LENEXA, KAN. (JULY 19, 2024) – Today, at the Kansas State University Technology Development Institute (TDI) in Manhattan, Acting EPA Region 7 Deputy Administrator DeAndré Singletary presented a $1.5 million ceremonial check to the Flint Hills Regional Council in Kansas as a Brownfields Grant selectee.
The council has been selected to receive the funding to lead a Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant through EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grants program. Community-wide grant funds will be used to conduct 30 Phase I and 27 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to update the brownfield site inventory, prepare nine cleanup plans, and support community engagement activities.
"EPA Region 7 is proud to present this funding to the Flint Hills region. The assessments conducted through this grant are the first step in transforming blighted properties into revitalized community assets," Singletary said. "Investing in communities to make them healthier, cleaner and more economically competitive is a top EPA priority, and it’s what our Brownfields program is all about.”
“We are deeply committed to the environmental and economic well-being of the Flint Hills region,” said Flint Hills Regional Council Board President Trish Giardano. “This grant not only supports our vision for a revitalized and thriving region, but also reinforces the trust and partnership we have cultivated with the EPA and our members.”
Proposed Kansas target areas for the coalition grant include:
- West Main Street Revitalization Area in Herington.
- Historic Downtown and Grant Avenue Revitalization Area in Junction City.
- Central Core District Revitalization Area in Manhattan.
The Flint Hills Regional Council will work with target area communities by conducting environmental assessments to determine potential contamination at brownfield sites.
Background
EPA’s Brownfields program began in 1995 and has provided nearly $2.7 billion in Brownfields 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 this law, EPA has now increased that yearly investment nearly 400%.
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 fiscal year 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding, visit EPA’s webpage.
Learn more about EPA’s Brownfields program.
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