Brownfield Grant Writing Tip

Excerpt from Stanley Group Brownfields Bulletin (07/26, Quast):

A couple of trends have impacted the number and types of EPA Brownfields grant winners.  The most obvious is the reduced funding, a trend which we expect to continue for at least the next year or so.  The second trend is not quite as obvious.  In an effort to focus on job creation, EPA is giving preference to Cleanup and RLF grants, equating cleanups with redevelopment and jobs.  This means that applicants will need to redefine their strategy for going after EPA Brownfields funding.  Here are some suggestions to increase your chances of winning funding:

Applying for an Assessment grant-

1. Link your brownfields sites directly to the health impacts of a nearby sensitive population (minority, low-income, elderly, etc.)
2. Connect the dots between conducting Phase I and II Environmental Sites Assessment (ESAs) and job creation.   For example, if you think most of your sites can be cleared with assessments and will not require cleanups state that clearly and discuss your plan for getting the site redeveloped after it has been cleared.

Applying for a Cleanup or RLF grant --

1. If you have 1 to 3 sites that need assessments, check to see if your state has a Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) program to conduct Phase I and II ESAs.  Many states have funding from current or previous EPA Brownfields grants to the state for this purpose.  Once the Phase I and Phase II ESAs have been completed, you can apply for EPA Brownfields Cleanup or RLF grants to clean the sites up.
2. If you have a site owner that wants to donate contaminated property to your organization, insist that the owner pay for a Phase I and II ESA so you can apply for funding to clean it up.  (Make sure that the amount of cleanup required will not exceed the total of the funding you can leverage.)
3. If your organization has funding to conduct Phase I and II ESAs on your target sites, go ahead pay for them, then apply for the Cleanup or RLF grants to clean them up.

For all applications, get an early start so you can take the necessary time to build your case and consider taking a workshop for pointers or retaining an experienced consultant to assist you.

If you would like more information on brownfields redevelopment funding opportunities, or grant writing please contact Cynthia Quast, P.E., Brownfields Redevelopment Department Manager at quastcindy@stanleygroup.com or 319.626.5316.