EPA announces $8M in funding to assess and clean up communities across Montana
HELENA, Mont. — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on May 16, 2025, that seven recipients across Montana have been selected to receive $8 million in Brownfields Grants to assess, clean up and revitalize local lands.
“Through the Brownfields program, Region 8 is helping Montana communities turn yesterday's liabilities into tomorrow's opportunities,” said EPA Region 8 Administrator Cyrus Western. “By cleaning up these sites, we’re not only improving the environment, but creating opportunities for economic growth, job creation and healthier communities.”
These grants are part of $267 million in Brownfields Grants nationally announced by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. This funding 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.
“Thank you Administrator Zeldin and Region 8 Administrator Cyrus Western, for your commitment to supporting critical projects that improve the health of our local communities and economies,” said Governor Greg Gianforte. “Through this investment, we’ll continue to ensure Montana remains a treasure for generations to come.”
“The announcement of $8 million in Brownfield Grants in Montana is wonderful news for our state,” said U.S. Senator Steve Daines. “These much-needed cleanup projects will support local economies and improve the health of our communities. I applaud EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and our Region 8 Administrator Cyrus Western for their commitment to addressing Montana priorities, and I look forward to working with them on more ways to keep Montana the Last Best Place.”
“I appreciate the EPA’s commitment to bring millions of dollars of investment to Montana so we can work together to build a safer and more prosperous future for Montanans,” said U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy. “These fiscally responsible investments in Montana will go a long way in better stewarding our lands, boosting economy vitality, and making Montana’s communities safer and more vibrant.”
“Through the Brownfields program, DEQ and our incredible local partners have assisted with the redevelopment of over one thousand underutilized properties in Montana,” said Montana Department of Environmental Quality Director Sonja Nowakowski. “EPA’s $8 million dollar investment in our state and local programs demonstrates how successful we have been over the years. This EPA funding will augment the recently created Montana Brownfields Fund and ensure blight and contamination in our downtowns can be investigated and cleaned up to bring new investment, jobs, and energy to communities across Montana.”
The following recipients in Montana were selected to receive grant funding for Brownfields assessment activities and cleanup projects:
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Beartooth Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc. - $1,000,000 Revolving Loan Fund: Grant funding will be used to provide four loans and two subgrants to support cleanup activities. Funding will focus on Big Horn (including the Crow Reservation and part of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation), Carbon, Stillwater, Sweet Grass and Yellowstone Counties.
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Big Sky Economic Development - $500,000 Assessment Grant: Funding will be used to complete environmental assessments at five properties in Billings to identify if contamination such as asbestos and lead-based paint are present at the sites.
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City of Harlowton - $2,000,000 Cleanup Grant: Funds will be used to clean up a highly contaminated railyard and refueling facility at the historic Milwaukee Road Historic District and Railyard. After the petroleum contamination is remediated, the City of Harlowton plans to develop the 180-acre site into a community riverside greenspace, including space for river recreation access and amphitheater development.
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Lake County Community Development Corporation - $500,000 Assessment Grant: Grant funding will be used to complete 14 environmental site assessments across the Cities of Thompson Falls, Haugan, Ronan and Polson.
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Montana Department of Environmental Quality - $2,000,000 Assessment Grant: Grant funds will be used to conduct 38 environmental assessments at vacant properties in Anaconda, Billings and Libby. Contamination of concern includes petroleum and asbestos in soil and groundwater, which pose harmful effects to human health.
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Ravalli County Economic Development Authority - $1,000,000 RLF: Funding will be used to provide six loans and six subgrants to support assessment and cleanup activities in the City of Hamilton.
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Supplemental RLF Grants: Headwaters Resource Conservation and Development was also selected to receive $1 million to complete environmental assessments at historical industrial and commercial properties that may have contamination hindering redevelopment. Common environmental concerns include contamination from petroleum products, asbestos, lead and arsenic. While funding will be used to assess numerous sites across Montana, the priority site for assessment is a 6,000-square-foot building in Butte.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization grant opportunities.
Background
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.9 billion in Brownfields 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.
A full list of the 2025 applicants selected for funding is available online.
EPA anticipates that it will make these awards once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied by selected recipients.