Does your community have an old factory, gas station, industrial site or other facility that could use a little TLC?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers a Brownfields Program to provide funding and expertise to communities to assess, clean up and reuse contaminated properties known as brownfields.

A brownfield, according to the EPA, is a property whose future use is complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.

The EPA estimates there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. By investing in cleanup, communities can increase local tax bases, facilitate job growth, utilize existing infrastructure, take development pressures off undeveloped, open land, and protect the environment.

The fiscal year 2022 Brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund and Cleanup Grant Guidelines are now available. The application for the current grant cycle is open until Dec. 1, 2021. Funding requests for state and tribal response are also open, and will be accepted through Dec. 17, 2021.

Interested in learning more about brownfields work and the funding available for cleanup? Contact WWC Engineering in any of its five offices or via email at environmental@wwcengineering.com.