsletter to stay on top of announcements (select "Shorelands and Environmental Assistance" tab). 

Affordable housing for rural veterans funding:
Register for January 8 webinar and apply by January 21

The federal Housing Assistance Council is offering competitive grants through its Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans Initiative. Applicants must be a 501(c)(3), tribally designated housing entity (TDHE), or Housing Authority acting as a nonprofit. The organization must also have a history serving veterans at or below 80% of area median income. 

• Attend webinar | Wednesday, Jan. 8 | 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Pacific
• Download application guidelines.
• Download application.
• Apply by 1 p.m. Pacific on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

Ecology's Public Participation Grants: Apply by February 4

Individuals and nonprofit organizations in Washington can apply for up to $120,000 in grant funding from Ecology for two types of projects: those that engage the public in contaminated site cleanups, and those that improve waste management practices. 

• Solicitation opens 8 a.m. Pacific on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
• Applications due by 5 p.m. Pacific on Tuesday, Feb. 4 in Ecology's Administration of Grants and Loans (EAGL).
• Read the Nov. 2024 blog. 
• Learn more.

Grants for developing EJ plans: Apply by February 28

Starting January 1, rural and urban organizations in EPA Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and 271 Tribal Nations) can apply for funding to develop and implement community environmental justice plans. This is the second round of funding from EPA via Philanthropy Northwest, a Thriving Communities Grantmaker. 

Three funding types are available:

• Type 1: Assessment projects focused on gathering information and understanding the problem.
• Type 2: Planning projects focused on formulating a community-wide plan.
• Type 3: Development projects for communities ready to develop technical aspects of their plan. 

How to apply:

• Read the step-by-step guide for applying.
• Download request for applications.
• Apply by Friday, Feb. 28 through Philanthropy Northwest's portal.  

Two resources can help with applications: 

• Northwest Environmental Justice Center (NEJC) 
• University of Washington Center for Environmental Health Equity (UW CEHE) 

In related news... 

We mentioned the Type 3 grant solicitation (Round 1) in last month's newsletter. According to the request for applications, if your organization submitted materials by December 15, you should expect to learn about selections in March 2025. If you submitted materials after December 15, they will be reviewed in the next round with a potential award date of June 2025. 

CCLR webinar on January 15: From vacant land to
thriving community 

Register for this webinar to learn about transforming vacant or potentially contaminated properties and explore a major new project funding source. The Center for Creative Land Recycling (CCLR) will guide you through brownfields basics, equitable planning and engagement, and current funding opportunities. Liberty Hill, Region 9's Thriving Communities Grantmaker partner, will discuss a new grant program that launches in January 2025.

• Attend webinar | Wednesday, Jan. 15 | 10–11:15 a.m. Pacific.

Next stop: Inspiration Station

If you're wondering what your community could do with a brownfield, check out the Oregon Coast Aquarium located on a former lumber mill in Newport, Oregon (pop. 10,000).

Breakfast time for sea otters at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon. According to Aquarium staff, these are among the only sea otters left on Oregon's coast, although other populations can still be found along British Columbia, Washington, and California. Photo credit Ecology. (Dec 2024)

Conferences: National update & local spotlight

Deadline extended for National Brownfields Training Conference: Submit session ideas by January 13

It's not too late to share your great idea. EPA extended their call for session proposals for the 2025 Brownfields Training Conference in Chicago this August.

You might consider submitting a "Topic Talk," a 15-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of Q&A. They're a little easier to produce and a great opportunity to highlight community projects. Submit your ideas by 8:59 p.m. Pacific, Monday Jan. 13.

IACC in Wenatchee draws 400+ participants over 3 days Ecology, EPA, and Commerce brownfields staff had a stellar time learning alongside many of you at the 2024 IACC conference in October. IACC is the Infrastructure Assistance Coordinating Council, a nonprofit that helps Washington communities and Tribes get resources they need to develop, improve, and maintain infrastructure. Thank you for connecting with us! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our Oscar the Grouch exhibit table to ask questions and share your stories. You gave us several new project inquiries and sparked our imaginations with exciting brownfield projects across the state. In return, we shared funding and technical information, and spotlighted game-changing transformations in communities such as Wenatchee, Palouse, Sunnyside, and Anacortes.   Download 2024 IACC materials:  Brownfields 101 from EPA | Tribal Funding Panel Brownfields 101 from Ecology, EPA, CCLR, Commerce | Practical ways to... Find more presentations on IACC's conference webpage. Mark your calendars for 2025! IACC 2025 | Oct. 7–9, 2025 (Tue–Thu) | Wenatchee

Good resources to bookmark

Contact us if you have a brownfield project!

In case you missed it: November newsletter (Nov. 26, 2024)

Brownfields in Washington

Our Brownfields Program helps communities put those properties back into use so they can bring their redevelopment visions to life.

Why redevelop brownfields?

Redeveloping brownfields improves
public health by cleaning up contamination, turns former blight into new opportunity, saves undisturbed land from development, and more.