Funded by $1.5 billion investment into Brownfields sites from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address legacy pollution, advance environmental justice, and create healthier communities
Vermont Business Magazine Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $6,390,000 in grant awards from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of brownfield sites in Vermont 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 Vermont to receive two grants totaling nearly $3 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant programs. In addition, the agency is announcing $3.5 million in supplemental funding to one existing, high-performing Brownfields RLF Grant Programs to help expedite their continued work at sites in Vermont.
EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the awards in Philadelphia yesterday alongside Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon 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.”
“These investments by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Biden-Harris Administration, which were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will put clean-up and revitalization projects in motion and play a key role in strengthening the economic wellbeing of underserved communities in Vermont,” said U.S. Senator Peter Welch. “I’m pleased to see this funding coming back to our state, and look forward to watching this redevelopment transform our communities.”
“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.”
“Brownfields grants are gamechangers—they turn polluted, abandoned sites into thriving community spaces. This isn’t just about cleaning up the environment; it’s about revitalizing neighborhoods, creating good jobs, and ensuring healthier living for everyone—it’s a win-win-win-win-win-win,” said EPA Regional Administrator David W. Cash. “This additional funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is helping to transform contaminated properties into valuable community assets, making a real difference for Vermont families, especially in the areas that need it most.”
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 Vermont have been selected to receive EPA Brownfields funding through the Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Programs.
- Springfield Medical Care Systems, Inc., VT has been selected to receive $1,890,000 for a Brownfields Cleanup Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Grant funds will be used to clean up the Edgar May Health and Recreation Center located at 140 Clinton Street in the City of Springfield, VT. The 1.6-acre cleanup site was used for manufacturing, including the founding, machining, and painting of machine parts, for over 50 years. It is contaminated with PCBs, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, and benzene. Grant funds also will be used to prepare a Community Involvement Plan and cleanup plans, and conduct community engagement activities.
- Town of St. Johnsbury has been selected to receive $1 million for a Brownfields Multipurpose Grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Priority sites include the Public Works Yard and Municipal Forest, which was previously used for logging activities; the True Temper Factory, a former wooden dowel manufacturing facility; the Salvage Yard, a vacant lot containing old tires, machinery, and automobiles; and the Ames Building, a vacant 33,000 square-foot commercial building built in the 1900s. Grant funds will be used to conduct two Phase I and three Phase II environmental site assessments and develop cleanup plans for the Public Works Yard, Salvage Yard, and Ames Building site. Grant funds also will be used to conduct cleanup activities at the True Temper and Public Works Yard sites. The target area for this project is the Summerville District.
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
In addition, the Agency is announcing $3.5 million in non-competitive supplemental funding to one successful existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant programs in Vermont 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 Vermont organizations have been selected to receive non-competitive Supplemental Funding Through the Existing Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) Grant Program.
- Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development has been selected to receive $3.5 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in addition to the $6,567,850 in EPA funds already awarded, because it has a high-performing RLF program with significantly depleted funds. The RLF program has successfully made loans or subgrants leading to 41 cleanup projects that are either completed or in progress. Potential projects highlighted for use of the BIL funding include the Catamount Arts Hub in St. Johnsbury and the former J & L Plant in Springfield. The Catamount Arts Hub redevelopment will result in the expansion of the facility into a creative economy hub and will reuse historic structures. The former J & L Plant will be redeveloped into greenspace and connect with an active bike and pedestrian trail system and also provide access to the Black River. The BIL funding will extend the capacity of the program to provide funding for more cleanups in the most underserved areas in the state of Vermont.
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 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.
Source: 5.21.2024. EPA Region 1: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/epa-region-1-new-england
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