TALLAHASSEE, FL. – On May 20, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $8,387,710 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Florida while advancing environmental justice. These investments through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Programs will help transform once-polluted, vacant, and abandoned properties into community assets, while helping to create good jobs and spur economic revitalization in overburdened communities.
EPA selected six communities in Florida to receive six grants totaling more than $8,387,710 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs. In addition, the agency is announcing $3,500,000 in supplemental funding to one existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to help expedite their continued work at sites in Florida.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan will announce the awards in Philadelphia today alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at a local brownfield side near Bartram’s Mile.
For over 60 years, the site was used as an oil terminal, filled with storage tanks full of petroleum and other semi-volatile organic compounds. The City of Philadelphia has been working to reclaim brownfield sites along Bartram’s Mile, turning them into a community hub where residents can access trails for hiking and biking, as well as areas for fishing, gardening, farming and more.
“Far too many communities across America have suffered the harmful economic and health consequences of living near polluted brownfield sites,” said President Joe Biden. “I've long believed that people who’ve borne the burden of pollution should be the first to see the benefits of new investment. Under my Administration, we are making that a reality by ensuring the historic resources from my Investing in America agenda reach communities that need it most. I am proud that my Administration is helping Philadelphia clean up and transform this area into an economic engine, while tackling a longstanding environmental injustice and creating good-paying jobs.”
“President Biden sees contaminated sites and blighted areas as an opportunity to invest in healthier, revitalized communities,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “That’s why he secured historic funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supercharging EPA’s Brownfields program to clean up contaminated properties in overburdened communities and bring them back into productive use.”
“Today’s announcement by President Biden and Administrator Regan reflect this administration’s commitment to ensure that benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution,” said Acting Regional Administrator Jeaneanne Gettle. “We are excited about the potential of these brownfields grants to provide jobs while cleaning up blighted areas of these communities and promoting public health and a cleaner environment.”
"We are thrilled that the Environmental Protection Agency has granted East Central Florida Regional Planning Council $1,500,000 for Brownsfield assessment which includes the Downtown Kissimmee CRA/Vine Street Corridor,” said Congressman Soto. “This is not just an investment in cleanup; it's an investment in revitalization, sustainability, and the health of future generations."
Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those located in areas that have experienced long periods of disinvestment, lack the resources needed to initiate brownfield cleanup and redevelopment projects. As brownfield sites are transformed into community assets, they attract jobs, promote economic revitalization, and transform communities into sustainable and environmentally just places.
Thanks to the historic $1.5 billion boost from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA’s Brownfields Program is helping more communities than ever before begin to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields and stimulate economic opportunity, and environmental revitalization in historically overburdened communities.
EPA’s Brownfields Program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain Federal investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. The Brownfields Program strives to meet this commitment and advance environmental justice and equity considerations in all aspects of its work. Approximately 86% of the MAC and RLF Supplemental program applications selected to receive funding proposed to work in areas that include disadvantaged communities.
State Funding Breakdown:
Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program Selection
The following organizations in Florida have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs. East Central Florida Regional Planning Council has been selected to receive a $3,500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds will be used to develop seven cleanup plans and one revitalization plan, and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on the Cities of Palm Bay, Apopka, Kissimmee, and Melbourne. Priority sites include various vacant and underused properties within the Downtown Apopka Community Redevelopment Area (CRA)/Main Street Corridor, the Downtown Kissimmee CRA/Vine Street Corridor, Melbourne’s Booker Heights community, and Palm Bay’s Coldside community.
- Hillsborough County has been selected to receive a $1,500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Grant funds will be used to develop site redevelopment strategies and cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities. Assessment activities will focus on three Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Areas along the Interstate-4 corridors in the county: East Lake-Orient Park, University Area, and Ruskin. Priority sites include a 1.93-acre former maintenance yard located in a residential neighborhood, a 2.82-acre abandoned set of mixed-use zoned contiguous lots, and a 2.38-acre former car wash.
- Wimauma Community Development Corporation has been selected to receive a $500,000 assessment grant from EPA. Community-wide grant funds will be used to develop five cleanup plans and two site reuse plans and to support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the Wimauma community within Hillsborough County with a focus on three disadvantaged census tracts.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
Non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program
The Agency is announcing $3,500,000 in non-competitive supplemental funding to one successful existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant programs that have already achieved success in their work to clean up and redevelop brownfield sites. RLF Grants provide funding for recipients to offer loans and subgrants to carry out cleanup activities at brownfield sites. The funding announced today will help communities continue to address the economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfield sites. The following Florida organizations have been selected to receive non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program.
South Florida Regional Planning Council has been selected to receive $3,500,000. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include 1960 NW 27th Avenue in Miami and the old Baltuff Dump on Middle Torch Key. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Monroe, Miami-Dade, and Broward Counties.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
Additional Background:
EPA has selected these organizations to receive funding to address and support the reuse of brownfield sites to address the health, economic, social, and environmental challenges caused by brownfields. EPA anticipates making all the awards announced today once all legal and administrative requirements are satisfied.
EPA’s Brownfields Program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfield Grants to assess and clean up contaminated properties and return blighted properties to productive reuse. Prior to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this program made approximately $60 million available each year. Thanks to the President’s historic investments in America through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400 percent. More than half of the funding available for this grant cycle (approximately $160 million) comes from the historic $1.5 billion investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This investment has also allowed the MAC grants’ maximum award amounts to increase significantly from $500,000 to a new maximum of $5 million per award.
To see the list of the FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup applicants selected for funding visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients visit EPA’s FY 2024 Multipurpose, Assessment and Cleanup Applicants webpage.
To learn more about RLF Technical Assistance grant recipient visit EPA’s Brownfields Grow America webpage.
For more information on EPA’s Brownfields Program visit EPA’s Brownfields webpage.
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