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(AGENPARL) – lun 20 maggio 2024 Issued: May 20, 2024 (1:41pm EDT)
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Biden-Harris Administration Announces over $8.4M in Brownfields Grants Through
Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in Iowa
Funded by $1.5 billion investment into brownfield sites from President
Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address legacy pollution, advance
environmental justice, and create healthier communities
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 – 11201 Renner Blvd., Lenexa,
KS 66219
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations
Biden-Harris Administration Announces over $8.4M in Brownfields Grants Through
Investing in America Agenda to Rehabilitate and Revitalize Communities in
Iowa
Funded by $1.5 billion investment into brownfield sites from President
Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address legacy pollution, advance
environmental justice, and create healthier communities
Contact Information: Jonathan Klusmeyer, 913-343-2991,
LENEXA, KAN. (MAY 20, 2024) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) announced $8,485,900 in grant awards from President Biden’s
Investing in America Agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of
brownfield sites in Iowa, 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 two communities in Iowa to receive grants totaling over
$5,485,900 in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through MAC Grant programs.
In addition, the Agency is announcing $3 million in supplemental funding to
existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant programs to help expedite
their continued work at sites in Iowa.
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.”
“EPA Region 7 is proud to deliver these Brownfields funding resources to our
partner organizations across Iowa,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Meghan A.
McCollister. “The Brownfields program is truly a win-win for everyone
involved, and we are proud of our partners’ efforts to provide a cleaner and
healthier environment for all, while at the same time spurring local economic
development.”
“This needed investment will boost public health and economic development
across Iowa by transforming once-polluted sites into thriving community
assets,” said U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (IA). “I supported the
bipartisan infrastructure bill with the health and safety of Iowans in mind.
I’m glad our state continues to see a return on that investment.”
“The City of Keokuk is thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a
Brownfields Grant,” said Keokuk Mayor Kathie Mahoney. “This grant is a
testament to our commitment to revitalizing and rejuvenating our community
while prioritizing environmental sustainability. We are grateful for the
support and recognition from the Environmental Protection Agency’s $4.48
million Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law. We are excited to embark on this journey of transforming
contaminated sites into vibrant, safe spaces for our communities. This grant
will enable us to not only address environmental challenges, but also create
new opportunities for economic growth and community development. We look
forward to the positive impact this project will have on our community and
beyond. Again, thank you for choosing Keokuk.”
“We are so thankful to the Biden-Harris Administration and the EPA for their
continuing support of revitalizing often neglected areas,” said Waterloo
Mayor Quentin Hart. “This investment will help create the kind of change
that will have generational impacts in our community.”
“East Central Intergovernmental Association is excited to continue its
partnership with EPA,” said ECIA Development Coordinator Dawn Danielson.
“The EPA Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund provides ECIA with critical funding
for remediation of brownfield sites in rural and disadvantaged communities
throughout eastern Iowa. This new EPA Brownfields supplemental funding will
replenish ECIA’s revolving loan fund, enabling ECIA to disburse and revolve
funds for numerous brownfield cleanup projects throughout the ECIA five-county
region. Thank you, President Biden and EPA for their commitment and investment
in eastern Iowa and for selecting ECIA as 2024 Brownfields funding
recipient.”
Many communities that are under economic stress, particularly those 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 Programs’
Selections
The following organizations in Iowa have been selected to receive EPA
Brownfields funding through the MAC Grant programs:
The City of Keokuk has been selected to receive $4,485,900. EPA selected the
city for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant that will be funded by the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Elkem-Carbide
Site Auditor’s Parcel, located at 365 Carbide Lane. The 9.6-acre cleanup
site was first used as a zinc smelter and lead alloying facility. By 1929, the
site transitioned to the manufacturing of carbide, and later in the 1950s to
the manufacturing of carbon products. All operations ceased in 2007 and the
site has been vacant since then. It is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons, heavy metals, inorganic materials, and PCBs. Grant funds also
will be used to conduct community engagement activities.
The City of Waterloo has been selected to receive $1 million. EPA selected the
city for a Brownfields Multipurpose Grant that will be funded by the
Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to conduct 10 Phase I
and 10 Phase II environmental site assessments and conduct community
engagement activities. Grant funds also will be used to clean up the 1.8-acre
Altstadt and Langlas Site, located at 54 Lane Street. Additional priority
sites include the Former Rath Plant at 1508 Sycamore Street; a former food
warehouse at 70-80 Sycamore Street; the TechWorks out-lot near 360 Westfield
Avenue; and the Grand Crossing 3 lot near 50 West Mullan Avenue.
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 Programs
The Agency is announcing $3 million in non-competitive, supplemental funding
to one successful, existing RLF Grant program that has already achieved
success in its 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 Iowa organization has
been selected to receive non-competitive, supplemental funding through the
existing RLF Grant programs.
In addition to the $1.8 million in EPA funds already awarded, the East Central
Intergovernmental Association’s Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) has
been selected to receive an additional $3 million through the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law (BIL), because it has a high-performing RLF program with
significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or
subgrants leading to three cleanup projects that are either completed or in
progress. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide
funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in Cedar, Clinton,
Delaware, Dubuque, Jackson, and Jones counties in Iowa.
To see the list of RLF Supplemental funding recipients 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 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 FY 2024 MAC applicants selected for funding, visit: 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.
# # #
Learn more about EPA Region 7
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