EPA Announces $2 Million Brownfields Assessment Grant for Rhode Island
BOSTON (June 24, 2026) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $2 million Brownfields Assessment grant to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. With these funds, EPA is investing directly in American communities to cleanup and redevelop blighted properties, delivering on the Trump Administration's commitment to ensure that clean air, land, and water goes hand-in-hand with economic growth and opportunity.
"EPA is focused on delivering practical results that transform contaminated properties into clean, valuable spaces that spark economic growth and that directly benefit American families," said Acting Assistant Administrator for Land and Emergency Management Thomas Croci. "Addressing environmental contamination and reusing brownfield properties revitalizes neighborhoods, drives local job creation, and unleashes new economic opportunities. EPA is proud to partner with local communities to ensure they have the cleanest air, land, and water as we power the Great American Comeback."
"Across New England, EPA is helping to transform blighted properties into productive spaces that protect human health and support economic growth and opportunity," said EPA Regional Administrator Mark Sanborn. "This funding will help communities assess and clean up contaminated sites, so they can be safely redeveloped for housing, businesses, recreation, and other community priorities."
Clean air, land, and water for all Americans is the first pillar of President Trump and Administrator Zeldin's Powering the Great American Comeback initiative. These grants put that commitment into action while simultaneously powering economic growth in communities across the country.
Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has been selected to receive $2 million for a Brownfields Community-wide Assessment Grant for States and Tribes to conduct 15 Phase I and 15 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also be used to inventory and prioritize sites and support reuse planning and community engagement activities. The target areas for this grant are the Cities of Central Falls and East Providence, and the Town of Hopkinton. Priority sites include a vacant former funeral home and a dilapidated former automotive sales facility in Central Falls; an abandoned gas station, a flood-prone site historically used for municipal sewage treatment along the Providence River, and a 1.64-acre undeveloped plot adjacent to a landfill in East Providence; and a 0.3-acre vacant wooded lot adjacent to a plastics manufacturing facility in Hopkinton.
Grant recipients with viable cleanup projects ready for work will help communities continue their work to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects on contaminated brownfield properties.
View the full list of selected applicants here.
Background
EPA's Brownfields Program began in 1995 and, once these grants are awarded, will have provided over $3 billion in grant funding to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments leveraged more than $45 billion in cleanup and redevelopment. Over the years, the relatively small investment of federal funding was able to leverage, from both public and private sources, more than 228,900 jobs. Through fiscal year 2025, on average, $19.47 was leveraged for each EPA Brownfields Grant dollar awarded through multipurpose, assessment, revolving loan fund and cleanup cooperative agreements.
After selection, awards will be made once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by selected applicants.