EPA Announces More Than $5.7 Million in Brownfields Grants to Cleanup Indiana Communities
Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selection of $5,750,000 in Brownfields grants to nine organizations in Indiana that will assess, cleanup, and revitalize local lands. Nationally, EPA announced the selection of $267 million in Brownfields grants to communities across the United States.
“The $267 million in Brownfield grants will transform contaminated properties into valuable spaces for businesses and housing, creating new opportunities that strengthen local economies and directly benefit American families,” said EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. “EPA’s Brownfields program demonstrates how environmental stewardship and economic prosperity complement each other. Under President Trump’s leadership, EPA is Powering the Great American Comeback, ensuring our nation has the cleanest air, land, and water while supporting sustainable growth and fiscal responsibility.”
“Brownfields grants empower communities to reclaim and revitalize areas that have previously been underutilized,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel. “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.”
This round of selectees from Indiana receiving cleanup and assessment grants include:
- The City of Greenfield has been selected for a $400,000 Brownfields assessment grant to conduct 11 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also be used to update an existing brownfield site inventory, prepare ten cleanup plans and conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the Pennsy Trail Corridor.
- The City of Greenwood has been selected for a $500,000 Brownfields assessment grant to conduct 18 Phase I and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to expand the current brownfield site inventory, prepare two reuse plans and conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is the historic downtown.
- The Indiana Finance Authority has been selected for $650,000 to supplement its existing Brownfield revolving loan fund grant. IFA has funded cleanups across the state with previously awarded grants. The grant funding will be used for projects in Elkhart, LaPorte and Muncie.
- The City of Indianapolis has been selected for a $450,000 Brownfields assessment grant to conduct 17 Phase I and eight Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to inventory brownfield sites, prepare four cleanup plans and conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is Indianapolis’ urban core north.
- The City of Marion has been selected for a $500,000 Brownfields assessment grant to conduct 10 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also be used to update an existing brownfield site inventory, prepare ten cleanup planning documents and conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is north Marion.
- Michigan City has been selected for a $500,000 Brownfields assessment grant to conduct 10 Phase I and 12 Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds will also be used to prepare 10 cleanup plans, update an existing brownfield site inventory and conduct community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is Michigan City's north side.
- Oakland City has been selected for a $250,000 Brownfields assessment grant to conduct 11 Phase I and five Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to inventory and prioritize brownfield sites, develop four cleanup plans and support community engagement activities. The target area for this grant is Oakland City's Main Street corridor.
- The City of Terre Haute has been selected for a $500,000 Brownfields assessment grant to conduct 10 Phase I and four Phase II environmental site assessments. Grant funds also will be used to develop four cleanup plans and one reuse plan. The target areas for this grant are the River East planning area and the former Columbian Enameling site.
- The Wabash River Enhancement Corporation has been selected for a $2 million Brownfields cleanup grant to clean up the former Lafayette Paperboard North site, located at 40 Chestnut St. in Lafayette. The 9-acre riverfront site was used for paperboard production from 1907 to 2007. All buildings on the site were razed in 2008 and have remained vacant since then. The site is contaminated with PCBs, heavy metals and other toxins.
Federal grant recipients must satisfy legal and administrative requirements to receive funds from EPA.
View the list of selected applicants here.
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.