What Are Brownfields?
EPA defines a brownfield site as “real property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant” (CERCLA 1980, as amended, (39)).
Examples of Brownfield Sites
- Former Dry Cleaners
- Factories, Warehouses
- Parking Lots
- Hangers
- Abandoned Railroads
- Air Strips
- Bus Facilities
- Landfills
- Meth Houses
- Mine Scarred Lands
- Sewer Lagoons
- Sheep Dip Vats
- Dump Sites
Benefits of Brownfield Projects
- Creation of new jobs and job training opportunities
- Revitalization of blighted areas
- Cleaner communities, environmental benefits & open space
- Reduction in sprawl
- Healthy neighborhoods and environments
- Historic preservation
- Ecological restoration
- Economic development
- Improve quality of life
- Expand local tax base
- Development of “Greenfields” sites
- Deconstruction & recycling opportunties
Goals and Elements of the 128(a) Tribal Response Program
Healthy Communities & Ecosystem
Objective 4.2 Communities- Sustain, clean up, restore communities and the ecological systems that support them.
Sub-objective 4.2.3- Assess, clean up and redevelop brownfields sites.
Elements of the Response Program
- Timely survey and inventory of brownfield sites.
- Strategies and resources to create meaningful opportunities for public engagement.
- Processes for approving a cleanup plan, verifying, and certifying the completion of the cleanup.
- Keep and provide the public with a record of sites that have been addressed and those proposed for cleanup under the program.
- ENIPC Inc. OETA enhances and implements the brownfields 128(a) program.
- Provide outreach to increase awareness of brownfield sites within communities.
- Provide training to staff and tribal environmental professionals about the US EPA state and Tribal Response Program and its elements.
- Continue with established surveys and inventories and public records.
- Conduct site investigations for phase I and II assessments of Brownfield sites.
Environmental Protection Agency Grants
Brownfield Assessment Grants
Provide funding for brownfields inventories, planning, environmental assessments, and community outreach.
- Community Wide Grant ($200K)
- An applicant may apply for a community-wide assessment grant if a specific site has not been identified or if the assessment will address more than one site within the community.
- Site-Specific Grant ($350K)
- Grant application for one site.
- Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund Grants ($1M)
- Provide environmental training for residents of brownfield communities: including Green remediation techniques~Recycling center operator training~ Spill response & cleanup~ 1st responder, first aid, & emergency response ~ Commercial driver’s license (CDL), heavy machinery & forklift operator ~ HAZMAT~ Weatherization & energy auditing ~ Landscaping, native plant revegetation & ecological restoration ~ Site preparation for solar & renewable energy ~ Underground storage tank removal.
- Brownfield Cleanup Grants (up to $200K/site)
- Provide direct funding for cleanup activities at certain properties with planned greenspace, recreational, or other nonprofit uses.
Recent News
The Brownfield program has completed the cleanup of the Old Juvenile Court building with a grant from the EPA and funds from the GAP program, Brownfield would like to thank the EPA and all other departments for their help.
In February of 2018 the Brownfield program successfully cleaned up the old armory building.