EPA Announces $6.8 Million in Brownfield Grant Funding to Assess and Cleanup Communities Across Louisiana
DALLAS, TEXAS (May 19, 2025) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that five recipients in Louisiana will receive a total of $6,891,144 in Brownfields grants to assess, cleanup, and revitalize local properties. 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.
“The Brownfields program exemplifies Administrator Lee Zeldin’s goal of Powering the Great American Comeback while cleaning up contamination and supporting local economies,” said Regional Administrator Scott Mason. “During the Trump Administration’s first 100 Days, we listed 27 Brownfield sites as Ready for Anticipated Reuse which allows businesses to invest in properties without the fear of potential contamination from hazardous chemicals. With these grants, we will see even more properties transform into thriving economic centers while providing a safe environment for all Americans.”
“We are grateful to the EPA and the Region 6 Brownfields Team for their partnership and support in preparing this site for safe, sustainable reuse,” said Kathy Laborde, Gulf Coast Housing Partnership President and CEO. “This funding is a critical step forward in transforming a fallow property into a community asset.”
Grant recipients in Louisiana include:
The Acadiana Planning Commission will receive a $1.2 million Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant to develop five cleanup plans, two Brownfield Revitalization Plans, two Market Studies, and one site reuse vision, and to support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the City of Ville Platte, the Downtown Main Street neighborhood of the City of Opelousas, the City of Abbeville’s Economic Opportunity Zone, and the City of Eunice’s St. Landry Corridor. Priority sites include the Old Abdalla’s Department Store that has been vacant for 35 years in Opelousas, the 13-acre Riviana Rice Mill in Abbeville, and the 0.5-acre historic Hotel Mayer in St. Landry.
The DeSoto Parish Police Jury will receive a $1.2 million Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant to develop six cleanup plans, three visioning sessions, three Site Reuse Assessments, one Community Health Assessment, one Site Reuse Vision, and one Brownfield Revitalization Plan; create a brownfields inventory and an evaluation ranking tool to rank sites; and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities in the DeSoto Parish will focus on Grand Cane, the City of Mansfield, and the Village of South Mansfield. Priority sites include a 40-acre former Military Auxiliary Landing Strip, the 127,000-square-foot former DeSoto Plaza Shopping Center, and the former Oak Hill Commissary.
The Gulf Coast Housing Partnership, Inc. will receive a $3,491,144 Brownfields Cleanup Grant to clean up the former Benjamin Banneker Elementary School located at 701 S. Upland Avenue in the City of River Ridge. The site was home to an elementary school from 1967 to 1982. The building was later used as a police substation and training academy and has been unused since 2008. All structures on the site were demolished in 2022. The site is contaminated with chloroform and naphthalene in soil vapor. Grant funds also will be used to support community engagement activities.
The Lafourche Parish will receive a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to develop three cleanup plans and support reuse planning and community engagement activities. The target area for this grant includes the unincorporated community of Raceland and the Town of Lockport. Priority sites include two former fuel stations of 0.45 and 0.25 acres, respectively, and a 0.25-acre vacant and used boat and automobile maintenance facility.
The City of Leesville will receive a $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to develop four cleanup plans and support reuse planning and community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the city’s Nolan Trace Corridor. Priority sites include the 9-acre Old State School and the 2,300-square-foot former 911 Call Center.
Federal grant recipients must satisfy legal and administrative requirements to receive funds from EPA. Brownfield Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants includes:
- $121.8 million for 148 selectees for Assessment Grants, which will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.
- $88.2 million for 51 selectees for Cleanup Grants, which will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient.
- $15 million for 15 selectees for Revolving Loan Fund grants that will provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites.
Brownfields Supplemental Revolving Loan Fund Grants includes:
- $42 million for 34 high-performing recipients to help communities continue their work to carry out cleanup and redevelopment projects on contaminated brownfield properties. Supplemental funding for Revolving Loan Fund Grants is available to recipients that have depleted their funds and have viable cleanup projects ready for work.
View the list of selected applicants here.
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.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, or visit our homepage.