Record Number of New Proposals Sent to EPA for Brownfield Grants for 2012

Each year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency solicits proposals for communities interested in receiving grant funding for brownfield redevelopment activities. In 2011, communities in 40 states and 3 Tribes shared $76 million in EPA Brownfield grants to help clean up, revitalize, and sustainably reuse contaminated properties, turning them from problem properties to productive community use. The grants, awarded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, provide funding to eligible entities through brownfield assessment, revolving loan fund, and cleanup grants. A record number of new applicants have applied this year in hopes of receiving an EPA Brownfield Grant in 2012. Among the communities applying for a 2012 Brownfield Grant are:

Canton	Columbia	Columbus
Forest	Gautier	Greenville
Hattiesburg	Hernando	Lauderdale Co.
McComb	Moss Point	Natchez
Pascagoula/Jackson Co.	Philadelphia	Starkville
Vicksburg	West Point

EPA's Brownfield Program empowers states, communities, and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse brownfield sites. A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. In 2002, the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfield Revitalization Act was passed to help states and communities around the country cleanup and revitalize brownfield sites. Under this law, EPA provides financial assistance to eligible applicants through four competitive grant programs: assessment grants, revolving loan fund grants, cleanup grants, and job training grants. For further information, including specific grant contacts, additional grant information, brownfield news and events, and publications and links, visit the EPA Brownfield Web site (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields).