Get Brownfields Assessment Application

Brownfields are properties that are or may be contaminated with hazardous substances, pollutants, petroleum, or other contaminants. These contaminants pose a barrier to redevelopment. Brownfields often are in struggling neighborhoods and areas with blight, deteriorated infrastructure, or other challenges.

When contamination escalates or may pose a threat to life, then the site is classified as a superfund. Superfunds are often handled by private owners and the federal government to ensure that they are cleaned and remediated properly.

Community-wide Assessment Grants for States and Tribes An applicant may request up to $2,000,000 to assess sites contaminated by hazardous substances, pollutants, contaminants (including hazardous substances co-mingled with petroleum), and/or petroleum. The performance period for these grants is up to five years.

Brownfields site assessments are conducted to facilitate the reuse of properties by determining whether contamination exists onsite, and if so, the characteristics of contamination, including the threat it poses, potential solutions for cleanup, and the cost of solutions necessary to prepare the site for redevelopment.

When a community has questions about whether a property is environmentally contaminated, a site assessment is. needed. An assessment helps a community understand environmental conditions on the property and whether. those conditions could be harmful to residents and workers.

A brownfield is a property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.

How do you determine if a site is a brownfield? A site is classified as a brownfield by having an environmental assessment done on the property. The environmental assessment determines the extent of real or perceived contamination.

For a petroleum-contaminated site that otherwise meets the definition of a brownfield site to be eligible for funding, EPA or the state must determine: 1. There is no viable responsible party. 2. The site will not be assessed, investigated, or cleaned up by a person that is potentially liable for cleaning up the site.