EPA announces $4M in Brownfields Grants to cleanup communities across Alaska
Seattle — Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of $4 million in Brownfields Grants to communities in Alaska. These grants put the agency’s commitment to protect human health and the environment into action while remaining good stewards of tax dollars and advancing policies to energize the economy. Nationwide, $267 million in grants are being awarded.
“EPA’s investment in these Brownfields Grants provides an economic return for communities that goes hand-in-hand with environmental benefits,” said EPA Region 10 Administrator Emma Pokon. “These grants show EPA can both empower businesses and ensure taxpayers have clean air, land and water.”
“I commend the Trump Administration and Administrator Zeldin for recognizing the unique challenges we face in Alaska and the importance of stewarding our resources,” said Congressman Nick Begich. “This $2 million grant to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and another $2 million to the St. George Tanaq Corporation are important investments for our state. These funds will support essential assessment and planning work to clean up contaminated sites and pave the way for safer, more productive use of our land.”
Federal grant recipients must satisfy legal and administrative requirements to receive funds from EPA. Brownfield Grants include assessment, revolving loan fund and cleanup grants.
Alaska is receiving two brownfield assessment grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach:
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation will receive $2,000,000
- St. George Tanaq Corporation will receive $2,000,000
View the list of all selected applicants.
Background
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in brownfield grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. To date, brownfields investments leveraged more than $42 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 220,500 jobs.