EPA announces over $6M in Brownfields Grants to cleanup communities across Oregon
Seattle — Last week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of $6,850,000 in Brownfields Grants to communities in Oregon. 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.”
Federal grant recipients must satisfy legal and administrative requirements to receive funds from EPA. Brownfield Grants include Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grants.
Assessment Grants will provide funding for brownfield inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach. Oregon is receiving four Assessment Grants:
- City of Beaverton will receive $500,000
- Northwest Oregon Economic Alliance will receive $1,200,000
- City of Portland will receive $500,000
- Tillamook County will receive $500,000
Cleanup Grants will provide funding to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites owned by the recipient. Oregon is receiving three Cleanup Grants:
- City of Astoria will receive $2,000,000
- North Plains Urban Renewal Agency will receive $500,000
- City of Portland will receive $500,000
Supplemental Revolving Loan Fund Grants are awarded to 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. Oregon has one recipient of a Supplemental RFL Grant:
- Oregon Business Development Department will receive $650,000
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.